Mommy Kahdib

Hi Baby Girl, (19 months)

So another month has come and gone, if feels like time is going by so quickly....only 11 short weeks until your brother is here and your world changes forever. I'm excited and nervous to see how you do with him...you're such the center of attention now that I know it will be an adjustment, but you do seem to know that there is a baby in mommy's tummy and you often will lift my shirt to "see" him and talk to him or just hug him...or to play hide and seek with my freckle.

You've learned so much this month...we went to your 18 month check up and you are 24lbs and 32.5 inches so you've gone from my 90th and 90th baby to a 50% 25% baby....but the ped says that you might just be finding your genetic niche to settle into as Daddy and I aren't super tall. She was amazed at your speaking skills as you sat in my lap and ate a blueberry and said, "Mmmm....delicious." She wanted to know if you could put two words together yet and by then you were looking at your Tickle the Pig book and happened to say, "The pig is under the blanket too, Mommy." So you answered her question...you don't need to do that until you're two so no big rush, baby girl, you can slow down...although the things you say and remember never cease to amaze me. She was also impressed with you potty use...but I told her that you really ONLY use it for poopy...and she said that pee is a lot easier than poop so maybe we'll try that soon...it would be fun to have you out of diapers before you brother gets here but I won't push that...it's easy enough that I only have to change peepee diapers!

The face you make now when you see the camera....nice.

You completely changed your naps around on me...for the last 8 months you had been taking a nap from about 10 to noon....now you nap from noon-2....and you used to sleep 7 to 7 but decided that big girls stay up until 8...and even when I try to get you down for 7 you will fuss and whine and make life miserable until 8 when you finally fall asleep...so I'll follow your cues.

You had a blast at Christmas but you didn't really like opening presents and kept insisting, "HELP YOU, Mommy DO IT!" Daddy wants me to teach you how to say, "Help me...." but whenever you're stuck it is so instinctual for me to say, "Do you want me to help you?" So...help you it is. Another phrase this month? Although not as cute...."GET UP MOMMY," you say to me in the morning when I am lying in bed with you and you've had enough cuddles...boy you have strong opinions and are as stubborn as I was as a kid (or so I'm told).

You don't really like meat...you tell me that chicken is too hot even when it has cooled down to room temp...you eat around ham and tell me, "No like it," when I hand you a piece to try....but you love love love pasta, corn, rice, peas, any and every fruit including pomagranite...you like raisins and crasins and live and die for bananas--you would eat one at every meal if I let you. You stumbled upon marshmellows this month...and ask daddy for them often. You also discovered M&M's at Christmas time and continue to ask for them at the cabinet even though I tell you that they are gone...we stopped giving you juice for about a month when you refused water or milk and we're back on track now...you LOVE to take sips of my carnation instant breakfast, though, and insist on some of your own in a sippy. You've mastered the spoon and the fork although sometimes when you're really hungry you prefer to just shovel the food into your mouth with your hand...but now you've decided you don't like dirty hands and will insist on me wiping them between bites (that must be from Daddy)!

-or-

You love the snow and going for walks on the "mountains" in the driveway....although you don't quite grasp the concept of the ice being slippery and often end up on your bum. I'm looking forward to the spring and summer with you at the park now that you are getting big enough to climb on a lot of the equipment. We took you to an indoor playground this week and you really had a blast! I can't believe in 5 short months you will be 2....where did my tiny little squishy newborn go that smelled of milk and clean laundry? Where did that little squealy baby go that would tell me stories every night as if to say, "This is how my dad went, Mom..."? I'm excited to meet your brother and see the similarities that you two share and the differences...I hope you know how much I love you and will always love you. It might be hard at first when he is first here and needs to nurse and needs diapers changes and demands some of my attention, but I will do my best to meet both of your needs so that you know he didn't replace you but we brought him here to add to your life and give you a lifelong partner in crime!

I love you, Emmie!

Mom