I know that you are actually closer to 16 months than 15 but I promised myself I’d still write these every few months to help keep track of your busy little life.
Every day you leave more of your infancy behind and move straight into the world of a go-go-go toddler. You are working on words: “nack” (snack), Mama, Dada, doggie, ‘ba ba” (as in black sheep), hi, nana (banana), Gigi (which you use properly unlike “Mama”), are all in constant rotation. You sign with great purpose: please, thank you, more, milk, all done, up, drink. You can point out most major body parts, but if asked where your tongue is, you stick it out and try to touch your chin with it. You have a few animal sounds: you roar like a lion, bark like a dog and (most hysterically) make monkey noises. You love to play chase, wave bye bye and give your parents and dog bear hugs on a regular basis.
You are working on mastering utensils and open cups, although between us, you have a long way to go. Despite the learning curve you insist on having your own fork and spoon and you try your hardest to use them as intended. You are still an interesting eater- you love fish and spicy sausage, dislike chicken (on most days) and refuse to eat vegetables at home despite reports from daycare that you eat them with lunch just about every day. You would eat your weight in carbs and fruit if I allowed it, but you don’t like pasta (which…huh?) or chicken nuggets, which I thought were childhood staples. You also love bananas, asking for one most mornings as you toddle towards the kitchen.
You have almost all of your teeth- we are just waiting on your canines- and they arrived with little fanfare or fuss. Your hair remains sparse but is starting to fill in. You wear a mixture of 12 month and 18 month clothes but your feet are still in a size 4…and your head keeps you in infant hat sizes. You smile all the time and greet everyone we see with an enthusiastic “hi!” and smile. You make a lot of friends at the grocery store with this tactic.
You have learned the art of the temper tantrum (complete with flailing on the ground) and you are very disappointed that Mom and Dad don’t give into your demands when this happens. (Nine times out of ten it is because we won’t let her through the baby gate to the back of the house). You get over it quickly though and your sunny disposition returns. You love the dog so much, giving him hugs and petting him whenever you think he needs some love. He is your shadow most of the day, keeping an eye over you and cleaning up after any food-related messes that you make. You have discovered how much he loves your milk and we’ve caught you offering him your straw cup on more than one occasion.
Watching you play is pretty awesome. You are not particularly into your animals (although you do give your stuffed pig hugs throughout the day) and prefer to try to figure out how things work. Building with blocks, playing with your kiddie keys, stacking and sorting your stacking cups, playing with your Buckle Monkey and reading books are your go-to activities. That and climbing into your Brio walker. We spend a lot of time removing you from the walker because you try to stand up in it. You still love your Sandra Boynton books and have gotten really into some board books that were mine when I was little, the Titus Bear series (sadly out of print). We have a board book called Counting Kisses and you bring it to me often, while blowing kisses at me. You also love Is Your Mama a Llama, so much so that I sometimes have to hide it when I don’t have a 10th reading in me.
Sending you to daycare has been a really positive experience so far. Your teachers are wonderful and you are thriving in their curriculum. Art projects, music time, story time, sign language, gym play- you get it all and you have a blast. The art projects are my favorite part of it, and I am working on a way to proudly display all your little creations. You made me a Mother’s Day card that I want to frame- glitter glue, handprint, scribbles and all.
You survived the winter, along with your first few colds, a bout with pink eye and even your first ear infection. Even when you are sick you are happy and want to play, and your teachers have all admitted that they love the hugs you give throughout the day. As it warms up in Chicago and we spend more time outside you are thrilled with activities at hand- zoo trips, swinging at the park, playing with your water table. I think we have a very fun summer ahead!
You are such a joy and your Dad and I are madly in love with you. You bring so much happiness into our life and we can’t imagine our world without you. I won’t try to explain just how much we love you, but please know you make us smile day in and day out. Our love is unconditional and we can’t wait to see what your future holds baby girl. You can grow up to be anything.
Fifteeen Months:
21 pounds 7 ounces
Likes: Ba Ba Black Sheep, blocks, stacking cups, fruit in any form, smoked salmon, picking up small rocks/twigs, lions and monkeys
Dislikes: Wearing hats, getting into the car seat, when Mom takes her keys away from you, being told “no”, chicken, vegetables
