17 months

Note:I wrote this on her actual 17 month birthday, but forgot to post it.

It totally blows my mind, that in one month, Emily will be celebrating a half birthday! Time is flying by so fast! Emily is a sponge these days. She really listens to everything you say and is really absorbing it. She has learned a ton! We have had a rough week or so. Emily was sent home with a high fever last week. She was still acting super happy, but at one point her fever peaked at 103.4, which worried me. We took her to the doctor and it turned our that she had strep. Great. It took about 3 more days before her fever really broke. During that time, we snuggled a lot. She got a little spoiled because I was worried so much about her high fever, that I let her sleep with us. She really liked sharing my pillow with me and its seriously shocking that I didn't get strep myself because she literally was breathing directly in my face every night for 4 nights. As if that wasn't bad enough, the amoxicillian the doctor prescribed really upset Emily's tummy and without sharing too much, we have had some serious poopage in our house. Takes me back to the newborn days a little bit. She has been in the best mood though through it all.

This month:
*Emily seems to be growing. She is able to climb on things a little easier, which is hopefully a sign that she is getting taller. When we weighed her at the Urgent Care last week, she was still only around 21 lbs though. We are a little anxious to see how her 18 month appointment goes.

*She is still wearing size 3 diapers, but I think we are going to make the move to 4s when we run out. She's at the point where either would work, but the 4's may be a little more comfortable.

*She is still in 12 month pants, but they are getting short, so I will have to buy a size up soon and she's in 18 month shirts and size 4 shoes.

*Her hair is getting so long! I am not sure if I am going to let her bangs grow out, or if I should cut them. Some days she loves for her hair to be put up in pretties and sometimes she doesn't.

*Emily has mastered the tantrum this month. If things don't go her way, tantrum city. We do our best not to let her think that is ok, but sometimes it's not worth the battle to give in. It's definitely a balancing act.

*Emily loves to be outside. She could stay out there all day if I let her. We had a cold front come in, and Spring in NM=wind, so we are really looking forward to warmer, less windy days. I am thinking of getting her a little slide because she LOVES the one at school.

*This month Emily learned all about animals and their different sounds. She knows elephant, horse, dog, cat, bunny, sheep, chicken, duck. There are probably more that I don't know about. Her elephant impersonation is the best. I will have to get it on video. You can ask her what sounds each animal makes and she will tell you and if she sees them on TV, she will just start yelling out what their are and their noise.

*She also learned to say yes this month, well more like Ya!, but we will take it. At first she would say ya, to any question, but she is starting to get really good at understanding the difference between yes and no. This is huge for us. It is so nice to be able to ask Emily if she wants something and for her to say yes or no. Her communication skills are really developing these days, which has made it easier on both Emily and us.

*Emily for the most part is a good eater. I find that we offer her the same foods all the time, so I am working on variety. We struggle with vegetables, that is for sure, but it is getting better.

*Emily seriously amazes us every night with the words she learned during the day. Words we didn't even think she would be able to say! Like last night I was making dinner and she was watching me and she pointed and said "Broccoli". Clear as day. Sure enough, we were eating broccoli. She also knows hot and will let us know something is hot by saying and signing it.

*We are really working on saying Thank you and no thank you. She knows how to say both, and understands, but we really want to start teaching manners at a young age. This is important to us.

*She calls all the grandpas in her life Papa. It warms my heart. I wish she said it to them as much as she says it to us. She will see a picture of Paul, Robert or Larry and proudly announce, PAPA! She calls my mom Nani, and we are working on grandma for Sean's mom. We show her lots of pictures of her Aunts and Uncles and are working on all their names. For now, if you ask her to point to Aunt Koley, Aunt Rebecca, Uncle Rich, Aunt Jenn or Uncle Dan she will.

*I can't even tell you all the words this kid knows now. It's crazy. And she is really starting to do well at putting 2 words together.

*Recently Emily has become more attached to her "banket" and "mammy." (Any receiving blanket and Lamby of course). She also loves pillow pets to sleep on. She is so funny, she takes either the edge of her blanket, Lamby's arm, leg or ear, or the fur on her pillow pet, and she rubs it on the tip of her nose for comfort.

*Speaking of being attached to Lamby, she has become quite the mommy to him. She feeds him, gives him "mult-k" (milk), puts him down for nigh-nigh with a blanket, rubs his back, sings to him, and rubs his back. It is seriously the cutest thing you've ever seen.

*Em has mastered the spoon, although sometimes she just thinks her fist works better. It's still messy, but at least she gets the idea. She also is getting pretty good at eating with a fork. She eats with her left hand, which always makes me wonder if she will be a lefty, but I think I read somewhere that they don't develop a hand association until they are like 3 or 4, so who knows.

That's all I can think of for this month! I need to be better about updating more often and I am sure I will think of more.