We have had a crazy start to 2012, too! Jeff and I took a great vacation and had some much needed R&R. Huge thanks to Mimi and Big Dad for keeping Miss Madeline. We also just had a fantastic visit with Jeff’s sister, Melissa, our precious niece, Klara, Granddad and Nana! We were so thrilled to meet Klara - what an adorable baby! Since I haven’t posted any details on Miss Mattie since she turned 1, I thought I would document what she is up to these days (I'll post some pics at a later date)!
18 things about Miss Madeline at 18 Months:
1) First and foremost, this child is ALWAYS singing and dancing. She is a hysterical maniac when it comes to dancing. She LOVES it and will dance to anything that even resembles music. Some of her favorite tunes include “Five Little Monkeys,” “You are my Sunshine,” “Itsy Bitsy Spider,” (she does some super hand motions to those), and the Veggie Tales Theme Song and every other kid’s song we have been able to think of :). She is actually singing (sort of) “Row, Row, Row Your Boat,” and “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes.” There are few hours in our day that are not filled with singing and dancing. I, personally, LOVE IT!
2) We are so thankful Mattie had an excellent 18 month check-up. She is right on track as far as development and the perfect size :) She weighs 22lbs. 8oz. and is 30 inches tall! She has finally caught up with her head and is around the 50th percentile for everything.
3) She is a pro with her animal sounds and has quite a repertoire. She finally has started on the traditional sounds – cow, cat, etc.
4) She is not a huge talker (much prefers singing), but she is expanding her vocabulary almost daily. She especially picks up words from songs – row, boat, head, toes, etc. Oh, and she has “no,” down solid!
5) Loves her cars – her Cozy Coup and her pink wagon car. She plays in both for hours.
6) Sleeps from 7 to 7ish and takes one nap most days in the afternoon. We still struggle with the nap, although she is much happier and sleeps better at night when she takes a long one!
7) Enjoys her books immensely. We read at least twice a day before she sleeps and often many more times during the day. She is starting to be very particular about which books we read, and she is always eager to pick!
8) Her hair is a hot mess which I LOVE! Some days it is super curly and others a poofy mess. She can really rock the pig tails and that is our favorite “do.”
9) Mattie has had a full set of teeth for a while. She has two that have been taking their time, but every other tooth is in and awaiting her two year molars. We did have our first dentist appointment which we anticipated with a LOT of angst. Since the child detests being restrained and is less than compliant, we assumed it would be a nightmare. Thankfully, our friend is a fabulous pediatric dentist with an excellent hygienist – and, much to our surprise, our child was a champ. She actually loved it and said/signed “more, please,” the whole time. The dentist was shocked. It was hysterical. She had a very thorough exam (more than usual) because she loved it and was sooo cooperative. I asked if we could come back every day because it was the most compliant and still I’ve ever seen Miss Mattie.
10) I started a bible study Tuesday mornings, and Miss M goes to the wonderful small nursery for 2 hours. I cried the first time I dropped her off, but she loved it. She ran from me to go play and I had to pull her away from the toys to leave. The staff said “she is such a BUSY girl; she never stopped moving and played with every toy in the room.” I’m still trying to figure out what that is the “nice” way of saying. She is a busy girl!
11) Madeline LOVES to pretend. She has been “cooking” for months now and loves to play with her new tea set from Mimi and Big Dad. She will serve a whole room her tea and food.
12) She is a big fan of coloring and will sit and color in her high chair or on the sidewalk. Mattie also loves her new easel from Nana and Granddad for coloring!
13) M Eats like a champ! She is still severely allergic to Dairy and Eggs. We recently had her retested for Eggs, because I thought I had a mother’s instinct. Well, I was very wrong. At this point we are advised to be very cautious and come to terms with the severity. It doesn’t appear she is outgrowing these any time soon. Poor thing. We ask for prayers that the Lord will heal her of these or give us the tools we (all of us) need to tackle this challenge.
14) Mattie’s favorite game is to play hide and seek. It is hysterical. She always hides in the same place, but she is very specific as to who she wants to find her – sometimes Macy, other times Mom, and most of the time - Dad. We count, and then say “ready or not.” The best part is when you say “Is Mattie in here?” and look in a different room, she always responds “Noooooo.” It is pretty cute. She also likes to do the finding!
15) Madeline has a big personality. She is very strong willed and, at times, defiant. She LOVES an audience and is a huge ham. She even pretends to be a little shy at times just to get a reaction, when the truth is she loves almost everyone!!! She will do anything for a laugh – which can make it a challenge to discipline. She knows we are weak and will often start a show when we are trying to enforce a time out.
16) Mattie still loves the outdoors, and we play outside almost every day (weather permitting). She/we love our neighbors and most afternoons you can find us in the front yard playing with the neighborhood kids. They really are superb and have taught Mattie so much!
17) Mattie had her first trip to the Rodeo and she had a BLAST! (So did I – I’m now a HUGE fan) M loved everything – she really enjoyed seeing and petting all the animals. It was the pig show day and she snorted at 100s of pigs :)! It really was fascinating for all. Plus, on a personal note – I’m in love with the corn dogs!
18) Madeline is a “lovey/snuggly” baby when she wants to be. She loves to give hugs and kisses when it is on her terms! She is a precious little girl and we have fallen more and more in love with her at each stage. We do swear, that this is our favorite. Every night, we get in the bed and talk about how great she is. We are pretty proud and incredibly thankful to have such a wonderful daughter!
