17 months and so big

One thing about being a toddler... they have a mind of their own. Leila is certainly her own person. She is very determined and wants to do things on her own and figure things out. But she is very sweet and also likes to be held by mommy... "Up!" I cook a lot with her on my hip. The way I see it this won't last so I am taking advantage of it. I should note she is still very small so she is easy to carry around!

According to "What to Expect, the Toddler Years" her vocabulary at 18 mos should be 50+ words. I think she hit 50+ words by 16 mos (she is now 17 mos). Some are basic, "mama, dada, dog, cat, banana, apple," and some more complex, "please, thank-you, Big Bird, peekaboo." She is still signing and we are really thankful for these strides in communication since it makes all of our lives easier.

Some days her curiosity pushes me to the limit. One morning, after climbing into a kitchen chair and then climbing up her bookshelf, I asked her exasperatedly, "Are you a monkey?" And she looked at me in all seriousness and said, "No."

Reading the Sunday Comics (we like Peanuts & Family Circle)

Spinning on her new toy... she warmed up to her Christmas presents, eventually

#1 Toddler toy... the Cozy Coupe, Princess edition. No, seriously, the license plate reads "Princess." This was a gift from my parents, and she didn't even let Patrick finish putting it together before she climbed in.

Here is Leila with my parents and her Cousin Sara right before Christmas

Leila and her best friend Avery playing at our new house

Our friends Cannon and Kylie came over to play at the new house. Thank you Jill and Jennifer for driving out here! It was really fun but Kylie did not want her picture taken.

Ryan and his mom Sarah came to play too and both kids loved this singing Snoopy toy. We are open for playdates, and take note, Sarah said the drive is not too bad :)