Letters to my Little Bear~18th Edition::18 months

Oh my goodness, Little Bear! Here we are celebrating your 18-month milestone already! You are full of so much joy, mischief and sweetness! We celebrated today with donuts from the donut shop. I think this was the first time you tried a glazed donut. You would say "ummm" after each bite! This evening, it was so nice out, we took a walk over to see Aunt Kim, Uncle Todd, Kylie and Emily. I think you had a great 1.5 birthday!!

new words & sounds:
turtle (this is one of my favorite things to hear you say...it's so adorable)
cracker
no (unfortunately, you're using this word way too much!)
nana (banana)
lion...and roars like a lion
neighs like a horse
duck
bean
bee...and you buzz like a bee when you see one in a book
peez (please)

new tricks:
*Kissing on the lips, complete with the *smacking* sound. You love giving kisses. If Mommy gets a kiss, you immediately turn and say "Dada" and have to give Dada a kiss too. Then it's just back and forth, until you get tired of kisses!
*You're still climbing on the dining room table, but Mommy's working on getting you to understand it's a "no-no."
*You put things away in your room or toybox, when asked. You are very good at putting things back right where they go.
*You go and get things out of your dresser drawers, when asked (and also when NOT asked).
*When it's time for milk before bed or nap, you'll go get your blankie out of your bed, come sit on the couch, and wait patiently for your sippy cup of milk. These are some of my favorite times of the day. Before morning and afternoon nap, we sit and snuggle...with all the lights turned off, and the blinds pulled shut. Upon your request...err, handing me the remote and pointing at the TV, we usually watch a little of the Backyardigans. Before bedtime, we get to snuggle on the couch with Daddy while you drink your milk. We usually read some stories together and then you give kisses, we go brush your teeth, and then tuck you in with George and Monkey.
*If Mommy has the front door open during the day, you'll push it closed and then stand on your tippy-toes to turn the lock on the handle. I guess you want to keep us safe.
*You've made up your own sign language for "more please" You hold up both hands and touch the tips of your thumb and index finger together, over and over.
*When you're finished eating at the table, you put your silverware on your plate, and usually your cup too, and push it to the middle of the table and then hold up your hands and say "ahh daa" (all done).
Not so pleasant tricks:
*Temper tantrums are becoming more and more frequent! Although you're a jabber box these days, you're still not able to tell us exactly what you want, and that makes you so frustrated. Unfortunately this causes you to scream, fall on the floor and put on a really good show.
*You've discovered you can scream! It's not high-pitched, just a short, quick squawking noise. It wasn't fun when you were doing it in the car with Gigi and I the other day on the way home from Wichita.
*You like to do things YOUR WAY! Not letting you do something your way (which is usually not the smart/safe way) causes you to go into tantrum mode. Example: you want to drink out of Mommy's big cup with no lid and a straw. That's fine, if you let me help you. But you didn't want me to hold the cup and would scream and hit my hand off the cup when I tried to help. I didn't want you to hurt yourself with the straw or spill the water all down the front of you.

Summer activities:
*On Monday and Wednesday evenings during July, you have Aqua Tots at the pool with lots of your friends...Lydia, Norah Kate, Grant, Kennedy, Corbin, Faith and Ella (to name a few). It's so fun that you get to see these kids at all the different activities we go to. At our last lesson, on Wednesday, we worked on submerging. You went under for the first time and did great. You were really clingy that night, so I wasn't sure if you'd go for the submerging activity. I counted to three, then blew in your face and took you under. You did great! You didn't cry at all...just got a shocked look on your face, wiped your eyes and then laughed!

Daddy goes with us most of the time, if he's home from work. It's fun to have him there, but you usually hollar "dada, dada, dada, dada," and really want to go to the side to see him.

*On Tuesday morning we go to playgroup. Mommy enjoys visiting with all the other mommies, and you love playing with the hundreds of toys they have! Last week, we had a group meeting on {water safety} and they had all kinds of fun water activities set up for the kids. It was a great morning for it, and they had a nice shady spot just outside the resource room. You loved "painting" on the wall with the paintbrush and water.


*Once a week we try to get together with Norah Kate and Lydia for a playdate. Last week we went to Lydia's house for swimming.

schedule:
*Your schedule is still pretty much the same as it's been for the last several months. You wake up around 7-7:30am and immediately demand a cup of chocolate or strawberry milk. You must get that from me...not the "milk" thing, but the demanding something in your belly as soon as you get up. Then you eat breakfast and we play until it's time for your morning nap (usually 9:30-11:30). On days that we have playgroup or other activities away from home, your schedule gets altered a bit, but you're usually pretty good about getting your naps in a little earlier or later. We eat lunch around noon, and then try to play outside, or run errands to get out of the house for a bit. Your afternoon nap is around 2:30-4:30'ish. This month, Mommy has been able to get a LOT of invitation work done during your naps-thank you, Little Bear!! After your afternoon nap we have a snack and wait for Daddy to get home. Then Daddy plays with you while Mommy makes supper. Our evenings are full of all sorts of activities, and then you get a bath , drink your milk, brush your teeth, and head to bed around 8.

Did I mention you still love to climb on and in everything!?!? I caught you trying out one of my photo props the other day.

You were laughing and hamin' it up for the camera...

...and then you suddenly decided you wanted my camera strap! Mommy said no, and you went from happy to royally p-o'd in about two seconds! (sorry, but I had to get just one photography of your tantrum stage) Lucky for me, it doesn't take long for you to be distracted by something else, and get over it.

You were supposed to have your 18-month appointment and shots yesterday, but Dr. had to reschedule. So we'll go at the end of the month. Mommy is anxious to see if you're gaining more weight this time.

Mommy has a big photo shoot planned for your 18-month milestone, but we'll probably have to wait until the first of August to get it done. We're leaving for vacation soon, and then when we get back we'll be busy with your cousins Emma and Lauren here, and Uncle Bobby's wedding! Plus Mommy has four portrait sessions in the next four days. Gigi and I bought you some cute outfits in Wichita this week, just for the pictures...and Daddy and I picked out this new hat for you last night. We're planning to take you out the golf course :)

It's hard to believe your closer to TWO now!! You are growing so fast. We love you more every single day, Sugar! You are the center of our universe, and I don't know what we ever did before you came along.

Love you bunches and bunches, Mommy and Daddy