15 Months

Little Mia, you are 15 months old today!
Here's what's been going on:

• You weigh 21 pounds



• We don't have another doctor's appointment until the beginning of August, so I'm not sure of your length, but you've had a massive growth spurt over the last couple months. The shorts that were below your knees at the beginning of June are now a good inch above the knee.

• You are wearing size 3 diapers

• You wear shoes everytime we go outside because you love to walk EVERYWHERE. You've recently grown out of size 3 shoes, but are not quite a size 4 either. Too bad they don't make a 3.5.

• You are wearing 12 month clothing.

• The teeth are coming in fast and furious now. You have 6 on the top and 6 on the bottom, for a total of 12. 4 of these are molars and they seem to have given you more trouble than any other teeth that have come in previously. You are constantly chewing on your fingers.

• Shortly after your first birthday, you cut out your morning nap. You now take 1 nap a day, from 1-3pm.

• We've just about weaned you from the bottle. You have milk in your sippy cup first thing in the morning, water in the sippy cup throughout the day, and then a bottle right before bed. I hope to wean you off of this last bottle soon, but have been holding off because this summer has been crazy so far, and the bottle at bedtime is more of a comfort than anything else. Once things settle, we'll get rid of that bottle, too.

• You eat ALL THE TIME. You love sausage, toast, and yogurt for breakfast. Lunchtime favorites include grilled cheese or cream cheese sandwiches, or leftovers from the night before. Dinner is whatever we're having. You especially love chicken and pork. You'll eat just about any fruit, except melon. Veggies are a little tougher, as you still seem to have an aversion to anything green. Your favorite snacks are cereal, string cheese, grapes, or goldfish crackers.


• Your vocabulary is increasing, though it's still mostly apparent only to us. In addition to Daddy and kitty you have also started (finally!) referring to me as mom. You have started pointing and announcing "dat?" when you want something, which is MUCH better than the screeching you were doing a few months ago. You also love making animal noises and will make the sounds for a kitty, monkey, and bear (a result of our recent vacation in the mountains) when prompted. You will sometimes make the sound for a dog, but we're still working on that one.


• While you're not talking yet, we know you're listening. You obey several commands, like the ones listed here.


• One of your absolute FAVORITE things to do is dance. You have learned how to turn on the CD player in the living room, and you'll walk over, turn your music on, and rock out.

I'd be lying if I said that the last couple months have been easy. The truth is, they have been some of the most challenging parenting months since you've been born. You are extremely indpendent, and know what you want. Your temper flares quickly when we don't respond quick enough, or respond in a way that you don't approve of. We can see your frustration in trying to express your desires, and while you're not quite there yet, you're learning a little more every day (and so are we!)

We love you, even on the difficult days!