21 Months

Sally will be 22 months on November 6, so maybe this should be entitled a 21.5-month update. I don't know what to say about Sally... she's crazy. And so very sweet. And crazy. As unpredictable as her moods and actions are these days, it's actually a really fun age. 

For one, Sally talks a ton. She just flipped a switch a few weeks ago, and now she is a nonstop talking machine. And she uses actual words from the English language! She'll try to say almost any word so I can't even compile a list of her current words. Suffice it to say, it's very long, which is so much fun. 

Every single day, Sally asks to go to the park. She asks it in the morning, afternoon, and evening. She asks it while we run errands, while we drive around town, and when it's nap time. She also asks to color just as often. I've never known a girl who could color for so long. She does it at least an hour a day, and she's fairly reliable with only drawing on paper, although we have had a few incidents involving our couch and coffee table. 

Her next favorite thing is taking a bath, probably because she has bath markers. So she can both color and be in the water at the same time -- the best of both worlds. 

Sally also throws tantrums. And if we're at the store and she doesn't like it, she'll just start yelling and fake crying and trying to do really insane things -- like sticking a pencil in a banana that's in the cart. It totally takes all of my patience not to freak out. Instead, I attempt to ignore her and resume my shopping. She has one or two tantrums a day, and I really hate them. There is currently nothing that stresses me out more, but I think she's starting to get better.

Now, let's talk about how sweet Sally is. She gives hugs all the time. She'll run full speed at me and wrap her arms around me and nestle her head into my legs. And she loves holding my hand when we walk places. She also gives the very best kisses. When Johnny goes out of town, she asks about him several times a day. When she wants to show us something, she grabs our hands and says, "Moc, moc!" which is her way of saying, "Come on!" 

My favorite phrases Sally says right now are, "I did it!" "All done!" "I tired!" and "Again!" I seriously don't know where she learned, "I tired!" but she takes a deep breath and says it in the perfect exasperated tone. I guess Johnny and I say that a lot when she's around? Not surprising. She has 10x the energy we do. My least favorite phrase she says is "Uh oh!!!!" She will drop (or even throw) something while she's in her carseat and hysterically yell, "Uh oh" over and over and over. But luckily she stops when we say, "It's okay. We'll get it when we're done driving." 

It's crazy how different every stage of parenting has been so far. I'm really loving this stage, though. Sally has gone from being my baby to being my little buddy. And while she has her moments, she's getting to a point where I can explain things to her and reason with her, which is such a relief. She has finally started staying in nursery all by herself for the full two hours. Each Sunday Johnny and I would explain to her that we were going to our class but that we'd be back, and two weeks ago it finally clicked. We made it through two hours without the teachers coming and getting us. 

Anyway, we really love our little girl. And she's as tall as ever. I'm worried 2T won't fit her much longer. Although, she is really thinning out. She is the pickiest eater on the planet, and she barely eats a thing during the day. I'm just happy she still drinks milk each morning and evening. And I'm giving her vitamins to hopefully supplement any other nutrients she's missing out on.

As far as Johnny and me, we're doing good. Johnny's work has been busy and stressful, but we're looking forward to the upcoming holidays. And we love our weekends, especially me. Coparenting is a dream.

18 Months

I can't believe Sally is a year and a half!! I've been terrible about documenting her updates lately, haven't I? Yes, yes, I have. For that matter, I've neglected any and all updates lately, which I hope to remedy sooner than later. But back to my main gal Sal.

Oh boy is she a handful right now! It took Flarp (noise putty) to get her to sit still for the above picture. So that should tell you all you need to know. The girl just doesn't sit still. One of her very first words was "Go, go, go!" (which I guess is more of a phrase), and does she ever! I'm glad I quit my job when I did because I couldn't have kept up with her the last two months otherwise.

What can I tell you about Sal in the everyday right now? Well, she loves throwing things in the toilet. Loves it. I know parents say that sort of thing. "Oh my kid loves to play in the toilet!" But I'm not joking around here. Sally has thrown dozens of things in the toilet at this point. And I watch her like a hawk. The problem is that she knows how to open all the doors in the house, so I can't just close all the bathroom doors and be safe. She will find the toilet if its the last thing she does. I really hope this phase ends soon.

For the first time today, I felt like Sally was actually listening when I was scolding her. She likes to shake the gate at the top of the stairs, which is really quite dangerous. And she's actually knocked it down twice and almost fallen down the steps. But I think my words of caution are finally starting to sink in, so I hope she will stop doing that and playing in the toilet if I just keep on with my lectures.

Now let me share a bit about little Sal's personality. She's got a lot of it. Sally is a happy little girl, and she loves joking around with Johnny and me. She likes to hide things and then lift her hands in the air and say, "Go?" as in "Where did it go?" Yesterday, she and Johnny were hiding things on the top of their heads, which she found to be extremely funny. In the past few months, Sally has become much more friendly than she ever was previously, and she loves making new friends with adults. She still hasn't caught on to the whole making friends with other toddlers thing, but I figure that will come eventually.

Really, there's just so much to say about our little girl, so I'm going to switch to bullet points:

• Sally loves the water. She loves baths and loves swimming pools.
• Sally loves animals, especially "goggies!" Today, one of our neighbor's dogs ran up to her while we were outside our door waiting for Johnny to get home. She squealed with excitement. Right then, Johnny came around the corner, and the combination of both a dog and her dad getting home caused her to let out the loudest scream/squeal I've ever heard her make. And then the excitement was so much that she started crying. It was sort of the cutest thing ever.
• Because of her ear infection, Sally is once again using a pacifier at night. Aaaarrghhh. I'll wean her off of it as soon as I muster up the energy to do so.
• Sally goes down for her naps and bedtime wide awake. She waves goodbye to us after we sing her a few songs. She snuggles up with her stuffed animals and her blanket and is happy to go to sleep. Hallelujah for no more sleep struggles (for now!).
• Sally gives the best kisses. And she keeps her mouth closed now, rather than the open-mouthed kisses from a few months ago. If she doesn't want to kiss you, though, she'll push your face away with her hand, which we're teaching her is not very nice.
• Sally likes to throw her food on the floor, and we're not sure how to break this terrible habit. We can't take her to any sort of restaurant because of it. I really hope she quits finding it funny sooner rather than later.
• Sally's two favorite foods are peaches and strawberries. That's all she'd eat if I'd let her.
• We have a little routine right now when we get in the car. I turn on music, and Sally immediately starts dancing in her car seat. It's the funniest thing, as she she punches her fists in rhythm into the air.
• Sally loves playgrounds. Her favorite activities are the swings and the tunnels and the slides (if mom or dad goes down with her).
• When Sally is in a bad mood, she refuses to say "yes" about anything. Even if she obviously wants something, she'll say, "No!" if you ask her about it. "Sally, do you want a strawberry?" "Noooo!" "I think you do want one, so I'm going to give you one."

And now, onto Sally's vocabulary! She is learning so many words right now. It's so much fun to watch her picking up on new stuff. Here's her current vocab:

• go, go, go
• no
• yeah
• momma
• dada
• kitty
• doggy
• bath
• ball
• please ("eese!")
• cheese
• car
• bye bye
• okay
• mmmm (when something's yummy)
• teeth
• more

That's all I can think of right now. She's really good at pointing and yelling at things she wants, and Johnny and I keep telling her to "Use your words!" as if that's going to make sense to a one-year-old.

Sally is a ton of fun right now. She's so busy and curious, and she soaks up every drop of every day. I'm exhausted when I put her down at night, but then I miss her once she's in bed. I know that's cliche, but it's so very true.

Lastly, here are a few pics of our little year-and-a-half-year-old whom we adore so very, very much:

12 Months

Sally's a little toddler now! I can't believe it! The monthly documentation has come to an end. I'll still post updates, but getting her to sit still on our bed every 30 days was a major pain. But I'm glad I stuck with it. I'll have to come up with something a little easier for any other kids we may have!

Sally's 12-Month Stats:
Weight: 26lbs (99%ile)
Height: 31" (93%ile)

Twelve months is a fun, albeit extremely busy stage. Here's what Sal's up to:

• She's teething again! Sal's getting a few different teeth right now, including her 15-month molars. 
• Sally has taken a few steps of her own, but she's still not walking! Our little girl has a major mental mind game going on. For now, she's content to just stand for a few minutes at a time, and walk around holding onto one of our fingers.
• Sally's drinking cow's milk like a champ! It took her about a week to warm up to it, but she loves it now, thankfully. Each day I'm nursing her less and less, and I've been amazed by how much more energy I have now that I'm not nursing so much! I feel like a new woman! And I've also gained a few pounds, which I don't mind as long as I don't gain any more!
• Sally loves shaking her head "no." Loves it. And she loves acting like she's going to do something naughty and then shaking her head "no" and smiling. She also likes shaking her head "no" and then proceeding to do said naughty thing.
• Sally throws little tantrums now, flinging her body every which way and yelling when she doesn't get her way. It's a bit terrifying. We're just trying to ignore it and tell her not to act that way.
• When she wants more of something, Sally claps. It's pretty darn cute.
• Unfortunately, yelling really loud is a new thing.
• Sally is completely over her stranger fear. Yay! It's so nice that she'll go to anyone again and doesn't get spooked by strangers anymore.
• Occasionally, Sally will play by herself for up to 30 minutes at a time. If I get my phone out, though, it's over. She's obsessed with that thing.
• We've given her a very old iPod Touch to play with, but she doesn't like it as much as our phones. Oh dear.
• Sally's favorite book right now is I Love You Through and Through. She thinks the pictures are extremely funny.
• Sally laughs really hard when I tell her, "No." This isn't good.
• Sally is super destructive and busy. It's driving me a teensy bit insane.
• Sally loves taking things out of containers and putting them back in. It's one of her favorite games right now.
• When Sally is being particularly busy, we put her in a wicker basket we have. She really likes sitting in it, and any other box for that matter. We give her some toys, and she's content for several minutes.
• Sally loves giving kisses to her dad. Her idea of a kiss is opening up her mouth wide and sticking out her tongue a bit. It makes for quite the slobbery kiss, but it's still the best ever.
• She has the best sense of humor these days. She loves pretending to fall down and then laughs about it. She also laughs really hard when Johnny and I talk to her in goofy voices. 
• Sally loves to play peek-a-boo. She'll hide behind pretty much anything and start the game unprompted.
• Sally's sleeping 11 or 12 hours at night and napping for about an hour twice a day. I can't complain. 

And now some pictures of our busy little girl!

10 Months

On November 6, Sally turned 10 months! As you can see from the above picture, it was downright impossible to get her to sit still for a picture. It was a busy time, and she was teething like no other. She went from one tooth coming in to four teeth coming in. I wish I could remember more specifics, but this is what happens when I don't write it down as it's happening! I'll have more to update for her 11-month post. And now, a mash-up of Sally at 10 months.

9 Months

I can't believe Johnny and I have a not-so-little nine-month-old on our hands already! Sally gets to be more and more fun each month. First, here are some stats from the doc:

Sally's 9-Months Stats:
Weight: 22lbs (96%ile)
Height: 30" (99%ile)
Head: ? (92%ile)

First things first, Sally is mobile! On September 16th (which I only remember since it was also my sister's birthday), Sally started crawling. It's like it just clicked one day. And now she goes anywhere and everywhere. If I leave a room, Sally follows. She's also standing up on things, and yanking anything and everything off of shelves within reach. Our living room is a disaster every day when Johnny gets home from work. Here are a few other things of note:

• Sally has teeth! Well, a tooth (one of her bottom middle teeth). But I think at least one other is on the way! And so it begins.
• Sally is always standing up in her crib now when I come get her in the morning or after a nap. She walks around the perimeter, and laughs when I catch her at it.
• Sally thinks Persie is hilarious and loves chasing her. Persie wishes for an invisibility cloak.
• Sally only says, "Da-da" now---never "Ma-ma" anymore. We say, "Sally, say 'Ma-ma.'" "Da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da." She's a lost cause. 
• Sally is still super clingy to Johnny and me when we're around anyone that isn't us. I'd like to think it's because she's been teething. Hopefully she becomes friendly again soon. She continues to be super friendly to people who are 5+ feet away. 
• Sally can point to a cat in one of her books when we ask her, "Where's the kitty cat?" She just learned that yesterday, and we wholly attribute it to her obsession with our own kitty cat, Persie.
• Sally has also learned to roll a ball back and forth with us. She'll sit and do that for a few minutes. It's nice to see her focusing on ONE thing for more than just a few seconds!
• This morning Sally was sad when her dad left for work! It was so cute. She crawled toward the door, whining, and saying, "Da-da-da-da." 
• And, since she's actually 9.5 months now that I'm finally getting around to writing this post, she's also standing on her own for a few seconds at a time. I wouldn't be surprised if she figures out walking in the next month or two!

And now some pictures! Sally had a terrible cold when these pictures were taken, but she still obliged me. 

8 Months

Sally is eight months old! I really can't believe it. She is busy, busy, busy these days. I can only leave the room for a few seconds because she can no longer be trusted to stay in one place!

Currently, Sally is up to the following:

• She almost has crawling down pat. She can move backwards and sideways, no problem. She still just scoots to move forward motion, but her little knees are figuring it out. 
• Her favorite "toys" are our TV remotes. Why??? And my phone, as always. Before, Sally was unphased when I took things from her, but now she gets downright upset. Luckily, I just have to present her with another toy to make her happy once again.
• Sally's other favorite toys are measuring cups. Go figure.
• Sally loves eating solid food. She hates peas and will spray them all over if you try to feed them to her. Her favorite foods are more savory and less sweet. She's not a huge fan of fruit, but she'll eat it if she must.
• She loves talking nonsense, especially when her dad is around. She gets so loud when he's home.
• Sally finally enjoys being read to! Although, she can't handle books with more than a couple words on a page. A full sentence is way too boring for her. But I have loved reading to her. Her favorite book is Peek-a-Who?
• Sally has major stranger fear right now. My sister was in town, and if she even walked in the room, Sally started crying. And if people get in her face, Sally cries. That said, from far away, Sally still tries to smile at people and make friends. 
• Sally is loved by cashiers. Every cashier we encounter when we're out shopping talks to Sally.
• That said, Sally is terrible to take grocery shopping. After 10 minutes in the cart, she starts whining and almost crying, and then I have to carry her and grocery shop one-handed.
• Sally rolls onto her belly during her sleep and then cries until we come and help her out. She refuses to roll onto her back herself because it scares her. 
• Sally loves being chased. One of us carries her and runs while the other person runs after her. She holds on so tight and giggles. She also loves being tickled.
• She gets super excited when her dad comes home from work. She smiles so big and immediately wants him to hold her and play with her. 
• Sally does not like to sit still. She is go, go, go, all day, every day.  

Sally is obsessed with this frog. She can't sleep without it. What have I done?

7 Months

Sally turned seven months on August 6th, which was over a month ago. Seven months was a golden month for us. Sally started playing by herself, but she wasn't really mobile yet. And she was happy to be babysat by her aunts out here in Utah. She finally got the hang of having two long naps every day. I feel like it was the month that Sally quit being an infant and started making the transition toward toddler-hood (but I plan to keep her a baby forever, just so you know). 

Sally started eating solids, and she loves carrots. She started saying sounds like, "ma-ma" and "ba-ba." Of course, she doesn't know that she's saying, "Mama," but I sure love hearing that word said in her sweet little voice. Also, Sally started kind of trying to learn to crawl in month seven. It was a whirlwind time for us with moving, and I wish I could remember more from a month ago!

6 Months

So I'm a tad late in posting about Sally at six months. Two weeks late, to be exact. We left for Utah on July 1, and we just got back on July 15. It was one of the craziest and least vacationy trips of our lives. But that's another story for another post. For now, let's talk Sally. Sally is so grown up now! This is the age when all the moms start doing the #pleasestopgrowing hashtags on Instagram, and I think I finally understand why. She looks so much older than she did just a month ago! Here are some of Sally's favorite things to do these days:

• She is so smiley and sometimes laughs her head off. Once something gets her giggling, she'll laugh at it over and over and over and over.
• She sits without any help from me. I'm no longer worried she'll fall, and if she does, she can catch herself pretty well now.
• She can stick things in her mouth so well! Tooo well. On our trip, I'd sit her in the grass and look over to find grass in her mouth. And I've found my phone in her mouth several times. She loves my phone so much.
• She wants to grab anything and everything, and she's pretty darn good at it. If it's in reach of Sally, it's not safe. 
• We can hoist her up to hold onto ledges, and she'll stand there by herself for a few seconds. 
• She makes much more sounds that sound like she's trying to talk to us now, in the sweetest, softest voice ever.
• She finally figured out her naps! Everyone said it would take unti 6 months, and it did!
• Sally loves people and new experiences.
• She rubs her eyes when she's tired and ready for a nap. It's so cute.
• I'm her most favorite person. I feel very lucky, and it's fun that she actually cares that it's me holding her now!
• Sal is STILL teething. She has no teeth yet, but she wants to bite everything, and quite violently. This week she hasn't wanted me to put her down hardly at all, which is fine and dandy since I don't need to pack or anything...

Also of note:

• Sally was a champ on her first plane ride. We kept her entertained with toys, and she was a happy camper. The last hour and a half, she slept on my lap.
• Sally still hasn't started eating solids. I'm holding off until we're all moved in, so for now it's still just nursing.
• Sally slept so bad on our Utah trip. She'd wake up 4-5 times per night. But she naps beautifully now. It's the best! And now that we're home (until Friday when we move!!) she's back to sleeping 12 hours. She has started to wake up once to eat at midnight. I think starting her with solids will take care of that need for a midnight snack.