18 months!

my sweet and funny pandi,

happy 18-month birthday!  as i write these words, i'm overcome with such a mixture of emotions.  you are SUCH a little person now.  you are no longer my little baby; you have wants and desires, opinions and a sense of humor.  your daddy and i marvel at you each and every day.  we love to watch you grow and change and we're so pleased to be able to share so much with you.  while i look forward to what your future holds and i may get a little nostalgic for your past, i realize that right now is perfect and so i try to capture that here.

my heart sings every time you say "mama!" and it bursts with joy when you give me unsolicited hugs and kisses.  you love your routine but are always up for little adventures just like me.  you LOVE to read, draw, and play music.  and kicking soccer balls is your new favorite activity at the park.  you know the colors green, yellow and purple, and whenever we ask you what color something is, 99% of the time you say green first.  i love to hear all of your animal sounds like your cow, cat, dog, horse, owl and most of all your sheep and goat.    (i really need to record those so you'll believe us later when we say it's hilarious)  your healthy appetite and eating habits continue to astound people.  right now you are on a broccoli (brocky, brocky!) and apple kick but you will pretty much eat whatever we eat, including calamari and wild mushrooms.

your walk/run is so amusing. there's very little waddle anymore.  you look down like you're deep in thought and your step is quick and determined.  your little arms swing back and forth rapidly and you rarely slow down.  we're still trying to figure out where you're in such a hurry to go!  and you like to jump and dance.  all of that energy makes us wonder how you still manage to keep your buddha belly.

every kid is "baby" to you, even if they're bigger than you.  you have lots of "uncles" and "aunties" and even though you've never been shy before, you're starting to cling to us when you first meet people.  within a few minutes you're having entire conversations with them as if you're old friends (especially if they've shared some food).

you're on your way to being well-traveled.  so far you have been to oregon, hawaii, florida, and colorado.  you're a pretty good little road-tripper.  you love to name the things you see outside the window.  we can't wait to take you to one of the countries outside the US we love, or even to a new place none of us has been.

whatever adventures lie ahead, one thing we know for certain is that you will always be a part of them.  and we wouldn't have it any other way.  this past year and a half has been the biggest blessing.  we love you Saraya! ♥♥