Breezy

For one brief moment yesterday there was a breeze outside. A strong breeze. Amelia had wanted to go out all morning and I finally relented as I saw the trees doing the wave. She wanted to play in the dirt, which was odd. We have walked by this bush a million times and she has shown no interest in it, but yesterday she loved it and clapped and wanted to put her hands in the dirt. So, she did.




And, when the fun ended (as in, the breeze stopped) I told her to go sweep up the dirt. What an angel child. Or, maybe she swept one minute and stamped her foot and said "DONE." That might have been more along the lines of what happened.

She is 18 months old today and I can't get over how well we can communicate during the day. She loves to say the names of the colors, done, up, need, animal sounds, please, thank you, peoples' names over and over, and will try to mimic me on most things if I ask her to. She tried to tell her first story last week. "Orange, black, stuck, boo boo." [Translation: When she was playing with her orange and black playdough, her foot got stuck in the chair and she got a boo boo.] We have a blast together and her personality is still a consistent mix of Ross and I's. She is shy in a group and takes a while to warm up, however, once she warms up and connects with you, watch out.

Finally, we are eating a little better. She has added blueberries and yogurt to her small list of foods and will almost always eat chicken. She weights 21 pounds (10th percentile) and is in the 50th percentile in height. I wish I could give her some chewable vitamins, but we have to wait until she is two. Thankfully, she still loves milk and drinks a ton of it every single day. If I give her a choice, she almost always picks "nilk."

I am working on having her play more by herself because I usually play with her the whole time she is awake and do odds and ends during her nap. However, I know with the new baby coming, she will not get to have all my attention, "Mommma, sit. Momma, down. Momma, now," and so we need to slowly veer away from constant play. It is going about as well as I thought it would lol. She is IN CHARGE and wants to play CONSTANTLY.

She understands perfectly when she SHOULD and SHOULD NOT do something. We are still doing time-out, although she thinks it is hilarious. The only time it really works is if I shut her door, which I hate doing. Usually the threat alone will work with her. One or two times I have swatted her hand and oh my word her heart breaks and breaks. That is much more effective with her, but she is still little.

Amelia stands at the window waiting on Ross to get home and loves waving and clapping screaming, "Daddo." (Some days I am screaming and clapping too. Another adult!!!!) I try not to play in the playroom with her too much during the day and save that for her and Ross to do in the evening. This is a beautiful age and we are having so much fun watching her grow.

Right now, she is obsessed with her silkies and has to have them at nap and nightime. She has two, Big and Baby---she named them herself and loves them dearly. Her pacifier is still a major presence at nap and night. After bath, she starts asking for it. Yikes--that will be a tough one to break and I am in no mind to do it right now.

She is curious about peeing and pooping and knows when she does so. Not sure if it would translate into potty training well or not...