15-months-old

This little girl is 15-months-old! She is growing so quickly. Last week, we went to the doctor for her check-up and here are her stats:

weight - 23 lbs. 4 oz (50%)

height - 31 inches (50%)

More than anything, Mark and I have been surprised at how much she can understand now. We are able to give her simple verbal instructions now that she can completely follow. For example, the other day I handed her Mark's iphone and told her to go give it to Daddy. She searched for him through the house, found him, and handed him the phone, without any other instructions. She thrives on routine and we are trying to establish a routine for just about every daily activity that we have. For example, at the end of bath, I say "It's time to get out" and start to drain the tub. She knows that is her cue to start cleaning up the bath toys. When they are put away I count to three, she stands up, and I pick her up out of the tub. Having these routines makes my life easier, and I'm sure they do hers too because she knows what to expect. She can understand so much more than she can say. That has definitely led to temper tantrums these past 2 months or so. She might be trying to communicate something to us, but we don't understand. Or more commonly, throwing herself on the ground is the only way she knows how to express her frustration. We continue to try to feed her the words to say and have done a lot of ignoring of tantrums. I have also started saying things like, "I don't pick up little girls when they are throwing a fit. If you want to stop crying and be sweet, Mommy will hold you." This doesn't always work the first time, but she usually will calm down, then I will pick her up.
This little girl is a Mommy's girl these days. If she is playing with Daddy or anybody else in a different room, she is happy. But, as soon as I walk into the room, she drops everything and wants to be held by me. She has also started sitting on the kitchen counter a lot and watching me work or cook because otherwise she just cries at my feet.

Charlotte has quite a fun little personality, as well. She doesn't talk very much, but she can say these words: hello, bye-bye, mama, dada, nana (for banana), here you go (she says it all slurred together into one word), Oreo (our cat's name), night-night, up, and ball. Charlotte loves to make people laugh. Just last week Mark's whole family was at his parents' house around the dinner table and she decided to be the "table clown". She would hold her breathe until her face turned red, and then let out a funny laugh. Well, it was so hilarious that everyone couldn't stop laughing at her. She kept doing it for a good 5 minutes before we told everyone they had to start ignoring her or she would never stop! She is still a huge fan of music and loves to dance and move to it. She loves to try to do all of the hand motions to every song we sing. We make up a lot of motions just so she will do them, because it is so cute to watch. Throwing a ball back and forth or just around the house is still one of her favorite activities. She also loves chasing the cat, although Oreo will usually quickly find a hiding place that Charlotte can't reach. Blues Clues is her favorite TV show. She will sit and watch a whole episode and be very content. Finally, she has become a reader. She loves her books and will pick one out and plop down in your lap several times a day for you to read to her. She also loves sitting by the book basket and looking through her books. She will do this for a good 10-15 minutes by herself. She has started recognizing animals in books. She can point to a cat, mouse, butterfly, bee, and ladybug. Others she can usually get with a little prompting are dog, cow, horse, pig, sheep, and goat.

Mark and I are so blessed to be able to spend the summer with her. I couldn't imagine not having this time off together. It is definitely a huge bonus of the profession with both chosen. I look forward to the future with joy and can't wait to see what Charlotte will do next!