16 Months

Dear Annie,

There have been a few points in your short life where it seems as if you completely change and grow up overnight, and this past weekend was definitely one of them! Your grandparents picked you up on Thursday night to take you to the cabin, and when we saw you again on Saturday morning, you were a full time walker and talking up a storm, neither of which you were doing when you left us! I'm not sure what they did with you on Friday, or if you just needed a little change of scenery, but it was crazy to see you acting so grown up all the sudden.

This past Friday, so just shy of your 16 month birthday, was when you started walking more than crawling - I honestly had my doubts that this day would EVER come, and had visions of you crawling over the kindergarten threshold. Thanks again for reminding your mama that she's just a wee bit psycho, and that you'll get there when you get there! You literally went from taking maybe 10 steps at a time, max, to walking all over the place, crouching to pick something up, standing back up with no assistance from your arms (which you've been doing for a few weeks now) and changing directions, backing up a bit, no problem. In just the past few days you've picked up lots of speed and can walk clear down the street... and not even look back. Just like everyone always told me it would happen, and I didn't believe them at all.

Communication is the other area that has hugely changed this month. Last month, the words you were saying were a bit of a stretch, and I wasn't sure you even really understood what we were saying most of the time. Over the course of this month, you have started talking much more, and this past weekend when I was trying to recall all of the words you say, it was hard for me to even remember them all. At my last count, you have about 25 words that I've heard you use more than a few times. The words you do say aren't exactly the most helpful though, you still do a lot of grunting when you want something. You don't always get the right context for the word, but it's getting a lot closer! I hope that soon you start to understand that words can actually help you to communicate your wants and needs as well as what you see right in front of you :)

Here is what you're saying this month, the pronunciation if different and the context if it's not always "correct": Thank you (tink oo, which is used when handing someone something since that's when people say "thank you" to you), Please (pees, which is only used when you see a hair clip because you like it clipped to your index finger and we make you say please before we clip it on the 100th time), Hi and bye bye (usually with waves now), Puppy (poppy, this one came out a lot at the cabin with Maggie), Grandpa (bam pa), Baby (to your baby doll), Bubbles, Pop, Cheese (dees, when taking a picture, although not as reliably as last month - it seems you're now kind of over it), Down (dow - when you want to get down or during any song that says "down", which apparently is quite a few), I did it! (dd it! when putting letters in your jug since we said that to you a few times), Woof woof (wuh-wuh-wuh said very fast whenever you see a dog), What's that (wussat, said when you hear a noise or when someone new comes into a room and you can't see them yet), Daddy (said to both me and your dad, and sometimes Grandma and Grandpa too), Ball (ba), Boat (bo), Uh oh, Yeah, Ouch hot (ch-ot! said when you see the fire in Goodnight Moon because I touched it a few times and said Ouch hot! one night), Boo (for peek-a-boo), No (usually only when we're trying to get you to eat something you don't want), Jono (Ja-jo - the first name we've gotten you to say, for your Uncle Jono).

Whew! That's quite a bit, little lady! Notice what's NOT on that list though? Well, I sure do - MAMA or Mommy. Or any word that starts with an M. I have heard you say mama before but VERY rarely and usually only when you're upset. As I mentioned, you usually just call me Daddy, or nothing. I'm looking forward to when you expand your vocab to include the Ms!

You are still pretty easy-going most of the time, but are developing a bit of an attitude. You aren't possessive with your toys around other kids, but you DO get pissed when we stop a beloved activity that you aren't ready to stop. For example: blowing bubbles, or leaving the park. All good things must come to an end, and you get UPSET when that happens! You usually only display your cranky side to your loving parents, though, so everyone else thinks you are a perfect angel. We are just fine keeping it that way - we have no doubts of your affection for us now! Over the past month you do get pretty upset when you see anyone you love leave a room - most of all me. I try to warn you and tell you I'm coming back, but it doesn't always work! Luckily you usually get over it pretty quickly.

In terms of eating, you are still a great eater and are learning your preferences more and more. You will pick through a casserole type dish to find the "good" parts - which are carbs, starch or dairy. I wouldn't call you picky by any stretch of the imagination, but you won't eat just plain steamed veggies. You also like to eat whatever anyone else has, and are quite the mooch. Especially when they are eating bread or cheese, then you are just relentless. You are better about taking bites of bigger things and can feed yourself with a spoon great. I've stopped giving you a fork because you just stab wildly instead of focusing on eating - we'll try again in a few months. Your favorites are bananas, blueberries, bread, eggs, cheese, anything in a tomato sauce, and fruit smoothies. You still only have your front 8 teeth, so things need to be mushy for you to eat them, although you are a pro at gumming things up.

You still absolutely love your belly button, and check in with it on the regular. You can point out your nose, teeth and hair reliably, and others sometimes too. When we ask you what any animal says, we get "woof woof", but I don't blame you - it's not like you see any animals ever anyway :)

Things you love this month: putting your letters in the jug, blowing bubbles (which consists of you putting the wand in and out of the jar and blowing very lightly on it), putting lids on bottles, singing and dancing (you love to do ring around the rosie and "fall down", and now hum along with songs that I'm singing), playing with your baby doll, climbing up the slide at the park, picking up little rocks and leaves, putting together very simple puzzles with a little assistance, stacking your cups (you can get up to 4 stacked correctly now!), and climbing into and out of chairs.

You're a very sweet and funny little girl, Annie! You're always smiling and making faces at people, and you seem to love to observe the action more so than be right in the middle of it. You just get cuter and cuter every day, and we are just loving watching you grow!

I can't wait to see what the next month will bring, little bunk... love you always,

Mom

and just because this is one of my favorite outfits of yours yet, here are a few more photos of you today!

Giving Raggedy Ann a hug

We are loving watching you walk through the house!

Most of the time, when you point, it's always a little angled up

Watching Dad mow the lawn

This is what you look like when you don't want to be held :)

Shaking the letters out of your jug

On the porch with Mia and Madeline!