18 months old!

Nora is 18 months old!

These teddy pics are getting harder and harder to get!!  She's always on the move...but I think I got a few cute ones of her loving on Rufus, her teddy.

Nora had her 18 month check up today and she did great.  She cried and bit and was super clingy on mommy (but that's normal since she started daycare), but she cooperated for the most part.  Dr. Garza said she looks great and she's starting to even out in size now, although she's still big for her age.

Weight: 31 lbs (>100%)

Length: 33 inches (86%)

Head: 19 3/4 inches (>100%)

 So basically she's a big girl, but she's getting more proportional now and looks more and more like a little girl, and not a baby anymore!  She's wearing 24 month and 2T clothes and a size 5 1/2 shoe.  She tummy is always hanging out :)  I love it!  Nora's also finally getting some hair and there seems to be a bit of curl in the back!  Yay!!  She doesn't have much hair on top of her head yet, but it's coming in fast in the back. She and Amelia love to play with Nora's hair bows (that she won't wera anymore).  Nora loves shoes.  She always chooses her shoes in the morning and one of her favorite things to do while I shower is to take my shoes off their rack, try them on, then throw them in my hamper.  

Nora loves to puts things in the hamper, the trash, inside cups, lunchboxes, in drawers...basically any nook that she can fit something in.  Developmentally, she's meeting and exceeding all of her milestones, except talking.  Although she "talks" all the time, she doesn't really say that many actual words.  She should be saying 8-10 words at this age and she doesn't quite do that.  She does sign a bit (eat, more and all done) and she has many things she communicates with sounds (uh huh with a nod and uh uh with a head shake).  

The words she does say consistently are

mama

dada

up

down

done

guppies

I am pretty sure she has also said

Amelia

star

dog

This girl keeps us on our toes for sure!  She loves dancing and when we sing.  She loves to hug her baby dolls and drive them around in her cart or their stroller.  She picks up any phone she can find and pretends she's talking (but she doesn't say hi or bye - just waves).  Her absolute favorite thing is jumping!  She is a jumping bean!  She is almost ready to transition to a toddler bed, mostly because she is getting pretty big for her crib.  I think we're going to take the side off the crib when we get back from our vacation.  That should be fun.

Nora also loves to read.  At bedtime we always read a story (or 2 or 3) and she gets to choose the books now.  Her favorites are:

Miss Spider's Tea Party by David Kirk

Any of the Llama Llama books by Anna Dewdney

Count to 10 with a Mouse by Margaret Wise Brown

Anything by Kevin Henkes

She's been transitioning to daycare fairly well, except for the super clingy stuff.  She cries when I leave her (but not for long) and she cries when I pick her up (but again, not for long at all!)  She seems to really enjoy herself when she's there though.  She plays with the other kids and she loves to color!

She's pretty amazing and we could not be happier with our little Nora!