Peanut Post: 21 month update

Although my blog has been on a bit of a break lately, I just have to take time and tell you about how much my little Peanut has grown up in the past few months.  The pics are from my phone because the only little photo shoot I've done with you lately are your Christmas pics.  I don't really have any new stats since we (luckily) haven't been to the doctor in awhile, but there are plenty of other changes.  About a month or two ago, you suddenly started talking in sentences. 

"I want to go to the beach" - you've never been to a beach, nor is there a beach close to us here in Indiana, but you say this a lot anyway.

"I want to wear my boots" - you've even mastered putting them on, which is AWESOME because you are so much better at it than Mama and Daddy!

"I want to call Grandma" - usually this means facetime with Grandma and Aunt Lindsey.  Thank goodness for technology!

"I'm hungry, I want cheese / a sandwich / pizza" - grilled cheese, mac 'n cheese, shredded cheese, you don't care.  Cheese continues to be a favorite, but you'll also ask for sandwiches and pizza sometimes which is pretty cute.

"Baby needs medicine, I'll do it" - you love giving your baby dolls and stuffed animals "medicine" from your medicine droppers.  Maybe you've been hanging out at Mama's work too much lately...

Since there's no way  I could list all of your sentences, I figured I'd just throw in a few of your favorites.  I swear you can repeat anything these days.  Some of your other recent accomplishments include:

- You've mastered basic colors (red, yellow, blue, green, orange, purple, pink, and sometimes black/white) which is a lot of fun now that you like to label everything and color without eating the crayons.  Your favorite colors continue to be green and pink.

- Thanks to a few of your books, you're a pro at naming animals (even more bizzarre ones like yak, raccoon, zebra, and fox) as well as telling us the sounds that they make. 

- You've finally started counting with us and can make it up to 12 (not sure how b/c I normally stop at 10, but it may be from counting the stairs...) with a little help.  You like to count by yourself, too, but usually miss/repeat a couple here and there.

- You climb EVERYTHING.  And you fall quite a bit, to which you respond "boink" or "bink" or "kaboom" and then go about your way.  Tough as nails.

wearing Daddy's old kitty costume for Halloween

-  Dancing continues to be a favorite passtime, but also an excuse for anything - if you're in a room you're not supposed to be in, you respond with "I'm dancing!"  If you're climbing the kitchen chairs after I've told you not to, "I'm dancing!"  Probably because you know how darn cute it is.

-  Hiding has become a recent favorite and you're getting much better at it.  You even stay very quiet, which is kind of scary.  You're favorite hiding spots are under the kitchen table, behind the couch, and behind the exercise bike.

- In addition to dancing, you've started singing along with us.  If we ask what song, you usually chime in with "twinkle, twinkle, twinkle" or "itsy, bitsy, bitsy", but you've started trying to sing along with pretty much anything we are singing or listening to on the radio.


Some of your favorites at this age are:

- Charlie Brown - The Great Pumpkin book that we read almost nightly, the holiday shows we watch on DVD, and the stuffed toys are all favorites.  You even spotted some Charlie Brown cups at Target the other day and got excited.  Personally, I love this new favorite!

- Bubble Guppies - Hands down your favorite show- "guppies on?" - especially when they sing and dance.

- Ladybug Girl - These are some of the cutest little books and they continue to be your favorites.  You especially like the parts with Bingo the dog.

- Shoes - You really like to wear shoes and have started wanting to put them on by yourself.  You do really good with your boots because you can somehow step into them, but other shoes are a little harder.

- Cereal - We've gotten somewhat away from the pouches for breakfast (though you still like them as snacks) and have started giving you cereal with milk.  You really like Peanut Butter Cheerios, Rice Krispies, and Berry Berry Kix. 

- Cleaning - That little type A personality is showing more and more everyday, and lately in the form of cleaning.  You love to "clean, clean, clean" anything with a wipe or wet paper towel.  Daddy and I are encouraging this behavior and hoping that it continues as you get older!

- Dipping your food - You're not really picky as to what condiment - you've had ketchup, mustard, ranch, and dijon mustard (which you liked so much you ate with a spoon!) - but you absolutely love dipping your food now.

Some things you especially dislike right now:

- Clothing riding up - you've gotten extremely picky about your clothes and any time that your pants or sleeves ride up, you come crying to me to "fix it".

- Being told "no" - This is just a given, no toddler likes to hear it, even if it is one of your favorite words to say to us.

-  Being confined - Sometimes this even includes shopping carts.  You don't like to be "stuck" and have become little miss independent when it comes to everything.  Luckily, you will still sit for most of the time as long as we include you in helping with the groceries.

-Keeping anything in your hair - I just love that your hair is long enough for braids and ponytails now, but it's an absolute struggle to keep you from pulling it out minutes later.  Pigtails seem to be the exception, so I guess they're your favorite.

 

All in all, its been a very fun, productive few months for you, Annalyn.  You're such a little kid now and you remind us in every way.  I can't believe my next update will be for your 2nd birthday!  Such a big girl.  Love you to the moon (whom we say goodnight to every night) and back.

Love,
Mama