With each little move, I fall more in love with her. Each moment that I think I can't possibly love her more, I am wrong.
She is 16 months old. Each month seems shorter than the last. She is growing, changing, learning at warp speed. We spend our days playing and running and giggling. We have tea parties and bake cookies and create masterpieces of crayon, finger paint, and sidewalk chalk. We explore our backyard and I am reminded of the simple beauty of a butterfly or a roly poly or a stray stick.
She is her own person. She knows what she wants and, although her words are few, she gets her point across. She pushes me away when she wants to explore on her own, but squeezes my finger tight with her little hand when she decides she needs me again.
At 16 months, she is a sponge, soaking up everything we say and do. She can tell you what a cow ("mmmm"), sheep ("baba"), and lion say (she actually growls for the lion- it's adorable). She can point to many of her body parts (eyes, nose, mouth, hair, belly, toes). She loves music and loves to dance. She moves to pretty much any music she hears. She will march, spin, and hop when you ask her to...and whenever she just feels like moving! She talks constantly.
She is up around 5:30 each morning and is busy from the moment she wakes up until she goes to bed. She opens and empties every drawer and door that aren't baby proofed, and grabs anything within her reach from every table in the house. She is a climber, balancing on pillows and toys, hopping from one chair to the next, using Husband's recliner as her jungle gym.
She is such a water baby, but only if she has control. She will play in her pool until the sun goes down, but prefers to stand and spray the hose. She loves the lake, but not the float where her legs dangle. She wants to stand on the boat ramp where she can touch or float with everyone in a big float, sitting like a big girl. She would stay in the bathtub all night if I didn't eventually drain the water and pick her up. Bath time is my favorite part of the day.
She is down to one nap most days, though I wish it were longer than an hour. She mostly eats whatever we eat; but, like anyone, has her favorite foods. She is loving peaches right now and is usually happy with chicken, cheese, and peas. She loves chicken and rice soup. She can crush a half gallon of milk in a couple days. She tolerates juice. Crushed ice is her favorite thing.
She is such a Daddy's girl lately. She can't get enough of him and there is nothing sweeter.
She is simply happy. And she makes us happy just by being around her.
While she sleeps, I reflect on the past 16 months and how much she has grown- how much we have grown together as a family. In some ways she is still very much a baby, but in others, she continues to surprise me every day. I am loving every minute of life with this precious girl; and every minute, I love her more.
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