How do I love thee....

Dear Lily,

I love you times 18 months.

78 weeks.

547 days.

A ton of hours and minutes.

And about a gazillion hugs and kisses.

...plus infinity.

I love how you know what most animals "say." Moo and ah-ah-ah being your favorites.

I love how you can say apple and duck and milk clear as a bell but you refer to butterflies and flowers as "ah-flies."

I love how you know what you want (when you want it) and how angry you get when mommy's ESP fails you.

I love the way you get irritated and throw your hands over your eyes, stomp your feet and try to cry as if to say, "This is too complicated! I can't take this anymore! It's so hard living with you people!"

I love how just singing the first few notes of "Itsy Bitsy Spider" makes you grin from ear to ear.

I love how good you are with your daddy that it makes him call me at work to ask, "How did this child become so perfect?"

I love your sideways glance and smirky little grin that tells me you're about to feed the dog your dinner........again.

I love when I find you in your room quietly sitting in the rocking chair listening to your music as you thumb through a book.

I love how you ask to see your "sissy" and give her kisses through my tummy and also how you very clearly let me know when you're not that interested in discussing anything at all about "sissy."

I love how your right thumb automatically inserts itself into your mouth when you grab onto your blankie (which you lovingly sort of call either "munkey" or "mine").

I love how you're being very patient with me and this potty ("poppy") training thing. I'm intimidated and I think I'm failing you. You are telling me when you're going but I'm too scared to start the process. Please forgive me if you grow up with bathroom issues.

I love it when someone wrongs you and you point to them and say, "Not nice!"

I love how you say "night night" and "bye bye" to everyone and everything.

I love how you rest your 95th percentile noggin on my shoulder when you're sleepy.

I love when you plop yourself down on the ground next to me with your hand resting on my leg as we blow bubbles.

I love how ridiculously excited you get when daddy gets home and you make him sick with happiness when you run into his arms.

I love these last 18 months more than other time in my life and I thank you for putting up with me as I continue to try to figure out this mommy thing. You definitely make it much more fun than I ever imagined possible!

My sweet Lily, how the time has flown and how you have positively changed our lives for the better.

Happy 18 month old birthday, my perfect bug!