Friday, April 4, 2014

Emma: 18 Months!

Dear Janey,

Wow, 18 months already!  My little sweetheart :)

This is the only pic I took on your actual 18 month birthday.  You are loving that giraffe toy these days. 
 (Our only drama free play time is while Addy is at school and you can play without the fear that whatever you touch could be ripped away from you at a moments notice.)


This second year is really flying by, and I cannot believe how much you are changing every day.  Namely with your vocabulary.  You are saying more and more words and are even starting to string together short sentences.  We still have the old "I want orange juice" (AKA: I'm thirsty), and your new one is, "I wanna watch a show".  Followed by, "Frozen".  Yup, you ask for that movie by name.  We rented it for three days and watched it at least 6 times and now you ask for it daily.  I'm guessing that movie will be in our possession at some point in the near future.  And that's fine by me because it's a good one.  I mean, it's about sisters and their love for each other, so how could I not LOVE that movie :)

Anyway, I digress.  Other news for you lately is that we turned your car seat around so that you are forward facing.  You like it a lot better now that you can see us while we're driving :)

Also, you have been using the potty a lot more these days.  You often tell me, "I'm pooping" before you actually do.  Then I ask you if you have to go to the potty and you say "Yes!" and run as fast as you can to the bathroom.  It's so cute!  And you have pooped and peed on the potty several times (twice just today actually!).  I think the big draw there is that you know you'll be able to wash your hands when you are done.  You LOVE to wash your hands :)  Also the toilet paper, you love that too ;)  And it's funny because I never showed you how to wipe yourself, but from watching Addy on the potty, you just knew how to do it.  You take the toilet paper yourself and wipe :)  You're getting to be such a big girl!!


Getting in a little bit of light reading while we're at it :)


Emma, you are a girly girl for sure, and you love accessories!  Especially shoes.  You want to be wearing shoes at all times, and if you're not, you bring some to me saying, "Shoes, shoes!"  You love to wear everyone else's shoes too.  Whoever leaves their shoes lying around, you can be sure Emma will try them on for size ;)  Also, hats.  Shoes and hats are your two favorite things, and if I let you wear them to bed you would.  It'll be interesting to see if you grow up to be a "shoe girl" with a closet full of shoes.  If so, I can say I knew it by the time you were 18 months old ;)



Whenever I'm cooking, Addy always drags a chair over to help me, and now you have started doing the same thing!  You grabbed this blue chair on your own accord, brought it over to the island, and climbed up there to "help" me.  I had to snap a pic because it was so darn cute!  (Also, notice that you are completely accessorized: shoes, hair bow, and necklace.  All of which you asked to wear.)
(Also, notice Addy in the background wearing her newest obsession: your 18 month red dress.  It used to be hers and she wants it back.  No matter that it is a tad too short and won't button in the back.)


Here you are with your "cheese" face that you are slowly but surely started holding back from us.  You are becoming like Addy, shying away from the paparazzi that is your mother ;)


Speaking of shying away from the camera, watch this video of you playing ball:



You are my little nugget and I absolutely adore you.  Daddy says that I baby you too much, which might be true.  But you are likely my very last baby, and I prefer to keep you that way as long as possible.  But with that comes the fact that you want me to hold you all day long (and you don't act that way with Daddy).  I can't do anything without you pulling at my shirt saying, "Hold me!"  But I'll be honest when I say that for the most part, I don't mind.  You and your sister are growing up way too fast for my liking, so if you want me to hold you, I will usually happily oblige.

You are slowly, but surely becoming a toddler.  You have mini tantrums, you whine, you throw food, you yell "NO!" a million times a day.  And again, a lot of times I can't help but laugh because you are so darn cute.  I know that it is time to start disciplining you.  Actually it's probably way past time, because now any time we even so much as raise our voice, you crumble.  Your lip quivers and you get those pitiful eyes, and then you WAIL!  And I just want to scoop you up.  For some reason I am a big softy with you.  But I know the time is coming when the "cuteness" factor of your tantrums will melt away, and you will try my patience every bit as much as your sister does.  (P.S. Terrible twos?  The twos are NOTHING compared to the threes!)

You actually had to go to the doctor twice this past month.  First, because this winter you had terrible eczema that would not go away and eventually ended up itching you like crazy.  We got some hydrocortisone cream and cleared you right up...which made me wish I had taken you sooner instead of waiting it out for weeks on end, just hoping it would go away :(  Your second appointment was just your 18 month well check up and all was fine with that visit.  My only concern to the doctor was that you are all of the sudden a VERY picky eater and I feel like I can't get you to eat anything sometimes.  He said that is totally normal for this age, because you aren't going through a growth spurt right now.  Your growth curve has slowed down (as is normal), so you just won't eat very much at times.  He told me not to sweat it, so I won't.  Here are your stats:

Weight: 21.88 lbs (41st percentile)
Height: 32 inches (58th percentile)
Head circumference: 47.5cm (82nd percentile)

Bottom line, I have two big headed children ;)

In all honesty, you are exactly where you need to be; a very happy and healthy little lady.  People are always commenting on how adorable you are and how you have the sweetest temperament.  And it's so true.  You are a total sweetheart and I love you with my whole being.  I love your gap toothed grin and your crazy hair that is perpetually in your eyes.  I love how you giggle and throw your head back when I tickle your neck.  You are my precious baby girl, and no matter how big you get, that's what you will always be in my heart.



I love you Janey!

Love,

Mommy