Happy 15 months birthday!

often i've heard people complain that parents, when asked how old their toddlers are, respond in months. the thing is, you change SO much month to month, at this age, you don't want to call a 1 year old a "1 year old" for 12 months. because a 13 month old is very very different from, say, a 22 month old. anyway, i felt the need to explain the reason for the month posts. there you have it.

at 15 months, you are very different than you were at 14 months. you are so much more animated now, with everything. with excitement, with frustration. you make the funniest faces. today, you were so hopeful, when i got you out of the car. you said "dogs??" with the cutest little look on your face, and i was so sad that i had to tell you that it was night time, and so the doggies had gone to bed. thankfully, you weren't too disappointed.

you can walk now, if you try, as of Valentines Day. tonight you walked more than ever, doing three or four steps in a row multiple times. i have been wishing for you to walk, but now that you are, i think it's all going to develop very quickly, and i won't be able to keep up with you and keep you from doing dangerous stuff. the way you love to climb, i just know there are probably a lot of bonks and bruises to come, the more mobile you get.

you really like other people now, especially babies and kids your age. you haven't figured out how to share very well, but i guess that will come eventually. here's a picture of you and your friend abby. you both really want that coke opened.

you are very curious about how your clothing works, and you watch me put your shoes and socks on. yesterday you took off your sock and then tried to put it back on in the car. you help when i put your shirts on by finding the arm holes and pushing your little hands through the sleeves. and i have to keep pants on you at all times, or you'll take your diaper off.

you are learning your body parts. here is a picture of you pointing to your eye. better keep those fingernails clipped, since you don't always have your eye closed when you point at it.

you really have been retaining a lot of songs. you try to do the head, shoulders, knees, and toes motions, as well as the itsy bitsy spider, and the little red wagon, and clap clap clap. you always can anticipate which part comes next.

you still love candy. here's a picture of you eating them by licking them off the coffee table. mmmm, sanitary! i guess picking each one up was too much of a hassle. you are inventive. or maybe you have been paying too much attention to the puppies next door.

i can't wait to see what's next!
love, mom

you love dogs!

here are the puppies that get you so excited anytime we walk out the door or get out of the car. there are nine of them! they were all in a little pile in their yard when we got home today, until you and sam went over to the fence. then they came up to greet you, and you were very excited!

we'd love to get you and sam a dog someday. maybe a beagle. someday...

i love to see what makes you excited!
love, mom

you are more fun all the time.

you're a funny little girl, and you always keep us guessing. i know i say it all the time, but i am still always amazed at how totally different you and your brother are from each other.

some of your favorite things to do still include digging stuff out of trash cans, pulling things off of shelves and out of cabinets, flinging all the clothes out of your drawers or the dryer, one by one, etc. you are very curious. it's just funny, because sam couldn't have cared less what was inside the cabinets or in the trash can. but you have to find it and throw it out on the floor!

today we were playing in sam's room. well, mostly you played, while i watched you and layed on sam's bed. i am still sick, but i am so thankful that you are not sick. in fact, you've been in a really good mood today.

you liked playing the drums, and dancing, and playing with hot wheels, and poking furby's eyes. you would say "eyes!" (well, more like "seyes") and poke them. that was pretty funny.

you like to blow kisses now, which is super cute. and daddy says you have emo hair. you walked several steps to him last night, and it was the first time he'd seen you walk. the funny thing is that i didn't see your first steps either. we found out that you walked to allen on thursday (valentines day) night while he and deena and kaye watched you and your brother and lots of other kids so their parents could go to dinner.

i love your laugh!
love, mom

you are sure growing up!!

i totally forgot to write yesterday about how you took a couple steps all by yourself! not at the same time, but a couple steps nevertheless! the first one was when i set you down in front of britney, and she coaxed you into taking a step towards her before you decided to get down and crawl the rest of the way. you didn't fall, though; you sat down on purpose. and then later on, you took a step in between britney's hand and the turtle you wanted to get to, at the little playground at the mall. you're getting a lot more adventurous and stand up without holding onto things a whole lot more often in the last few days, so i think you're warming up to the whole idea of walking. i'm surprised you haven't figured out yet that you could have much more freedom and get into much more trouble if you were walking (and running) away from me... maybe it's good that you haven't. i'm sure you will soon enough, though.

also, in the last week, i've put your hair in little pigtails a couple times. i think it's super cute. you're not a big fan of getting your hair done, as is evident by the kinda lopsidedness.

you also like to sing along with me on the "clap clap clap" song. you clap your hands at the right time, and then tap your feet together at the right time and sing "tap tap tap." and all this time i thought you weren't paying attention at the library!

it was your grandpa's birthday and your cousin daniel's birthday yesterday, so happy birthday to them!

you are a lot of fun!
love, mom

be my valentine!

as usual lately, i'm a bit late in posting things.

thursday was valentines day, and though we didn't do anything super celebratory, i decided to put you in a little red sweater when we went out, to sort of make you look valentiney. everyone fell in love with you, pretty much. some college age girls stopped to talk to you at wal mart for about five minutes. i have to agree with them that you're pretty cute. you're getting a bit more outgoing, usually smiling to people and waving, instead of just staring. i think this adds to the appeal.

here's a picture of you looking like a super big girl in sam's old carseat. i had thought it was for 30-50lbs, but since i forgot to get your regular carseat out of the car, when daddy left for work, i had to go get this one out of the shed. and i was happy to find that it's 20-40lbs! so it's perfect. it somehow makes you look like more of a big girl than the other one. i think it's the arm rests.

i love you!
love, mom

we pilfered through your clothes today.

we were playing in your room, and i decided to look and see what was in your drawer of 18-24 month stuff. some of it will fit soon, but sadly, there's a lot in there for cool/cold weather that i'm not sure you're going to get to wear. it's funny, because when i tried to buy ahead for sam, the clothes were too small by the time the proper season rolled around. with you, it's sometimes the opposite. i didn't expect to have a baby that fit in the right size for her age. sam was wearing 2t by the time he was your age, so we just figured you'd be a giant like him :)

anyhow, here's a sweatshirt you might not get to wear very much. the sleeves do roll up pretty easy, though, so we might be able to make it happen.

you liked the trucker hat for a while.

on an unrelated note, you have a rash that looks like it might be hives. your grandma gets them pretty badly, and i used to get them when i was a kid a lot. you ate some peanuts yesterday, and you've never had just straight peanuts before... so maybe you are slightly allergic to them? otherwise, i don't know what it would be.

you're a mermaid!

lately you've been sleeping MUCH better, but tonight, you've already woken up twice, crying. the second time, daddy went in to check on you, and he came out laughing.

he was holding you, and you looked like this.

we have no idea how you managed to get both of your legs into one of your pant legs, but you were pretty irritated that it prevented you from standing up in your crib. you are a pretty silly little girl.


love, mom

you've learned a new trick.

so, remember how i said you like to be naked? and that you like to take off your shoes and socks?

today, you were fussing in your crib before your nap, and i came in to check on you. you were sitting in your bed with no pants or diaper on, and you'd thrown your pants out of bed onto your floor.

you do so many things that sam never did as a baby, so it surprises us to have a one year old who likes to remove her own diaper and throw the pants overboard. that's okay, though, because we like surprises. usually.

obviously, i can't post a picture for this one.


love, mom

you played in the snow!

sort of. you actually didn't really like the snow. not sitting in it, anyway. you did like eating it. and you didn't really like wearing mittens.