Sunday, March 20

18 Months or 1 1/2?

I haven't done monthly posts since you turned one, but this is a big month! Your half birthday, a whole 18 months, year and a half old. I don't know when it is time to stop responding to the "how old is she" question with months and start using years. We were at the playground the other day and a lady told me her child was 28 months and I had to stop and think....so that makes him 2...um just 2. Anyways, to each their own.

I am having SUCH a blast with you and motherhood is everything and more. It is more joyful and more challenging than I could ever imagine, but it is so extremely fulfilling.

Because I forgot to schedule you 18 month appointment, you will have to go at 19 months so your stats will be later. I do know the following:

Weight: 30 pounds...my back hurts often.

Favorite things to do
Color and Paint
Play with baby dolls, feed them a bottle, put them to bed, rock and hold them
Play in my make-up drawer,
Puzzles
Read Books by yourself in the playroom for FOREVER, you sit there and read out loud to your self and it is hilarious and adorable at the same time
Run, Jump and Dance
Playing outside, at the park, with friends
Slides-think the biggest, curviest ones at the playground.
Put on my shoes and walk around the house, or try on all of your shoes over and over again. (It is def. a girl thing!)
Be with Grandaddy Bland.

Dislikes
The swings
Lions

Struggles
Tantrums-they last sooooooo long, sometimes up to 45 minutes.
You are a picky eater
You don't like for mommy to leave.

Strengths
Your language and speech is awesome for your age.
You can count to 10 (usually missing a couple numbers)
I can point to most anything and you can tell me what it is
You know most of your colors-you say your favorite color is purple.

I love that your that I can already hear your southern accent in your little voice. It makes me smile.

So to my sweet little year and a halfer...18 months...big girl...what an adventure you bring to life. As I always say, You are the most wonderful form of happiness, exhaustion, reward and joy life has to offer.




I should add "playing in the sand" to your favorites. You sit in this sand pile that is really for the cement guy, and dig and play for as long as I will let you. As soon as our house is done, there will be a clean sand box in the back yard just for you!

Spontaneous Potty Time

Tonight after dinner, you were running around naked while you were supposed to be getting in the bath. However, you love streaking through the house and it is pretty funny, so I let you be naked when you want, and you love screaming "naked mommy".

In the midst of that you said something about potty. And I immediately said, "Do you need to go potty?" You nodded and said "yes" and I thought hmm maybe I should give this a shot.

Knowing that we had a little Elmo potty out. It has been sitting there for a while, and honestly, I have been meaning to put it away until we are ready for the whole potty training time. You have been using it as a seat, stool, or just another way to hear Elmo talk to you (It talks when you touch it). But tonight I thought what the heck, I will try. 

I said, "here come sit with Elmo, and go potty." You went straight to that potty, sat down, tinkled, and got so scared you jumped off midstream and squealed. Daddy and I started hootin' and holerin' telling you how awesome you did and that you were such a big girl, and that you should high five Elmo. After giving Elmo some skin, you said "Again, mommy" sat down and went again, and again, and again, until you were just pretending. I had to pull you off and tell you that potty could come take a bath with you for you to take a bath. Don't worry you eventually forgot about that part.

So I guess if I want to be a consistent parent...let the potty training begin? We will see how tomorrow goes ;) 

A fun week in March.

Whew! It is crazy around here! You have had a yucky cold going on which led to complete refusal of any food, little sleep, and lots of fussy tears. However, the crud has really cleared up within the past few days and my sweet, happy, and healthy Charlotte has returned.

Last weekend we took you to the Dash family day so you could see some friends and play on the field. After Lucy and Alice showed you how, you ran the bases several times and I had to pull you off the field kicking and screaming (literally) because it was sooo much fun. Then we ate hotdogs and fries and you fed Porter some fries which he loved. It was lots of fun!

Walking with Lucy.

Lucy, you, Alice and her class pet Flutter.

Walking with Alice, as Lucy awaits y'all.

You and Porter with Daddy. The sun was bright in your eyes.

Holding Porters hand and saying "awwww, baby".

Diggin in the dirt.

This is the look I get whenever I bring out the camera. It is always followed by you running away. I can not tell you how many pictures I have of your backside running away from me. It is pretty funny. This is your "Mom I am not doing this right now, geez."
~~~
This week was St. Patricks day and you had school, so I put you in a little green and you played at school and learned all about the color green. That afternoon we went to a basketball game at Grammy's school and you hung out with the cow from Chick Fil A. It was funny.

Your teachers put your hair up into pig tails during school. You love it!

Trying to convince you to "give me your sassy" as you can see it was not successful. I swear you will go to kindergarten with that thing!



Monday, March 7

Playing Catch Up

Between our house being under major construction, yucky cold weather, and life in general, I have been a bad mommy about taking pictures and updating your little life on this blog. Sorry kiddo!!

You are able to communicate so well and I am surprised daily at how ahead of the game you seem to be. You are stringing a couple words together at at time. You are able to tell me how you are feeling, or what you want, even what you want for breakfast.

You are very compassionate and caring. Your favorite game is for me to pretend I have a "ouchy" so that you can kiss it and make it "All Better". You like to hold your dolls and feed them, put them in a stroller and walk them around, etc.

Singing has become an interest and your are close to getting all of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star sung clearly. It is the sweetest thing to hear your little voice throughout the house.

It has been interesting watch you develop "alone time" where you will sit in the playroom and place by yourself for a while. I catch you sitting and reading books, playing with your "pretend house", singing in the microphone, looking out the window at the birds, etc. I am proud of your independence.

Speaking of independence, it has been a challenge to get you to eat meals. A lot of this is becuase you want to do it all your "self". Everything is, "No, mommy, Self" So most of your food ends up on the floor, on you, on me...you catch my drift. But I am trying to let your figure it out. Patience :) and you really are doing a great job at learning to feed yourself.

I can tell the seasons are about to change as your pants are all above your ankles, shirts to tight to pull over your head, etc. I have had a hard time deciding what size to get your for the summer because you are in 2T now...such a big girl. I weighed you about a month ago and you were 30 pounds and you are so tall. Off the charts tall.

Your hair is still growing in, and it is still blonde! I bet it turns white this summer. :) I love all of the bows and hair stuff we can play with now! You ask for a bow if there is not one in your hair. even when you are in your PJs, you have to have a bow.


A few more tidbits...Your eyes are striking, your cheeks are squeezable and you will probably go to kindergarten with your Sassy (what we call your Pacifier, because you are sassy when you don;t have it)...I don't know how we will ever get rid of that thing.

Even though I have been a slack documenter (is that a word?),  I have managed to scrounge up a few photos that explain the 16/17th month of your life.

Your first pigtails!

You are such a little girl now! No more baby!!

...and your off to explore again! You will only sit still for Elmo.

We had some snow in February and after a long afternoon of playing in it, you got a little too cold. So we snuggled you up on the couch until you got warm. Look at those rosy cheeks and red nose!!

This is the face I get if I try to feed you with the spoon. Followed by a big "No mommy, self do it!"

Much better!


Carolina played Duke (and we won....easily might I say) the other night. So I thought it would be fun to put you in the outfit I wore for Carolina games when I was little. It was way to small for you, but great for a picture or two.

I don't know any girl that doesn't love shoes, and you are no exception. These are your favorite to walk around in. It is funny to see your try to balance as you walk around the house. You will literally come and take my shoes off my feet just to put them on yours. I sure hope we are the same size one day or our shoe bill is going to be insane.

Sitting beside baby Connor.

Your already trying to be a little momma. Feeding Connor his bottle had you totally intrigued.

Watching your aunts and uncles and cousin leave. You were sad!


And just so you can see what your house used to look like. This is what it looked like from the front door.

This is what it looks like now! Much bigger.

xoxo, mommy