18 Months

Millie had her first day in Nursery on Sunday. We can all shout hooray and I feel like I could leave her 18 month update at that! *Hooray!* When I had to go change her diaper 3/4 of the way through it she was running around the mother's lounge like a whacko-woman. I could tell she was having a blast (I hadn't worried about her), but she wasn't so keen on the idea of going back.

Yesterday I was talking to Chris as we were walking to his building on campus to have lunch. He told me, "Wow— you're a real Debbie Downer" and I retorted "It's been a really long week." Then I realized it was only Tuesday.

Millie is either super needy and wanting attention and to be in my face (and on my lap) all the time, or completely chill, happy and fun. Yesterday was the former, today was the latter. Tonight she and I were lying on the floor and she patted the floor next to her for Chris to join us. As she was being incredibly adorable I told Chris, "Okay, so this is why we're having another one."

She is starting to talk up a storm. Words she used to just sign, she'll say. She speaks and signs pretty well. Her signing flower and puppy are two of my favorite. She has groups of words that all sound the same. Baba can mean pacifier, iPod, or towel. Cocleh can be washcloth or chocolate. There were more, but I feel like she's already outgrowing them and I've seemed to have forgotten them in the past few weeks. How does that happen so quickly?

She currently loves Itsy-Bitsy Spider, especially when Mom will walk the spider up her bare tummy. She'll pull up her shirt and offer it. She has been caught singing Popcorn Popping all by herself on the sofa.

I can't believe it's taken me this long to mention that the girl is obsessed with "ahts," aka "hats." It doesn't matter if Chris is wearing one, one is hanging on the doorknob, a person is walking down the street wearing one, she sees on in a picture, or she sees the fringe on one of her stocking caps peeking over her dresser. She loves hats. Aht, aht, aht, aht, aht, aht, aht, aht!

Some other favorites are books and looking for the neighbor's dog out her bedroom window, while perching on a  little step-stool. She eats just about everything, but really digs avocado as of late, and does the most adorable fake shiver for "brrr." Sometimes she thinks she has a baby in her tummy.

She distinguishes "mama" from "dada." So while putting clothes in the washer she stops constantly to point out if a sock is "dada" or a shirt is "mama." And then the process is repeated as I try to hurry and shove everything in the dryer before she gets to it. She'll point to my chair and say "mama." She knows whose shoes are whose, who generally sits in what patio chair, and who didn't hang up his towel this morning (finally I'm not the only one noticing it!), that my scriptures are mine. Sometimes it really blows my mind at how much she's taking in and what obscure details she's noticing.

Last night I had an early volleyball game so Chris and Millie came along. Watching her point out "Mama" and then wave to me completely melted my heart. After our game I blew her a two-handed kisses and she returned it the same way. It's so amazing to watch her grow and put it all together.

She has her doctor's appointment next week, but when she had Hand, Foot and Mouth a while back she was still under 20 lbs, so we'll see if she's put on enough ounces to break the barrier. It's been getting cold at night and she only had one pair of fleece jammies. So I figured it wouldn't hurt to see if some fit from last year. Yeah, girl totally rocks the 6 month jammies. A little short in the arms, but they work. Her 6-12 month clothes are generally getting too short, but 12-18 month clothes drown her. It's an awkward clothing stage we're in.

We love her and are so glad she's ours. She's spunky and funny, but chilling out a bit so that we can cuddle with her for a little bit, too. She's a little comedian and loves to watch videos of herself and thinks she's just so funny.