18 Months Old

My dearest Evelyn is 18 months old. That seems so big too me! Her baby year just flew by and now she is almost 2!

Oh how I am going to miss these baby years of my life. They are almost done. That is both exciting and devastating. My last baby almost isn't a baby. More sleep but no more sweet baby smells.

Evelyn has such a little personality and fits her role as the baby of the family well. I say that a bit facetiously... she fits the baby sister who cries to Mamma a lot role well. But, I also say that with pride... She lives for her big sisters. They delight her and she wants to play with them always. Her sisters adore her. They must kiss her goodnight every night, love teaching her things, bossing her around and sharing things with her. I love seeing how much Evelyn looks up to both of her sisters.

Evie has not been the easiest toddler to parent so far but she makes me so happy. She is very attached to me and likes to play it close and safe most of the time. This proves very difficult to deal with when I'm cooking or cleaning or needing to go out. She does not have many words yet, though they are coming, and her frustration comes out as a shrill squeak or cry. Not the best noise I've ever heard. She has to compete for attention with two older siblings and some how the whining works for her. We are working on it though and as her words have been coming, the whines are lessening.

She is such a different kid than Livi and Sofie. It's so amazing to me how different they all are. Evie is friendly but shy. She has NO FEAR when it comes to climbing things. She climbs up and down from the trampoline by herself, up on to the chairs and counter, walks stairs like a big kid with holding on to the rail, and she climbs up her sister's bunk bed that just has the straight up and down ladder. Her gross motor and fine motor skills are way more advanced at this age than Livi was but she doesn't talk. Livi was saying full sentences. Evelyn's language is coming. She understands everything we say and can follow simple instructions. She is starting to say a few two syllable words now too, like "okay," "thank-you" and "soother" which comes out 'soo soo.'

She weighs 27 lbs and seems really tall to me. She is loosing a lot of her baby chub which I am going to miss dearly. I can still get a good squish of ticklish thigh though. She has all her teeth except her two year molars... those are coming.

Her favourite toys are balls, mega blocks, putting things in and out of bowls, her water table, and baby dolls. She adores the outside. She is at peace out there. Even as an infant, when she was upset, I would step on the patio with her and she'd calm down. She hates it when Mommy leaves and doesn't like not getting her way :) Who does?! She is a pretty good eater. She LOVES fruit and would eat it all day, every day if I let her. Not the biggest fan of meat though. I guess that makes her vegetarian Marmee happy! 

I'm so thankful for this bundle of joy. She is a little smarty pants and I can't wait to see where the rest of her toddler years take her. I love watching her learn and explore. She is growing up and I get the privilege of being her Mommy!