21.5 months of life

Babycenter.com continues to send me weekly updates on what my child is likely doing for her age. I signed up for the weekly email when I was pregnant with Josie, and now, 21 ½ months after she was born (I know this, because I just got my email), I still get the updates. Each week when the email arrives, I think to myself “I should finally unsubscribe”, but I never do.

She’s 21 months and 2 weeks old and we are running, full speed, towards her second birthday. Josie no longer walks anywhere. Everywhere she goes; she’s running… or doing a cute toddler version of running. Her little legs are so short (she comes by this naturally) and when she runs I swear they are moving 2x’s as fast as anything else.  For me, it’s also a constant heart attack waiting to happen. Although she is a fast little runner already, she is also a bit clumsy (this, too, she comes by naturally). I get at least two phone calls a week letting me know she’s taken a tumble at school. She usually lands on her head and ends up with scraps and knots….and a popsicle. Brandon and I are suspicious that she might be intentionally falling down, just for the popsicles.

She’s a smart kid. And, yes, I realize all parents think that about their kids. She loves to read, which makes us very happy. She often asks for the “Bears Dancing” book, which is actually “On the Night You Were Born”. And just in the last week she has really gotten excited about her letters. She can count to 10 (on a good day). She has a great memory and I am often caught off guard on how much she can remember. Whether it is something I said in context that she later repeats or just remembering an animal noise she only heard once, she has a pretty sharp memory, already.

She loves to “jump” and watching her figure this out takes me straight to my happy place. Brandon has been trying to teach her how to skip, which is also a delight! And watching her play hop-scotch is hilarious! She can sing (sort of) the Happy Birthday song and if she sees cake or cupcakes, she immediately sings the song.

Our little monkey is well on her way to being potty trained. She uses the potty several times a day, although we aren’t quite ready to take the plunge into big girl underwear. I have a feeling we will have a couple of long weekends this fall where we don’t leave the house as we try to get her fully trained. As long as football is on the TV, I am pretty sure her Daddy will be fine with that! She is also doing well with limited paci use. She still uses the paci in the car and for bedtime. We have three paci’s at the house and all three of them have holes in them. She isn’t too fond of using a “broken” (as she calls it) paci and this has made the transition a little easier. Again….sometime this fall we are going to have to finally give up the paci. This one might be harder than getting her potty trained.

I look back at her this time last year and she is like a completely different child. Nothing in this world makes me more proud, brings me greater happiness or can bring me crashing to my knees quite like my child. I cannot wait to see what this world has in store for her, because I can guarantee, she has every intention of taking it by storm!