16 months

Livi, 16 months ago today, I lay snuggled up with you in my hospital bed. I held you in amazement - of many things - that I had just given birth, that you were finally here and I was looking at you face to face, and that I was finally a mommy. And 16 months later, here we are!

So - what's happenin' in your world these days????

You say several words: including your new favorite 'clock' aka "gock" in your little language. Other words include (but are not limited to): bye bye, dada, mama, hot, ball, duck aka "guck", "hi baby" (which you've heard us say to you), and poop aka "bup" and the latest thank you aka "denku", but your all time fav is apple aka "appah".
You eat so good! Although, lately you've been getting a little more picky. But you LOVE fruits of all kinds. You're pretty good with veggies and you really love steel cut oats for breakfast. I'm glad, cause I do too! You are still nursing about 3 times a day, although I am thinking about weaning you at around 18 months. I'd like to continue through flu/swine flu season so you continue getting those good antibodies, but I'm thinking 18 months is a good time. I've tried giving you cow's milk here and there and wow - you hate it. I think you may relate drinking milk out of a sippy when we left you around your year birthday (Colorado) and back in September (Vegas). So you may relate it to me leaving you (although you had breastmilk and not cows milk those times - but anyway).
You LOVE baths. We usually take them together. It's fun for both of us and I'm too scared to let you be in the tub by yourself cause you slip and slide all over too much.

You LOVE your stroller and you have really enjoyed accompanying me on my afternoon jogs. It's a great time of the day because you are usually pretty grumpy after you wake up from your p.m. nap and always just want me to hold you. Which, is fine by me, but it gets pretty stressful when I'm trying to get your dinner ready and I can't, SO, it works good to get out of the house with you so you can see the sites.

You LOVE reading books - and more so, us reading them to you. You will literally bring a book to me or your dad, hand it to us, and after we take it, you will immediately plop down on your bottom like, "Ok, I'm all ears, guys!" I take you to story time at the library and you really enjoy that. You just sit in my lap and listen, watch and learn the whole time. I cherish that time with you so much.

You LOVE your mama. You are still VERY clingy to me. You do fine going to other people and staying with others, but when I'm around, you are around me. You still want me to put you to bed and we aren't to the point yet to where I can put you in your crib and leave your room for your to go to sleep. You have to have 'us' time - you like me to hold you close and we stand and rock side to side. Sometimes, when I wonder when you will grow out of that, I try to remember how fleeting this time truly is and enjoy it.

You are SO smart! I am trying really hard to seize this small window of opportunity while you are just a little sponge to teach you as much as I can. You know so many farm animals and their sounds. I can also show you books and ask you questions like, "Where is the ball? The sunshine? The apples?" and you point to each one. In addition to this, I've been teaching you sign language and you know a lot of signs! You know milk, more, grapes, ball, hat, eat, washing hands, pear, and are currently learning mom and dad. The other day when we caught eyes with each other, to see what you'd do, I winked at you. You immediately caught on and tried to do it back. Instead, you blinked both your eyes at me. Now, anytime I wink at you, you know what to do back- it's like a little game to you. It is too precious to watch you learn these things.

Last week was our last Baby Yoga "Crawlers and Toddlers" class. I enjoyed that so much! It was more for me than for you, but you always did so well, for the most part. That is another memory I will hold close to my heart.

Another thing you've been doing lately is you think it's pretty hilarious to let Roxie give you kisses (licks) and you will bend down and open your mouth for her to lick you. It's pretty gross. But also pretty hilarious.

It melts your dad's and my heart ever since you've been giving us lip to lip kisses. It's the sweetest, most precious thing to us. You've been doing that for a while now (I'm sad I can't really remember when you started that), but I'd say probably since you were 14 months or so.

All I have to say is "Round and round in circles" and you start turning in circles. I kind of chant it with a little rhythm and you know to do your thing. It's pretty cute.

You've started dancing, if you can even call it that. You just kinda bend your knees bounce in place when there is music. But, again, makes us smile so big!

You've had two (semi serious, for a first time mom) accidents. Once where you fell under the wrought iron dining room table and you hit your forehead right smack on the edge. Your head bruised right up, but looked to me like internal bleeding, so I took you to the doctor but you were completely fine. Just a nice shiner. Then today! You tripped while trying to walk in your new shoes and you literally face planted and your top front tooth hit your lip pretty hard. You bled and screamed quite a bit so it scared mommy! But after you stopped crying and bleeding, I realized (with the help of other moms since we were at storytime) that you were ok.

My Olivia. You are one amazing little chicky. I am enjoying this journey that only you and I get to experience with each other. You as my first born baby and me as your one and only mother. I thank you already for being patient with me as I continue learning. These past 16 months (longer than that, if you count the pregnancy) have been the most challenging, adventurous, and yet THE most joyous time in my life. I can't wait to see what each day holds with you and I pray that God watches over you all your life. I am so blessed to be able to stay at home with and I thank your daddy for being so supportive. You are a precious girl and I love you more than you can imagine!