15 months – Peanut Smiles

Dear Katers,

You have established one of the best laughs I have ever heard. It sounds like a machine gun but in the funniest way possible. People hear it, stop what they are doing to look or comment because it is so funny and it just makes everyone want to smile and laugh too. It is so awesome.

And it has really helped to have something to smile and laugh about this month as it was a tough one. Your Great Grandma T. passed away this month. You didn’t get to know her very well, but she was joyful, accepting, giving, kind, loved being around people and laughing and was always so grateful for everything she had. She touched so many people’s lives and we are all going to miss her a lot. I have no doubt she will continue to watch over you and bless you with some of her wonderful traits.

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Thankfully, we were able to get out on Papa’s boat two times this month to relax and enjoy some good quality time together despite all of the sadness of Grandma T. You absolutely loved just sitting in the sand filling your bucket as the water gently washed over your toys. I was very surprised that you never tried to eat the sand but were very content just playing around. You also do this amazing thing of taking a nap on the boat. We lay you down on one of the seats, give you your paci and bunny and put a little blanket over the top of the chair to make a little tent, turn the sound machine on, and you fall right asleep among everyone else moving and chatting around you. Remarkable. neither Lexi or William would have ever done that.

Other development notes:

You now wave your hand side-to-side instead of wiggling your fingers
You officially learned to walk this month and quick crawling
You guzzle milk in a sippy cup like a crazy woman. Seriously, girl. You love it.
You discovered how to open drawers and cupboards this month and it is a new favorite pastime. You love to take out every cup, bowl and plate we have and leave them all over the kitchen/living room. Occasionally, you’ll put them back in, but most of the time you just like to take things out. You also LOVE to go into my drawer in the bathroom and play with my bobby pins, clips, deodorant, makeup, face lotion, traveling size Listerine bottle, and toothpaste. It is rare to find you without a tube of toothpaste sticking outside of your mouth. (the cap is on).
You’ve pretty much quick doing any kind of baby sign and will just grunt like crazy when you want something.
We kind of took your paci away this month. You’ve always only ever had it when you sleep and we started to not give it to you during naps, but then you’ll be really crabby and we give it to you, so that is more on us about being consistent.

I think it is amazing at how much you look like Lexi and William. You have the same complexion and face shape as Lexi, but you have William’s big eyes, and I think you are going to be more similar to William from a personality standpoint, but we will see.

Another big thing that happened this month was Lexi began kindergarten and William started preschool. You and William have much more time together and it is fun to watch how your relationship has evolved. He loves being big brother and trying to teach you how to play in the way that Lexi has taught him to play. It is also a different dynamic to for you to just be home with Daddy while he is at school. Dada says your kind of a lost puppy with out the big kids there to follow around and you need much more attention.

Happy 15 months big girl. Another month in the books. So crazy to think that in 9 months you’ll be two and will be talking and MAYBE, just MAYBE even ready to potty-train!?!?!

Love you sweet girl,

Mama

Dear Lexi Lou,

My sweet girl, you are a quarter of the way through your second year of life! You are growing and learning at a massive rate. It is getting harder and harder to keep things out of your hands. You open drawers, grab things off the table, and can see above the window sill. Your comprehension is remarkable with new words and behaviors surfacing everyday. Your independence is starting to shine through and you are developing quiet the sense of humor.

Favorite Monthly Moments:

During one of our ‘Mommy-Lexi date nights’ you were feeling extra sweet and maybe a little tired while swimming. Your little fingers clung the back of my arms and nuzzled your head onto my shoulder and just cuddled for two minutes while we swam around. It was such a sweet and peaceful moment. I know you love and rely on me greatly but this small gesture really showed it, which is a completely ridiculous statement considering your 15 months and you don’t know anything else and there is no reason for you to not feel this way. But, it really was a heart warmer.

We’ve tried to catch you while you’re going ‘poo’ (as you like to call it) and put you on the potty to help avoid your nasty diaper rashes. We’re not necessarily trying to potty-train you as we know you’re too young, but pamper your sensitive little tush. Most of the time, we catch you just as you have finished your business, but we have had a couple of successful attempts at both poo and potty. So far, it has seemed to help as we haven’t had any bad diaper rashes this month.

After a successful potty trip, you were enjoying your fruit snack treat while I was unloading the dishwashing and peeked your way and found you squatting on your chair over a big pile of poo! So funny and gross!

Daddy has been working with you on telling us how old you are. When we ask, ‘How old are you?’ your proudly hold up your pointer finger!

You’ve started watching shows on the ipad. You’re very favorite is Choo Choo Bobs, but have also watched Sesame Street, Barney, Thomas the Train and Baby Einstein. Interestingly, you’ll only watch these on the ipad—not the TV. I think the TV is up too high and too far away to keep you engaged.

While looking at pictures we often ask ‘who is that’. This month you started to answer and even point and identify without asking. We were at Grandma’s house and you saw pictures of Mama, and you pointed and say ‘ma-ma’.

You have officially mastered putting together the signs ‘more’ ‘please’, and use them all the time. If you want music on, or even a different song to play, you waddle over to the computer hit the desk, sign ‘more’ ‘please’ and point to the computer. Watching you learn to communicate has been so fun. It has been so helpful for both you and us as we know what you want. Less crying and whining is always a plus in my book!

You’ve become a stuffed animal hoarder! You demand to have as many stuffed animals as you can hold in your little arms whenever leaving your crib. We’ll come into your room and you quickly start gathering as many of your friends as you can fit into your arms, look at us and say ‘up’. In the rare instance you’re distracted upon leaving, you will hold our hands bringing us to your room point to your crib and sign ‘please’ while point to your animals. You are only satisfied if your arms are full.

One of my favorite things every night is playing ‘I’m gonna get you.’ You run and laugh hysterically, while i crawl after and chase you (creative game, I know). Your giggles are the harmony of my heart and I love seeing the excitement in your eyes as you look over your shoulder and see me about to ‘get you’. Your constant enjoyment of life is such a good reminder to just let things go because it does no good to dwell, worry, be angry or anticipate tomorrow. The simplicity of your life to ‘live today and love today’ is something I try and do more of everyday.

Notes:

Many of your 18 M clothes are too short and you are transitioning into 2T clothes (especially shirts).

You’re 32 inches (90-95%), 26 lbs. and 10 oz (95-98%) and head size is 47.5 inches (75-90 %)

New words: Poo, Two, Toy, cuw-claw=turtle, cu-ca=cup cake, and lots of attempts at imitating words, OK, bless you, ahh-choo, thank you

We’re working on nodding our head ‘yes’ instead of always saying ‘no’

Occasionally you’ll follow directions. After brushing your teeth, I asked if you could go put your toothbrush away, hoping you would just bring it into the bathroom, but you blew my socks off by opening the drawer and putting your toothbrush away. I’ve also asked you to help pick up your bath toys and playing cards and you happily oblige.

Your top right tooth had been sitting on the edge of your gums just begging to poke through for weeks and it finally did the last couple days of the month. Your bottom left molar also came through at the same time which made your temper flare up. You seemed to beg for medicine, we think. You kept begging to go to the medicine cabinet. At the time, I thought only your top tooth that was coming in and it had already broke through so I didn’t give you anything, but after a couple days, felt your molar and felt awful making you suffer through that pain.