Nineteen Months

I feel like you've changed so much these past few weeks.  I've been saying it for months now, but it really is finally true.  You are no longer a baby; you are a full-fledged, i-want-what-i-want-and-i-want-it-now, opinionated-about-everything toddler.

You want to do it all yourself:  put on your pants, walk down the steps, make your babies "toasty" by covering them up with a blanket.

You love music, especiallly "The Wheels on the Bus" and "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," which have both been played or sung on repeat upwards of ten times in a row in recent days.

When you're really excited about a song or just about life in general, you spin in a circle stomping one foot and bouncing on the other while you go.  It doesn't matter if you're in our playroom, the middle of the mall, or on a walk.  You just dance.

You understand bargains and consequences, willingly polishing off peas for the promise of applesauce.

You talk all the time, processing your world with an ever-growing repertoire of words.  My current favorites are "peet-a-boo," "tat" (for cat), and "puppy dawg" with that drawn-out drawl you picked up from who knows where.

You are pushing your boundaries, trying to stand on any "seat" in sight, dropping your food and utensils on the floor right after I've told you not to.

I'm not sure where we go from here exactly, what kind of little girl you are becoming, how I can best help you get there.  You are learning.  I am learning.  I'm grateful for the adventure we're on, that we get to grow together.