How did it happen? How have 18 months gone by in the blink of an eye? How are you now a spunky, fiesty, bossy (ha!) and beautiful little girl... no longer that chubby baby I knew just a short 18 months ago. Kerigan, you are a year and a half old... and you just continue to amaze me more and more with each passing day.
We are getting professional pictures taken next week, so this post just has a bunch of random pictures of you doing different girly and funny things, because I feel like I am constantly snapping pictures of you. More than anything, you love to play in your room. This makes me so happy.
You have this little tea set in there, which you love to get out. You love to put on mommy's jewelry and shoes and prance around in front of the mirror in your room. You get out all your hair clips and accessories and just play and play for what seems like hours.
It definitely entertains you, that's for sure!
You don't always have jammies on, but it's usually the weekend when we have special time to play upstairs. And on weekends we don't get dressed too often! Ha! I think you would stay in your room and play all day if you could.
And your bitty baby? You adore her. You know just what to do with her, and I love watching you be a little mommy to her.
You love to pick out her clothes, make me put them on her, then take them all off! Ha! You love feeding her, putting her "night night" and reading her books.
But the girly girl that you are, you can throw on a cowboy hat and rock it like the best of them!
You also love the little kitchen that was mine when I was little, and I fixed up for Andrew (and now you). You like to take the shopping cart, fill it with the play food and run around upstairs. Too bad you don't like all the food you put in your pretend cart for real. You are a super picky eater. It pretty much drives me crazy. You will only eat mac n cheese, pizza, and chicken nuggets. And only chicken nuggets if you have ketchup and can dip it yourself. Your favorite thing is fruit, and you will eat mostly any fruit. Some veggies, mainly corn and peas. Luckily I don't have to worry about you as much as I did your brother. The doctor says to just give you whatever you'll eat and you'll eat when you're hungry! So I try not to let it stress me out too much! You always love your milk, too. But you are a nightmare to bring out to restaurants right now!
This month I took you for your official 18 month check up. You weighed 24.4 lb, which is in the 66th percentile. You are 32 1/4" tall, which has come down on the growth chart from in the 90's to the 53%. So maybe you won't be as tall as we thought!
You wear mostly 2T clothes, size 5 shoes and a size 5 diaper. You go to bed like a dream. Bath, jammies, book and a song. I turn on your music and never hear another peep out of you. But you decided that you only like to sleep until about 5am, so we have started inching your bedtime a little later- about 7:30-7:45pm. This has worked a little better but it seems like on the weekends you are up at your usual time (between 5 and 5:30) and during the week when we need to rush and get going in the mornings, you are still sleeping at 7am! Silly girl.
You are talking so much I can't keep up writing down everything. You say, "SOP it Bubba!" (Stop it, Bubba!), "There it is!" "Paci please!" "Got you!" (when playing chase) "Come on, mommy (or daddy, or Ga Ga)," "Sit up/Get up mommy, daddy" etc. You moved up to the 2 year old room at day care and I can already tell what a difference it has made. You are doing so much more and learning so many things. You come home singing songs and I usually know what you are trying to say. The other day you were making spider hands and singing "Itsy Bitsy Spider." You also know the ABC song, and can say almost all the letters! It just amazes me. You can also count mostly in order from 1-3, but you know other numbers up to ten.
These blocks have numbers on them, they are one of your favorite toys right now. You love stacking them up with us and then knocking them down. Your expressions are priceless!
You pretty much exude this joy everywhere you go.
Books... you adore books. You will sit in one spot and keep pulling books off the shelves and look at each page of every single one. You are so good with them and never rip them (your brother could only have board books at your age! Ha!) You will often bring us a book, take our hand (or say "come on mommy," or "sit down mommy") and say "read book?"
When we finish you are back up and getting another one.
I love how you hold them up and pretend read, just like a teacher! I guess I have to say you come by this naturally!
Your favorite books are the Five Little Monkey books. You always say "Monkeys Jumpin?" and that usually means you want to read that book! When we are reading you shake your finger and say "No more monkeys jumpin on bed" in your own little language, but I can make out most of the words and I know exactly what you are saying!
I loved these pictures of your sweet little feet in their reading positions!
You are starting to get so fun to take on shopping dates! You usually like to hang out in the cart and look around, as long as I keep moving!
The other day I had the day off so I took you shopping for Andrew's birthday supplies and to pick up a few more things. We had lunch and you did really good! I was so happy we could have our first lunch date together. I think you enjoyed your day with mommy as much as I did!
Playing peek a boo
You love putting on all these accessories and playing with your bows and headbands all the time.
You cracked me up this day, with your little fur boots, Minnie ears, ice cream and Elmo in hand! Ha! And the leg rolls really add to the humor!
I am not sure what to do with your hair these days. Your bangs are long and in your face but I want to grow them out. You haven't had an official hair cut yet, just a tiny trim of some off the back to even it out a little.
This day you wanted to dress yourself. You went over to your closet and picked this skirt out and tried to put it on yourself! You were having a fit until I helped you. I think dress up clothes are going to be on your birthday or next Christmas list! But as much as you love your bows, you refuse to keep them in when I put them in! I have to keep a stash of rubber bands and bows in the car, along with your brush. Every time we go somewhere, once we pull in I fix your hair quick before we go inside! Silly girl. You are pretty good at leaving it alone when we are out and about but the second you go in the car it comes out!
Did I mention you like mommy's shoes? You go to my closet and pull every pair off the shelves and usually they end up in your room, but sometimes I must admit I can't find the ones I want to wear and have to go searching! One day I gave up and had to pick a different pair!
We love you all the way to the moon, sweet girl! You are our dream come true.
(Progression photos coming after professional pictures are taken!) :)