21 Months

Someone was not interested in posing for her traditional picture this morning. Maybe later?

Little Mia, you are 21 months old today!

Here's what's been going on:

• You weigh 23 lbs. and are almost 32 inches long. Where you got your petite stature from is beyond me, but you're perfectly proportioned, active, and happy.


• Which means you are still in size 3 diapers. Since they go up to 28lbs, I'm pretty sure that we'll never get past this size. You're beginning to show signs that you're interested/ready for potty training. We're going to aim for your 2nd birthday, and see how it goes.
  


• You wear size 5 shoes. This means you now wear toddler sized shoes, not baby shoes, which is very exciting for Mommy because it means she can buy the fun and funky shoes she's been wanting to buy for a long time. You don't seem to be particular, though...you'll wear any pair of shoes you find around the house.
  


• You wear size 18 month clothing, and probably will for some time to come since you're so tiny around the waist.
  


• The teething stage is just about behind us. You have a full set of teeth, with the exception of your 2-year molars. We love your big, silly grin! You brush your teeth with Daddy before your bath every night, and while Mommy does your hair every morning. You love brushing your "tees" with your Abby Cadabby toothbrush and toothpaste.
  


• The biggest milestone over the last 3 months occurred last week when you decided you were no longer going to sleep in your crib. For a week, you slept in a pack 'n' play, while we ordered your big girl bed. You've been sleeping in it for a week now, and for the most part, the transition has been smooth. We're still working on some new ground rules, but for the most part, you stay in your bed once we put you there.
  


• You have developed a typical toddler appetite. Some days you will eat anything and everything we put in front of you, and some days it's a battle to get you to eat just a few bites. You no longer will sit in a booster seat, preferring instead to sit in a regular dining room chair like Mommy and Daddy. That is, when you'll sit for a full meal. Which is rare.


• The week of Christmas, you seemed to have the vocabulary explosion we had been anticipating. All of a sudden, you are stringing words together into phrases and sentences. And boy, oh boy, are you a bossy little thing! You delight in telling us where to sit, what to do ("Jump, Mommy! Jump, Daddy!"), and what you need ("Na [more]! Bok [milk] a'gone!"). To list all your new words would take pages, as you seem to pick up something new each day. While some words are still unique to you, more and more are emerging as clear, English words.


• As your vocabulary improves, the majority of the tantrums have decreased, though you still have an amazing temper and a strong will. When you get going (like you did just this weekend), you can scream for a solid 30 minutes. I predict that we will have many battle of wills in the years to come.
  


• In terms of play, you love anything Sesame Street related and call all the characters by name. You're also into trains. Some of your favorite toys right now include your Little People house and farm. Your imagination is really starting to show. Instead of just placing the LP characters in the house, you have them go to sleep in the bed, get milk from the fridge, and have full conversations with each other. You also play daily in the play kitchen that you received for Christmas. You "cook" for us, always willing to bring more until our plates overflow with drumsticks, bread, eggs, onion, cheese, tomato, banana, and anything else you can fit.


• Our biggest challenge right now is the "Mommy Phase" you are in. There are nights where you literally cling to my leg while I'm cooking dinner, wanting to be picked up and held, but screaming if Daddy is the one to do it. While we know that this is a phase, it can be an exhausting and frustrating one. We're navigating our way through it, trying to make sure you get your Mommy time, but not running Mommy completely into the ground, either.

In the last 3 months, we've started to see the 2-year-old (!!) that you will soon become. There are physical changes, like the diminishing pudginess in your hands and feet, or the changes in your facial features. But there are also the behavioral changes, like the ever-expanding vocabulary, or the way you relate uniquely to each of us and your friends. No two days are ever the same, and we're all learning something new every day!

We love you!