HIPPO BRIGADE

15 Months

Berlyn today you are 15 months old. You’re pretty awesome and every time you smile at me, my heart sings a little song. Kinda sounds like a violin, accordion, djembe, acoustic guitar, and a harmonica, and some birds chirping in the background.

You have been doing some funny things lately, like brushing your hair and stroking your face when you watch me get ready. You point emphatically at my eyeball, nose, mouth, and ear because you just learned what those are. And no matter what you’re doing, all I have to say is, “where’s your belly” and you’ll proudly pull your shirt up and show off your perfectly round belly. You’re a gentle and quiet explorer, and you always show me your newest find by sticking it in my face and saying, HERE, although it sounds more like hareer, or awweh, or bfrreo.

You know all kinds of words, some of your favorites are dog, woof, woof, up, zo-zo, daDA, maMA, hey, and hi. You have a great sense of humor and even though you don’t get the joke, you still laugh with zeal.

You love peas, going for walks, dancing to music, helping mama dress you, and pointing at everything until I tell you what it is.

I delight in getting to know you and shaping who you will become. You bring me infinite joy, and I love you so much that I might squeeze you too long, take too many pictures of you, and never want to say goodnight–you’re just going to have to deal with that, FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE, sorry.