Letter to Kaitlin

Dear Kaitlin,

Wow! You're going to be 18 months old on Monday. Daddy and I can hardly believe how much you've grown and learned over the past year and a half. You amaze us everyday with your new skills. The other day we were listening to some of your music in the car and when we got home and I opened your door, you did the signs for "more music." I couldn't believe it because I had never even seen you sign "music" before! A couple days later, we were coloring and had some classical music on in the background. I asked you if you liked the music and you signed "sleep" then "music." At first I thought you were trying to tell me it was boring! Then I realized that the song was Fur Elise and that's a song Tad plays when you are going to sleep. Daddy and I were shocked that you made that connection. You are so smart!

You use lots of other signs, too! Some of the signs you use most are bubbles, game, please, more, mommy, daddy, and sorry. I wish you didn't have to use sorry so much, but you have started to get a little rough with Harley and Simba. You like to hit them with your toys. Anytime I see you hit one of them, I make you sign sorry and you usually do. Sometimes you will immediately hit them again and sign sorry. I think you are looking for attention when you do that. You also like to share your food with Harley. Well, sometimes you give him food and sometimes he takes it. But you don't help when you tease him by holding out the food and then running away! You giggle when he chases you and then you get mad when he eats your food.

You have a game on the computer that Kyler and Kohl gave you and you love to play it! I can't really check my e-mail when you're awake without you coming into the office and signing "game, please." That was another time that I was amazed, the first time you signed game! I had never really done that sign with you, you just picked it up off your Baby Signing Time videos and one day you came into the office signing game. Amazing!

Besides learning lots of new signs and figuring out how to use them to get what you want, you are also starting to talk a lot. You will pretty much try to say anything; sometimes it sounds like what you are trying to say and sometimes it doesn't! Some of your favorite words are: up, apple, go, by by, and of course, Pop Pop. Anytime you talk on your toy phone you tell me you are talking to Pop Pop. You always want to play with the phone! When I pick up your toys at night, I have to put your toy phone next to the house phone so that I know right where it is. If I don't give you your phone while I'm talking to someone, you scream and point at the phone and will not be quiet until you have some kind of phone in your hands.

You love to play outside! Everyday you want to go outside and run around in the backyard. We try to play with Harley, but you usually end up fetching his toys instead of him! I can't wait for the weather to warm up so that we can get out your pool and water table. I think you will have lots of fun with them this summer! You really like to watch the airplanes fly over. One day, after an airplane went over you looked at me and signed "more, please." I explained that I couldn't make more planes fly over and you must have understood because you've never asked again ;)

You are definitely becoming more independent and you know what you want! Anytime I try to put your jacket on you, you run away and I end up chasing you around the house. You do a good job feeding yourself and most of the time, you let me know that you don't want my help! You won't eat sliced up bananas anymore; you only want big pieces like mommy and daddy eat. The other night you did something really funny. I was in the kitchen getting dinner ready and you came around the corner with one arm out of your shirt sleeve and you were trying to pull your shirt over your head. I asked you why you were taking your shirt off and you signed "all done." It was too funny!

Well, I could probably go on and on about all the new things you're doing and how much fun daddy and I have watching you learn, and play, and laugh, but what I really want you to know is how much Daddy and I love you and how much joy you bring into our lives. Our family wouldn't be complete without you! We can't wait to see what you will do next!

I love you,

Mommy