Happy 18 months Preslee and Mason

well, tommorrow is the 30th of the month again and that means another month has passed since the girls were born. i can't actually believe that is has already been 18 months! it seems like we were just celebrating their birth and then their first birthday and now, they are well on their way to being 2 years old.

every month that passes, i think, "this is the best." it just keeps getting better and better.

before i had children, i used to get annoyed when i would ask parents how old their child was and they would say, "12 months or 22 months". why did they always answer in months? i found it to be some strange parent language, but now i get, i really do. it's because when you have a baby, everyday counts. every week matters. every month is a revelation, a collection of milestones so vast, it is easy to forget that they have happened.

preslee and mason, over the course of the last few weeks, have turned into little girls. sometimes when i look at them, it makes my heart melt. those eyes, their little belly laugh, their chubby little fingers and toes.

what are they doing now you ask?
*of course, running and climbing on everything
*i actually wrote down all the words that i could remember that they are saying and it is about 200 words. they are putting those together in short two to three words sentences now too.
*i see them beginning to pretend. they "cook" in their kitchen and wash dishes, just like mommy
*are completely fascinated with shoes. every morning, they have to try on all of their shoes before breakfast. flip flops are called, "flop flops."
*they love books. preslee says "good book" and hands me her favorites.
*they are really experts at expressing their wants and needs. i feel like we actually have little conversations now.
*they are so in love with each other and love to kiss and hug the other one, but there is the sisterly fighting too.
*are completely obsessed with heidi. she still doesn't really care for them at all!
*eat all the time!
*and i think, might be getting ready for potty training. anytime they have anything in their diapers, they run to tell me and want to be changed.

a half birthday may not mean much, but to me, the mother of two 1 1/2 year olds, a half birthday is huge. eighteen months. so fast. one day i won't count months anymore. soon it will be years. something i can't even begin to imagine. but for now, i am happy counting months and i am so grateful. and thankful. and in love, more in love than ever. i am so looking forward to tomorrow morning when i hear the girls say, "duh doo mama (love you mama) and get a big wet kiss. i even love trying on all their shoes every single day.