McKlayne: 18 Months

Some of you wise, older women encouraged me to document this time of motherhood-what the kids are doing, the things they are saying, how they are growing and learning.  So, I am hoping to keep a better record-both written and through pictures and video...if my video camera ever gets fixed.  For now the digital camera quality will have to suffice.

(Ryan, we really can't thank you enough for these precious pictures.  We will forever cherish them.)

Baby girl, I cannot believe that you are 18 months old!  How quickly you have grown and are becoming not-so-babyish anymore.  In some ways you still act like much more of a baby than Asher was at this age (and for this I am grateful) maybe because when he was 18 months old, you were the new baby?  But, in others, it seems as if you are doing things that he just began doing in the last several months. You love to imitate most everything that he does!

Look how tiny you were:

(If you are feeling left out right now because you never received one of these of our hairy little monkey, don't fret! No one did.  I still have a pile of 50 of them sitting in a box somewhere.  I never got around to mailing them and when I found them again, McKlayne was 6 months old.  Awesome, right?  Ave asked me how I got so lucky to always have amazing photographers as friends...I don't know!  But I love them.  Lyns did these before she "retired." This was just one of about a hundred good ones...I don't think I ever got to posting these either because I didn't want to ruin the surprise before I sent the birth announcement. I should win mother of the year.  Maybe for her second birthday I can post them or something.  Someone remind me.)

You two love to imagine...most of the time this is initiated by Asher, but sometimes you take the reigns and begin the game: you pretend like you are dogs while you crawl around on your knees, pant, whine, bark and lick me or each other.  You puppies love to get your head or behind your ears scratched and often beg me for "treats" or water in bowl on the floor.  You little monkeys like to climb and bounce all over the furniture, point to bananas and say, "Ou Ou, Ah Ah." (Though you only manage the "Ah Ah," right now.)  You two are also ferocious little tigers that "roaaar" and giggle when you scare me.

For some reason, your favorite "show" (as you say) right now is Go, Deigo, Go!  You, often request "Diego" or "Mickey" when given the choice of want you want to watch.  Maybe you like Diego because Asher prefers it over any other show, right now?  When I turn it on, you excitedly look at him and say, "Asher, Diego!" Asher pretends like he is "Diego" and calls you, "Alicia" which is appropriate since that is Diego's daredevil sister from the show.  Throughout the day Asher will say, "Come on, Alicia, let's go save the {always a different animal}" and you will follow behind him down the hall back to his room.

You are, for sure, his faithful sidekick.  You love that boy will all that is in you.  If you are the first to awake from your nap, you always try to say "Asher!" loudly to wake him up as we walk by the closed door to his room.  But then you enjoy our cuddle/book time....whether it lasts 5 or 20 minutes before he wakes up.  As soon as your hear him waking, you jump out of my lap and run down that hall towards his room, ready to greet him with a hug and turn your cheek, so he can kiss you.  What a princess you are.

Your vocabulary has really taken off in the last month. (This is where I definitely think you differ from Asher.) "Uh" means "Uh Huh/Yes" although you also, very firmly, say "No" most times that you're asked a question...even if you do mean yes.  You will repeat almost anything or any name that you are asked to repeat...and, often, it is surprisingly clear.

Before bedtime/naptime you will put your hand up to your face and call out, "Paci, are you?  Bankie, are you?" (Paci, where are you? Blankie, where are you?)  When you spot them, you will dive out of my hands towards them and say, "Air you are!" (There you are!) with a little giggle.  When asked, "Who wants ------?" You raise your hand and say, "I do!"  If I am sitting with my legs crossed, you come over and hop on my leg and say "pane-errr, errr" (wanting to me to give you an airplane ride, sound effects and all.)

You clearly identify and say others things without prompting like "Asher," "Mama," "Dada," "backpack," "shoes," "book," "cute," "more," "stinky," "diaper," "hot," "baby," hat," "boot," "stuck," "help," "bow," "oww," "tiger,"  "cacker" (cracker), "pease" (please), "tank ou" (thank you),  "dink" (drink), "bi-t-min" (vitamin), "chee" (cheese), "side" (outside).

You are eager to help Momma out around the house.  You jump up to throw away your diaper each time I finish changing you.  As soon as I ask you to clean up your toys, you immediately obey and start singing the "clean up" song.

You love all things girly:
- Playing with baby dolls: burping them, feeding them in the highchair, putting them in the carseat, pushing them in the shopping cart and rocking them.  You are going to be such a good Mommy.
-Playing with your new dollhouse.
-Accessories: You love necklaces, earrings, and shoes (I am not sure where you got this one because I would have to say that accessorizing is my fashion weakness.)  You bring your boots to me every time you see that Asher or I am wearing boots.  And point to them saying, "Cute! Cute boots!"  Probably due to all the compliments you get while wearing them.

I mean, they are pretty, darn cute! Especially on those chunky legs.

The other day during Family Worship as we were quizzing Asher on his scripture memory, he had gotten stuck in the middle of  Matthew 22:37.  As I prompted him with "Lord your God," you finished with an emphatic "all your heart, all your soul, and mind."  You also know the answer to the first catechism question from Truth & Grace, "Who made you?"  "God made me."

I'm so thankful God made you, Naneybop! You are such a sweet gift to this family.  We would not been the same without you.