19er

People. We've got some problems. Hitting, biting, swatting, NO-ing, whining, tantrum-ing, attitudey-ness, and insert other dreadful toddler behaviors here. I'm not joking when I say it's a damn good thing she's cute. And honestly, she really is so cute. Sometimes I just want to smoosh her face and eat her up. But MY GOD she is a challenge. I love her spunk, but holy wow there is a LOT of it. She's still sweet and silly and snugly (sometimes) and thoughtful and funny. But she has a mean streak and it can come at the most inopportune times dude. Like, mostly in the middle of quiet, peaceful Montessori class. Or whenever we do something she doesn't want us to do or ask her to do something she doesn't want to do. Basically whenever something isn't quite going her way. Yeah, then. However, I know it's developmentally appropriate, yada yada, a phase, it will pass, etc. etc. That doesn't really help when she's basically attacking me in front of 10 other toddlers and moms who are staring at me wondering why I can't control my 20 lb child. Oh hey how about YOU GIVE IT A GO.

So, that's happening. We say no, tell her it's not nice, show her the "ow-ee" and move on. Occasionally I'll take her for some quiet time, if that's doable. Basically it sucks. Here's hoping she learns quickly and learns to express her frustration in another way.

She is strong-willed. And freakishly strong. And confident. And headstrong. And other strong things. She will do what she wants to do when she wants to do it. But I'm thisclose to teaching her to say "I love you," so there is THAT.

She's picking up new words every day. Including shit. WHOOPS. Who said that?! She will repeat most of what you ask her to say, in her own way of course. She's got a few of what I refer to as her "universal words." Haven't quite identified what they mean yet but they sound like, "Shasha" and "Ceci." This morning, completely unprompted, she pointed my mouth and said, "mouth," then pointed to my eye, ear, and hair and identified them correctly. I was slightly to majorly (absurdly) excited. She says lots of other stuff too and it's so fun to hear her little teeny voice. My favorite new word is, "Yeah," which she actually says quite a lot. I guess she's a keeper.

Oh, and she likes wearing hair bows! Which is a double bonus because it means she actually has enough hair to wear a bow!

Okay! Pictures!

{Our new "view." Womp, womp.}

{Off to collect berries in Bebe's garden.}

{She ate them all.}
{She freaks.}
She climbs stairs solo. {And standing now!}

{She cheeses it up for Daddy.}
{She kisses boys. (?!)}
{She goes to big kid birthday parties.}
{She walks in heels better than me.}
{She plays with her cousins.}
{She shows giraffe a picture of a giraffe.}
{"MmmmmmmAH"}
{She grows up.}