Dear Dahlia,

I love the way you…

• Ribbit like a frog every time we pass a Geico billboard
• Give hugs and kisses
• Shrug
• Run across the apartment, yelling “Blueberry!” in Dahlia language whenever I open the freezer
• Like trucks and trains
• Read books to yourself
• Dance
• Adore your Da-Da
• Are comfortable spending time alone with other people
• Bring me pieces of “yucky” (lint, paper, etc.) that you find so we can throw them out together
• Eat my chapstick
• Roll around on the floor, squealing and screaming with one of your large stuffed animals
• Carefully hand me any food that does not belong on your tray, since you are not planning on eating it!
• Imitate us when we blow on your food to cool it
• Put your books or stuffed animals “night-night” by gently stroking or patting them
• Make that adorable sign for squirrel
• Sleep through the night
• Are so brave at the playground
• Tell me when you have finished going potty in your diaper
• Say “boom!” when you fall
• Call any child under 15 yrs. old a “bebe”
• Are eager to help me
• Model for me a much needed, refreshingly innocent view of the world

I love all of these things, and more, but most of all, I just love YOU!

Your Mama