18 months old, August 18, 2011Today you are 18 months old, Katy. By now, you are most definitely a toddler- running around, talking up a storm and learning how to put things together, take them apart and exploring new ways to get into trouble.
Right now, you have 12 teeth- six on the top and six on the bottom, four of them are molars. They currently look pretty straight, though it does look like you may have an under bite (Sorry, Girlie- you inherited that one from me). The dentist doesn't seem too concerned about it, yet, but she said that she'll keep an eye on it.
You are quite the little chatterbox, Katy! You are quite verbal in your expression and you have a pretty good vocabulary for an 18 month old. Not only do you say a bunch of words, but within the last several weeks, you have also started putting words together to form short two or three word sentences. So far, we've heard, "All Done!", "All done, Mommy!", "Night, night Dada", "I pee" (after the fact, of course), "Up, peas!", "Baby sleeping", "More milk", "Mommy down" (when you want me to sit down next to you), "Help peas", "Go walk" and several other simple sentences.
Music really gets you going and you love to dance and bounce when you hear music. Your current favorite CD is from our friends, Mr. and Mrs. Keys. You request this CD by name when you call out, "More gack, gack" or "Gack, gack peas!" We have some other, jazzier children's CDs in which you start to jam out as soon as you hear the opening notes. The ABCs are another favorite song and you like to swing your arms around and bounce up and down whenever one of your umpteen many toys starts playing the tune.
By now, you are pretty fluid in your movement. Walking is more like running and like I said before, you now understand the concept of dancing and swaying along to music. You like to twirl and spin around in wide, open spaces. You can scale furniture and playground equipment with the dexterity of a monkey. We've even seen you try to jump up and down. Only once did I see you actually get some air between you and the ground. When we go for a walk, you balk at the use of a stroller and insist on walking by yourself. You have no fear or inhibitions when it comes to climbing, bouncing, running, swinging or anything else wild and rambunctious. You love when Daddy wrestles with you, Katy- the wilder, the better!
We are still in the midst of potty training. You understand the concept of having a soiled diaper, and sometimes you will let us know that you need a diaper change. However, more often than not, you let us know just after the fact and not beforehand. You get a sticker for each time you sit on the toilet as an incentive. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
You are a good eater, Katy! You eat table food exclusively (with the exception of being with cousin Molly and wanting whatever she is eating). Breakfast is your best meal of the day. I would say that your current favorite food is my homemade yogurt with a little bit of homemade strawberry jam. A close second would be veggie sticks. With the exception of your distinct aversion to all things veggie, you maintain a healthy diet of whole grains, dairy, some meats and lots of fruit. You enjoy eating homemade bread, macaroni and cheese (I mix in cut up pieces of meat and veggies to the mac and cheese to make a more complete meal), cottage cheese, most fruits (cantaloupe, watermelon, grapes, strawberries, blueberries, bananas, mangoes), string cheese, bits of turkey, ham, roast beef, cucumbers, mushrooms, oatmeal, raisins, Raisin Bran Crunch cereal, pancakes, sweet potatoes, knishes, and more. You have definite ides of what you do and do not want to eat and you let your opinions be known! We've gotten more vigilant about keeping eggs, soy and nuts out of your diet. It took a little getting used to at first, but now, it's getting easier. Your skin and diaper rashes tend to be fewer and less dramatic, thanks to the lack of eggs, soy and nuts in your diet.
Your sleep patterns have improved, though, you still do not sleep straight through the night, Katy! I had hoped that you'd outgrow this by now, but I fear that it will be a lifelong struggle. You sleep on a mattress on the floor in your bedroom. There is no need for the "ghetto crib," anymore. On occasion you do fall off of the mattress and onto the floor and that usually warrants a cry. Daddy and I take turns every other night taking care of you. This arrangement has made it better for at least one of us to get some consistent, long stretches of sleep each night. I still have to be the one to put you down to sleep each night, though. You typically get ten hours of sleep each night and take one one to two hour afternoon nap each day. Naps tend to go smoother than nighttime, with you falling asleep quicker and staying asleep on your mattress by yourself for longer periods of time.
Your favorite toy of choice, at this moment, is probably your Asian Dolly from Grandma and Pop-Pop Tinkey. You love to hold Dolly, give her kisses and pat and rock her just like I rock you to sleep. I've seen you try to feed and dress Dolly, push her in her stroller and even talk and read to Dolly. I've seen you play "pretend" a lot more, lately, too. You will "cook" something on your play stove and try to "eat" whatever you just made. You will lay on the floor with Elizabeth's cars and drive them around saying, "Vroom, vroom!" just like Elizabeth plays. You find enjoyment in putting on Daddy and my hats, clothes, shoes and purses.
Speaking of which, you are quite the little fashionista! You love shoes and purses and you are very particular about what clothes you do and do not want to wear on any given day. If I pull out an outfit that you do not want to wear, you will let me know by throwing yourself down on the floor in distress. You even like to accessorize with headbands and jewelry.
Another little obsession of yours is the fact that you love to wash your hands. I admit, you got that one from both Daddy and I as we both tend to be germ-a-phobes. Rarely can we pass a sink without you insisting, "Hands, hands- soap!" You love to play with water fountains and you call all things related to water, "Bubbles."
You love puppies and babies, Katy. You are always quick to point either out as we go for our daily walks. You can spot a dog a mile away! Every time I tell you to, "Be gentle" to a baby, you kiss the baby's forehead as if you relate gentleness with kisses- so cute!
You have an understanding that certain things go in order. For example, you know that as soon as I finish changing your diaper, I will always reach for the anti-bacterial gel. I know this because every time I finish changing your diaper, you will sit up, reach for the anti-bacterial gel and say, "Hands, hands!" Another example, is every time we sit down for a meal and/or snack, you fold your hands and exclaim, "Prayers!" or "Amen" as a reminder that we need to say a blessing. We are trying to work on getting you to say the prayers, Katy, but the closest we got was, "God, food, Amen!"
Your currently wear size 18 month clothing. You can still fit into some 12 month clothing, thought they are starting to get too short. According to Auntie Hope and Uncle Eric's Wii, you weight 23 lbs. and 1 ounce. Your official 18 month doctor's appointment isn't till next week, so I'll report those stats as I get them. I can definitely tell that your growth has started to slow down. When I see you compared to other children your age, you tend to be on the smaller side for both height and weight. Good-bye 90th percentile!
I love your sweet baby kisses, Katy! I love when I say, "Give Mama kisses, Katy!" and you pucker up your little lips and give me a kiss. You've gotten very good at blowing kisses, too.
18 months is a fun age for me to experience with you, Katy! I can just see the wheels turning in that little head of yours. You will observe something done once and then try to do it yourself. For example, you saw Daddy click a pen so that the ink tip was extended and you immediately understood that was how to get the pen to write. I'm enjoying that we can understand more of your wants and needs as you get more verbal. Of course, with that verbalization, also comes more independence and stubbornness. You are smiley, happy toddler and I love to watch your expressions as you play.
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