Daph Stats - 18 Months
18 Month Stats
Weight - 21.5 lbs - 11th % (Petite little thing)
Height - 31.1 in - 31%
Head - 18.8 in - 80 % (Ah, yes, the prominent Adams family noggin)
You love to laugh and entertain us!
Dear Daphne,
Oh my little darling, you are 18 months old and I officially cannot pretend that you are a baby anymore, nor will you let me treat you like one either. You have transformed in the past few weeks into Little Miss Independent, obstinately insisting on doing as much as possible by yourself. When I offer you food, you will clamp your mouth shut tightly and turn your head, refusing to eat until I step away from your high chair and let you determine what will or will not go into your mouth. You have very little patience with the stroller or wagon any longer, but would rather be pushing them yourself or running ahead of me on the trail. I glory in your growth and successes, but ache to see your need for me slowly diminishing. Your growing independence helps me to appreciate and not take for granted the times when you reach out for me to hold you, when you take my hand as we walk or when you run to me for help or comfort.
I know I've posted this picture before, but I just love how it captures her beaming aura.
Speaking of independent, on the 9th of December you went to nursery for the first time on your own. I stayed for the first few minutes to see how you would adapt, but I knew you would have no problems and sure enough you didn't even spare me a backward glance! When Noah Baker cried for his Daddy, you immediately dropped your toys and ran to his side, getting right up in his face with that concerned look you get when anyone is upset and patting him on the back as if to say, "There, there buddy." Once he came to me and you assessed that he had stopped crying, you were right back in the action, watching the other kids and loving the social atmosphere. When they took you all in for singing time you had a hard time staying in your chair, but you loved every minute of the singing. You would jump out of your chair to do the actions to "Popcorn Popping" and laugh at the other kids. I don't foresee you having any problems in nursery and only hope you won't get bullied by the other kids while you're in there. It is so hard for me to leave you knowing that you might be pushed or hit by another kid. I hate thinking of the bad behaviors you might pick up and I hate even more not knowing what you are experiencing every minute of your day. I know, I know - I'm a little hugely overprotective. I can't help it! I just want to keep you safe and happy. Hopefully one day you'll thank me. :)
Why is the box always more fun than the game itself?
But no matter how hard I try, you seem to constantly be getting a new bump or bruise on your huuuuge melon. You are busy busy and wicked fast! It seems you can get into trouble in the blink of an eye - like when you sprayed perfume in your mouth, or when you climbed into the dryer while I moved a load of laundry to the bedroom, or when you stepped on a piece to my matryoshka doll and broke it to pieces, or when you tare book covers, or when you broke a bottle of cocktail sauce all over the kitchen floor that you pulled out of the fridge while my arms were full. Sigh. All in a days mischief for a toddler I suppose. And now to add to the madness, you just learned how to pull down the lever-handles on all the doors and can now get into the bathrooms/garage/outside any time you please. It's a whole new ball game sister!
Blurry action shots of Daphne playing in the dryer
However, as busy busy as you like to be, you are still such a joy to be around. The other day Daddy came home for lunch and was kissing me in the kitchen and you were by our side in an instant, hugging both of our legs and smiling up at us with a heart-melting grin and giggling as if to say, "I want in! Group hug!" Now anytime you see Daddy holding me you run over to snuggle our legs and be hugged and kissed yourself. What a dolly!
A Halloween costume that was in the clothes from your cousins - you wear those ears around for hours whenever you rediscover them in the closet.
Your vocabulary gets bigger every week and it never fails to delight us to hear your little voice. Last week our neighbors down the street put up a snowman lawn ornament and when you saw it you pointed and said, "Noman? Tall tall tall!" That's the first time I've heard you say more than 2 coherent consecutive words together, plus it reaffirmed that you are picking up on the songs I sing with you after all. In fact, just in the past few days you've started doing a bunch of the hand actions with me to the nursery songs like, I Have A Little Turtle, The Itsy Bitsy Spider, Patty-Cake, Popcorn Popping, etc. Whenever I finish one song you will do your baby sign for "more" by frantically bringing your fingers together and squeaking, "Mow? Mow?" Sometimes when I sing, "I Am A Child of God" to you, you even try to mimic the last words of a phrase in a sing-song quality by drawing out the word loud and long. For example I will sing, "Help me find the way..." and you will jump in on "way" and hold out a long, "aaaaaaayyy". Since Daddy and I love music so much, we of course hope you will too and we love to hear you make attempts at singing or to watch you dance around the living room while the music plays.
You are still a very comedic child and have lately taken to squeezing your eyes shut and backing into a corner with the silliest grin on your face whenever you are caught doing something naughty or when we are playing with you. You often try to do things that will make us laugh, pulling "the face", repeating words or doing "tricks" like spinning in a circle. A couple of weeks ago, you kept asking for more and more bows in your hair and you weren't satisfied until you had every inch of your head covered. I texted Daddy a picture of it, laughing about this bizarre whim and wondering where you had gotten the idea until he sent me a text back and showed that the two of you had done the same thing the night before while I was at a YW activity! You knew you had made Daddy laugh with the bows and tried the same game out with me the next morning!
Some other things you are doing at 18 months are:
1) Folding your arms for prayers (for about 2 seconds)
2) Sliding open the unlock code on Daddy's touch-screen to play with his phone (we were shocked when we first saw you do it!)
3) Getting concerned whenever anyone is sad and trying to comfort them
4) Constantly trying to get into the bathroom and kitchen drawers/cabinets
5) Reading, reading and more reading! If I am busy and can't sit down to read you a story, you will plop down and start babbling contentedly to yourself as you flip the pages
Caught red handed! And I LOVE the get-up...I think this was a "Daddy forgot to finish getting me ready for bed" moment. :)
6) Climbing into the pantry to try and find "candEE!"
7) Kicking and passing a ball - you are surprisingly coordinated
8) Helping me clean by taking a cloth around and patting the surface of the furniture for half a second
9) Never taking a nap if we are with other people
10) Playing extremely well with other children
Sometimes it seems that people are uncommonly drawn to you and your sparkly personality, but perhaps I just think that because I am your mother. You draw so much love and attention from people no matter where we are. You are the ultimate ice breaker and have created bridges to neighbors and complete strangers, showering them with happiness with your quick smile and constant wonder at the world around you. What a joy you are baby girl to all who know you! Thank you for bringing such a tremendous increase of laughter and love into our home. Grow on little one.
Love You Forever and Always,
Your Mama
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