Fifteen Months...

Annabelle,

You have had such a fun-filled, busy month! You have blossomed into the most fun-loving, enthusiastic, opinionated, and bright little toddler!

We went for your 15 month check-up last week…weight – 25 lbs 8 oz (85%), height 31.5 inches (81%). You cried from the minute our very kind doctor walked in the door. Apparently, you remembered your shots from last visit. You wear 18 & 24 month clothes and size 4 shoe. You are taking just one nap most days now, and you are sleeping great at night.

Your vocabulary has taken off lately. Dr. Ellis asked me to list how many words you were saying, and I couldn’t on the spot because you say so much these days. Currently, you say…mama, dada, nana, granddad, dog, ball, bubbles, bath, more, thank you, bite, cracker, baby, right back (as in “be right back”), hi, bye-bye, duck, elmo, toot-toot (for trains), yellow, water, yogurt, milk, hat, diaper, rock-rock (for your rocking chair), yes, no, and no-no.

Here are some of my favorite things you do these days…

You love to listen to music or have us sing to you. We have a “silly songs” cd that you love in the car, and as soon as a song ends you sign “more, more” very emphatically until the next song starts. The songs remind me of summer camp, but they drive your daddy crazy. You would brush your teeth (which you have 4 of, finally!) all day if we would let you.

You are fearless when it comes to water, heights, slides, etc. We have been going to the splash fountains that spray up from the ground behind our Children’s Museum. You run right through the spray and don’t mind it in your face at all. You have been exploring the higher parts of the playground equipment at the park (with me right behind you looking very cute climbing through tubes in 95 degree heat), and you love you swing and slide.

Your favorite book right now is “Whoosh around the Mulberry Bush”, and your daddy reads it to you about 4 times in a row each night before bed. I can usually hear you two over the monitor, and it is one of the sweetest parts of my day.

You tell our dogs “no-no” when they do something you don’t want them to do… you also tell yourself “no-no” over and over as you do things that you know you aren’t suppose to do.

You are quick to test what we tell you, but are usually very obedient as soon as you understand that we mean what we say. You will whimper/cry for a few seconds when I remove you from something, but you get your feelings crushed when your daddy tells you no.

You tell everyone we pass in a store “hi, hi, hi” and you are thrilled when they say hello back.

You are into everything and love to run into the bathroom and shut the door behind you. Then you cry because you can’t get out.

You adore animals. Jesse sat and looked at the Orvis catalog (dog version)with you the other night, and you were in awe…saying “dog, dog, dog…”

If I say “lets go to Annabelle’s room, or “let’s go bye-bye”, or “go sit in your chair”, you immediately head in the right direction.

My car is filled with toys, discarded hair bows, and baby music. Our refrigerator is covered in alphabet magnets. Elmo’s Favorite Songs fills our DVD player. My purse is home to bags of animal crackers, diapers and juice boxes. And, my heart… it is so full.

Tomorrow, my colleagues of the past four years return to work. While I will miss seeing some of my closest friends each day and working with such sweet kids, I cannot think of a greater privilege and blessing then getting to spend my days with my precious girl

Your daddy and I love you to pieces!