McKenzie: You're 15 months old!

A lot has changed since you turned one-year old. For starters you had your fifteen-month appointment on Friday. We had actually brought you in a few days early since you have yet another cold and your doctor spotted the starts of an eye infection. You were kind enough to share your infection with both Mommy and Daddy and we're all on antibiotics for it. You weigh 24 pounds, 8 ounces and you stand a whole 32.5 inches tall.
Your doctor was impressed with your development and mentioned how "bright" you were- especially considering you don't go to daycare. Who knew some one else's compliments could have Mommy gleaming with pride.

You've learned a ton of new things in the past three-months. You know most of your body parts and your favorite to point to is your toes. You bed ALL the way over and dramatically point to your "piggy's". You're learning to repeat random words that you hear and your all time favorite word is up.

You've decided that being restrained is for babies. You absolutely hate, hate, hate, being tied down. It's not out of the ordinary to see Daddy pushing the stroller and Mommy trailing behind with you tightly holding my hand.

You're all about independence. You MUST feed yourself and although you understand how to use the spoon, you're less than clean doing so. You've started getting a shower after breakfast and dinner for this reason.

You LOVE climbing. Nothing is off limits. Your favorite thing to climb is our dining room table. Just a friendly reminder that you make Mommy's heart skip a beat when you do this. So. Stop!

You love your dog and love hanging on her. Bayleigh is complaisant- but is less than amused with your billion kisses.

As mentioned before- you love, love, love books. You can be in a totally different room and when I ask if you want to read a book- you'll run in your bedroom and pick out a book for Mommy to read to you. You really understand a lot now. It's really surreal how fast you've developed in 15 short months.

Recently, you survived your first full day without Mommy and Daddy. It wasn't by choice- and Mommy's hospital stay was extended by a few crazy hours. But you survived. Maureen and Pop Pop watched you. Pop Pop put your diaper on backwards(and Daddy had to remind him to FEED you), but I was impressed that he changed your poopy diaper. You didn't seem phased by our absence.

You've also left our nest- well, sort of. You're sleeping in your own room. It only took Mommy 14.5 months to cut the cord. But- we did it. I still check on you a dozen times through out the night.

I still cannot believe that we've been your parents for over a year. We've watched you develop from a newborn to an infant- and now we're watching you bloom into a toddler. I often dream about what kind of little girl you'll become. We can wait.

You're incredibly sweet, stubborn, and you have a temper that Daddy thinks resembles mine. You know what you want and how to get it. You are my whole world and I thank the Heavens every day that you're here and I get to experience being your mother. Life is good.