15 Months

Time really is flying around here. And I can't even keep up with it. It's been a few weeks since Zoë  has actually hit the 15 month mark, but I just can't seem to get things together around here. Not to mention, it's way hard getting a pic of her these days. (read: keep her sitting still long enough for the .5 seconds it takes to adjust camera settings and snap the shot. She moves constantly.)

So on to the meat of this post:

15 Month Stats

• you weighed 21 lbs 5.5 oz and measured 30 1/2 in at your 15 month check up. You're still hanging around the 30th percentile for weight and dropped from 78th to 50th for height. Though I think you have the perfect amount of rolls on you. Just enough chub for me to love on daily. :)

• You wear 18 month or 18-24 month size clothes. And you're between a size 3 and 4 shoe.
• You love to go "bye bye", which, to you, means we're going outside for a walk. Though you also love just leaving the house.
• You know that "bye bye" entails putting your shoes on. As soon as I'm sitting with you to get them on, you're sticking one of your feet out as if to say, "Hurry, Mom! We don't want to waste any time!"
• You're vocabulary is expanding daily. Daddy thinks you tried to say "tiger" this morning. You definitely can say and know what "mama", "dada", "that" (pronounced "dat"), "bye bye", "baby", "bee bo" (this is "belly button". If you've never heard of the Belly Button Book by Sandra Boynton, you should check it out. No that isn't a paid plug. We just love her books.), "dog" (you kind of forget the "g"), "puppy" (though you you stop at "pup"), "no", "yes", and "book" pronounced "boo". You say "Poppa" though I'm not sure you associate it with him or not and this weekend when Paw Paw and Honey were visiting, you said "Paw Paw". I don't think the association for that is quite there yet.
• You love animal sounds. Your favorite by far is the elephant. You're adorable when you do it as you make the sound and raise your arm. You also know what a cow, duck, horse, rabbit, dog, cat, peacock, and alligator say. Every now and then you'll make a noise for a pig, though typically you say "la la la" because of Sandra Boynton's Moo, Baa, La La La book.
• You love walking with assistance, whether it's a person or your walker. However, I think you prefer it to be a person because then you can lead whoever is helping you to the door, point at the handle, and say "bye bye", in hopes that they'll go outside to walk with you.
• You've begun testing what Daddy and I tell you to do. You even get this look in your eye just before you test us as if to say, " Are you really going to enforce that?"
• Temper tantrums are on the rise. You have a very strong will and desire to do what your mind set out for on the first try. So between getting frustrated with yourself, and mad at whoever is telling you no, fits are becoming normal around here. The hard part is you're really kind of cute when you do it. Let's just say I have my work cut out for me.
• You are sweeter than ever. You love on all your animals and baby dolls, kissing and hugging them loads throughout the day. You even love to sit in my lap so I can read you a book.

Love Bug,

You seem to grow more. Daily. Many times, it makes me simultaneously smile and cry on the inside. I so love seeing you grow, learning the world around you, but at the same time I know that all too soon, I will be "out of a job", so to speak. I just hope at the end of that road, there will be a relationship, a new beginning.

(I know this pic is fuzzy, but I love your face. You're such a happy baby.)

You're still hesitant to walk on your own, though earlier today you took four steps to the couch by yourself. I think leaving you stranded without whatever was supporting you (in this case it was the vaccuum, which inevitably had to move as I continued to clean) may need to happen a bit more. Maybe then you will realize you're fully capable of walking.

Fear has always seemed to be your biggest battle. I'm hoping that knowing this now, I can work with you as you grow to conquer it. It will always be ready to take you over if you let it.

Anyway, you love your new Vtech Learning Walker. Daddy and I laugh hysterically because you tuck your shoulders down just before you take off. It's like you're getting ready for a big race and need a great start from the beginning. Too cute!

(Anytime we say "hello", you put your hand up next to your ear. :) Oh and that dark spot on your left cheek: you fell and hit your cheek on the corner of your toy box. Ouch!)

You have such a will and determination about everything you do. I can't wait to see how this will play out as it is obviously one of your strengths, yet can also be a weakness at times. It has also begun to show in the temper tantrums you throw. Sometimes you're literally throwing objects you get so mad. I have to hide my smile every time; it unfortunately is a visible outburst of what I feel on the inside when I get angry. We just keep telling you it's ok to be angry but we don't do "x, y, z." I don't think you're really to a place where you understand the end of that phrase, but I don't want to teach you that anger is bad.

You love to laugh and smile. You also are constantly trying to get whoever is around you to imitate you and/or laugh at your antics. Some days are nothing but giggles coming from you. So precious!

(This is a face you make. Daily.)

I am so glad that you, Zoë, made me a Mommy first. It makes me proud to know that I was given the title by such a sweet, caring girl.

On the note of caring, you kiss your animals all. the. time. You've even started making a kissing noise. You also hug them a lot. You give Daddy and me hugs if we ask for them. You will snuggle into me on the weekend mornings when Daddy brings you into our room so we can all just chill on the bed a bit longer before greeting the day. And for the first time last night, without asking, you gave me one of your "real noise making" kisses on the cheek. I. melted. completely. Literally, I'm pretty sure I became a puddle on our living room floor.

Sweet Zoë, I may tell you to stop growing, but I don't mean it. Not one bit. Because greater than keeping you all to myself would be to see you grow and make a difference in this big, wide world.

I love you Sweet Pea!!

Love forever and always,
Mommy