Mum in the making: Thankful Tuesday: One and a half

Dearest Baby J,

They say you become a lot more lax about parenting when it comes to the third kid, and there have been lots of articles which elaborate on the fact (you know, like parents would sterilize a pacifier when it drops to the ground for their first kid, but would just pop the pacifier in their mouths to clean it for the third kid?). I guess we are a whole lot more relaxed about many things, like whether you are hitting your milestones, about you falling down, about eating.

But even though we are more relaxed, it doesn't mean we care or love you any less than your brothers. You are really blessed in a different way: while you have to sometimes fight for your toys and sometimes get left out of elaborate schemes, you are never lonely. There's always one brother or another feeding you something, or reading to you, or playing with you. You get to do all the grown-up things earlier, since you just jump in on all the crafting and painting action and insist that "I want to painting!" or "I want draw draw!".

It's been such a month of growth for you. You've dropped your morning nap a few months back, and now nap once a day. You're an adventurous eater and you like to try everything and anything on our plates. You're insistent, and always demanding something, from "Mama carry me" to "press eight button". You love reading books about animals. You can be a sweetheart, freely giving hugs and kisses and asking "are you alright" to your brothers when they cry. But you also hold your own in fights, and scratch and bite when provoked (but you know well enough to say "sorry" after to get out of trouble).

I'm really loving this stage. This stage where you still babble, where words come out sounding cute, where you still drop sounds in your speech. This stage where you can walk, but are still a little wobbly on your feet. This stage where you find so many things funny, and laugh that baby gurgle that I will miss when it's gone.

Happy one and a half, my littlest. We love you and thank God for you every single day!

Love,

Your Papa and Mama.