Leila

My little bug is almost 19 months old now! Just thought I would take a quick minute to update with some of her silliness.A month ago I put her hair in piggy tails for the first time. They were cute. Didn't last long, but cute. She has worn them a couple of times since...don't last long, but they are dang cute while they do.

My little baby isn't such a baby anymore...she is definitely more on the side of a little girl now. She chit chats all day long, but more recently, we can decipher some of what she says. bup bup = sippy cup bawk bawk = chicken (basically anything to eat) weeb woo = love you (says it mostly when she talks to daddy on the phone or when she is going to sleep at night.) night night = night night pweese? = please tay you = thank you awemuss = awesome hot daw = hot dog beebee = baby (that she whispers every time) poopoo = poo poo (she usually goes to a corner or in another room, comes back and reaches toward her diaper with her legs bent and says it. Lately, she has started laying down ready to get her diaper changed - we are lovin that.) Is that a sign she is ready to start potty training? dodo = koko (as in koko Samoa. Yes, she drinks it. Yes, she loves it. Yes, she is her father's child.) Ew = Ew (mostly if someone farts, or if she picks her nose. smart girl huh?) Doy = Troy (which she yells down the stairs at my parents house) dabba dabba = Gabba Gabba (as in YO! - all you moms know what I'm talking about.) Shhh - with her finger to her lips. Other words she says (or variations of but most people can figure out what she is saying) = turtle, purple, NO, up, hot, many animal sounds, and more and more each day becoming understandable. Although she doesn't communicate fully with words, she can definitely communicate and get her point across. She is VERY independent. Wants to walk up and down stairs without help, standing up, and sometimes not holding on to anything. Has started jumping off of small elevations. Gives kisses to most who come or leave the house. Loves "high fives and bump it". LOVES to dance. She just can't control herself sometimes with her shoulder shakes. She laughs a lot. Surprisingly very quiet most of the time...just wanders around playing with things here and there. Started to do somersaults on her own - correctly. She is VERY strong. Has EXTREMELY good balance. Starts to try to comb her own hair. Learning to "clean up." Very good at copying people's actions. Takes things to the garbage. Understands most of what we ask her to do (basic stuff.) LOVES to go to nursery. LOVES to go to the babysitter. LOVES to be around people. She gets very bored at home and when she gets bored she gets bratty. Wants to be outside as much as possible. Knows that grandpa is the one who takes her to feed the fish in his pond in the back yard (also where she learned "turtle.") If we are with my family, this is who Leila goes to in this order: Daddy, Grandpa, Uncle Troy, Grandma, then if no one else is available, then me. I'm glad she is willing to have other people hold her and take care of her. It makes life so much easier for me. At night when she goes to sleep (in her big girl bed that she has been in for the past 6-8 months) she wants me to lay down with her. She lays down, grabs her blanky and doggy, then points at the pillow next to her for me to lay down. Then comes a series of kisses and "weeb woo" exchanges. Then she eventually rolls to her left side then falls asleep. Although I wish I could just lay her down and have her fall asleep without me there, I cherish those moments. Being a working mom, I only spend a few hours a day with her. So that 10-30 minutes of laying beside her, letting her know that I'm there for her no matter what, is priceless. Leila is so smart, so sweet, so funny, so active, so brave, so strong, so silly, so creative, so beautiful, so athletic,...I'm so blessed to be her mom. She brings such a sweet Spirit when she is around. I said before, she is my Mary Poppins baby, "Practically Perfect in Every Way." Love you Leila bug.