Promise Update - 16 months

I decided after the 1st year not to write letters monthly - I think I will do them quarterly from now on. Maybe. Anyway, Promise is still constantly changing and learning and growing, so I want to make a few notes about what she's up to right now. Just less formal.

Eating

My girl eats like a champ. I would guess she easily eats 4 times what other kids her age eat. I don't know why. I don't know if it's because she doesn't drink juice or eat junk food and isn't filling up on empty calories, or if it's because of "Baby Led Weaning" and her freedom to choose what she wants to eat, or if it's just simply how she is. Either way, the girl can eat. Some days she can out eat me. It is a very rare occasion that she doesn't clean her plate. The past few days she has frequently asked for more - I'm guessing  a growth spurt. Current favorites are berries (of any variety), carrots, okra, asparagus, and now that its spring time again WATERMELON!

DESSERT!

Sleeping

Sleep has been pretty amazing lately. We are finally to a point where she is both flexible and predictable. We had 3 trips in the past month, and while sleep wasn't great while we were away, she has bounced back amazingly. She currently sleeps 12 hours at night (7:30 - 7:30) where in the past few months she had been more of an 11 hour sleeper. She also takes 2 x 1.5 hour naps. We have tried switching to one nap a couple of different times, but she's just not ready. Fine with me!

Good Nap!

Playing

Playing is everything. Its what we do all day. Which I love. Free play mostly consists of her playing with toys in the living room/dining room or her bedroom. She still carries things around and organizes them, but is spending more and more time "working" with toys to make them do what they should. Stacking beads on the pegs, putting straws into a parmesan cheese container (we have fancy toys around here!), putting the little people on the school bus, etc. She is very focused when she works on somethings and is becoming increasingly persistent. I make an effort to say "keep trying" when she is frustrated instead of doing things for her. I've seen a lot of results from this. She is not nearly as quick to ask for help or to give up.

This is very serious business

Independent play has been a high point in her day. She LOVES it. Which is amazing to me. She has IP in her crib for 45 min - 1 hour every morning. The time depends on how fast or slow we are moving that morning. I always get her out by 10 so she can play a little before her nap at 10:30. She typically has her bear, 3 toys, and 3 books. I frequently hear her talking and laughing while she plays which is SO sweet. I usually find her reading when I go in to get her out. The girl loves books.

I asked her to read me a story the other day and she held the book, pointed to the words, and started babbling. My jaw dropped. My baby can read! Haha. She is crazy smart. Sometimes it scares me how smart she is and how aware she is of everything going on around her (not to mention everything I say).


Talking

She has had a huge speech explosion over the past month. I stopped keeping track after she reached 50 words a couple weeks ago and she's adding at least 2-3 daily. She doesn't say a lot of things that you would understand if you weren't with her regularly, but she says them consistently enough that Jonathon and I can understand most of what she says. At least 75%. She is very into labeling things right now - she points to things and says what they are. Especially flowers. The girl is constantly hunting for flowers and letting everyone know where they are. Funny. She has had a habit of pointing to things she recognizes in books and whining until I say the word. Recently I have asked her to say the word instead and she has done really well. It has increased her vocabulary a lot and cut down on the whining. Which I'm a fan of.

She still signs quite a bit, but is finally trying out words to go with her signs. Some of them at least. She still has not attempted to say please or thank you, but will sign both when asked to. I have made a rule against whining. I tell her she can use words or she can use signs, but Mommy doesn't hear whining. We are making slow progress.

she got the hang of it

Obedience

I am not sure what is normal obedience at this age, but I feel like she does okay. Not great, but not bad. She definitely has days (weeks) where she tests me. Or flat out ignores me. In those situations I usually go to her and "help" her obey. Typically though she will always look at me when I ask her to (I start most instruction with "Promise, look at Mommy") and will do what I ask her to do. Our biggest issue is her not coming when I tell her to come. Especially if she is in another room and can't see me. If she does not respond quickly I ask "are you listening?" and she usually nods her head. Then I ask "are you obeying?" and she usually proceeds to do what she was told. A frequent mantra around here is "you must listen and...?" to which she replies "BAY!" (obey).

Teething

She is up to a whopping 14 teeth with 2 more on the way. She been working on her canines for the past several weeks and it has been a little rough. Every set of teeth seems to be more painful than the last. This one is no different. She has handled it well though and we give tylenol very sparingly. We do use teething tablets fairly regularly... especially when we're away from home and she has a hard time settling to sleep. During wake times I try to just keep her distracted. The biggest difference I notice is that she's more snuggly and more clingy. She doesn't typically stay in the nursery through services when she is teething.

She loves to dress up in Daddy's clothes

Life with my Promise is good right now. She is fun, she is interactive, she is expressive, she is an individual. The baby phase is long gone, and while I miss is and sometimes even long for it, I enjoy spending time with her as Promise and not just "the baby".  She is bubbly, she loves to laugh and loves to make others laugh, she is silly, she is curious, both cautious and daring at the same time, a little ornery, a little stubborn, full of love, affectionate, and overall a very happy baby toddler. I'm pretty much head over heals for this girl. Her smile brightens up the world. And her laugh, well, it's as beautiful as she is.