18 months

My baby girl is 18 months old today!
Seriously, 18 months old is the best. I've found myself saying this at every milestone... "O, I love 3 months old she's babbling to me!..... o wow 6 months old, she's sitting up on her own this is the best..." etc. But seriously, I mean it this time, this is the best. She is learning so many new words every day, the list is huge.  She may look like her daddy, be even tempered like him, but she talks excessively a perfect amount, and that my friends is from me.
These days she is testing more boundaries, needing more "re-direction" as our babysitter calls it; occasionally hitting, or pinching but we are working on it, and I know it's all part of her learning about life and the world around her.

A little bit about what my 18 month old peanut loves these days:

• Elmo- she could watch Elmo all day (although we don't let her), she loves Elmo p.j.'s, toys, books, anything Elmo and she is sold.
• Books- She has a favorite book with pictures and words under them and her favorite thing is to sit with me and have me ask her, "what's that" or, "where's the boat, hat, ball" etc. The smile she gets when I tell her, "yes! Good job, that's the hat!" is priceless.. so proud, this girl.
• Outside- I think if she could, she would live outside. When she is outside it doesn't matter if she has a toy or anything to play with, the girl just RUNS! She runs and laughs, and laughs and runs. The faster she runs the louder her laugh. She is just generally happier if she is outside, and truth be told, so am I.
• People- She is one to favor her mom and dad when she is sleepy or sick, but other than that, she loves her friends at daycare, she loves her aunts, her grandparents, or anyone driving by or passing us at the grocery store. She is a stranger to no one. In her littler heart, every single person she sees deserves a smile and a wave, and I absolutely love her for that.

Every day is something new, she can dry her hands after washing them with little help, she took a head dive off of the chair yesterday (minimal tears, no blood, she is good), and her new found love is flushing her potty (Elmo potty of course). There is no element of life this little girl is not exploring, and it is so incredibly fun.

I am thankful every single day for this baby girl I've been given. I know it's all been said before, but she is so much joy. 18 months... the most wonderful 18 months of my life.