Life's Little Pleasures: 18 Months

I'm quite ashamed actually. I just noticed that I never really posted a 12 month update of Annie's growth. 6 months later, and I promise this is loaded with all sorts of updates.

Annie is still our happy little pea (I call her Pete these days for short just to be stubborn, as Jared has informed me that we will never name one of our kids Peter...darn you family guy!). She's talking like crazy and says new words everyday. Some, but not all, include: cracker, eat, hungy (hungry), dink (drink), juice, chair, shoes (she LOVES shoes), socks, fork, spoon, pants, cookie, hair, petty (pretty), potty (wishful thinking on my part, she just likes to say the word), candy, side (outside), monkey, hoss (horse), goggy (doggy), peas (please), dee do (thank you), baba (bottle), milk, more, bye bye, sorry, etc. She mostly repeats everything I say to her...unfortunately this also means she tells me no a lot...reflection of my parenting??? My favorite? peeeuuuw (this is to inform me that she has a poopy diaper)

She loves to try to do everything we do. This includes: playing in her kitchen, walking around in Dad's shoes (she tried my heels once, it didn't last long), pretend cleaning the floor (with a rag and a broom), climbing on chairs to eat at the table with us, combing her hair (don't laugh there's plenty to comb!), reading books, dancing, singing, etc.

It's one of my favorite traditions every year to watch White Christmas while I wrap the tree in lights. Since we don't watch t.v. very often, Annie was quite intrigued to stand about 6 inches from the television and tap dance (well her version of tap dancing) along with Danny Kaye and Bing Crosby. Over the course of the holiday season, we probably watched it 4 or 5 times because she just loved to dance along.

The latest of houdini tricks...

Though I've been warned that kids start to become picky eaters by about this age, Annie has showed up all that advice and still eats just about anything. My biggest struggle with her?...mashed potatoes...seriously kid, you're killin' me. Mashed potatoes are a staple! Especially with the amount of potatoes we grew in our garden this summer. She got over her dislike of ketchup and now refers to it as "dip dip". She loves to eat with a fork in hand and when she is done, she lets me know with a quick flip of her plate right onto her tray. I'm hoping she doesn't learn to flip it onto the floor...wishful thinking?

Playing dress up

Annie's newest love are babies (pretend ones of course). She loves everything about them. She loves to carry them around all day, she pretend cries for them, gives them a dinky (binky), kisses them, hugs them, rocks/bounces them (that one's funny to watch), push them in strollers, wraps them in blankies, you name it. This Christmas my Mum bought her a baby and she wanted nothing to do with opening the present so I tore the paper just enough that she could see the babies face. Her face was priceless, she started to shake and was screaming baby at the top of her lungs. I couldn't get that baby out of it's packaging soon enough. She carted that baby around all night.

Dog Pile On Dad!!!! p.s the strainer is in the picture because she was walking around wearing it on her head, pointing to it and saying "hat"

I love this new stage we've entered into. It's nice not wondering what she needs or wants. Though she's not talking in full sentences or anything at least I have a clue as to how I can help her. She's so happy, LOVES nursery and has no problem walking in and just leaving me behind, likes to have her hair done, loves to wear shoes, and the best of all, loves to give loves, hugs, and kisses to Mommy & Daddy. She continues to be the best thing that has entered into our lives and I'm thankful everyday that I was lucky enough to be blessed with such a sweetheart.