Twenty Three Months

23 Months

• We got a swim pass this month to the pool. The water to the big pool is too cold for you, so you end up running back to the hot tub the whole time. Your favorite was sitting on the top step and playing with the bubbles. Towards the end of the month, you got brave enough with the cold water to start jumping in all by yourself like the big kids. 
• I love watching your language increase. You finally can say Sam. Before, you would always say "Hams", but I have been working with you on the "s" sound. For some reason, it is easier for you to say Sammy than Sam. 
• Your favorite song right now is Twinkle Twinkle. You make your siblings sing it to you over and over again whenever we get in the car. Your favorite is when we sing it in a deep voice with our lips in a tight circle. That always gets you laughing.
• You are very determined to do things by yourself. The most common thing you say is, "No. ME ME ME!" This includes getting dressed and buckling up in the car. I have to plan extra time with clothes because you insist on getting dress by yourself, get frustrated when you can't do your shirt, ask me for help, I just touch your shirt and you think that is enough help, so then you try to do it yourself again, then you come back to me, and this cycle continues on for a while. Sometimes you figure you, other times I have to force the shirt on you and you throw a big fit afterwards that you didn't get to do it by yourself.
• You love babies. I often find lean diapers in your trash because you will "change" the diaper on your baby and throw away the diaper when there is "poo poo" in it. It is common to find dried up wipes on your floor because you changed the baby or gave the baby a bath.
• You are so fine just playing by yourself. I often find you reading books in your rocking chair and cooking up something in your kitchen.
• You are one of the best snuggle buddies. I love on slow mornings having you crawl into my bed and snuggle up and read books. There are these baby book from the library (Baby Eat, Baby Cuddle, Baby Move) that are your absolute favorites to read.

Twenty Two Months

22 Months

• It was a fun month celebrating Christmas. I often found you by the Christmas tree playing with an ornament, even though the tree was really prickly. A few times I had to stop you from opening up the presents. But your favorite part of the decorations was the musical snow globe that Grandma Price gave you. You would climb up the piano and turn on the music of both snow globes. The music was loud and a bit annoying when played together, but thankfully they both survived.
• The snow keeps coming and you are really starting to love sledding. We go down the hill off our driveway, and it is the perfect hill for you. You also pull out all the snow toys and truck and plop down in the snow and play for a while. We have a tradition that after playing outside, we will come in for hot chocolate. You get so excited about hot cocoa, but will only drink maybe half your cup.
• We took you to see Santa twice this month and both times you were weary of him. You didn’t mind him if there was a distance between you and him, but the moment that he got close, you were clamp onto one of us. The cutest thing is that you never said Santa, you always called him “Ho Ho Ho”.
• It was so good this year to have Dad home for all of the Christmas season. Christmas Eve morning came and we went to the nursing home to visit the residents. You found the box of toys and made yourself at home. The residents loved just watching you play, they don’t get many babies around. It was good to say hello to other people’s grandmas since we can’t see our own. We ended the night with our Christ meal (fish, bread, olives, and grape juice), reenacted the nativity (you were Mary), and opened up our Christmas pajamas. We set out our cookies for Santa, though you may have snuck one, and was about to go to bed when we heard something. We went outside and heard “Ho Ho Ho” along with jingle bells. It was so fun to see you three excited about Santa.
• Christmas was wonderful and relaxing. You could care less about the presents in your stocking, you were just excited about the candy and had most of it eaten by 11am. You received a drawing pad from Santa and Dad and I gave you books, a cute outfit (which you were so excited to put on right then), and dad made you a darling baby bed. Maggie gave you a Minnie Mouse dress up puzzle and Sam gave you a little baby doll.
• We stayed home the next day, playing with new toys, watched a movie, and got ready for our trip to Utah. The drive to Utah went well. We were able to see all our cousins, go sledding in Mantua, have the big Matthews family Christmas party, and even visit our friends in Ogden. You really loved asking Papa for Jelly beans and eating all the yummy foods that Grandma baked.

Twenty One Months

21 Months

• You really like going into your room and playing with the Little People Princess set that you have. You have most of the phrases memorized in your little 1 1/2 year old way of saying them. My favorite is hearing you say, "best day ever!" from Rapunzel. When the song part comes up, you will stand up and start dancing along with it.
• You are turning more into a girly girl each day. Dress up is becoming a regular event. You will sneak into Maggie's room, take off your pants and slip into one of her skirts. The big kids will also help you with the dress up box putting on tutus and high heels. You really like princesses and Minnie Mouse in general. Funny moment: we were walking into the school and there was a post of a black girl. You pointed at her and said, "Tiana? Tiana?" 
• Your language is really increasing. Two and three word phrases are common. You brought me a library book and said, "Peek-a-boo Baby". After your bath, you asked "Naked run?" and tried to run away. We have been working with you to say prayers and ask to be excused from the table. Both the "Ahem" and "excuse" is your favorite part and you say it so loud at the end.
• Maggie left out a sharpie out in the playroom. You were down there playing by yourself while I was making dinner. I could hear you play with something that made music so I knew you were fine. But then it got quiet for a long time. I went down there to check on you and you had colored over both the cabbage patch doll and Clara the Red headed doll. There is no way that is coming off. Thank goodness it wasn't the couch at least.
• Clothing has been a struggle with you lately. It is 20 degrees outside and I am lucky enough to get a shirt on you, but a coat throws you over the edge. 
• We went to Oregon for Thanksgiving this year. It was a quick trip but we tried to do as much as we could. We had breakfast at Auntie Annie's, went on a photo scavenger hunt at the mall, and decorated Gingerbread houses at Uncle Dusty's. You and Sunny played well together. Grandma had a big Nativity Snow Globe that played music that you fell in love. She gave it to you and every day you climb up on the piano bench to twist the knob to play the music.
• We have started the Christmas season. We drove up the mountain to cut down a tree. It wasn't your favorite thing to stand in three feet of snow with no gloves on (I had them for you but you didn't want to keep them on). You do like to play in the snow with the tonka trucks, though again you get frustrated with the gloves so they end up off our hands and then within a few minutes you start whining about your hands.

Twenty Months

20 Months

• Can I just say that you make the cutest little cat ever? Halloween was so fun with you. You definitely understood the concept that if you go up to someone and say "treat", they will give you a treat. I wasn't so sure if you would keep your ears on during the different parties, but with the distraction of all the candy, you kept it on. We first went to the Church's Trunk-o-Treat. It was dark and there was a bunch of people of the sidewalk. I forgot to pack a stroller, though lets be honest you wouldn't have stayed in it. Having you dress in all black became really hard to keep track of you. Thankfully I never lost you, just a lot of turning around, finding where you went next. We then hosted a Soup night with friends. I didn't have time to get you guys all dressed up before friends came over, so I put Maggie in charge of getting you ready. She put on the pink tutu outfit and attempted to put your hair in a bun. You loved it. For actually Halloween, we started the night off at the Nursing Home where all the residents passed out candy. You were a real hit there. Afterwards, we went to the city's party and then ended the night on Park Street. Since it gets dark here early, we started at 4:30 and were already finished by 6pm. We were able to go home and watch Toy Story: Terror Stories and be in bed on time.
• We measured you on the 18 month mark but just for fun the other day, I wanted to see how tall you were and you had already grown 1 1/2 inches in the two months. Holy moly, stop growing! You are wearing clothes that Maggie did wear until she was 2 1/2 years old. 
• On mornings where you wake up extra early, I will bring you into my bed and cuddle with you as you drink your milk (yes I still let you have the bottle). After you're finished, you will slide off the bed, run into your room and bring me back a book. I love this one on one time with you. You are getting to be quite the little cuddlier, which I love.
• Favorite things: Minnie mouse, the color pink, getting your fingers painted, pulling out all the cups and water bottles from the drawer, smoothies (you call them juice), babies, books about babies, and the baby show (little Einstein)
• This month you have gone pee twice in the potty and poop once. You are so proud of yourself when it happens. For the most part, you associate sitting on the potty with tooting. I am fine with that. I don't think you are ready though you want to be potty trained. When I am folding clothes, you snag Maggie's underwear and try to put it on. It is really funny.

Nineteen Months

19 Months

• Sam's preschool is in full swing so that means twice a week, we get the mornings just me and you. I do try to get some cleaning done during that time, but I try hard to make sure that we have our special time. While the weather is warm, you enjoy going for walks in the strollers, we read books together, you enjoy getting pushed on the swings and sneaking fruit from the backyard. I really love having that time just me and you.
• We have been helping out in Maggie's class once a week. The first time, you were so shy that you stayed in the stroller eating your breakfast for most of the time. Since then, you have warmed up and explore more. I pack your backpack with snacks, coloring books, and board books. It is so cute seeing you walk down the school halls with your little backpack on.
• Your words are increasing each month. You are getting better at saying words to help you communicate your needs/wants. You say "sneak" when I am making dinner and you want to eat some of what I am cooking. You come up to me and say "bonk" when you get hurt and want a kiss. You say "stuck" with your foot gets caught up in the straps. My favorite is when you say "nah nah nah" when Daddy is wrestling with you and you are trying to get him to chase you.
• You absolutely love fruit. I probably have mentioned this before, but now that the second plum tree is ripe, we are back into eating 5 plums a day along with apples and pears. 
• We went fishing as a family and you were constantly moving. You were going up the hill, then down the hill, into the cooler for food, playing in the tackle box, back over in the plums, playing with the fishing poles, trying to touch the water, up the ramp, sticking your head over the bars, down the ramp, back into the food. This continued the whole time. It is rare that you just sit still.
• You are always dirty. It doesn't help that your nose has been runny for the last month or two, but since you are always on the go, you got dirt all over your hands and face, food in your hair and dripping down your shirt, and mud on your pants. It is rare for you to have a clean face.
• This post makes it sound like you are a bit wild, which is very true, but you are also so loving, kind, and just plain fun to be with. You run and give the biggest hug to whoever greets you at the day. I love the times that I find you jumping and laughing up in your crib after nap time. And I really love when you get one of your books and snuggle with me on the couch and read it together.

Eighteen Months

18 Months

• As you can tell from the picture, I had to cut bangs for you. I tried to hold off as long as I could, but after three weeks of trying to put your hair in a ponytail after Sam cut half the ponytail off, not even the little elastics will stay in and so you had these random strays in your face. I got so fend up with it, I them into bangs. Your dad came home and said it looked like a mullet. We have been working on having you keep your headband on, but until then, just keep smiling and distracting others with your adorable dimples. 
• Your language has increased so much. You can point out all your body parts and are working on animal sounds. You are still loud by nature, but I am figuring out what it is you are being loud about.
• We went swimming a bit since moving to Idaho.. I hasn't been a relaxing thing for me when I bring you because you don't like being held but aren't strong enough for the puddle jumper. Well the last two times that we went, you were finally able to figure out the whole puddle jumper thing and now will swim on your own. Yay!! You love jumping off the steps by yourself and slowly kicking your way back to the shore. You are by far our most independent child for the good and worst. You worked really hard at this whole swimming thing and it shows with how well you do as a 1 1/2 year old.
• Nursery time!! Honestly, you have been going to nursery for the past two months but I finally get to drop you off guilt free and not stay with you. Except the Sunday that you turned 18 months was Stake Conference so it didn't even matter. Until next time.
• Favorite things: babies, you love all babies-baby dolls, pictures of babies on my Instagram account, and real babies. You also really like the Little People Princess and has figured out how they play music on the castle in your room and will dance to their song. You love books and are getting better at sitting for a longer time and letting me read more of a variety (not just Little Blue Truck). You love coloring and have caught you multiple times drawing on your self. I have been trying to be more relax with you coloring but I have to be close because to you, everything is your medium. You love apples whole and will eat the whole thing, core and all.

Seventeen Months

17 Months

• We are staying with Grandma and Papa Matthews for a few weeks. You are having a hard time warming up to Grandma, but Papa is usually awake early in the mornings and will get you from your crib and give you your bottle of milk in the morning, so you really like him. 
• We have gone swimming a few times at the Brigham City Pool. The water is still not your favorite, but Dad put you on the slide and you really liked it. If you climb up to the slide by yourself, you will stop right before in the tunnel and cause a big traffic jam. We had to send Maggie up there to push you down. But if Dad just sets you on midway on the slide and have you go, then you really like. The second time we went there, I took you on the big slide with me and you really like that. You just want to be big so bad. You don't like being held but you can't really even walk well in the water yet, so it is a real struggle right now.
• You have loved going outside and getting pushed on the swings. You also like trying to ride the tricycle and follow the big kids around.
• Other things we did while we were in Utah-we went to the cabin for a few days, you had a late night at your cousin's house, we celebrated Caroline's birthday, and just hung out at the house.
• We made the official move this month. I knew the trailer was going to go slow and you aren't the greatest on rode trips, so I stayed the night with you at Aunt Laura's house after Caroline's party and we woke up early the next day and went as fast as we could to Grangeville. You did really well for just being you in the back with no movie (though you don't really watch movies at this age). Grandma and Papa drove with Dad and they are here for a few days to help with some projects. You are starting to show more interest in books and by the end of the week, you were a bit more warmed up to Grandma because she would read you books.
• The cherries were ripe when we got you and you love them so much, you eat the whole thing, pit and all. So not only do you have diarrhea but all the pits are in the diaper with it. Yuck!
• Overall-you are still a spitfire of a girl, running all over the place the moment I set you on the ground, you love the Little People Princess and baby dolls, you give some really good hugs and are still really obsess with water and milk (constantly drinking something). We love you so much.