16 months old

Dear Ingrid,

You are one year and four months old today! And I can't even begin to write you everything I wish to say. You are doing so much, saying so much, and learning so much. More than I can even comprehend. You are an amazing child. You soak up every single thing we tell and teach you every day. I'm so thankful you get to stay with your Gammy during the day. You know so much. Your vocabulary is astounding. You will try to say anything we ask, and it's usually pronounced very well! You are putting together more and more words to make little phrases. This morning on the way to Gammy's house you were talking to Strawberry telling her "Gammy's house" over and over. All of the sudden you said, "Uh-oh! Strawberry dropped Mama." You had dropped her over the side of your car seat. You didn't get too upset though. You just started playing with hippo! You love to talk when you're in your car seat and I love to listen to you. We get to have some good conversations to and from school each day. You will sing Wheels on the Bus and your ABCs. Today you sang your ABCs on the way home and got all the way to the letter S. You mumbled through LMNOP a little, but I was amazed that you could sing them so clearly. I'm really amazed by you every single day. I just love you so much and I'm so proud of you.

This is the last letter I will get to write to you as my only daughter. You are about to become a big sister and I'm so excited and nervous all at the same time. I have lots of fears about how you will handle Liv's arrival. Everything will be different and I know it will be hard on you with so many changes. I love our little family of three and I'm certainly aware of how much the dynamic will change when baby Liv comes. I know there will be issues with time. Right now I devote every second to you. And I wouldn't trade that for the world. But when Liv comes I will have to share my time between the two of you. I hope you understand that I still love you just as much as I always have, but now I love your sister too! I am praying and praying that you will have a smooth transition. I am praying for God to take away my fears and allow me to lean on faith that everything will work out according to His perfect plan. I am praying that you and Liv will grow up to be best friends and never question what it would have been like without the other. I am praying and will continue to pray for you every single day.

Ingrid, you are such a precious gift to me and Daddy. We thank God for you every single day. I am so lucky to be your mom and I hope you always know how much you are loved. Kiss, kiss!

Love,
Mama