Adelaide {15 months}

Oh Adelaide,

You are amazing. So, so, so amazing! Every day you make me laugh and it makes me so proud that you are such a happy, healthy, smart little girl.

You are no longer a baby. In fact, according to the dictionary, you are no longer a toddler either, because you aren't learning to walk. You have been walking for 7 months now, which is crazy to think! You look more and more like a KID every day. No more double chin, no more bottles, big girl teeth, hands that can do so much, and so smart!

You are walking, running, climbing. You recently climbed up onto the living room bookshelves, and then sat there swinging your legs looking so proud. You climb up and down the front steps by yourself, holding onto the railings and taking one step at a time. You are trying to figure out how to jump. You crouch down low and push yourself up, but your feet never leave the ground. Sometimes you'll come up on your tippy toes, but you're still planted. On the bed, however, you are able to bounce, bounce, bounce, and I'm sure it won't be long before you get some air. You still love to rough-house.

You are getting to be so sweet! Lots of hugs and kisses for Momma, Daddy, the cats, pictures of cats, pictures of dogs, your baby dolls... pretty much anything. Just this past week, when we've laid down in bed for nighttime, we've asked you for a night-night kiss, and you gave one to each of us! It was so sweet! Definitely a much-welcomed addition to our night-time routine!

Speaking of night-time... we are terrible with keeping a solid routine. Usually we have a bath, but sometimes it's before dinner, sometimes after. We like to play a little before bed. We try to brush your teeth every night, but even as soon as I sign "brush teeth" you start this really sad crying and then scream your way through it. Which actually helps me out because I can get to your teeth. Then we put on your extra thick cloth diaper which gives you a big ole booty, and we go into the bedroom. I sit you in the middle of the bed, you lay yourself down, give kisses now (!), and then I nurse you to sleep.

I still really love breastfeeding. You feel so good in my arms laying in bed at night. It's such a special way for us to be together and really is so beautiful. I catch your daddy gazing at us, and he says the same thing: that we're so beautiful together. You still love nursing so much. In fact, when we went a month ago to meet your new cousin (Alice), you nursed more than she did, and she was only 3 weeks old! You clap your hands when you want to nurse, but in a different way than when you're clapping because you did something cute. I'm trying to teach you the "milk" sign, but you're not catching on. And now, when you nurse, you sit on my lap and just lean forward. It's so sweet, and gives me a chance to give you lots of kisses on your head!

You've said a handful of words, but you haven't repeated many of them. You say "cah!" for cat, and "dah!" for dog, always emphatically. You have said book, duck, cool, buh-bye, but only once each. You say "mama" and "dada" all the time, but sometimes confuse the two. You say "da" for "that" and point at everything, asking us what things are and waiting for our answers. You shake your head yes and no, and say "yeah" which is really, really cute. You can sign bath, eat, water, all done, night-night, more, and your own sign for milk. And you're really trying to talk to us... scratch that - you DO talk to us... we just don't know what you're saying!

You are starting to pay more attention to what you're wearing. If I put a dress on you and make a big deal out of it, you will go to the mirror and beam at yourself. You want to wear hair clippies when we get dressed, but immediately (most of the time) pull them right out. You love to wear your necklaces. You try to put on your shoes, pull off your pants. Oh, and you're so weird - you love to take my undies from the drawer and pull them over your head like a bandana!

You are a picky eater now... gone are the days of shoveling food in your mouth. You rarely want to sit at the highchair and eat. You often just take a few bites and then sign "all done"! You eat better at daycare than you do at home. (Except at home, you still drink a lot of mommy milk!)

You have transitioned up to the 1-year-old room at the daycare! You are the smallest baby in the room now, but you are doing so well and holding your own! You go right to sleep at naptime on your little cot and take good long naps! You love playing outside on the playground like a big girl! Today I saw you rocking on a little horse as I came to pick you up after work.... you really look like such a little kid!

You love to read, do puzzles, go outside (anything outside!), tear everything off of shelves or out of containers (so long, neat dvd organization!), pretending to write with pens on paper, helping mommy do chores, being tickled, dancing, hearing daddy drum, petting the cats, and being held. You make silly faces, and laugh at everything!

When you're happy, you're SO happy! But when you're mad, watch out! The best word to describe you is intense. Whatever you're feeling, you're totally invested in it and do your best to show it, whether that's spinning around in circles laughing, or screaming your head off on the changing table.

But you are so much fun. Your daddy and I are completely in love with you. You have changed our lives for the better... so much better! WE LOVE YOU!

Love, Momma