When I look back at those pictures she still seems like such a baby, whereas now she is definitely a crazy toddler whose baby days are far behind her.
The last 6 months have been a total whirlwind, which I posted about here earlier this week, with Isabelle spending much time with my parents while I was at work. Despite me hating the fact that I was missing out, I actually think being with them has made her come on in leaps and bounds - I think simply the difference in the way we speak and do things has really helped her to develop. So here is a little update on how she is getting along.
Favourites:Pasta and applesThe parkBaby and PennyIsaac and 'Jabob'GymnasticsThe Tiger Who Came to TeaPurpleHer kitchen and pom pomsFireman SamThe Wheels on the Bus and Happy BirthdayTea partiesTurning lights on and offCleaning!
Physically:She is now in 18-24 month clothes and weighs around 23lbs. Her hair is getting really long, although it's still so fine that it springs up when it is dry. It seems to be getting darker again at the roots, which gives her the appearance that we have had it dip dyed! She is more slender than ever, although still has her little buddha belly!
Movement:Isabelle's movement has always been a little bit dodgy - like her mother she is not naturally graceful. However, apart from being a little bit uncertain with climbing, she has now caught up to where she 'should' be and you wouldn't know that it took her until 17 months to crawl! (She walked at 10.5months!) This is one area I have always been really worried about, so I'm thrilled she has come on so well over the last 6 months.
Speech:I don't think it would be boasting to say that Isabelle's speech is fantastic. She has a wonderful vocabulary. I couldn't count how many words she has - getting towards 400 would probably be accurate. She consistently speaks in sentences of 4 or more words and it certainly makes life interesting! She is a bossy boots ("Mummy! Sit down there....no THERE!") but she is also the most interesting conversation partner I have ever had! You are never quite sure what is going to come out of her mouth ("Where do you think Jacob is?"...."In his well boots.") and she really makes us all laugh with the things she says and I am so proud of her speech and how well she can communicate. She talks non-stop to anyone who will listen, or if nobody is listening she talks to herself and her babies instead!The only thing I'm not so keen on is her budding Northern Irish accent....
Eating and sleeping:Iz has always been a pretty good little eater. She doesn't eat everything, but she eats a great selection of food and isn't difficult to feed at all. Her favorite food is still pasta and she can pack away an adult sized portion, with apples still being her favorite snack food. I think she would eat all day if we let her, and has recently started telling us "I need a snack"...even if she only had lunch 10 minutes before!I mentioned in the last update that her nap habits had totally changed, and she was sleeping for an hour or more in the morning. I am thrilled to say that that has continued and she sleeps for anywhere between an hour and two hours each morning. She has now dropped her afternoon nap most days, and tends to take her morning nap slightly later. Back in November I posted about how she has begun to self soothe at night when she went to bed. Now she has dropped her second nap she does quite often fall asleep while she is having her milk, but she still can, and does, fall asleep on her own. Her bedtime is 7pm and on days I am not at work she will sleep in to around 7.30/8am.
Personality:Isabelle is a very sweet, gentle and affectionate toddler. She is always cuddling her babies and making sure they are ok ("It's alright baby, it's alright") and she does the same with her cousins. She loves to kiss and hug them, and absolutely adores them both! She has been very kissey lately and I frequently get some lovely kisses all over my face which just make me melt. She also loves to cuddle us, and when she is in bed with us in the morning she will throw her arm around one of us and say "Cuddle!" That said, she can have a fearsome temper, and isn't immune to throwing a wee hissy fit every now and again! However, I think we are pretty lucky as all I hear about from other mums is how the 'Terrible Twos' are beginning and I don't think we have that at all. Yes, she can throw a strop, but it's not happening lots and lots, so no doubt we have that joy to greet us in the coming months!
It's now only 3 months until Isabelle's birthday, and I can't wait to see how much she has changed and progressed when we get there.