18 Months

 Eighteen months ago E joined our family, and I can hardly believe the little baby has turned into the smart ball of energy we know today.  She loves to run, laugh, sing, and play.  Luckily, she still loves snuggling, too.  She's big (93% height and 94% for weight) and that makes for some interesting wrestling matches with L.  He's so gentle with her, but we often hear "Mom, help!" when E pins him to the ground. They are great friends and play together a lot.  Seeing them interact has made that first difficult year worth it.  They will always be friends and they will always have each other.  I am very grateful for that.

She says more words every day.  Just this morning she pointed to her space place mat and was trying to say astronaut.  It's wonderful that she will never know a world without female astronauts.  She likes eating dinner at her little table with a big girl cup and uses all of her utensils.  It's like my baby has been replaced with a little girl.  I love seeing her grow up, but there is a bittersweetness to it, for sure. 

With the good news that E is thriving, we also welcomed news that my mom's heart condition was not critical.  She has a slight narrowing of the valve, but it doesn't need to be replaced, yet.  She is tired and will need to be monitored, but I think that maybe this was the wake up call that we all needed.  Life is too crazy and this time of year can make it even worse.  My mom opted not to make her annual pecan brittle and I was really glad that she chose her health instead of the idea that she has to "do it all".  I should probably take a lesson from that. 

We have each other and a lot of love.  It's good to remember to relax and enjoy it.