18 Months Old!!!

Natalie is 18 months old! Wow! It really seems like she's been in our home so much longer than that. It's hard to even remember a time when she wasn't a part of our family!

Here are 18 things I never want to forget about Natalie at 18 months old:

*1* Her vocabulary is growing and it's so much fun! Her word choices are really random, too. She hasn't said "Fish" yet, but she'll hold up the alligator toy in the bathtub and clearly say, "Alligator!" Also, she hasn't said mouth or nose but she can say "Belly button" and point to hers or someone else's. It always cracks me up to hear her say it, too. It sounds like "Beddybujjah" or something.
Some other favorite words are: Ball, bath, kitty, hello, hi, bye bye, uh-oh, baby, and butterfly.

*2* She always has the same answer to any question we ask her. . . "Mmm-mmm" and shakes her head no. Doesn't matter what it is! She hasn't said No yet, though.

*3* She loves songs, being sung to, and dancing to music. She'll dance and spin around the room so much she gets dizzy and falls down in fits of laughter. I love the way she brings specific stuffed animals to me when she wants me to sing certain songs. She brings me Winnie the Pooh to hear his song, and a dolphin puppet to hear "Baby Beluga."

*4* She's SO addicted to sippy cups it's not even funny. She constantly tries to steal Kirsten's sippy cups, and so I give her her own and she just carries them everywhere. She climbs stairs with them and can usually be seen with someone's cup (not always her own!) in her hand. She's the biggest cup thief I've ever seen!

*5* She has always loved car rides, and with very few exceptions she's a complete angel in the car. She's happy to sit quietly and look out the window, and crying in the car is a rare thing for her. (Kirsten was never that way and it's nice!)

*6* Natalie finally started walking at 16 months, and she's pretty good at it now! When we're outside she still likes to be carried around though, and if you try to hold her hand and have her walk next to you she'll usually fall to the ground and cry. Frustrating!

*7* She really enjoys puzzles (even though she can't do most of them yet) and brings me toys all the time so I can help her turn them on or figure them out. Her favorite toy is probably the Busy Ball Popper, and she also loves Kirsten's small toys that she's really too young to play with, of course.

*8* She's much more of a Daddy's girl than Kirsten ever was! When Stephen comes home she screeches and smiles and rushes right towards him. If he doesn't pick her up right away, she gets really mad.

*9* Almost nothing makes Natalie happier than seeing our kitties. She ADORES them and would spend all her time next to them if she could. She can be mid-cry and see a kitty, and then she'll start laughing and saying, "Kitty!" Only one out of our three cats will let her get close enough to touch him, and she'll give him hugs and lay her head on him. Bless his heart, look at what our sweet Herbie cat endures from time to time. . .

(You can't really blame the other kitties for running away from her. But just check out that look of joy on her face! I'm glad we have another cat lover in the house. Doesn't Herbie look so thrilled?)

*10* She's so cute and fun when she's happy! But try to take something away from her that she wants to keep and WATCH OUT! This girl definitely knows what she wants and she's not afraid to let everyone know it.

*11* She hates to feel left out, and wants to be right in the center of all the action going on. Heaven forbid we give Kirsten anything she can't have too, or not give her as much attention as she wants.

*12* She loves to play outside, and has tons of fun on slides and swings and petting any and all animals. She also loves the water! Baths are one of her favorite things, and if there's a lake or a pool nearby she'll just walk right into it.

*13* The other thing (besides kitties and songs) that makes Natalie happy beyond all reason is FOOD. If she has food, she's usually a happy girl. She eats more than Kirsten does, and eats a lot more variety than Kirsten does too. I know this could change, but she's not a picky eater so far! Some of her favorite foods: All fruits, macaroni and cheese, yogurt, jello, hot dogs, potatoes, avocado, and cheese.

*14* She's also a messy eater! When she gets bored she'll just start throwing food off her tray or mashing it all up together and smearing it around. Just look what she did with the bowl full of blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries I gave her one day. PAINTED herself and her whole high chair with them!

*15* She has the cutest little laugh! I just love the sound of it!

*16* Natalie is loud. She just always has been. When she cries, it's like she could wake the dead. Kirsten always had such a quiet voice and still does, so it's been totally different having a girl with such a loud cry and a loud voice. I guess the middle child needs to be heard!

*17* She's a really great sleeper! She typically goes to bed around 7:30 or 8 and doesn't wake up until 9 or 10 the next morning. That's right. . . 10 am! Just like me, she's not a morning person! :) I just hope this continues.

*18* Just like her middle name, Natalie is such a joy! We absolutely love having her in our family! Happy 18 months, little girl!!!