15-months and growing

Oh Little Bits,

Happy Birthday today! What a busy, inquisitive, delightful, funny and joyful little toddler you have become!

So it's been a few months since I've recapped your 'progress' (though I know there have been plenty of posts about what we've been 'up to.') I've worked in a few pictures though out the post... not really having anything to do with the content, just a few of my favorites.


Soooo, you seem to be right on track developmentally -- you've gone from walking to walking fast, you think you can 'do stairs' by yourself, but I still prefer you to crawl up and down them because you're not quite brilliant at bending your knees all the time. (I remember when you learned you could walk backwards instead of falling when you'd get off balance.)

You love pretending to talk on the phone, pointing any remote at electronic devices (mostly the television).

You love crawling into laundry baskets, under tables and hiding in closets.

You like opening--though mostly closing--doors, cupboards, cabinets, etc. I find it adorable when you "knock" to get in to places.

You had your first haircut.

Your Favorite Foods are avocados/guacamole, wheat waffles and clementines/oranges and you prefer purple grapes to any dessert.

Your palate has expanded immensely:

I made you wheat and rye crackers with garlic red pepper dip. You tore up turkey meatloaf with whipped garlic potatoes. You've recently grown fond of asparagus and developed a liking for grilled mushrooms (mmmm, garlic butter makes everything better.) In fact, you eat a lot of garlic. Grandma Stevie has said on more than one occasion that you smell "like Burts Bees and garlic."



You're always surprising us with new words: "Amen," "cat," "Ought-oh" and "thank you" ...my favorite was when you said this to a bus boy in Maui over breakfast as he was wiping off our table. "Right on! Little Guy," he reposnded back.

You also do a sing-song 'thank you' often at night or for naps when I give you a sippy cup of water and you're snuggling into sleep time.

You don't really 'sign,' though you're an excellent communicator. You'll throw both hands up in the air to signal you're finished. This most often happens when you're done eating; but has also happened on road trips, long airplane rides, etc.

We've been trying to work on manners... so along with your delightful 'thank yous,' you just signed your first 'please' on April 15th. Although it's a two handed action for you (though I think technically the ASL sign is one hand in a circular motion around the upper chest?)... When I say "Say please" you take both hands across your chest in an outward motion. It's awesome!!!

When you 'give loves' you lean into the person (or animal). You do this a lot with random little girls your age/size. Sometimes they don't know how to react. A little girl at the airport in Phoenix (boycott Arizona) on the way home from Maui kept trying to kiss you on the mouth. You seemed to enjoy it.

You love Discovery Gateway (the Children's Museum). Here you are waiting for it to open!!!

Sometimes we say "Holden, eat your toes!" And then you do. (You are such a flexible little yogi; and your Down Dog is coming along splendidly. Sometimes you just do it in bed when you should be settling down.)

Speaking of sleep: sometimes you sleep through the night. Sometimes you walk into our room and want to crawl into the family bed, and sometimes you prefer we lay down in your bed (one more reason I'm grateful we never really integrated a crib for you.)

You're great with strangers.... not really afraid of anyone, though you do like to take a moment or few to take people in and get familiar with new faces.

You love being outside, and get quite frustrated and upset if you catch someone walking out the door or leaving with out you (it's not about me leaving you alone... no, you just want to be outside!)

Your favorite bathroom reading material includes your Counting Book (sometimes you point out the pages like you're counting), the Baby Einstein Library, "Sheep Out to Eat" form the Library and Kate Spade's "Style" and "Manners" books (naturally.) Really, you're doing great with the potty kid. I can't believe how well you've caught on. (More on this another day.)

You have mastered a sippy, are getting better each day with a fork, and enjoy drinking from a cup without a lid (though it gets messy if there's more than a sip or two of liquid in the cup!)

I like how you can 'help' me with chores and baking, and when you hand me the diapers from the washer to put in the dryer... how you try to sweep and love the vacuum. Making cookies/baking is so much better now that you can (almost) pour ingredients (and sometimes they even make it in the bowl!)

But sometimes you just want to be held. And I love your cuddles and when you squeeze me.

February 2009

I can't believe you were once this size. It makes me happy and devastated, all in the same breath. You are growing up so fast. (Totally cliche, totally true.)