thoughts on a page: Elodie 17/18 months

{A look of sweet silliness and cleverness}

Oh Miss "E" you continue to capture our hearts and delight our spirits as you learn and grow and become more and more a part of our family. Daddy always says what a sweet disposition you have, and I couldn't agree more. Today at the park Aven scraped her wrist and being the sensitive girl she was she came running over to me, held back the tears until she was in my arms and burst into sobs. You took the wet wipe you had in your hands and gently tried to wipe the tears away from her face and the snot from her nose. It was seriously the sweetest thing ever. And a few weeks ago when you were upset about something, she gently reached over and patted your back when you were sitting next to each other. You unashamedly snuggle into me and have no problem being picked up or carried just to be close to your people.

I can hardly believe my baby is almost a year and a half (18 months) and it seems like this last year and a half have gone so quickly. I know I always say this but it is true how fast time flies and how hard it is to slow down and really capture each day and to cherish every moment.

Some milestones to recap the last few months:

you started walking and now you practically run with confidence!
you started talking and though you don't say much boy do you understand a lot and you certainly have an opinion about even more!
you (finally and thankfully) started sleeping through the night
you have started to stay in the nursery at church during service (this may not seem like a victory but it is so nice to be able to receive and listen to the sermon)
you stopped nursing (May 7th) at about 16 1/2 months….a little bittersweet but it was a gentle transition and needed to happen before we went on our trip so it was perfect timing

{Always something in each hand if possible}

Here is a more detailed summary of where you are at on things. It is so interesting to have two kids and each girls and see how different and similar they are and how their personalities are developing and how their relationships are growing.

Talking: I would say that you "started" talking at about 15 months with just Mama and you've progressed to a short list. So far, you consistently say the following: Dada, Mama, Eleanor, Ethel, More (boor), Pizza (Pza), Cheese (Chs), Shoes (shs), Uh-oh, No, Bubbles (bubb), book/bird (ba/ba). You are finally getting more "talkative" whether humming to yourself, chattering while playing or just generally making happy noises. You do have a loud older sister so I can understand being overshadowed but its nice to hear your little voice too.
Eating: you are just about the opposite of Aven when it comes to eating, at this age she would eat beans and rice and any berry if nothing else…..you won't touch black beans and you don't eat much beans, rice or quesidilla….and so far you don't care for any berries unless a strawberry slice strikes your mood. You are queen of the carbs whether cereal, pretzel, toast, pancakes, waffles, pasta or what have you. You love diary especially cheese, milk and yogurt and you've finally decided (I'm surprised it took so long) that you love ice cream too!

{Unfortunately you spent half the month with a black eye}

Play: you love babies and it is so sweet to see you carrying them around, patting their backs and wrapping them up or asking to have them wrapped up (again and again). Aven didn't even get a baby doll toy until she was 2 so it is so sweet to see you really playing with them now. You like to do repetitive tasks like move objects around or even from place to place and back again. You like to put things inside of other things like stacking objects or just using the play kitchen dishes to put food or other objects inside. You are so much more adventurous than Aven too (not that it is a comparison but its interesting to watch!). You like to climb things and then stand and smile….you are a bit mischievous. You have started to really latch onto reading books and it is so cute to see you find a book and bring it to Daddy or I and ask for us to read it. You pat the couch for us to lift you up and read or you put the book in our lap and signal for us to pick you up. While I can't trust to leave you unsupervised with crayons or other writing materials, you really like to "scribble" and draw. You have a pretty good hold of a writing utensil and the ability to actually control it as well. You have no interest so far in stuffed animals, puzzles or TV (although we don't really let you watch). You love slides at the park and moderately the swings although after a few minutes you'll often say: "all done." You like to walk back and forth on the walkways outside to Daddy's shop. And you get into all sorts of silly things if we don't keep an eye on you: the toilet paper, the trash, the dirty clothes, etc. You are doing a nice job of learning to play by yourself, parallel play with Aven and actually playing with her (mostly being goofy). You like music and will move your body if the mood hits you. You like to play with the musical interments and if I let you touch/play the big piano you are actually quite controlled and gentle and have an interest in playing.

My sweet girl, it is so fun to see you growing, to see you laugh and giggle, to feel your warm breath when you are nuzzled into my neck and to hear your little words and sounds developing. It is an honor to be your mother, to love you and to nurture you and I am so thankful for you. Happy 1 1/2 years my little miss "e."