Lola - 18 months

My dear sweet little peanut, you are 18 months old now! Lately I am very aware that you are growing up quickly and that I need to savor what remains of your baby-ness before it's gone. These are some of my favorite things about you at 18 months.

The way you pronounce words. Oh my goodness, your words are so stinkin' cute! And you are a total parrot. You copy everything you hear. These are just a small portion of the words that you say now...

wish = fish

winnie = windy

moke = milk

omit = open

manna = banana

app-oh = banana :)

wing = swing

box = socks

nack = snack

orn = horn

am-en-uh = airplane

pay-dough = playdoh

dide = outside

ca-wah = Clara

be too = me too

Your fine, wispy hair. Right now your hair is so blond and so baby soft. At it's longest point it is about at your shoulders. It has grown so much in the past six months that now it is in your eyes a lot. Recently we have started giving you a little ponytail on top of your head, which is super cute.

Running down hills. We have a small hill in our front yard and you like to run down it. You get excited and want me to watch you run. Then you take off running and usually for a few seconds you have a panicked look on your face because you are going so fast for your little legs that you must think for sure you will wipe out. Sometimes you do fall, but more often you make it down the hill just fine and then the smile returns to your face.

Da-da-daaaaaaaaaah! This is what you say when you've accomplished something and you're very proud of yourself. I can't do it justice with written words. You say it so loud and you build up to such strength by the last syllable that you're pretty much yelling at the top of your lungs. And of course with a smile on your face and often hand gestures too for added emphasis. It's definitely a favorite thing of ours that you do.

Kisses and hugs. You are a busy lady, but not too busy to give Mommy a fair amount of hugs and kisses. And your hugs are just the best. You wrap both arms around my neck and squeeze with all you've got. There's no way to be in a bad mood when you hug me. And sweet kisses on the lips too.

Humming at bedtime. Ever since your big sister was a baby we've always hummed the same song to her and now you at naptimes and bedtime. Now you hum with us. You don't perfectly follow the tune, but you're darn close sometimes.

Calling for your friends. When we get you out of bed you often want to bring all your stuffed animals out with you. We'll pick up you and buddy and then turn to walk out of the room only to have you pointing at your bed saying "bear, bear, bear!" Then we get bear and turn to walk out of the room and hear "orse, orse, orse!" So we go back for horse and then hear "baby, baby, baby!" so we go back for baby and hear "mickey, mickey, mickey" and so on until the bed is empty and your arms are overflowing.

Mo, mo! You love music and know how to ask for more. Whether we're in the car listening to a kid's CD and a song ends, or Clara is singing to you as you guys try to fall asleep at night, or a song is playing on one of your toys, the instant it stops you start hitting your fists together (sign language for "more") and saying "mo, mo!"

I'll probably think of more favorite things which I'll have to come back and add later, but this is a great start. You are just so cute and sweet and fun right now and I'm already grieving the loss of your babyhood. I hope that writing these things down will help me to come back to them years from now when you're a big girl.