18 months

Our baby's 18 months, so you know what that means...return of the lamb!

I must say in six months, he's hardly aged at all. As for my baby, she's no longer a baby!!!

To lessen the blow of how big she's become, I shall now document some parts of her 18 month old life as we know it.

Chica loves to help, so I've put her to work. Her favorite tasks are putting laundry in the dryer or basket, emptying the dishwasher and throwing trash in the garbage can. Sometimes she'll help me cook by stirring things or pushing the food processor button. She knows how to locate and fetch diapers, wipes and shoes. When it's time for a diaper change, she'll lay out her changing pad and lie down on her back.

She likes to brush her teeth and comb her hair. When I'm getting ready in the morning, I'll let her play with my makeup brushes. She's been known to swipe some make-up when I'm not looking. She loves to play outside and be anywhere but home. She can throw a ball about five feet away. When music's on she loves to clap and spin around. She likes purses and wallets and can dismantle both in thirty seconds. Every now and then I'll put her on the big girl potty, but she's never gone while on it. She climbs on everything.

She goes to bed around 7:30 P.M. and wakes up around 7:00 A.M. On school days she takes one nap, but on the weekends she'll take two. She eats all kinds of things. Besides turkey and ham lunch meat, she doesn't really like meat. Her favorite food is probably a peanut butter sandwich. When she eats bananas, she picks off the end and hands it to me.

Her verbal skills blow us away and she repeats almost everything we say. The other day I called to Dan in another room. For the next five minutes she walked around the house yelling, "Dan! Dan! Dan!" Here are some of the words she'll say on her own, without us prompting:
Mommy
Daddy
shoes
outside
this
cracker
I want
bye bye
God
stuck
movie
more
no
yes
help me
there
where
please
one
two
book
hot
bath
uh-oh
owie
She's still a Mama's girl, but she's a fearless, busy, wild woman. Her school teachers say she's quiet and perceptive and her nursery teachers say she comforts other babies when they're upset. She loves to tickle you and make you laugh. Sometimes she cracks herself up in the process. When we leave the office, she's Grand Marshall of her own farewell parade. She stops at each door, waves her arm, yells "bye-bye!" and blows a kiss. People tell us she's smart. Others say she's beautiful. And even though we're far away from family, she's lavished with love.

Before we go, our 18 month old daughter would like to wish her baby boy cousin a happy first birthday. We hope Big Sis will share some Muppin Cakes with the precious Birthday Boy!!!