In sickness and in health

Dear Lucy,
Next week you will be 18 months old.
You are already experimenting with imaginary play; this is something many children discover at 2 years of age, so we are excited about this development.
For the past couple of weeks, you have been sick with bronchitis (luckily, the scaring shortness of breath phase passed quickly) and a cold. Your nose is still runny, but you are much better. When you are sick, especially the first couple of nights, I sleep with the monitor on and wake with each raspy cough. We are so lucky to have a great N.D. who is always available.
In the last week or so, it seems you have become so nurturing. You are hugging everything, even your plastic toy phone receiver. Last week I heard you press play on your cd player. Your bedtime lullaby cd began playing and you hugged your bunny close, rocking it and saying "awww, awww". My heart melts.
You also hug your friend Hazel. You love to hang out together (even though a lot of the play is still parallel), sharing toys and smiling at each other. The other day, though, you crawled over to her and put your head on her shoulder. Again, melting.
Hazel's mom Rachel, and my friend, said that "it's like opening a present every day" and I agree. You are a great gift -- you show me new words, new "developmental tasks" each day. Your daddy and I often look at each other and say "it's so amazing, Lucy is so smart" and it is -- you are.
Well, you are handing me a book -- asking me to read it... again. There are dark clouds outside and I think it will rain soon. Sometimes I wonder what you need me to do, and then you show me. It's so simple, most of the time, and I love you.
Mama