18 months

Naomi turned 18 months a couple of weeks ago.

Tonight, she gave her babydoll kisses as she put her into bed. She eats apples (see picture), and asks for all kinds of things. Her vocabulary is growing so much. Tonight she kept saying "Max" as we read Where the Wild Things Are. She says hi, bye, box, book, apple, all done, more, mama, dada, shoes, juice, milk, no, yes, mine, this, bath, teeth, blueberry, broccoli, banana, o's (cheerios), snack, music, diaper, bird, tree and "mai" for "cat" (because of Maya, our cat) plus many others that I cannot remember. She loves to have music on, she likes to dance. She loves to draw - and makes a hand sign to ask for drawing like she is pantomiming. She likes to take walks and go outside and swing and go down the slide. She knows sign language for more, milk, all done, bird and diaper. She works hard at playing, but has also recently liked the one baby einstein video we have that show animals - but she always asks for the part where they sing Old MacDonald. (She says e-i-e-i? and claps like they do at her school when they sing it!). She has many thoughts and ideas running through her head, that it is fun to get to know her.

She is also possessive, and independant, and like any toddler likes to own everything in sight. She will fight for what is hers (or not hers), and then give hugs or kisses. Sometimes she still wakes up at night, and needs a pat on the back. And we're going to have to lose the pacifier for sleeping eventually.

My goal in the last year has been to find some balance to time with her and work and life. And I am so grateful for the time I have with her. I feel that I am able to have a handle on her life in a good way. I am also glad she has time at her school. She likes her teachers, and the other kids. Today they told Mark that she was a helper - telling the other kids "no" when they were drawing on the walls or taking the wrong bottle, and caring for the younger baby visiting who is about to move up to her room. She comes home covered in paint and glitter (which stays stuck to her head for days). And as excited as she is to see me when I pick her up, she is as excited to leave for the day and go to school. Mornings we tell her too early that its a school day, she is standing at the front door saying "bye bye" over and over while Mark and I are trying to pack the last of our things.