Dear Shelle, DON'T FORGET...

Shelle,

Your daughter is now 21 months old and is growing and learning and changing so fast that it's hard to keep up. Remember this time. Seal it deep inside your memory so you always have it. This time is fleeting and so very, very precious.

Never forget:
-The way she awkwardly puts her rain boots on all by herself.
-Her sweet kisses and the way she says "aaah" when she gives hugs.
-How she gets so excited to see Dan in the evenings and can't wait until he comes through the door.
-The way Dan lights up, seeing her run towards him.
-Our big family hugs where all three of us snuggle together.
-The way Lana stands at the back door, having full-length conversations with the kitty.

-How she watches you get ready in the morning, insisting on lip gloss for her lips, then smacking them together. She also likes to put lotion on her face all by herself and comb her own hair.
-All the animal sounds she makes. Pheasant, buck and coyote seem to be her favorite.
-Our before-bed ritual of "crawling time." This is where you and Lana would get on all fours, crawl over to Dan for good-night kisses, then crawl down the hallway to her room for snuggles, prayers and night-night.
-Her sweet "aye la loo" makes you melt every single time. Never forget that.
-The way she lights up when you praise her for a job well done.
-How at a mere 21 months she's already sneaky. Remember the time she fooled you by stuffing her dinner in her pockets, and happily ate her dessert when you saw her tray was clean. Remember how you couldn't believe that your sweet girl pulled a fast one on you.
-How she works her tongue around 'banana' (na-banna) and 'blueberry' (blueblelly) and how it cracks you up.
-The way she hugs your legs in the kitchen when you're trying to make dinner. You sometimes think it's annoying, but one day you'll miss how all she wanted to do was be close to you.