19 Months Old

Ahh, I've gotten back on the picture-taking bandwagon! Well, maybe not quite, but I have been able to take more photos this past month than in the couple months previous. I've started just leaving it on the kitchen counter, even though that means it sometimes gets food on it. But, it's allowed me to catch some hilarious shots of Lane this month, for which I'm sure the grandparents will all be happy about.

At 19 months, Lane:

*has 14 teeth. Both top eye teeth came through this month, 11 days apart. Only six teeth to go!

*can open doors (if they have a "pull down" type of knob) and turn on light switches (ours are different than switches in America...they're easier...and lower).

*can climb up and down a ladder by herself. I think she could kind of do this last month, but she can definitely do it now. Scares the crap out of me.

Climbing, climbing, climbing!

*isn't talking any more than, oh, the past six months. But she's learned new signs and is using them: sleep, wash hands, flower, doll, baby, help (she's been doing this one for months, actually), train, socks, stop, go.

*knows the difference between a bowl and a plate and a cup and will get you the item you ask for out of "her" cabinet in the kitchen when you ask her to.

We finally gave Lane some new blocks that her grandparents brought for her in April. She meticulously took each one out of the box and stacked them all next to each other.

*is making new animal sounds: "rrrr" for lion or tiger or bear...and some others. I can't remember them right now. Lots of animal sounds going on around here, though!

*loves, loves, loves to stack blocks. And knock them over.

*always wants to talk (or listen) on the telephone, and also likes to hang it up. I think it's all about the buttons.

Happy, happy girl, playing on the balcony. She loves it when the wind blows.

*is sleeping in the big girl bed! We had a few rough days of transitioning over, and now at nap time I still lay down with her until she falls asleep, but at night time she falls asleep in the bed with no problems. She may get out and get a stuffed animal, but we have yet to catch her out of bed in order to play.

*is a pro at washing her hands. She can climb up the step stool and loves to stand at the sink and wash her hands or brush her teeth.

This is the hilarity that Lane does on a regular basis. You can't see that she's only wearing a diaper, socks, sandals, and that ring around her head.

*does NOT want to wear clothes, ever. Hence the majority of photos with her in just a diaper. I don't see the point in making her wear them if it's not cold and we're not going anywhere. So a diaper and socks and shoes it is, most days.

*speaking of socks and shoes, she has a fascination with them both. She goes from one pair of shoes to the next all day long, mostly favoring sandals. But ever since she learned the sign for socks she asks for them all day long as well.

See? A diaper and sandals. All. day. long.

*loves to look at herself in the mirror. She likes to either "jump" (aka: run around on) on our bed and look in the mirror while doing it, or watch herself brush her teeth, wash her hands, and in general make a soapy, watery mess out of our bathroom. It's so funny to me that nobody had to teach her to look at herself in the mirror...she just likes to do it.

*will put her baby dolls "nite nite." She'll give them a kiss, a hug, put them under the blanket on her bed, pat them, and maybe snuggle them for a bit, too. Too, too cute.

See the q-tip sticking out of her ear? She's been doing this for months but I'm never fast enough to get a picture. Finally: success! She also likes to stick them in her nose...

*likes to "help" with chores: sweeping, putting plastic dishes away, washing things with a sponge or washcloth, etc. Today she "helped" me snap beans for dinner: she put them all on the floor, and put them all back in the pot. Then out on the floor, and back in the pot. She tried to help me snap them but couldn't quite get it. So she bit one in half instead and put it in the pot. She, of course, usually makes more of a mess than she helps clean up, but it's all about the process, right?

*can open our refrigerator. Fortunately she usually obeys and closes it when we tell her to.

Washing hands/playing in the water. She loves the water. I love her smile.

*is altogether a joy. Yes, she's a toddler. Yes, she pitches fits, still is in diapers, doesn't sleep as late as we'd like her to, and in general makes life more difficult. But she makes us laugh numerous times a day whether it's because she's wearing some ridiculous outfit, attacking us with "snuggles" and biting kisses, or going crazy over some new food/drink that we're letting her have. The joy she brings definitely outweighs the work.