Friday Favorites: My favorite kid

I realize that once Annie turned a year old back in June, the month updates stopped. So here's a little look into the life of our sweet, happy, busy toddler.

Annie is 16 months old now and is much more little kid than baby now. Sure, I miss the baby a little bit, but this little kid is seriously my favorite thing ever. I love being her mom. I love the days we just get to hang out together. I love that she's my little buddy.
Height: 29 inches
Weight: 19 lbs

having a 'conversation' with Dada

Milestones and Firsts: - More words! Her vocabulary now consists of mama, dada, beebee (baby), baba (drink), nana (food), dah (dog), buh (book), bah (ball), no!no!no! (no), sis (fish), hi, and wow or woah. It's pretty stinkin' cute. And beside that, she signs "please" and shakes her head "no" and nods for "yes" and hums instead of says "uh-oh."  We definitely still encounter tantrums brought on by not being able to communicate, but I can usually figure out what she needs with a few yes/no questions. One of my favorite things she does is when she jabbers to me, completely convinced that she's saying real words and having a conversation. - In addition to new words, this girl is on all new levels. She's a climber, and I frequently find her on top of the counter or the back of the couch. She can even climb into her crib, though the one time she climbed out, she fell so I don't think she's too eager to do it again any time soon.
Nicknames: - Teeny kid, Baby love, Stinkhead, Lovebug

Favorites: - Tio (her uncle Layton), Nikki (my cousin), and Lib (Tio's girlfriend/Nikki's best friend). We love having these 3 in town now, and Annie gets so excited whenever she gets to see them. I love that she's so comfortable around them and will let them snuggle and squish her all they want. I think Tio will always be her very favorite though. - Ketchup and dipping things in general. Seriously, this girl loves dipping everything and will slurp the ketchup right off her chicken nuggets. - Watching the microwave. Any time I stick something in the microwave, Annie comes running into the room and demands that I lift her up to watch it. I'm not sure why, but I think it's hilarious. - Shoes. She brings me shoes all day long to put on her, even ones that don't fit anymore. And once they're on, she has this hilarious, purposeful walk where she lifts her feet up high. - Yes, she still loves dance parties, too. Dance parties happen daily, and as soon as she hears the beat, she'll start bopping her head and swinging her arms and spinning in circles. Even in the car, she'll fist bump and wiggle to the beat in her car seat. - Going outside. I make sure to take her out and least once a day to wander around the cul-de-sac or down the sidewalk. I love the "treasures" she brings me - little rocks and leaves and such. Her little self just lights up while she plays outside. I can't wait til we have a fence yard of our own for her to explore to her heart's content. - Books. So many books. She asks for books every night, even after we turn the lights off, she's constantly pointing at the bookshelf and asking "buh? buh?" over and over until I acquiesce.  - Her belly-button. And belly-buttons in general. Because it's the coolest thing ever, duh.

Dislikes: - Being told "no." Cue the rage and the throwing things. That girl's got an attitude.  - When Mom leaves for work. So. Many. Tears. - Waking up. This girl is definitely not a morning person. She's the biggest, grumpiest grouch until she gets some food and watches some cartoons, and then she's good to go. - Being sick. It's the saddest thing in the world.

Things We've Done: - Lots of outside adventures, which means lots of dirt and collecting rocks and acorns and leaves. - Playing with aunts and uncles and cousins and grandparents, thanks to awesome visits from family. - Lots of drawing. This girl has discovered crayons and colors and will sit and scribble out the most colorful creations so carefully. It's adorable. - Carved pumpkins! Annie was no so into the slimy, stringy insides. But she loved helping carve them. - Visited Tio at work. Tio works at Krispy Kreme, and when we went to visit (and get free doughnuts), Annie went racing behind the counter to find him and refused to let him pass her back across the counter to me. That girl loves her Tio just about more than anyone. - Sickness. After the flu shot, Annie had diarrhea for 10 days. I thought it might be related to the shot and didn't worry too much about it since she was acting fine, but then she threw up. It was so sad. We stayed home from church and snuggled with a bowl, and she didn't know what was happening and hated every minute of it. After those 10 days of diarrhea and on/off vomiting, she developed a fever that lasted 3+ days. Worried about a possible kidney infection from her renal reflux, I took her in to urgent care, and the doctor agreed with me. She did a good job showing she was sick with the 102+ fever and the whimpering and clinginess. They did a catheter (her 3rd) to get a sterile urine culture, and prescribed some strong antibiotics. Luckily, the culture came back clear, so we just have to finish up the meds and then it's back to her regular, long-term antibiotic. Luckily, she's been back to her normal self lately.

sick, sad girl

sick girl snuggles

Moments to Remember: - Getting her from her crib. As soon as I reach in to get her, she sticks her paci in, passes up her blankie and Connie-bunny to me and then lets me pick her up. - Sitting next to her while she falls asleep. Usually, she goes down quickly after stories and a rock-a-bye and songs, but sometimes, she needs me to sit by her crib and rub her back for a bit. On these nights, she pops up from her pillow every few minutes, gives me a hug and pats my back, and lies back down. She just needs a mommy-hug. :) - When she runs to me or Tucker when we return home. The happiness and excitement on that little face melts our hearts and makes us feel like the luckiest parents in the world. - The way she runs to the door when she hears the word "go." She loves going anywhere, even if it's only out into the yard.

The Little Things: This girl is happy and sweet and silly. For the first time since maybe her birth, she's not really a stressor for me at all, and I love everything about her little self. There's no sign of her hair darkening - it's still just perfectly light, golden blonde, and her blue eyes with her long, dark lashes are one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. I love the faces she pulls and the nonsense she jabbers. I love her giggles during "This little piggy..." or "mark it with a D" at the end of Pat-a-Cake. I love that she insists on becoming more and more independent - she has to have her own spoon or fork to eat, she helps clean up toys, and she thinks she knows just how to fold laundry. I love that she loves cats and dogs but is slightly afraid of them. I love helping her identify emotions and temper her tantrums. I love that sometimes, she just needs a few minutes in the rocking chair with some books and a snack until she's ready to take on the world again. And I love that she loves to sing-song "Mama" all day long and waits for me to reply with a sing-song "Annie". She's the best, and I love being her best friend every day.