Dear Livia,

Ack! How did you get to be a big 15 month old KID already??! I remember talking with other moms months ago and I was all like, “I love babies at 6 months old best. They’re so cute and so interactive.” Secretly I was thinking that it was you who was the best and illogically I was thinking that their babies were too old already. And here you are now, 15 months “old”, and I keep saying that I love this stage the best. If you haven’t learned it already, know that your mother can be way silly sometimes.

This past month you’ve turned into a toddler. All of a sudden you have this uncanny ability to explore every nook and cranny that we’d rather you didn’t explore. You seem to know when you’ve come upon something “illegal” and you’ll turn towards me with ______ (pointy pencil, shiny quarter, small happy face sticker) squeezed tightly in your little fist. I end up wrestling the object away and then you holler for a few minutes. Diversion is the best tactic I can find at this moment, but it doesn’t always prove helpful. A few days ago you discovered the wide, button-filled, black world of media equipment—dials and LEDs on low-shelving, oh my! Could anything possibly be more exciting? I think not! Simply moving you away from the entertainment center wasn’t enough… In fact, I’ve never seen you move so quickly in your short life. You went from sitting to lying down in one smooth seal-like motion and in less than a second later you had rolled your toddler self right back to square one. Even my “no-no, Livia,” accompanied by pointing, did no good. You simply said “nah-nah” over and over while pressing buttons with your toes. Welcome, toddlerhood!

It won’t be long now until you’re walking on your own. Within the past week, since Sue the PT came, you’ve started cruising around the furniture. You’re a careful cruiser, cautious in all movements and mostly in control at every turn. You don’t like to feel wobbly and will cry if you even feel like you could fall. But that’s okay. I think your observant, sensitive personality is a strength and it’ll be interesting to see how it benefits you in the future. Back to the business of walking… Yesterday I plopped you on the bathroom floor while I, uh, used the restroom, and you PULLED YOURSELF UP on the tub! Woohoo!!!! I didn’t want to freak you out with my best impersonation of a cheerleader, but boy was I excited. This is huge, Livia, so huge. Your daddy and I couldn’t be more proud. Apparently your skinny arm and chest muscles have gained strength in recent weeks, at least enough to haul your own body weight. Your newfound strength combined with your toddler curiosity are going to do wonders for your skills. I never knew child development was so exciting. You, my dear girl, have opened a whole new world for us.

There’s so much more to say… Like how beautiful your huge, blue-gray eyes are and how long your dark lashes look. Like how funny you are and how you like to imitate us laughing. How you copy me when I stretch in the morning, complete with grunting noises, and how you point to your cow and then “moo” almost every time I get you from your crib. You can say lots of words now—Mama and Dada, Woof, Moo, Thank You, something of an Amen, All Done, Bear, Uhfly (for butterfly), Quilt, No-No and sometimes Nana and Papa. Granted, you say it all in your delightfully garbled Baby English, but we know what you mean. We’re preparing your for the upcoming football season by raising one arm for “Go, Huskers!” and both arms for “Touchdown!” You are a sweet, cuddly babe who loves to give tight neck hugs and puckers up beautifully for kisses, complete with smacking sounds. And even though you haven’t mastered walking quite yet, I can see in your eyes that you are so ready to join older kids in their play. Soon you’ll be running with them, shrieking the way they do, and hanging onto your toys fiercely when they try to steal them from you. But always, always, you’ll be our sweet girl, Livia who loves her family and brings us all much joy.

You are the apple of our eyes—it’s an expression I used to consider cheesy, but it has never been more true than it is today.

Love always,
Mama