I intended to write this at your year and a half mark, but somehow we are already 2 months past that point.
If I had to choose one word to sum up your personality at this stage it would be HAPPY.
Often when people spend just a little time with you, they comment on how smiley you are. You are so content "hanging out' around the house. Your nap often overlaps with Norah's a bit, but even once you are up your daddy and I can count on doing our own thing around the house while you keep yourself busy. You often spend your time doing the following things:
- Reading books - you hold them up and nod your head for emphasis while you "read." When you are done you say, "Ah gaaa" (all done).
- Playing with baby dolls - putting them in and out of the stroller, taking them on walks around the house, laying them down on the floor to take a nap while you pat and "shush" them, and just walking around hugging them.
- Buckling all of the buckles in both booster chairs and baby doll strollers. You haven't yet mastered unbuckling, but you have learned to say "Heppa" (help please) instead of simply fussing when you want them undone.
- Tinkering around in the playroom - getting in and out of the chairs, moving baby dolls and teddy bears around, putting leis on and off, etc.
Your daddy and I often comment to each other about how long you have been occupying yourself, but we're not always sure exactly what you have been doing.
You started calling Norah "Rara" several months ago, and in some ways it will be sad when you learn how to pronounce it correctly. When you first see Norah after she wakes up from her nap you lovingly say, "Raraaaaaaa!" while patting and rubbing her back as she tries to completely wake up. When we get you out of bed in the morning, the first thing you often ask is, "Rara?" When we tell you she is sleeping you say, "ssssssssss, sssssss" (shhhhh).
One of our only struggles with you is your wake-up time, which has been between 5:15 and 5:45 about 75% of the time for the past 4 months (or more). At one point we moved your bedtime back from 6:30 to 7PM, and while it seemed to work for several nights you soon reverted back. We never go in to get you before 6 or 6:15 so that we don't encourage the habit, but it doesn't seem to make a difference. You simply seem ready for the day. You and Norah both have white noise machines in your room, but daddy and I just got one for our room as well and used it last night (this morning) for the first time. We won't sleep with it on all night, but as soon as we hear you before 6AM we'll turn it on. This morning daddy slapped it on at 5:45, and the next thing I knew we woke up at 6:45 to the sound of your cries. Our white noise machine was accidentally set to automatically go off, so we have no idea whether you were crying that entire hour, or had just started up again (and frankly don't care!).
We can't think of anything to do differently, since getting you to bed later than 7PM is a struggle - whenever that happens you seem to be overtired and having a hard time settling down. We chalk your early wake-up time up to being a phase and cross our fingers it doesn't last much longer.
No matter how hard it is to wake up to your cries every morning I look forward to getting you out of bed. You always wrap your arms around my neck and lay your head on my shoulder, eager to cuddle for a while before we start our day.
Your daddy and I joke that you are the most polite 1 1/2 year old. We rarely have to remind you to say thank you when we hand you something. The other day at breakfast Norah got your milk for you and you said, "Ta-too Rara" (Thank you, Norah).
You continue to be a good eater, to say the least. No matter where you are in the house when we call for you to come sit in your chair you come running and squealing with joy. You eat everything but anything that is green on your plate. When you ask for more we insist that you finish whatever is left on your plate. You typically protest by crying and pushing your dishes away, but as soon as we bust out the washcloth to wash your hands and face you quickly pull your dishes closer while saying, "MY!" (mine). Down the greens go and you are asking for more.
The red flags from the pediatrician at your 12-month check up were gone at your 18-month visit. Your stats:
Height: 34" (92nd percentile)
Weight: 27 lb, 8 oz (82nd percentile)
I guess this is why you are in 24 month and 2T clothes!
You and Norah usually play really well together. When mommy and daddy are getting ready in the morning you like to play "pillows," which is using our big pillows as napping mats. You move them around the room, read books, and pretend sleep on them. Norah leads, and you usually willingly follow. We all know immediately when you don't want to do something Norah requests...
...and she usually does a good job of working with you to figure it out.
The two of you also like to push baby dolls around in the strollers (much peace has been found in our house since we got a second one for Christmas), ride around on your "cars," read books, and play in your tunnel.
You are starting to learn how to count, and it often involves pointing your finger. Your sister hasn't been in a lot of timeouts lately, but on a few occasions recently when I have started counting for her I say "one" and you follow with "two."
I often ask you, "Macy, do you know that mama loves you?" and you nod your head with a big smile on your face. I follow it up with, "Do you know daddy loves you," and "Do you know Rara loves you?" and each time your head bobs affirmatively. This has become a daily exercise.
Your favorite songs are "Twinkle, Twinkle," Wheels on the Bus," and "Moon, Moon, Moon." It was a few months ago that we were first able to recognize that you were singing "Twinkle, Twinkle." Norah and I often sing it, allowing you to sing the last word of every line. Whenever anyone mentions the word sing we hear, "Up-a-ba-ba...."
Macy Girl, you light up a room with your smile. You are SO cuddly, often giving out hugs and (open-mouth) kisses. You and your sister adore each other, which absolutely warms my heart. While you are expressing your opinion more and more you remain a sweetheart through and through.
Mama loves you very much!
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