So Big!

Liv turned 15 months old the day we decided to move EVERYTHING from the "rental property" (as we began dubbing it) to our brand-new-to-us, first home. That being said, there aren't any good pictures, although the picture posted yesterday was taken on July 11th.

The difference between her now and 3 months ago is astonishing! She's walking all over, on the verge of running. She still keeps her hands up for balance, so her run is really a trot. She moves over, around, through, and under obstacles, which can be hilarious. And, as Miss K, her old daycare teacher put it, she is determined! When my Livie Lu sets her mind to something, there is absolutely no stopping her! Case in point: our recent visit to the Please Touch Museum when Olivia discovered the grocery store. She had it in her mind to put all the cans on the shelf in her cart, which she mostly did. However, on each shelf, located behind plexiglass, is the Model Can which is a way for kids and parents to know where to put each item once you're done. Well, Miss Thang started crying when she realized she couldn't get to the Model Cans... Mommy has a long row to hoe with this tiny tot! I'm posting the video (sans meltdown), which was taken 2 days shy of 15 months. Enjoy!

At 15 months, Olivia...

weighs 20 lbs. 12 oz. (although I don't think the measurement was accurate)

is 31 1/4 inches long

wears size 4 diapers

wears 12 months & 18 months clothing (especially if she needs to wear pants!)

eats food (no more baby food!) - favorites are 'nanas, hard-boiled eggs, & yogurt

feeds herself with a spoon... with about 50% accuracy

drinks water and soymilk from a sippy cup (we are graduating to a no-handles sippy cup tomorrow)

plays independently with toys

loves books and balls

loves Yo Gabba Gabba & Elmo

gives high 5s

blows kisses

says hi and bye on her own and when asked

pretends to eat play food, make pretends phone calls & waltzes around with purses on each arm

can touch/show her head, hair, eyes, ears, nose, mouth, teeth, arms, hands, fingers, legs, feet, and belly!)

says either by independently asking for or labelng somewhere between 40 and 50 words

most common words: 'nana, Melmo, book, ball, Mommy, Dada, 'nack, wawa, shoe, coocuh (cookie), kack kack (quack quack), roar

counts 1-2, followed by a whole lot of rhythmic babble!

reads books by pointing at the pictures and saying something (real or babble)

will point to large letters and intentionally babble... which sounds a lot like one-two (lol)

understands at least twice that number & follows many 2 step directions

follows routine directions, simple or complex

sings songs with recognizable tones, rhythm & hand motions (loves Row Row!)

can give animal sounds for a cat, dog, lion, monkey, bear, duck, cow, and sheep