Prayer for future (19 months)

To my Lily Belle,

In 2 short days you'll be 19 months old. 

Last night when you were splish-splashing around the bathtub, it hit me that in 5 little months you'll be 2. 

Just 2 years old. 

No one counts the months anymore after 24.

Which, I guess makes you officially not a baby.

Not that you act like much of a baby these days anyway...

Miss talking up a storm, eating with a spoon all by yourself, fixin' to get a whole outfit picked out & put on all alone!

I love watching you constantly changing & growing. 

But last night in the middle of our squirt-gun induced giggle-fest, I was overwhelmed by the realization that someday you'll be a gorgeous grown woman & you'll fall head-over-heels in love & someone else will make you laugh the way only mama & dada can now.

 

(Always a good idea to keep plenty of distance b/w you & the boy you're watching movies with.)

Someone else will protect, encourage and dance with you. 

It won't be my job anymore. 

Oh Lordy.

If that thought doesn't turn a mama into a melty puddle of emotions, I don't know what will... 

But you're observant & sensitive & you started giving me funny sideways looks as the hot tears streamed down my face. 

So I started to pray.

(Singing Ju-Juuu (Gigi) as you prance around in the tutu she gave you.)

I prayed for the man that you'll share your life with someday. 

I prayed that he's funny because yours, my love, is the most beautiful laugh there ever was. 

I prayed that he's strong & sensitive: that he leads you when you need it but isn't afraid to step back & let you be a leader too. 

I prayed that if you grow up to be anything like your daddy- which I'm about 99% sure you will ;) that he has patience when you need space & time to figure out what's going on on your head & heart. 

(Sleepy eyed little independent woman eating your own yogurt.) 

Mostly I just prayed that he'll love you the best he knows how. 

That you'll be a better woman with him than you ever even thought you could be without him. 

That he makes you want to love Jesus & people better. 

(Oh, and that he's the only guy you ever date, and you don't meet until you're 26... oops.)

I love praying for your future, Lil, but I'm also thankful that you're still only 19 months.

Thankful you're still my baby & that it's still me & dada's turn to: 

• teach you (you're getting pretty good with your words)
• encourage you (sooooo close to buttoning your own coat)
• read books with you (your new fave past time: Dr Seuss, Goodnight Moon, My First Words Book, Sesame Street Colors book "aka shteee")
• sing songs & dance with you (C is for Cookie, Hokey Pokey, ABCs) 
• and make you giggle (by squirting you in the bathtub with the "booger sucker" turned squirt gun I swear it was clean & it was your favorite game ever ;) 

Love you forever & ever, 

Mama