16 month letter

to our little sweet pea,

We can hardly believe that you are 16 months old! Where has the time gone? The other day mommy was looking at some pictures from last summer (btw, it seems like a lifetime ago!) and it truly is amazing how fast you have changed and grown into a little girl. It seems that each month gets better and better with you. We don't know how it can, but it always does.

It's been a long time since we've written you a letter...where should we begin? You are so expressive and intense these days! Daddy thinks we should have started this letter with "to our little spaz." Mommy just likes to call you intense. :) You aren't saying very many words, but you sure can communicate through your facial expressions, noises and pointing. It's amazing how much you can "say" without really talking to us. We look forward to hearing you continue to learn to say more words and finally hear what you're trying to tell us! You still love music and you dance and sway and nod your head along whenever you hear a song. When a song is really exciting, you stomp your feet and really get moving! Daddy even lets you play his guitar or the Guitar Hero drums sometimes!

You are a very active little girl! You are running almost everywhere you go! You love to climb!! Anything that you can figure your way onto, you do it: the couches, the rocking chair, mommy and daddy's bed, your booster chair, the kitchen table, your stroller, the fort at Nana and Papa's, your slide, the swing outside, and the handles on the oven. You are fearless, which scares us sometimes, but you usually find a safe way down from where ever you are. And even if you do fall, you only cry for a few short seconds and then you're back to playing!

You had another check-up at the doctor's office this week. You weigh 23.8 pounds (66th percentile) and you are 32 inches tall (89th percentile.) So far, you have 11 teeth, 3 of which are your first-year molars. whew! those were not fun! Your gums are swollen and we know that the 4th molar and your i-teeth on the bottom are working their way through...you poor little thing!

You still like your sleep. There are times (like a few weeks ago) where we were not sure what happened to you, but then you snapped out of it and you were back to normal before we knew it! We thought you were ready to go down to one nap a day, but you are still craving that morning nap! So, we'll roll with it. (and mommy will enjoy the 2 "breaks" a day for as long as she can!) You are definitely an early bird! But, you wake up so happy and full of energy, it's hard for us to complain about the extra time with you in the morning! We love cuddling in our bed and making a tent for you to crawl into and lay under with your white bear. You only relax for a few seconds because once you hear Walter, you're ready to get off the bed and chase him around.

You still LOVE playing outside. Your new favorite thing to do outside it pointing at airplanes as they fly over, which happens a LOT. You stop whatever you're doing and look up until you find it, then say "oooo" as you point with your little finger up at the plane. it's so cute. You still love your swing and exploring in the backyard. Of course, you still love tormenting Walter by taking his bone and making him chase you around to get it back. You get so excited when he plays along with you! Speaking of dogs, you've recently learned to make the sound a dogs makes! well, kind of. Since Walter hardly ever barks and he sniffs you all the time, we've taught you to sniff through your nose! it is seriously one of the cutest things you do! You're so adorable with your little nose scrunched up and your eyes squinted. Here you are trying it in the car:

Lately you've become a picky eater. We keep offering you lots of kinds of food, but you're not very adventurous with what you'll eat. The foods you'll always eat are cheerios, bananas, oatmeal, crackers, cheese, applesauce, pears, apples, watermelon, dried fruit, biscuits, pizza crust, muffins, beans, mac and cheese and chicken (and dessert if we let you.) We hope that you'll get over this soon! (What we don't understand about this, though, is that you'll eat Walter's dog food and dirt/mud when you're outside...)

You are definitely still a little fish! You LOVE bathtime and swimming in your whale pool in the backyard. You're able to climb in and out of your pool all by yourself now! A new thing you've been doing lately is "relaxing" in the pool or tub by laying down and "floating." It's quite a change from splashing and always standing in the tub like usual. :)

Your new obsession is cats. You have a lot of books that have "kitties" in them and when you get to that page, your face lights up and you point and make crazy/excited noises! Another new thing you've discovered is puzzles! It's so fun to watch your little fingers figure out how to get the pieces out, then study each piece and then attempt to put it back in the correct place.

Mommy keeps thinking it might be time for your first haircut, but daddy likes the "wild" look. If you would only leave barettes or bows in your hair, then it would stay out of your eyes and mommy wouldn't think that you need a trim! :)

You are such a blessing and every day I (mommy) remind myself how lucky I am to get to stay home with you and watch you grow and figure out the world around you. You fill our lives with smiles and laughter and you entertain us for hours on end! We love you so, SO much!

love, mommy and daddy