Well Baby Lighty, you’ve officially hit toddlerdom. Out twice as long as in, you’re 18 months old today! Before I had you, an 18 month old didn’t seem like a baby to me. And now that I have you, I can quite clearly see that at 18 months you’re definitely a toddler, not a baby anymore, although you will always be my baby.

My baby, but not a baby as far as you are concerned. “Baby” is one of your new words – new words that are tumbling from your mouth ever more in leaps and bounds – and you are quick to point out any babies that we encounter as we go about our day to day activities. It often makes me chuckle, when you point out a ‘baby’ that I know for a fact is actually only 3 or 4 months younger than you, for you clearly no longer see yourself as a baby but as a big boy now.

But you’ll always be my baby. Going back to those aforementioned words you’re learning though, I’m amazed by how much you can say. And how well you can use language already, using diminutive forms of words such as “Mum” (yep, I am already demoted from Mummy to plain old Mum when you want me to be), putting words together (“Herro Daddy!”, as you can’t quite pronounce the ‘L’ sound in hello just yet!) or singing songs surprisingly in tune. Your favourite words and phrases are “bubble”, “all gone!”, “No!” – which is said to everything with a vehement shake of the head – and “what’s this?”, and I can see the curiosity in your eyes as you come across something new that makes you ask this question.

I can see, my baby, that now that you’ve been out twice as long as in, you feel that the whole world is your playground. Quite literally at times, as you climb on something you shouldn’t then turn to give Mr Lighty and I that cheeky chops smile that we know and love so well. Oh yes, climbing is a relatively new thing; many of your friends have been climbing for months, and I must admit that I haven’t encouraged it, although you’re making up for it with full force now!

Similarly, when the doctors and midwives said to me at all of my scans and appointments when I was pregnant that I ‘had a lively one on my hands’, they weren’t wrong! You do not. stop. moving!!! From being the little tiny squirmy baby in my tummy, you are now my big baby who I have to snatch cuddles from, because you’d rather be off rampaging than snuggling with Mummy!

And, my baby boy, we also finally have teeth, hurrah! I haven’t included your gnashers in an update so far because, quite frankly, when I drafted your first birthday post, you still didn’t have any! But now you have 12 and four about to pop through, so these last six months of being out in the big wide world have made up for it.

By far one of my favourite aspects of you having been out twice as long as in is the way in which your imagination has taken off. You love imaginative play, and you make me smile very day as you go about your activities. Perhaps we’re cooking for the Teds, or maybe you’re serving Mr Lighty and I some tea from your plastic teapot. Sometimes we can tell that you’re attempting to sing Happy Birthday as you bring us a plastic cake on a tray, or you’ll use your toy tools to fix your Cozy Coupe car. It’s these things that show me that you’re no longer a baby.

You love to dance now, baby boy, and Mr Lighty and I love seeing you dance. We particularly love your two signature moves: the one-sided shoulder bop and the one that looks like you’re twerking!

Above all else, little boy, having known you for 18 months now has shown me that you are my world. I love you with a ferocity I didn’t know I possessed, and I can feel my Mama Bear instinct coming out more and more as you grow. I may not always get it right, and I’m sorry for those times, as you truly deserve the best Mummy and Daddy possible. Because, quite frankly, you are the best baby possible.

But of course, you’re not a baby now that you’ve been out twice as long as in.

Although, in my eyes, looking into the beautiful blue of your eyes, you’ll always be a baby – my baby – to me.

Happy 18 months, Baby Lighty! xxx

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