18 Months

18 months ago today our little Mary was born! I usually have this feeling that the day just happened yesterday, but for some reason I feel like Mary has been here for much longer than 18 months. I don't know if it's because she is so smart or if it's because she has always been apart of me and apart of our family - even before she was born. We love her so much and she definitely keeps us on our toes. She loves to challenge us and we can already tell that she is going to be like that her entire life. It is just who she is. She has to learn things the hard way. For example, the fiasco with her falling off the bed. That same situation happened again with her high chair. She was standing up in it and I told her she was going to fall, but she kept standing up. If I had gone over and put her down she would have thrown a massive fit. So, I decided to let her learn this one the same way she learned about the bed. I stood there and told her that she needed to sit down because she was going to fall and it was going to hurt. She looked at me and shook her head "no". Not two seconds later she lost her balance and fell. She caught herself on the way down, so she didn't hit too hard. Now, when she stands up in her chair I immediately tell her to remember when she fell and how much it hurt and she sits down. I love this characteristic about her, but I also hate it. I'm not 100% sure who she gets her stubbornness from. I would say Neil, but he would probably say me. So, she probably gets it from both of us. :)

Here are some random little things about Mary at 18 months:

• Whenever I or Neil walk into a room she greets us with a HUGE smile and cheer that we are there. This happens even if we've just walked out of the room and walked right back in. I love how she is always so happy to see us.


• She doesn't like it when Tyrus wants to cuddle with Mama. If he is in my lap she will walk over and start pulling on his legs or pulling his hair. We are currently trying really hard to put a stop to this.


• She loves to dance and shake her booty. She gets her rhythm from Neil - no question about that - I have none.


• She loves to perform "If you're happy and you know it...". She even performed it for Neil's family last Friday night. She used to throw her hands up in the air when you say "hooray", but she stopped doing that for some reason. She does the clapping and the stomping and she points to her face when "your face will surely show it" is said.


• She hates to have her diaper changed. Now, Sharon will say that is not true. I think it's true only for me and Neil.


• She also hates getting dressed. Neil and I actually fight over who will have to dress her. She screams and kicks and twists. It's a workout!


• She loves Popsicles. She would eat them all day long. They are the cure to any boo boo.


• She naps for Sharon everyday, but refuses to do so on the weekends. I'm not sure if she's afraid she'll miss something or what it is, but we've basically stopped trying.


• However, she sleeps great at night. Her bedtime is around 8:00. We kiss Tyrus good night and then we go into her room and show her that "Glowy" and her Sea Horse are ready for bed (turn the music on) and then we lay her down awake. She usually will go right to sleep and not make another sound for 12 hours. Occasionally, she will fuss and we may have to go get her, but it usually only take 5 minutes and she's back down.


• She loves to "help" Mama and Dada clean up. When she spills something on the floor she will say "ut oh" and ask for a napkin or a rag so that she can wipe it up.


• She can put her shoes on. Sometimes she'll put them on the wrong foot, but she knows what she is doing.


• She brushes her teeth.


• When she's hungry she will climb up into her booster chair, at the kitchen table, and ask us for something to eat. This is very new and she's only done it a couple of times.


• She loves to warn us when something is "hot". When we open the oven she will immediately wave her hand and say "Ha". She even does this if the bath water is a little too warm.


• She can say "Dada", "Mama", "Bubba", "Moo Moo" (LuLu) or any dog, "Ha", "up"


• She is in the grunting stage where she grunts and points at things when she wants something.


• She adores Tyrus and always wants to do everything that he does.


• However, when she gets sleepy she takes it out on Tyrus. That's usually our sign that it's bedtime - when she starts beating him up.


• She loves a camera and will usually smile really big when you point it at her - I love this about her! :)

I'm sure that I could write a ton more things about her, but I have to stop somewhere. She has a doctors appointment coming up so I'm excited to hear her weight and see if any of it has fallen off now that she is so mobile.