18 Months

 Happy half birthday to my 18 month old!  

What a fun, challenging, and unforgettable year and a half it has been for our family.  Life continues to get crazier and better with each passing month, and when I stop to think of how far we've come in such a short time I get giddy about getting to experience it all again with the next tiny baby.

From slouching to standing- my baby grew into a little girl

Favorites at 18 months: Dancing to the doo wop station on Pandora, endless baths, any type of playing that involves water, magnets on the fridge, putting on her shoes and helping everyone else put theirs on too, doing the motions to "If you're happy and you know it": 

If you're happy and you know it clap your hands... If you're happy and you know it, then your face will surely show it!

Dislikes: Being told not to stand on furniture, being told not to hit, being told it's time to get dressed, being told to wait for dinner to be prepared... basically she dislikes when things don't go exactly her way exactly when she wants them to.  She's impatient and stubborn.

"Sit on your bottom" is one of the most often used phrases in our house right now

Kate keeps becoming more independent, vocal, opinionated, and curious with each month that passes.  She is actually a good listener most of the time and loves to feel important by "helping out" with chores like throwing cans in the recycling bin or unloading the dishwasher.  Lately she has started hugging back, like real tight, arms wrapped around your neck hugs, and it might be the best thing ever- well second only to her adorable "mmmm" noises that precede her planting a sloppy Baby Kate kiss on your face.  She is sweet and affectionate, but also feisty and definitely strong willed.  From one moment to the next you don't always know who you're going to get.  I may not know each morning if Grumpy Bear or Happy Babbling Baby will greet me, but I do know that each day with that little girl in my life is better than the one before.