19 Months

We are on the downslide towards having a two-year-old!  It's true, thoughts of her second birthday party theme have been swirling around in my mind.... Yes, 5 months to go - but with the holidays in between, I know it will be here before we know it!

Our girl is 19 months, and as lovely and sassy and perfect as ever.

So big and so fun these days.  We love to be around her...she makes us laugh and keeps us on our toes!

Our Natalie definitely has a mind of her own, and is very independent these days.  She loves to help, and she LOVES to be in charge!  I can see the pride on her face when she figures something out or does something she thinks is "big".  Then she just giggles and shrugs her shoulders...cutest thing!

She's climbing, running, and HIDING this month. She loves to hide from us!  And when she hides, she is as quiet as a mouse!  I made the mistake of going to the bathroom one day and leaving all of the doors to the other rooms open....when I came out I rushed from room to room calling her name and she wouldn't answer.  I checked her usual "hiding places" (in my closet, in her closet, in the pantry, behind the curtains in the living room) but couldn't find her.  I finally heard a bump in her room and went in to finally find her crouched down in the corner behind the glider rocking chair.  When I peeked around at her she grinned and grinned and said "Pee-boo!" (Peek-a-boo!)  Such a stinker! 

Still talking up a storm and repeating just about everything. She easily tells us what she wants.  Her most clearly pronounced word is "paci".  When that girl wants her paci, she wants it.  And she'll let you know.  Loudly.
She is growing taller and skinnier!  We are buying 24 month clothes for length, but any pants have to be slim fitting, like leggings, or they are too big in the waist.  Still wearing size 5 diaper and weighs about 24 pounds. 

She gave Mommy a big scare this month.  I got a frantic call from daycare that she had fallen and hurt her arm.  They told me she couldn't move it and was inconsolable and that I needed to come get her and take her to the doctor.  Talk about scared!  We were lucky and her injury ended up being a dislocated elbow - which is a very easy fix.  She was good as new by the time we left the doctor's office, and I was relieved that I wouldn't be parenting a toddler in a cast....

One thing that has had us laughing this month is Natalie's obsession with Q-tips. Yes, Q-tips.  She has a box of them in her dresser drawer in her room.  Any time she can sneak in there, she makes a beeline for those damn Q-tips and cleans her ears!  Then she likes to walk around with a Q-tip sticking our of each ear...we crack up every time.

This month she's also loving some hand-me-down toys from her cousin RJ.  Especially the Little People Barn set and the toy car that she rides around in on the driveway.  It has been nice to have some new things to keep her busy, as she generally would prefer to empty the kitchen cabinets.

As embarassed as I am to admit, our girl loves television.  She always wants to watch TV when she gets up in the morning.  She'll snuggle up on the couch and say "SHOW!!!" until we turn something on for her.  Her favorite is Sesame Street, so I record it for her every day so she can watch it.  We try to limit her TV time as much as we can, but if she were allowed I'm sure she'd lay around and watch it all day long.  Like father, like daughter...

Our sweet little girl - we love you so much!