Elise at 18 Months

Oh, my little bitty one! 18 months already? It's gone so quickly. You keep us all on toes, no question! We love your little sass cat ways and all the chaos you love to create. We adore you!

Here's what you're up to at 18 months old:

-You're an outside baby, no question. You scream to be let outside several times a day.

That's one way to keep your clothes from getting wet!

-You are quite possessive of things you think are yours. Or should be yours. Or are Aaron's. You love getting Aaron upset!

Yelling at Catherine for touching "your" waterbottle.

All ready for school with your (actually Aaron's) backpack.

-Nursery was an easy transition for you. I think it was because I had been bringing you in to do singing time in there with me for a few months. Nursery was also your favorite door to look into while you were walking the halls with Dad. We had a little "first day of nursery" photo shoot when we got home:

I love your red hair with that yellow dress!

-I was worried about your speech. Not too long ago you could only say one word: "Dada." But just before you hit 18 months you picked up a few ew words: "uff" (woof, for dog), "shhuh" (shoe), and, your personal favorite, "no." "No" is the answer to all questions right now. You also love to say "Hi!" to everyone who passes by but will still only wave to say goodbye. You now say "cheese" for pictures, which is hilarious. Our favorite is "Hey, baby!" You say, "heh buh-bee" and it's adorable. 

-You are quite sure you're one of the big kids and insist on doing things yourself. Even if it means disaster. 

It's not blood, it's paint. On a Blood.

Water tables are for standing in, obviously.

-You are still an early napper (around 11 or 12) and usually give me around 2 hours. Bedtime is between 7 and 8, wake-up is between 6:30 and 7:30. You've been fighting your sleep; kicking and screaming when we say "bed" or start carrying you upstairs. You've also been waking up usually once or twice a night crying until Dad comes and covers you with a blanket. I think your dad is just a sucker for you. 

You found this pacifier somewhere.

Thankfully you were only interested for a few minutes. 

-You are very self-entertaining, especially if given a drawing utensil. You and your clothing are constantly covered in marker or pen. Sometimes it's the only thing that keeps you happy and I just have to let it go...

You are our sweet dinosaur kitten. You wreak havoc on the house but you also insist on putting all the shoes away yourself and putting the clean dishes on the table when I'm emptying the dishwasher. You love pestering Aaron and you love screaming while your siblings chase you. You still cry when you see Daddy walking out of the house without you (even if it's just for a moment). Love you, little cat.