braxton michael | eighteen months.

No shirt? No pants? No problem.

That has been the theme of this past month. I mean, having a wild, watermelon-loving toddler partnered with a whole lot of hot temperatures to work with, what other option is there?

Eighteen months ago, this little dude was welcomed into our family. Isn't it amazing how fast time passes? Every new season with him has been full of more joy, more calories burned, more self-control, more emotions, more fun, and more photos (can you imagine??) than the previous one, and it's still the biggest blessing watching him grow up.

This month...

He kept me on my toes, but still paused for snuggles and rest at any given time. He revealed more of his very-similar-to-mine personality with each new day, and I've already begun joking that there is a good chance we will kill each other before long (who doesn't love a good battle of the wills?). He really started sweating like a grown man with all this heat, and his blonde hair stuck to his head as soon as we walk outside (I don't mind that part though, because you can really see the red tint to it when it's wet). He adventured all over the place, including our neighborhood and trails and even a few big waterfalls. His canines are still working their way through his gums, and I attributed some of his grumpiness to that very thing. He splished and splashed in the ocean and the swimming pool, and even completed his first season of swimming lessons. He, also, watched his daddy depart for an international mission trip, a passion that I pray daily would be passed on to him over the years.

The biggest thing that happened this past month is our nursing journey coming to an end. Some won't understand why that's such a hard milestone to cross, but it was. He had only been nursing first thing in the morning for the past few months, and I knew that he was done when he paused to look up at me and sign "more" two mornings in a row. Mama just wasn't cutting it anymore, and that's okay because it was a miracle that Mama ever cut it to begin with. I'll never forget how hard we fought to have that special bond, and I will forever cherish the seventeen+ months when we'd sit in that glider, just the two of us, and slowly wake up together.

A year and a half later, and my love for my first baby has grown exponentially since that first day. What a blessing it is to be called Mama by my little guy!