14 months

We're up to month 14, can you believe it?! Time flies.

Madelyn continues to learn and grow and develop into such a fun and sweet little toddler every single day. This month, she figured out the word no. We're having to say it to her more often these days, and she was pretty quick to pick up on it.

A: "Madie, do you want some milk?"
M: "No."
A: "Well, do you want some water?"
M: "No."
A: "A snack?"
M: "No."
A: "Do you want to go play blocks with Mommy?"
M: "No."
A: "Do you even know what no means?"
M: "No."

I think she does sort of grasp the meaning, though, because she's recently started shaking her head no and pushing whatever we're giving her/doing to her (like brushing her teeth OH.MY.GOSH.THE.HORROR.) away. She also tries to say nose, which also comes out as "no." She loves to copy us when we say "No, no," which is pretty funny. She copies a lot of what we say, in her own little way, of course. She'll also mimic me when I say "tickle, tickle, tickle!" or "ta-ta-tortilla!" (to the Chia pet song). While she's a pretty big talker around the house, she is very shy around strangers, or even family, when she first meets them sees them for the first time in a while.

She loves to speed walk, stick her tongue out, make silly sounds, make a silly, quinty eyed silly face and to be tickled. We've recently discovered that her ticklish spot is actually on her thighs, and we normally have a good tickle fest every evening. :) She is also into everything. All the time. Go, go, go... And she's also gotten a little attitude. She will do the fake scream/cry thing if we take something away from her, but thankfully, she's easily distracted so we can give her something else. :)

This month it also hit me just how much she understands. Although she doesn't talk or sign back to us, she will follow our directions (most of the time) if we ask her to take a toy to Daddy or bring me a toy...I recently posted video of Anthony telling her to put a toy on her head - that was the first time we'd even tried to teach her that! She has also started offering to share her food, but she seems to understand when we tell her "no, that's for Madie," and she'll put it in her mouth.

Speaking of eating, she ate a second vegetable this last month (gasp!). She downed a few bites of corn, so we'll be working that into some more dinners. The girl cannot get enough fruit or meat. While we were on vaca, she stopped taking her occasional nighttime bottle, too. Guess we can pack those up for a while! She also cut her 4th and final (for a while) molar. She's up to 12 teeth!! Oh, and she likes to bite now, but only me. I can't figure out what's up with that...

Speaking of vacation, I left her overnight for the first time last month, and it only took me 13 1/2 months. She did just fine, but I missed her like crazy.

I'm looking forward to getting her official measurements at next month's check up. The girl is growing crazy fast! That tiny little 7 and half pounder that used to nap on my chest now stretches from my shoulder to my thighs!

Here are some of our recent pictures.

I love this pic. The house got quiet one evening as I was trying to get dinner on the table, and I found these two just hanging out watching out the front window. I know Zoe secretly loves her little sister.


Sweet girls. :)

This is her sweet smiley face.

This is that goofy squinty-eyed smile.

What can I find?

I'm not doing anything Mom. Well, not until you turn around...


Overall, life is good and love is plenty in our house. We are truly blessed.