Audrey is 1 1/2 years old. I had a fun time before writing this update catching up on what Elijah was doing at this same age. So much in common, but clear differences too.
Personality: Audrey has a sweet, kind, people-person personality. She is eager to spend time together, connect, and laugh, but at the same time I can see a clear independent side. This girl is very comfortable wandering around the house, finding her own fun. She comes up with her own ideas and independently works to make them happen. For example, she often gets in her mind that she wants a snack, so will go to one of our low cabinets, pick out the snack she wants, go to another cabinet get out a plastic bowl and bring them to us signing "please". When she is thirsty, she gets a plastic cup out, walks to the fridge and tries to get it from the water dispenser (she's too short). She also loves to use letter magnets of Elijah's whiteboard. She goes to his homeschool stuff, picks out the whiteboard and magnets, and lays them all out on the coffee table. Then she brings me over to where Elijah's little chair is and signals for me to bring the chair over to the coffee table for her to do the activity, just like Elijah does in homeschool! When she wants to go out on the porch, she brings me over to where her shoes are, gestures for me to get them, and sits down for me to put them on. It's common to find her sitting down for an independent little break on a step stool around the house drinking her water from a sippy cup on her own. She also greatly prefers feeding herself. People often comment on her independence in group settings. She is quite comfortable diving into activities, like a ball pit, and hopping in and out and playing like the big kids. On the other hand, Audrey loves to be held at places like the church nursery when she first arrives, and loves sitting on our laps to read books or just have sweet moments together.
Loves: Eating! A huge fan of all things food and especially feeding herself with a fork. The other day I gave her some food and forgot a fork. She started eating it and when I realized i forgot the fork, I gave it to her and she promptly spat out what was in her mouth and fed picked it up again with her fork to do it right :) She also loves touch and feel books, holding something while shopping in the grocery store, markers (tries to get a hold of them every chance she can and she can open and snap them closed very well!!), electronics like cell phones and the a/c remote control, noodles, crackers, raisins, baths, when we pat over her mouth when she sings (indian noise), and watching baby Einstein.
New: Saying a few words: Elijah (li-ja), bye or tchau in Portuguese (mixed together = tchye or bau!), quack, bark, meow. She is also starting to enjoy art, get the hang of puzzle or shape toys, sleeps with a small pillow, walks great, has all except her 2 year old molars in, waves when she senses everyone is getting ready to leave, understands helping to clean up, playing with Elijah (she always goes in his room looking for him when he is at preschool), understanding concepts like "diaper" (the other day at the grocery store I told her we need to buy diapers and she picked up her dress and showed me her diaper each time I said the word). She also loves to say "no", but in a cute kind of sad/dramatic way and sometimes she wants to say no to everything. We all love to kind of tease her by asking her things knowing she will respond "no". So we ask her, "Audrey, do you want to go to the moon?" No. "Do you want to go in the Mickey Mouse Club House." No. "Do you want to ride in a kangaroo's pouch?" No. When we ask her if she wants to go night night, she also says no, but when she's really tired she just starts waving when we ask her about night night. Really cute. Often we tuck her in her crib and she waves as we turn off the light.
Struggles: Some small temper tantrums when I take away something she can't have, always seems to find markers (no matter how well we try to keep them away from her height!), allergic reaction around mouth that comes and goes. Recently we are suspecting it may be a delayed reaction from milk, but we're not sure. Trying to test it out.
Routine: Wake around 8 am (sometimes if we let her she will sleep till 10 am!), if she's cranky a morning nap if she got up at 8 - nap around 10am. Lunch at noon. Afternoon nap 2-4/5. Sleep at 7-7:30.
