sixteen months.

You turned sixteen months old on the 10th and oh, how the time has flown! The word "determined" no longer fully describes the intensity with which you dedicate yourself to your desires and ideas. You really are a little girl now, no longer a baby, though I can't help but continue to call you My Baby. I ask you, "who's my baby?" and you still point to yourself gleefully and reply, "baby! baby!"

You are very vocal now, a far cry from the often silent infant you once were. You scream, shriek, howl and use words with joy, frustration, anger and excitement. When you scream, I remind you to "use your words" and you patiently try to communicate to me as clearly as you can with words and gestures. One thing you love is washing your hands. You announce, "ah duhn!" when you are all done with your meal and immediately reach over towards the sink. You whine, "geh duhn!" to tell me you want to get down from your chair. Then, I hold you up and you wash your little hands at the sink, then dry them and wipe your mouth all by yourself!

You love to color with markers and crayons while I'm making dinner. I also finally get kisses from you! When you decide it's time for me to have them, you purse your little lips and run to me. You love to watch me kiss pictures of your Papa and will even grab me by the hair or shoulder to push me at him! You also love music, most especially your new discovery... Elvis. 

You love raisins, chai spiced oatmeal, rice and Annie's mac and cheese. Your favorites are still avocados, strawberries, and coconut and Mama milks. Every morning when you wake up, you have a nice long nursing session while I attempt to doze. When I finally get up, you grab me by the hand and run into the kitchen to pull at the refrigerator door, and ask for your morning drink of kefir. You are now eating pieces of food out of bowl with a spoon, all by yourself. 

You've recently mastered the use of the word, "no" and use it often to declare your thoughts. You've finally learned to "please sit down" on the couch when I ask, and for some reason reply with a, "meeeow!" However, you still think it's funny to make me ask, dozens of times. Speaking of meows, we play with the kitty every day and he is warming up to you more and more, though your loud vocals are not his favorite. He does love when you feed him cheese and pasta!

You say so many different words and do so many new things now, I can't possibly list them all! You become smiley and bashful when anyone blows kisses to you. You especially love when I pretend to bite your hands and feet while you nurse. You like to play with hair clips and headbands (which you prefer to wear as necklaces), and have started showing interest in picking out your own clothes. You're very social and outgoing and while we're walking around outside, you sometimes run after people to say "heyo!" I can hardly believe you are already sixteen months old; you look and act so grown up now. You amaze me, little one. Mama loves you!