Addie at 21 months

Her personality is showing itself more and more. She definitely has a spunky, playful, almost prankful, side to her. You can see in her eyes when she sees something that looks like fun.

• She has begun reading! I had mentioned back during the Yahoo 360 days that we had gotten her the Your Baby Can Read curriculum (the teacher in me had to get started at something). On Monday she read her first phrase "arms up", and has since read the words dog, wave, mouth, nose, toes, and reach. Each day she has added a new word to the list.

• Talking and mimicking. She still babbles quite a bit, and she has a lot to say. She is very expressive with her eyes and hands (very much like me) when she talks. And she giggles at what she says, too. She definitely finds herself to be funny. On Wednesday, she decided out of the clear blue to practice coughing while covering her mouth and sneezing (she went around saying "achoo!") while bending over at the waist and covering her mouth.


• She has begun letting us know what she needs. The other night, after practicing eating with a spoon (mashed bananas) and with her fingers (tortilla chips), she decided that she did not like the feeling of being dirty (a girl after my own heart). She walked me to the tub, motioned for me to turn on the water, and did the sign for bath. I love that she is communicating with us more. It takes the guess work out of the equation.


• Her body definitely knows what her schedule is (I do not know how mothers that do not have their children on a schedule do it). She knows when it is time for milk and she signs "milk" and then "please" (with some prompting), and when it is time for bed she goes around the room giving out hugs and kisses and saying "bye" with a little southern accent.


• She is still a pretty rough mommy to her dolls and stuffed animals. She will grab one, kiss it, throw it into the doll carriage, smother it with a blanket (but she refuses to use a blanket herself), pick it back up by the hair, and starts the process all over again.


• She has been very good with all of the Christmas decorations I have put up. I let her help me put the tree itself up before her nap, while she was napping I decorated it, and when she woke up I was ready with my camera to capture her response to the lights and ornaments. She was in awe. She ran over and gently flicked at the hanging snowmen (Mama would have been proud since she loved snowmen!). I let her touch the tree this year since it would be up for at least a month. I wanted her to get all of her need to touch out of her system. It has been a few days since the tree was put up, and she only notices it every once in a while.


• She loves the Nativity scene I have on the sofa table. I set it up with her sitting in her high chair, and I explained all of the pieces to her. She petted the camel and donkey, waved "hi" to he shepherd and wise men (just wait until my post on the wise men to see what I think of them being in the Nativity display), and kissed the Baby Jesus when I put him in the manger. The next morning, she ran to the Nativity when she woke up and motioned for me to get the Baby. When I did, she leaned over to kiss the Baby and then ran off to check out the tree. I also have a singing display that is activated by touch. She sees the need to have it playing constantly, so I have had to turn it off


• She has her moments, every child does, but she is a good girl and I am so proud of her and her progress. Maybe I am just a proud mommy. But aren't mommies supposed to be proud of their babies? I am so thankful for the little gift that wakes up squealing every morning, has more energy than I could ever imagine having myself, and thinks that if she closes her eyes, you can't see her. Thank you, Lord.