Lily, 16m

16 months old...

You are full of smiles, even on frustrating and long-tiring-worn out days. You make us laugh all.the.time. When we tell you that we love you, you tell us you love us back. When we say "good night," you sign "night" right back, over and over until you are sure we have seen.

You love strawberries, and always let us know that you want them if you see them in the store, or hear someone talk about them, or even if you see a picture, or find a toy strawberry. You get very frustrated when you can't have that strawberry right then. You love watermelon too. We cut it from the rind but leave a bit of red so that you can carry the still-juicy rind around and eat it with two hands. You like squishing little pieces but you love eating off the rind. You sometimes hand it back when you are done, and other times you put it in secret places, like your toybox or under the seat of your ride-on toys.

You know your friends and family by name. Sometimes you ask for them, especially when we sit down for meals and you see the empty high chair next to you. You usually prefer R* be sitting there with you. You have started to discover little differences and remember things that surprise us. You remember things people said and what goes where and how to open things that aren't for you. We let you open them if we can, because it's so good to see your little brain working away, thinking, growing.

You and Engine are getting along well now, but you are a bit frustrated that you can't say "Meow." You have a pretty fine grasp of "Moooo" tho, so for now, most things say "Moooo." Sometimes you call Mommy "Jess" and Daddy "Hun" and that makes us laugh. But mostly, we are "Momma" or "Mom-meee," "Daa-daa" or "da-Dee," and Engine is "N, Cat."

Every single night, when you are just falling asleep, we tell you how much you are loved. How much God loves you, and how much we love you too.

"You can do it," Momma whispers. "I am proud of you, I love you."

"You are lovely," Daddy says, "You are so worth fighting for."