Raleigh is 16 months old!!!

Today our tiny baby is 16 months old! How did that happen so quickly? We've seen a lot of growth in Raleigh this past month - new skills, new words. It's been really neat to see her developing so rapidly. Here are the details.

• Likes: The usual, plus finding a special little spot to sit, reading books, singing, neckalces, bracelets, and purses
• Dislikes: brushing teeth (sometimes)
• Skills: She can walk backwards and drink from a regular cup without spilling (as long as you put a wee bit in there). She pee-peed in the potty once. She likes to sit on the potty, with and without bottoms on, and is happy to sit down on it when you ask her to try. She also likes to exclaim "pee pee!" if someone else is going.
• Communication: It is getting easier to figure out what she wants/needs but sometimes we all get a little frustrated when I can't decipher her talking and gestures quickly enough. She definitely understands a lot of what we are saying and is very good at yelling "No!" when we guess incorrectly about her requests. She is also great at mimicking noises and repeating words she finds interesting. The words aren't in her working vocabulary but she can say them accurately. I think they will crop up into conversation one day when we least expect it. She likes to tell her own version of knock-knock joke that's pretty funny. Basically she'll say "knock-knock" and wait for the who's there, then she'll crack up. It's a lot more humorous than it sounds.
• New vocab: apple, pee pee, bee-bee (baby), nana (banana), bloon (balloon)
• So big! Three more teeth have erupted for a total of 17. Number 18 lurks just beneath the gums. Shirt size is 18 mos., pants 12 mos., and shoe size 4.

Rowan Update - 41 months

Another month gone by? Oh my!

• Likes: Cars (the movie and the toys), Legos, his pal Danny, being silly, being bossy, the pool
• Dislikes: Tomatoes, bedtime
• Skills: He is getting better writing his name. The W and the A give him some trouble. A sometimes looks like H and the W gets a lot of zig-zags. He can snap really well with both hands. He is getting more comfortable in the pool every time we go. He loves to jump in from the side into your waiting arms and is getting braver about going under.
• So big! Rowan is wearing a size 10 shoe (toddler), size 3T pants, and 3T-4T shirts.

Rowan's had a cough for the past couple of days. It's nothing serious, just bothersome. Jeremy took him to the doctor yesterday and then to lunch at The Chick. During lunch Rowan laid down on the booth seat. Jeremy asked him to sit up and practice good table manners. Rowan's response: "Sorry. That French fry was so delicious it knocked me out." We have no idea where he came up with that one.

The guys were home sick again today. (J. now has the cough.) Jeremy surprised Rowan with his first trip to the movie theater to see Cars 2 this afternoon. They had a good time but Rowan wasn't nearly as impressed as we had imagined him to be. Ah well.

Here's to another month of laughter and unexpected joy! Happy mirthday wishes to my sweet boy.

Rowan Says

Rowan and I were playing a game in the van on the way to school. It's the "I'm thinking of..." game, not to be confused with I Spy. In this game, you give hints about something you are thinking about. The thing does not need to be visible.

Me: I'm thinking of something furry.

R: Is it that chimney over there?

Me: No. It's something furry that lives in our house.

[I was thinking of our cat, Sly.]

R: (triumphantly) It's Daddy!

Jeremy: Did you have fun today?

R: Yes. I did.

J: Did you have fun yesterday?

R: Yes.

J: Did you have fun 2 weeks ago?

R: I did.

J: Are you going to have fun 2 years from now when you're five?

R: Just stop. Don't say any more.

At Stone Mountain Park yesterday we saw a man jogging. Rowan does not like it when men exercise without shirts. I don't know why it bothers him, but it does.

R: (pointing) That man doesn't have on a shirt. Why isn't he wearing a shirt?

Me: Maybe he got really hot while he was running.

R: (with heavy disapproval) He probably doesn't have on sunscreen either.

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!

Recommended Reading

Looking for something good to read this summer? Here are a few reads we've enjoyed lately.

For the kiddos:

• Birds by Kevin Henkes: The illustrations are really neat. This is one of Raleigh's favorites.
• My Hippie Grandmother by Reeve Lindbergh: My mom found this one. It's good to know a librarian.
• Who is Driving? by Leo Timmers: It's fun to look at the clues to figure out who's driving.

For the adults:

• Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout: Each chapter is a stand-alone short story but they're all tied together by one woman, Olive Kitteridge. Sometimes she's the narrator or a main character. Other times she is mentioned in passing. It's a neat concept with great writing.
• Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand: You'll wonder how one person can experience so much adventure in one lifetime. It's a long book but a fast read.
• Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs by Molly Harper: This is the first in the Jane Jameson series. Jane is a former librarian and new vampire in rural Kentucky. You're intrigued already. Admit it. These are quick, fun books. Don't expect enlightenment, but do count on a chuckle or two.
• My Mother She Killed Me, My Father He Ate Me: Forty New Fairy Tales edited by Kate Bernheimer: Modern authors adapt classic fairy tales from across the globe. Some are even more creepy than the original versions. At the end of each story the authors briefly describe their inspirations for their new tales.