Raleigh is 15 months old!

Somehow the month of June flew by and here we are approaching the middle of July. That also means it is time for Raleigh's monthly update. Here's what our baby girl has been up and in to for the past month.

• Likes: lima beans, purses, necklaces, shoes, the pool, bath time, bananas, walking holding hands, swings, putting her hand in your cleavage
• Dislikes: being told no, being put down when she's not ready, staying still for diaper changes
• Communication: new animal noises include "moo" (cow), "cack" (duck), "uhn-uhn" (pig); she uses the "more" sign often; she can say "Bub" (for Rowan) consistently and likes to say Elmo's name when she sees him. She can point to a variety of things in books when you ask her (examples: strawberry, various animals, banana, hat, shoes, Elmo)
• Skills: She is a lot more interested in walking than crawling, though she will still drop to all fours when she wants to get somewhere in a flash. Today she opened Rowan's bedroom door (it's a lever) without even thinking about it. Yikes! In the pool, she likes to kick her legs while she floats on her tummy with your arms supporting her. She also likes to "jump in" from the side. She has accidentally put her face in the water a couple of times and doesn't seem too upset by it.

Mildly Spiced?

Raleigh is our little firecracker. When she's having a good time it's magical. When Raleigh's not happy, boy she will let everyone know about it! She seems to have a natural talent for tantrums. Her favorite move is to march in place really fast whilst yelling. (I like this move myself. Or a good stomp with one foot. That's a good one, too.) She will also retaliate when you tell her no-no. A common repercussion is a smack/slap/scratch to the mouth. If she is especially displeased she might throw in a lip twist. These moves are done with extreme dexterity, precision, and speed. You would think that I at least would be hip to her ninja moves by now but she still manages to catch me off guard.

Don't get me wrong; Raleigh can be sweet as candy, too. You know that saying about girls being made of sugar and spice? That is certainly true for Raleigh. I think her spices tend to be on more of the hotter end of the spectrum (think cardamom and chili peppers). I wouldn't have it any other way, though. My favorite tea is cinnamon-cardamom, with a little splash of cream. Pair that with a brownie (double chocolate Ghirardelli, please) or gulab jamun and there you have our Raleigh. Sweet and spicy goodness! I don't call her yum-yum for nothing, y'all.

Happy mirthday wishes, baby girl!