15 Months Old!

Dear Evelyn,

Every morning you seem to wake up taller. You are suddenly very leggy and your face has lost some of it's baby chub. You are very much a little girl now, instead of a baby.

• You still enjoy giving kisses and hugs. Your new favorite interactions are high fives and fist bumps. The little girl next door asked you for a fist bump and you thought it was pretty much the best thing ever. So we've been working on it with you.
• For the first time ever, you have asked to go to bed. You picked up Erik Keaton (your Cabbage Patch doll) and took Momma's hand. Toddling towards the stairs, you made it clear that it was time to go to sleep. You were asleep within 5 minutes of laying down to nurse.

• You have a new bottom tooth. That makes 7 overall. You are currently working on quite a few teeth, including some molars, and it's made for some sleepless nights.
• You love waving and saying 'hi' to the world and people around you. You sometimes do a cute little wave where you hold your hand against your chin and wave. Sometimes you 'whisper' wave by waving just your index finger.
• You take pride in communicating with Momma and Daddy. You use sign language alot but you are always trying out new words. You have started to say 'lights' and 'hot'. You try to repeat people's names and words that Momma and Daddy tell you. Last night it was 'bites'. Last week you tried out 'love you'.
• You tell jokes in your baby language. You'll say a sentence and pause. Then another sentence. Pause. Punch line. And then you laugh at your own jokes. Sometimes it's a real laugh and sometimes it's the work laugh you use when you think something should be funny but you're not sure.

• Tickling is great fun, especially when you get to be the tickler. Daddy is one of your favorite people to tickle and to be tickled by.
• We're going to start teaching you how to use the potty soon. You have started letting us know when you have a dirty diaper. And on the occasions that you have an accident during diaper-free time, you are immediately concerned with letting us know so we can clean it up. Sometimes you try to clean it up yourself. My favorite times were when you ran across the room for a wipe so you could clean your bottom (this was my clue to check the nook where you had been playing for a mess) and the time when you were poised, water bottle in hand, to wash the mess away.
• We've created a play area on the porch for you with interconnecting rubber tiles. You think they are pretty fantastic. There are times you are so pleased with the tiles that you lay down and roll around. Or stand and 'stomp-stomp' your little feet in a happy dance.

• You say 'whoa' whenever you hear a burp or a fart. You even did it in your sleep the other day. You also say it whenever fast cars go by or when there are loud noises.
• Cleaning is a favorite pastime of yours. You will take a napkin and wipe your face, hands and then the table. You'll also use dish towels to wipe the floor and the noses of your toys.
• You had your toenails painted for the first time this month. Momma was painting her nails and you were very intrigued. She asked if you wanted some color and you sat patiently on her lap while she painted your toenails.

• You have an active imagination and it has been a delight to watch you pretend with your toys. Momma and Daddy often comment about how we wish we could see inside your head.
• When you want Momma or Daddy to come play or to help you with something, you pat a leg and then grab a finger and lead where you're headed. You are quite proud of your ability to get us where you 'need' us to be.

 Love you like the sun loves flowers and cookies love chocolate chips.

XOXO,

Momma