Dear Megan

In your nearly sixteen months in this world you've reached so many milestones. Sleeping through the night, holding your head up by yourself, learning to crawl, tasting solid food, the first almost understandable words you spoke and your first steps. We have been so proud of every one of your accomplishments even though with each one we can see that our little baby is growing up. We can see when you watch and study (and idolize) your sister how you are desperate to be able to do more, but soon enough you'll be riding a bike and skipping down the hallway and sitting in a big chair at dinner. I know it's hard, but trust us - those milestones will be coming all too soon.

But today I want to congratulate you for starting on what may be one of your most important journeys. You see you are now on your way down that magically transforming path of potty training. It will still be many long months and maybe years and hundreds of diapers before you master this so important task but like those first faltering steps before one learns to run, you have started.

You can now tell when you've made poop.

It is such a joy, isn't it? No more suffering the indignities of having us check your backside to locate offending odors. Now we can simply ask, "Megan did you make poop?" and you, you our little baby understand enough of the English language and her own body to cheerfully nod your head and race to the changing table or shake your head and continue and play.

It will only be a short matter of time before you'll be able to tell when you are in the act and soon after you'll get to the important step of noticing before it happens. After that it's pretty much just fine tuning the mechanics of the deed.
It will still be awhile before you get introduced to the potty but you might notice now and then the odd smile Mama & Papa have when we change you. We know soon we'll be buying pull-ups and singing "Potty all the time" and discovering the restroom in every business establishment we go near.

So again congratulations Megan.