16-month update

So much has happened since I last updated ... I don't even remember the last Kaylee update.  I've been relying on videos and pictures to document the summer adventures.  Well, our lil' Kaylee is definitely growing and learning every day.  I must state that even though this stay-at-home gig is tiring it has been awesome to observe this little person evolve.  Her mental and physical development is just incredible.  I can't say enough on how amazing it is to watch her grow.

So what can she do now ... well let's summarize.

Words she can say, clearly and not so clearly:
~ cat
~ dog
~ hat
~ socks
~ dadda
~ duck
~ hot
~ stuck
~ up
~ back
~ snake
~ bubble (right now she only says bub)
~ doll
~ snack
~ banana
~ truck

* Kaylee stopped saying momma.  Don't know why?  Oh well.


Words she can sign in ASL:
~ more
~ hot
~ hi / bye
~ kiss
~ mom (while watching her v-baby video)
~ dad (while watching her v-baby video)
~ monkey
~ fish
~ milk
~ bird
~ elephant (sometimes)
~ all-done
~ airplane
~ car
~ please

Other forms of communication:
~ "aagh" for drink
~ smacks her lips when she is hungry
~ claps when happy
~ gives high-fives to congratulate you or herself
~ she will meow for cat, try her best to roar for lion, and sometimes buzz for bee
~ head butts Curtis, I guess that is their "kiss"
~ grabs your finger or anything that she can get a hold of to take you where she wants you to be

Things she can identify:
~ nose
~ ears
~ hair
~ eyes
~ belly button
~ feet/toes
~ many animals from dog and cat, to snake and bird
~ her family and friends

There are so many more things she can identify, too many to list, and she tries so hard to put the sounds together to make the word.

Before Kaylee could say "up" she would notion to you that she wants to be picked up by coming up to you and putting her arms out.  Now she just comes up to you and says up, but she also says up when she wants to be put down, so we are working on that.

Kaylee uses the word "back" to indicate returning the item to its original place.  For example I can tell her to put her toys back in the box, and she will do a decent job at doing that.  Yesterday she was playing with a contoller that she pulled out of a drawer, she then dropped it and proceeded to follow me, I told her she had to put it back before we went upstairs and she did just that.  It was very cool to see that she understood me, and that she remembered exactly where it belonged.  A favorite thing for her to put back is her drink.  She always wants to put it back into the fridge, and then linger in front of the fridge with the door open as if she is thinking of what she wants to eat.  I try and convince her that I need her help to close the door, it sometimes works and she'll close the door with no fuss.  Other times she gets mad at me, oh well.

The word "stuck" is often used when she needs help with something.  She needs help because she is physically stuck (leg in crib or finger in VCR), or something is stuck or difficult to get a hold of.

Physical skills:
~ Walk down the 2 steps into the loft without assistance
~ Amazing balance, as seen in the video of her standing on Curtis's back.  She tries to stand up on us all of the time.
~ Getting more comfortable walking down the stairs by holding on to the wall and/or a finger.  But then there are times she just refuses to walk down and will demand to be picked up.
~ Obviously loves to dance, and understands that music is something you dance to
~ Pushes the step stool to the kitchen counter and will stand on it to see what I am doing (nobody showed her how to do this, she just did it)

Kaylee wants to try everything her friends Addy and Austin do, which is great ... sometimes.  It encourages her to try new things, but it is scary at the same time since she doesn't have the same skills.  But it does make me proud when she climbs up the stairs to the slide and does down without much hesitation.  And it is adorable when she tries to do a somersault.  I think it is time I get her in some organized and structured activities.

Other stats:
~ wears size 4 shoe
~ wears size 3 diaper
~ not quite 20lbs yet
~ has grown taller,
~ loves to eat anything that you have

Current interests:
~ no longer afraid of bubbles, she now demands them ... bub!
~ Elmo and Blue's Clue videos
~ anything about dogs, if she hears a dog bark she'll say dog, if she wants to see our neighbors dog she'll say "dog, dog, dog", she just loves dogs!
~ belly buttons, she pulls up her shirt to find her belly button
~ books, loves books


So our baby is growing and learning everyday.  As parents we are growing and learning with her.  She asks for Curtis (dada) whenever I make her do something she doesn't want to do, such as going to bed.  She knows that the Dodge Ram is Dada's truck, and associates video game football with Curtis.  She loves knowing where he is, and knowing that he is nearby.  This past week Kaylee has become more attached to Curtis.  She asks for him more frequently, especially around 3pm.  Lately, we've been waiting outside to watch him drive up.

As for me, my patience is tested everyday.  I have good hours and bad.  Of course there are more good hours than bad, but there are moments when all I want to do is pull my hair out.  But then I kick myself out of the mood and remind myself how lucky I am.