18 Months

I feel like a broken record because when I do these monthly updates, I gush and gush over how much fun it is right now. Each month, week and day is more fun and more rewarding than the last, and I feel so blessed that we've been chosen to raise such a sweet, beautiful, funny, bright and caring little girl.

At 18 months, our sweet girl is a talker (unless she's just met you). The past month or so she's had a vocabulary explosion, and it is so amazing how much (and how quickly) she picks up what we say and starts repeating words back to us.

Right now she says please, thank you, no no (complete with the finger point/wave), happy, more, dog, ball, banana (nanana - I need to get this on video, it's pretty funny), apple, cracker, cheese, water (wawa), outside, baseball (bee ball), Mommy, Daddy, PawPaw, Lolly, Dede, Bubba, Lana, Zoe (or wee wee or zozo), Charlie (larlie - he friend from daycare), Hailey (her new bff, aka Emily's baby girl!) Wee!!! (for swing), all done, nose, eye, belly (bebee), potty (pobby), poo poo (says it when she toots!), bow, shoes, sock and baby. Even though she can't always tell us what is wrong or what she wants, I love that she can tell us yes (nodding and saying um-hm) or no (NO! or shaking her head) when we ask her questions to figure out what she wants. In addition to saying, she also signs a lot of words, too.

She can hum the tune to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and will say some of the lines. Well, it's more like "Up a ba ba ba ba ba hiiiiiiigh..." She loves singing, and there have been many afternoon naps or nights I've heard her in her room "singing" to herself before she goes to sleep. She also loves saying her abc's and will "count" after you say one by finishing up "two, [and sometimes] theee." She LOVES to dance anytime she hears music, and she can show you where her eyes, nose, mouth, hair and hiney bo are. She's still not a big veggie fan, but she does great eating meat and fruit with her spoon and fork.

She is also a huge ham. She will literally yell "HEL-LOOOO!!" anytime she hears the phone ring or vibrate or ding from a text, in person or from the tv. She laughs and giggles and has fun wherever she goes. It's amazing to see things from her perspective. Almost always happy. Almost always laughing or smiling. I guess we could all take away a lesson from these happy little kids.

Right now she is obsessed with her babies. I finally got my old cabbage patch and Rainbow Brite dolls down after my friend Katie gave Madelyn a doll her daughters had outgrown. She is constantly carrying those babies or her bear around, putting them down to sleep, patting their backs and feeding them from her cup. She also loves her cozy coupe car (that I snagged almost new for only $15 at a consignment sale!), and her popper (another consignment sale steal). She is interested in books and will actually sit and "read" them now, and she's getting better and better at her puzzles and throwing balls.

She is so quickly becoming a big girl and wants to do most things herself - and her way - and she likes to help do whatever we are doing around the house. Don't be fooled, though, she can throw some good fits, but she's generally a happy girl. I just hope the trend continues through the next year and a half. :)

At her 18-month appointment, her stats did not surprise us:
23 pounds, 15 ounces - 45%
32 1/2 inches - 75%



(photos by Stefani Marcus photography)