18 Months

26.5 lbs (75th)
32 3/4 in (75th)


Dear Sweet Rosebud,

Your are 18 months old, or "18 months after one," as your brother (obviously incorrectly) calculates. You are a delightful joy to everyone who spends time with you. I'm pleased to have given birth to such a charming lady, who is gratifyingly attached to me. :)

Highlights from the last six months:

- You FINALLY learned to walk gradually during months 15-16, after mommy implemented the "stop eating or start walking" rule (kidding...hey, 26 lbs is a lot to lug around!). You were a full time walker as of Christmas Day and took your first realllllllly long walk at the mall on New Year's Day. Your second marathon took place the very next day at the Museum of Science and Industry, where you were utterly disinterested in the displays and much more focused on how many steps you could log.

- As of 16 months, you almost always eat with a fork and spoon. In fact, one of my favorite tricks to get you to eat veggies is to throw them in a bowl (with parmesan cheese) and give you a fork. Works every time.

- Speaking of foods, your favorite is definitely any kind of pasta with red sauce, but you're especially partial to Grammie's goulash recipe. Go-Go Squeeze applesauce, "squeezie yogurt," and raisins are also favorite snacks. You're starting to get a bit pickier about your food, but most everything goes down the trap.

- You LOVE dogs, both stuffed and real. Your favorite Christmas gift was your "Fur-Real" puppy, who still gets lots of kisses and cuddles. You love to call Avery by making kissing sounds and patting your lap. It's adorable. Any dog we see on the street must be immediately greeted. The other animal that never fails to get your attention is the horse. You can spot them a mile away, both in real life and on TV. (Oh, and the correct response to "what does the horsie say," is a whinny, followed by a nicker, followed by the clip-clop of hooves. Noisy beasts, those horses!)

- A favorite distraction is a laundry basket filled with clean clothes. You drape them over your face and head and wear them like scarves. Even underwear is fun.

- You frequently call me (most often "ah-mee") when I've ducked into another room. Your constant need to check on my proximity is sweet...mostly.

- You love to pick up tissues (new or used, and occasionally OUT OF THE GARBAGE CAN) and blowing your nose. And while we're on the subject of the garbage can, I very much enjoyed finding you chomping on uncooked pasta that had been thrown away in the kitchen garbage. Yum.

- We (still) call you The Tornado. No one can destroy a room faster or more efficiently than you. You've been known to empty garbage cans (see a theme?), throw books in a (filling) bathtub, poop/pee on the bathroom floor and bedroom carpets, strew the contents of the dog's bowls throughout the house, etc. etc. And that's without discussing the mess you're capable of making in the kitchen!

- You're very attached to your paci and owlie (owl lovie blanket), which come out at bed time and when you're having some separation anxiety. You love to tuck your owlie under your chin/on your shoulder like a violin, but holding it with your shoulder means you often walk around with your arm sticking straight out to the side. :) You turn owlie around and around until you find the tag. At Grandpa's house, you took the napkin he gave you and tucked it right under your chin, like an owlie.

- Your favorite and omnipresent accessory are mardi gras beads. You first discovered them at Grammie's house (she has a thousand strands), so I bought you some for Christmas. I still find them everywhere, and quite often the first thing you do in the morning

- You like to hide from people, particularly strange men that try to get your attention, by closing your eyes. They look at you, you make your "grouchy face" (furrowed eyebrows), and then close your eyes to make them go away. :)

- You love to pat and rub my arm and face during lullaby time. You give "hugs and pats" to just about anyone who asks. Only a few days ago did you figure out that to give kisses, you actually need to touch lips to lips. And you love Eskimo kisses.

- You love to dance, or "use your dancing feet." It mostly involves a lot of foot stamping and twirling. You adore your first music class (no, it's not Miss Mary, but it's still Music Together), and wait anxiously for the instrument bucket to come out. You know when it's time for class to begin, and you back up right into my lap to (sort of) keep the beat during the Hello Song.

- If you hurt someone accidentally (or on purpose) you quickly remedy with hugs and kisses. You're extremely compassionate for such a little girl.


- My most favorite thing is that you nod and shake your head when asked a question. 60% of the time I actually believe you know what we're asking and can answer accurately. The other 40% of the time you're just being agreeable.

We all love you so very much. Stay sweet, little one.

Love,

Mom

Cumulative Word List:

doggie
uh oh
dada
bye bye
yes/yup
up
off
this
that
mama (which refers to me AND dad)
mommy (also pronounced "ah-mee")
ouch
boo boo
out (possibly means "open")
Elmo ("ah-mo")
book ("bop") ?
hot ("ot")
truck ("guck")
Avery (various pronunciations)
various animal sounds--my favorite is the cat ("meowmeowmeowmeowmeow" in a super high pitched voice)