...Into February

Madelynne turned 18 months on Saturday and she is growing into quite the young lady! Her vocabulary is budding beyond belief and her new favorite phrase is "what's that?" This happened between our weekend trip to Portland and coming home Monday. It was always one of her favorite phrases, but it has surely blossomed in the course of a few days. It is amazing to listen to her try to pronounce common, everyday phrases, and get so close. I'm sure once she starts talking, it will be a non-stop conversation, but labeling everything and pointing out everything is fun. It makes us examine the world a little more closely and determine exactly what she is pointing at.

She signs simplistic things that help us communicate easier like "up", "drink", "please", and she responds really well to yes and no questions. It alleviates so much frustration on both ends, so future parents, I recommend it. She is smart and knows she needs a change, when she's hungry, and when it's time for bed and nap. Routine is key!

One thing we have noticed is that she is developing quite an imagination. I witnessed her the other day in the car, as we were driving to Olympia, playing with her animal crackers and creating a fun little scenario that only she could understand. When she caught me watching her, she just smiled coyly and pretended like I hadn't witnessed her. It was great. I can't wait to see where this imagination takes her.

Like I have said in previous posts, she loves to play and read. We ended up buying her some dress-up clothes and shoes, since this is one of her favorite things to do at daycare. She also has really gotten into Play-Doh, so we have been doing plenty of creating with Play-Doh. And, although she's technically not supposed to be watching TV until 2, (according to the librarian), we have a nightly ritual of watching one episode of Dora. The songs are addicting, she is learning, and she enjoys all that Dora has to offer. It's quite amusing. Of course, we don't watch too much TV, as we spend more time jamming to Caspar Babypants and Harmonica Pocket, or her yelling out "Hey!" or "Ho!" in the Lumineers song or the "Ugh" part in "Locked Out of Heaven" song by Bruno Mars, although she is completely off when they sing the "ugh" part. She LOVES music!

Trying to keep up with her is always a challenge...she is on the move and would like to run all over the place. It keeps mom and dad busy! But it is definitely been a joy. As always, parenting is a fun adventure and here are some highlights from the past few months with Ms. Madelynne.