Little Lady {18 Months}

Little Lady is 18 months!!!!

You had your check up today. Dr G just loves you! And you love her. As soon as she came in and sat down you wanted up in her lap and asked her to read you a book. She said she could sit there with you all day, we know the feeling. :) Here are your stats from today:

Stats

Weight: 24 lb 6 oz {50% - gain of 1 lb 4 oz in three months}

Height: 32 in {70% - gain of .5in in three months}

Head: 18 in {25% - gain of .25in in three months}

Sizes

Clothes: You are wearing mostly 18-24 months or even 2t, depending on the brand.

Shoes: You are right between 5 & 6. You LOVE to wear boots. You have two pair!

Diapers: You are still wearing a size 4. I have a prediction that you'll be close to potty training soon! We already sit you on a potty seat on the toilet before your bath to get you used to it.

Favorites

Books: 

Pretty much any  book is your favorite right now. You just love books. If I had to say the one you ask for the most is Little Quack that you got from Nana for Christmas.

Words/ phrases:

We hear a lot of words coming from your mouth. The words we hear most often are: 'uh-oh', 'poon' {spoon}, 'pho' {phone} 'ca-ca' {cracker}, 'ook' {book}, 'lello' {yellow}, 'dess' {dance}, 'isis' {kisses}, 'ga-ga' {glasses}, 'cwap' {clap}, 'poo' {pull}, 'eese' {please} and 'No touch'. Any time we ask you a question {such as 'Did you have fun playing?'} you most often reply 'No!' And you usually laugh... You are talking so much these days and you amaze daddy and I when we realize you just articulated something new. We usually do a double take and try to get you to say it again. Which you usually don't. ; P You love to blow on things when we tell you "It's hot!" Such as your food, our coffee/tea, the space heater, etc. You are just too funny :)

Food:

Any thing made with cheese {especially mac'n'cheese!}, juice, crackers, and peaches. Still working on getting you to eat/like vegetables.

Activity:

Cooking in your new kitchen and playing doctor. You love putting on shoes and trying to walk around the house in them. Any shoes, especially mommy and daddy's. It cracks me up when I turn around to see your whole legs swallowed up in daddy's boots and your big 'ol grin across your face because you are so proud that you did it all by yourself.

Song:

I'm teaching you 'Jesus loves me' and I'm hoping that we can start learning a few old hymns together!

Sleep:

You still take a nap once a day, usually around 10:30 or 11a and sleep for about 2 hours.

Can I just say how much appreciate the sleep you have become. You may not sleep through the night most nights {I'm up with Little Dude anyway} but the actual going to bed process is SO much smoother.

We have tried and we just aren't CIO parents. Considering that you were swaddled for 9 months and we usually bounced you until you were asleep for naps and bed time until you were 13 months old, it fees like a huge accomplishment to be able to put you in your crib with your pillow, blanket, squishy and stuffed kitty cat and tell you night night and you actually go to sleep. On your own!

Not always right away but that's ok. And sometimes when we ask you if you're ready for nap or bed time you actually nod and say yes. Score!

Character traits:

You are so sweet and love to give kisses, I know you have a kind heart. You are also so active and just go all the time. You rarely sit still for long. You even move a lot in your sleep because when ever I go in there you are all kinds of turned and twisted in your bed! I am hoping that you will desire to use all your energy to further the Kingdom of God.  Another trait about you is your enthusiasm! You absolutely love to make a surprised face, and if you get a laugh the first time you will do it again, multiple times! And when you finish something or accomplish something you get so excited and clap and say 'YAY!' with so much excitement. It just makes my heart happy to see you so enthusiastic, and it's contagious too! You are so full of joy and I love that. I hope that is something that you never lose.

Challenges:

While mommy and daddy would like to think that our little princess is perfect, we know that isn't true because we all have a sin nature. We are all born with it. And it would be a disservice to treat you like you are perfect instead of using this time to train and teach you the difference between right and wrong and that their are consciences for every action and choice you make in life. But honestly the real challenge comes with learning how to discipline. It's really hard to know what disciplinary action is needed when. There is always a conflict of wanting to do right by discipling you and in not wanting to discipline you. It's hard for me to discipline you, to see you struggle or crying or feeling hurt. But it's a part of this life in our fallen world and I have to remember that God requires it of us as parents and He disciplines us as adults too. It's all for our own good. We have the Word as a guide to do it right as well as those who have gone before us as parents.

You, sweet girl, are the joy of our hearts and you bring us more joy everyday!

We love you so much.

Mommy & Daddy

Verse:

"The LORD your God in your midst, The mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing."

Zephaniah 3:17