To Theo - 18 months

I seriously cannot comprehend the speed in which things are changing, growing and developing at the moment!

Theo,

From taking your first little steps 2 weeks before your 1st birthday, to positively walking 2 weeks after it, everything is happening so quick!  Now... well I can barely keep up! You run everywhere!!! In circles, back and forth, you name it, you climbs the stairs like a pro (but are not quite so competent on the way down) I have been trying to teach you to come down on your bum, but you would much rather slide down on your tummy, and then laugh (the most beautiful and infectious laugh) when I tell you that you are being a monkey!

You love pushing boundaries...and at this age, that is exactly what you are meant to be doing, you turn to me regularly when you are unsure, to gauge my reaction as to whether you are doing something you shouldn't or not. My current favourite is your little tuneful "uh oh" and "oh dear" when you think you have done something 'wrong'. It truly is the cutest thing... and even though there may be spaghetti all over the floor,  your apparent awareness of your 'mistake' of plate throwing (as one example) even though it is usually 'accidently on purpose' really shows your understanding of this crazy big and confusing world you are a part of.

You absolutely love to snuggle and cuddle, especially when there is a film on, you now come and sit on my lap and rest you head on me, especially if you are a bit tired and nuzzle yourself in. These moments are perfect. I feel so lucky that you are such a loving and affectionate little being. You are pretty generous with your kisses now too, regularly coming over just to give me a kiss, because you want to, and not because you have been asked. I love that. 

Waving! Well waving has been an off and on thing over the last 6 months, you have had the capability, but lacked the urge to bother to wave 'hi' or 'bye' for quite some time. In the last month though you have started to wave and sing "Hiiii" or "Byeeee" (depending on which is relevant) in your ever so tuneful song voice, to almost all that you meet...to me, Dolly, Daddy, Grandma, the lady behind the till, the man buying bread, the security guard at Tesco... yep you are a friendly little soul!

If you are not waving and saying hiya to strangers a plenty, you can be sure to find that you will give them a little dance, stomping your feet and wiggling for a reaction (you are a born showman!)
Either that or you will be offering up your juice and toys to others in the doctors waiting room, supermarket, restaurant...etc etc.

You are a very kind little boy, who loves to explore his surroundings, making friends with all the ladies,  charming  your way to a 'sweety' and a smile. I have a feeling that charm will stick with you throughout life. That smile and those dimples will get you a long way...

Your best friend is Sofia, we met her when u were 3 months old and she was 6.5 months. You two see each other weekly (sometimes more, sometimes less) and we go on lovely days out swimming or to soft play, for dinner and to the parks etc. You two are real partners in crime, wild and free, wearing us poor mummies out!! But we wouldn't have you any other way!

Talking about swimming, your dad and I take you swimming every Tuesday morning, and from your first dip in the water, I knew you were a water baby! I first took you at 3 months old, and you were content then. I held you in the water letting you slowly gain your confidence bit by bit.. and now at 18 months you are practically a fish! You wear little foam floats on your arms and swim round, unaided by me or your daddy. You laugh and splash and jump in the water without a care in the world. You are physically strong and you are very brave, carefree and such fun to be with.

As well as swimming we take you to gymnastics.. and you have come on in leaps and bounds since the first time we took you. You use the trampoline and do forward rolls and even practice them at home! Your favourite thing is to run about though and throw the balls on the parachute at the end.

You are so clever and developing in so many ways, you now say your animal noises for 'dinosaur' - raaaaar 'cow' - mooo 'duck' - quack quack and 'dog' - woofwoof! You also have tons of words that keep popping out of nowhere...! Your first proper word apart from Mummy and Daddy was probably Dolly, and you shout up the stairs "doyey...doyey" every morning for her to come down and play with you. You love her!

Your first sentence (apart from "where's doyey")  was 2 days before xmas at Bubbles Soft Play where you said "mummy where are you??....where are you mummy??" I was right behind you, but were so busy exploring the 'big kids bit' you panicked for a moment... i was sooo proud, I had no idea you knew so much!

You are a fruit bat! You love love love strawberries and blueberries...so much so, we are going to grow them this year just to keep up with your tummy's demand! As for other food you are much more picky than you were...yet you are getting better. Your absolute favourite veg is corn on the cob, and you devour every morsel! You are also a big fan of chips (no surprises) and spaghetti... very funny to watch you eat that with a fork... but not for the faint hearted! (I spend a lot of time bleaching the floor!)

Well it is getting late now, and I am really due some sleep...as last night I didn't sleep at all. I have taken  the side of your cot you see, and you are doing really well. AMAZING in fact. You have never been a good sleeper, and in fact we have practically co-slept for 18 months...as I can count on my hands the nights you have stayed in your cot all night...you usually end up in with me from as soon as you first stir. But not the last couple of nights. I am still sleeping in your bedroom (I am the clingy one!) I feel happier that way...but you are getting bigger now...and I soon will have to sleep with your new baby brother, so it is only fair to get you settled and happy in your big bed by yourself. I am watching your chest rise and fall in perfect sleepy peace, and realising it is me with the problem! I have separation anxiety and cannot sleep... ! But I am being good...last night you woke, and I sat next to your little 'big boy bed' and sang every Disney song I could think of for 40 mins... until you drifted back off into dreams. How much I wanted to scoop you up and hold you close to me, but I have to let you grow.

I wish I could freeze time sometimes to spend a little longer enjoying everything...as life is moving so quickly...  you are at the most perfect stages right now, everything is new and exciting for you, everything is a 'first' and I can barely keep up. But my mission is to just enjoy every single moment, every tired tantrum and every sleepy snuggle, every hysterical giggle, playing dinosaurs and tickle... for one day you will be big and the kisses you give me won't be so 'cool'...  I wish you could be my baby forever! You will never know how much you mean to me, how much I love you, and how my life revolves around you. Only when you are big and grown and have your own babies will you understand. I now know true love, and you are mine. My beautiful little bundle of joy, my forever perfect baby boy xxx