Dear Maisie, I got a sudden urge to clean the entire house at 11:00 at night tonight. As I was scrubbing the bath, I couldn't help but notice the rainbow of foam letters stuck all over the walls. "O" you say. You pick up every letter and say "O", and we clap and smile and tell you that you are brilliant. I was putting away all of your bath toys and thinking about your small but quick fingers figuring out how to pick them up and stick them on the wall. "O". You are saying so many things. "Daddy wuurk". "hockey" "Uncoooo" for Uncle, although, when you see him, you just yell "Digsy". You refuse to try and say Frank, or Franko. You are attempting words like "blackberries" and "grapes" and pretty much anything else. You've been dancing. Auntie and Grandma crank up "Black horse and a cherry tree" and you are stomping your feet and twirling and so excited for the part in the song when you can start singing "noooo noooo nooo no no no no" with the song.

To me...your face is perfection, your eyes seem more and more familiar to me every day, and your smile melts my heart. You spend hours looking at and reading all of your books. I would say they are your favorite toy. Yes, books are toys. The very best kind of toys. Your heart is pure. You are magic. When you come in for a hug, everything else falls away. "O" you say and point at the S. Yup... "O" I reply.

Our bath is clean tonight, and quiet... but filled with you my girl. Our whole world is. You are precious. A rare treasure. Tonight, even scrubbing the bath, I feel lucky.

Love you girlfriend, oxxo mom.