Happy 18 months

Dear Connor,

Happy 18 months. We now have to round up and say that you are closer to being two years old than you are to being one. Did you hear that: TWO YEARS OLD. And I am pretty nervous about what the terrible two's will bring.

While I was pregnant, I signed up on babycenter.com to get weekly email alerts about how you were growing, changing, and developing. I STILL get those emails and one of the most recent email updates was titled, "How to get your toddler to cooperate". And that email is still saved in my inbox. Haven't had a chance to read it yet but I will. Several times.

Maybe it's not that you don't cooperate so much as you just do what you want to do. And you do it when YOU want to do it. For some reason, putting on your pajamas every night is a battle. Getting you up in the mornings and changing your diaper isn't on your personal agenda, either. Eating vegetables has been thrown out the window, too. Carseats? Nope, not for you.

Relocating items to a more ideal - in your mind - spot is another one of your favorite passtimes. When we were in Missouri for Thanksgiving visiting your Nana & Papa, your Papa found a can of green beans in the warming drawer under the stove. While your Nana & Papa may put things in strange places from time to time, I am pretty confident that they don't store canned goods in the warming drawer. Just guessing here, but I'm pretty sure I'm right. As you'll learn, Mama is always right.

While I was just going on about how you like to avoid cooperating at all costs, I do have to applaud you for how well you behaved on the 11 hour trip (ONE WAY) to Columbia. We split the trip up and stayed in Nashville each way. You were very happy, for the most part, watching your Mickey Mouse Clubhouse video. Over. And over. And over. I can't quote lines from many (ok, ANY) movies but I may be able to quote a few from that movie. I could probably do the Donald Duck voice best.

Your vocabulary is about to explode. I can just feel it. You babble in what I can only assume are sentences in your world. Long, important, and thoughtful sentences. We're going to be in trouble once you go live with your vocabulary. We did laugh when we asked you what you want to name your Elf on the Shelf. Your response wasn't exactly in English. You made a smacking noise with your lips - almost like you were trying to kiss the air in a really loud fashion. So, we'll probably wait til next year to pick an official name because I'm not sure how to spell that noise. And we have to be able to spell it because we have to record the name in your book.

We decorated the Christmas tree last night while you were in bed. So, you were incredibly excited this morning when you saw it. You marveled at it and looked at each eye-level (and strategically non-breakable) ornament individually for several minutes. The excitement in your eyes and thrill with the tree made Christmas magical for me all over again.

Your Nana & Papa sent Christmas gifts home with us and we have them displayed under the tree. Your fascination with the bows (and how they resemble stars) tonight made me nervous that I may have put them out too soon. It might be a long 23 days until you get to open them up.

I love you, Connor. As much as I jokingly complain about your growing independence, I wouldn't have you any other way.

Love,

Mom