Sweet Dylie,
It’s hard to figure out what to write in these little introductory paragraphs. How do I say that you are the coolest person I’ve met? You are stubborn, silly, beautiful, charismatic and very very smart. You blow your daddy and me away on a daily basis. I think I’ve written it before, but you truly seem to be what your Moppy would call “an old soul.” Though you are only 14 months, you are wiser than many adults we know. You make grumpy people smile, and sad people happy. I can’t wait to see what comes next!

• You love your watch! It was one of your Christmas presents, and you wear it every single day. Within 10 minutes of waking up, you point to your wrist and say, “Tock, Tock”. You show it to everyone we meet. You love having people admire your watch.

• You also got a six-gallon fish tank for Christmas, and this was a hit as well. Though your daddy and I aren’t exactly fish experts (we are really trying!), you love them, and we are doing our best. You say fish, “shee”, which is short for “fishie”. You also can say fish in sign language.
  
• You are very perceptive of your surroundings. When Friday wasn’t feeling well the other day, you knew it! You crawled into her crate and lay down with her. You are very sensitive and sweet.
  
• As I’ve said multiple times, you are also very stubborn. You have found your screaming voice and don’t hesitate to use it, especially when I’m on the phone.
  
• You still don’t say mama on a regular basis, but you have said it a couple of times. You mostly reserve it for those times when you really want something.
  
• We taught you how to say “please” in sign language, and you picked up on it after only three demonstrations. However, you put your own little twist on it. The sign is hitting your fist on your chest. You added your own emphasis, and do it with both fists as once. You mostly use this sign when you want a cookie.
  
• Other words you’ve added to your vocabulary include, cool, car, cat, powder, diaper, panda, and cheek.
  
• You love tissues and napkins. With tissues, you like to wipe your nose and everyone else’s nose as well. You use napkins and washcloths to scrub and dust everything from tables to your bookshelves to the wood floor in our bedroom.
  
• You still love your books! They are usually strewn all about your room. You flip through the pages and talk as if you are reading out loud.
  
• Eating is a favorite activity. You often eat more than me, especially when it’s pizza. You also like kalamata olives, and spicy brown mustard.
  
• You are sleeping very well these days, often for 11 hours at a time. You only nurse twice a day; when you wake up, and after your afternoon nap.
  
• You’ve grown quite a bit lately, and have just moved into size 4 diapers and 18 month clothing.