Dear 21 month old you

You were 21 months old three days ago! We have been busy enjoying our summer holidays with Daddy being at home so I simply just forgot to come here and tell you about your 21 months. But for the last three days I have been thinking about how at this age, you seem to be so much older than you really are. I am finding myself constantly reminding myself that you are still in fact a baby. Your age is still counted by the months and not the years. You are my baby and I am not ready to let you grow up yet.

In just two months time, we are going to have another baby in the house and I have been thinking a LOT about how that will affect you. How it will force you to grow up faster than if there were no baby. I am trying to come up with a way to still allow you to be a 23 month old baby when Jelly is born. How to not put too many expectations on you. I don't want to make you grow up before your time, because you are still my baby and I love every little ounce of your babyness, and even with another baby on the way, I am not ready to let your baby go. 

I think you may have other plans though, over this last month you have grown and grown up amazingly. Your ability to talk and to mimic all that I do has increased ten fold. Your words are still muffled but for you Daddy and I, we know exactly what you are saying. Some people have expressed concern about your speaking but I don't believe that there is any cause of concern. You are busy. Always busy. I think you just haven't had the interest in learning to speak at a rapid pace because you are too busy doing...things. 

Every day this summer we have gone to the beach and you are in your element. Just like your Mama. And your Daddy. We both love to watch you digging in the sand. You take trips with your bucket down to the water and rush it back up and play play play. Your absolutely favourite game is for Daddy or I to hold you in the water so you can kick your legs and float over the top of the waves. Your laughter echoes through the wide open spaces and bounces off the water. It really is my most favourite sound, and to hear it, at my most favourite place is just such a blessing. The beach is our escape, our sanity, our fun and our therapy and you just love every single thing about it. You are at your most happiest when you are by the ocean and this just makes me at my most happiest.

You have a boyfriend. Brodie. That you adore. You sing his name when he isn't here, and he calls for you when you are not there. You hold hands and jump in the waves together. You fetch him water and he thanks you. You kiss each other, hug each other, talk to each other and just love each other with every fibre of your being. It really is just the most beautiful friendship to watch blossoming. Brodies Mama and I, talk of your futures and that your friendship will forever grow and follow you both through life. I couldn't ask for a better friend for you, or a better family for you to be a part of, or a better little boy to be a part of ours. They all love you, Brodie, Kate and Aaron. And we all love them. 

We have taken the dummy off you, again. You are trying your hardest to be ok with this but the truth is that you really just love your dummy. I feel awful and horrible for taking it away from you, but you pull your hair out with your dummy and I need to break that habit. I really am very proud of you and how you are handling it. 

Yesterday, you climbed out of your cot, for the very first time. You landed in Mamas rocking chair that she left too close to your cot to entice you with. But now that we know you can climb out of there, I think it is time to move your big girl bed in and your cot out. I am concerned about too many changes too close together though. Firstly it was taking the dummy away, then the big girl bed, then a baby. I know how resilient you are and I am sure you will be fine but this never stops me from fussing over you.

Most Mama's dont like hearing the word 'No" come from their children but I just have to say, at this very moment in time, your No is just the sweetest little sound I have heard. Not the word itself, but the way in which your voice sounds. It makes me laugh. Every time. It is the most adorable sound and I really dont want to see it go!

You are 21 months old. You are about to be in a big girl bed. You are about to be a big Sister. You are growing up and I am desperate to just freeze time. Because 21 month old you is just the sweetest, most caring, most loveable little you. 

Mama loves you... every day and every month and it is a pure joy and an absolute blessing to watch you grow and to be able to call you ours.