20 Months - Sentences

This month marks my year anniversary of leaving Oracle to be home with Ellie.  Quite honestly, it wasn't an easy transition.  The career path from senior management in a very large corporation to child development of one are hardly similar.  I'm ever so grateful for all the crash course training and guidance I've received.  And lots of patience from those all around.  I definitely had my crabby moments as I struggled to acclimate to the new environment.  But every struggle on a journey adds to the richness of life, no? :)

As for Ellie, I'd say the last month has been most marked by the formation of little sentences.  "Grandma does it", "Mommy sit", "Piece goes here", "Open Please", etc.  But the sentences are not consistent.  It seems to me there are a lot more words processing in her head and they can't or don't always make it out.  It kinda reminds me of what I've heard about Alzheimer patients.  That in their foggy states, they will suddenly have moments of clarity and great recall.  The same seems to be true for Ellie.  There are some moments when words or sentences are flowing.  But then hours later they seem to be gone. 

Her love for puzzles continues.  She's mastered her alphabet puzzle. 

So we're moving on to actual picture puzzles.  She doesn't know how to start these 12 piece picture puzzle.  But if I put together most of the puzzle she enjoys finding and putting in the last one or two pieces.

Another accomplishment for Ellie has been nearly mastering putting her pants on.  She can get her legs into each pant leg and begin to pull the pants up.  She knows to stand next.  The last part will be pulling them over her bottom (which seems elusive just now).  No interest in shirts yet.

Here's a couple pictures Braden took over the weekend.

Ruff

I've been meaning to post on a new favorite friend.  He's the perfect kind of dog for us.  Little, very portable.  Doesn't bark.  Doesn't require any parental assistance with food or care.  But loves Ellie and brings her great comfort.  His name is Ruff.

Hot

Any and everything that Ellie doesn't want anything to do with is now "Hot".  It started when we gave her food that was too hot for her.  We'd say "It's hot Ellie.  Please be careful".  She'd respond "Hot".

At some point though, it became the word she thought would get her out of things.  Eating veggies...they are ALL now too "hot".  Touching a worm...it's unfortunately too "hot".  Oh what a simple little word for her.... it's like she's saying "I'd love to do what you're asking Mom/Dad but it's just too hot!". 

We're working on replacing "hot" with "no thank you".  But it doesn't seem to have caught on just yet.  So if she tells you it's "hot" just think "no thanks".

19 Months Smart

What change a month can bring.  I guess it's no different than what can happen for big people who are embarking upon transition.  But it just seems so much more substantial when someone is only 3 feet tall.

To be honest, I've been intimidated by this post and dragging my feet for days.  There have been so many things this past month that I wasn't sure where to begin or where to cut it off.  So feel free to mentally edit where ever and when ever you want.

Her 18th month ended with a visit to the doctor.  She's a whopping 35+ inches tall (99th percentile) and 28lbs (90th percentile).  She's moving into 3T clothing.  All developmental milestones are good.  It's really nice to have a positive medical trend growing.  We've read about all these crazy things that seem to come up the first two years of life that are not necessarily detectable at birth.  We are very grateful for every healthy visit and are even starting to pick up the pace of vaccines (we used an alternative schedule for the first year and half).

Her verbal and physical abilities were what really took a leap in the past month.  She's no longer looking like a baby, nor acting like one.  Little two word sentences appear here and there.  ("Hide More" when we're playing hide and seek, etc).

She is also making associations in a way that is not taught.  It's just the skill that comes with being human.  One morning her and I were on her bedroom floor.  Out of the corner of her eye, an abstract moon on a cloth book caught her attention.  She jestered and I acknowledged by calling out "yes, that's a moon".   Then she looked up, and pointed to another moon on a pillow sitting on a little chair.  Surprised, I cheered on her observation "Yes, that's a moon too!".  Watching her mind is like watching an engine slowly turn over for the first couple of seconds and then crank faster and faster, ending in a roaring purr.

She's also mastered opening zippers and plastic bags.  She's successfully been able to get shoes on while seated in her carseat.  She loves to color and has shown interest in coloring books more recently.  When really focused she can count to three ("one, du, tree").  And has started to know colors (blue is most popular but can, at times, point out red, yellow, purple, green).  She's mastered her advanced shape puzzle (with octagon, pentagon, trapezoid, etc).  She likes her Leapfrog Letter bus and repeats a lot of the letters they say.

I need take and post a picture (TBD)

Putting pants on is tough stuff

Ellie has been practicing lots how to clothe herself the last couple of days.  I just walked in to see her rocking this look.  In addition to the diaper and pants I put on her, she added another diaper and shorts.  The girl is prepared for the worst :-)