Happy 18 Months Ellie!

Happy 18-Months Dear Ellie Bellie Bear!

You have brought so much joy to Mommy and Daddy and to so many other people.  How we lived our lives before you is unbeknownst to me.

Sob!!!  I suppose I now have to completely accept the fact that you are no longer a baby, but rather a toddler.  A toddler Bear with attitude, style, and spunk.

Yay!  We are rejoicing that we clumsy (okay, I am the clumsy one) parents managed to keep you alive thus far.  A whole whopping 18 months!

Since your 1st Birthday, dear Ellie, you have accomplished so many things.  You make me very proud, but you have also given your mama many heart attacks and gray hairs.  You are an adventurer.  Just like the little Ellie character in the movie "Up".

In the past 6 months:

On your first birthday, you got your first tooth. You now have a total of 9 teeth.

You had your second ear tube surgery, an Upper GI series, got cleared from cardiac, and discovered your milk intolerance/GERD/Gastric Paresis.

You started to cruise along furniture.

You started to walk with a push-pull toy.

You now take 8 independent steps.

You can go down the slide at the playground all by yourself.

You figured out how to climb onto the fireplace hearth.

. . . and most recently the porch steps.

You said you first word--"mama".

You started to put balls into a circle shape of your bus toy and blocks into a square shape.

You discovered the cat door and that books as well as mommy's glasses fit through the door very well.

You learned how to bang a drum and shake a maraca with rhythm.

You learned how to "play fetch" with Sophie.

You have experienced 2 more haircuts (bangs!).

You enjoyed your first snow!

You had your first airplane ride to Philly and later to St. Louis.

Ellie, you have experienced many "firsts" in just a few months.  We are so proud of you and we love you so much!  Happy 18 months, dear Bear-Bear.