Lexi at 17 Months

Baby girl, you are now a whopping 17 months old and the world is your oyster! Sometimes, I think I'm so close to you that maybe I don't see the changes as others would who don't see you as often. But this month there is no denying all the milestones you are hitting.  EVERY SINGLE DAY you are growing, learning, and showing off.  I'm one proud mama!

Sooooo.....

This month, you stopped using your baby bath tub.  Truly, you probably outgrew it a while ago, but you have enjoyed that duck so much, and so have I.  But we retired it and you are now happily splashing around in a big girl tub every day.  

We also started blow drying your hair this month.  It is getting long.  It is well past your shoulders and takes a while to air dry so we towel dry it and then blow it to finish each morning.  Of course, you do a great job with the dryer. Most days you are wearing pigtails now, but also still with a gigantic bow.  :)

This month, we traveled to Washington DC and stayed for the week of Labor Day/ Daddy's birthday. We stayed in an apartment in the Dupont Circle area.  You were such a good girl for the whole week. It was super hot and we walked (you strolled) for miles and miles every day.  You rode the subway for the first time and lots of escalators up and down to and from the train all week.  We visited museums and monuments and everything in between and you were just a perfect little babe. 

You officially moved from a size 4 shoe to a size 5, which sadly means we have to retire your cutie patootie little Vans tennis shoes, but opens us up to a world of new options with your new fall time shoes!

The words are coming like wildfire now.  There are a slew of new words every single day- more and more all the time.  Too many to count and certainly more than I can remember, but a few notable ones are:

• Doctor (you learned this one when we went to Mama's doctor for a check up recently)
• Busy (and Baby, you are that)
• Help
• Pumpkin
• This (as in "this" book, "this" toy, I want "this")
• Stuck
• Toy
• More 
• Piece (as in a "piece" of food)
• Hat
• Knee
• Elbow
• Arm
• Hand
• Foot
• Socks (you also call your shoes "socks".  Precious)
• Bathtub
• Medicine
• Apple
• Sit
• Dance
• Light (you point them out all the time.)

You run to the refrigerator and pull on the door whenever you want your "cup".  You shout "Cup, cup, cup" until I come over and pull out your milk for you. 

This month you are eating more and more table food.  You love chicken, possibly more than you like french fries, which is hard to believe.  We made chicken parmesan the other night and you ate a ton of it. You also love the grilled chicken nuggets from Chic-Fil-A.  You are loving apples now, eating them by the slice and asking for them by name. You also really like peanut butter sandwiches too!

You can now name almost all your body parts.  You have known your eyes, ears, nose and mouth for a while now.  But now you also know your feet, toes, legs, arms, elbows, hands, tummy, chest and belly button.  You can say most of those words too.  

Again this month you are teething.  I actually felt the leading edge of a tooth or two on the bottom row just yesterday.  And up until now I have been pretty sure you were cutting a molar on the top too.  But you haven't let me in to check that lately. Hmmmm.....

This month, Daddy brought you home a stuffed Minnie Mouse from a business trip to Chicago, and you would have thought you struck gold.  You have barely let go of Minnie since.  You guys are big pals.  She sleeps in your crib with you now, along with your Piggy and your Panda (from our trip to the National Zoo earlier this month.)  Mama also bought you a toddler pillow, which you use but rarely stay on all night.  In addition, you also have two blankets in your crib.  Pretty soon, there won't be any room left for you!

I switched out your closet this month to your fall and winter time clothes and shoes. Whew weee, that was a chore, but you are all set for the cooler months ahead of us now. 

You have discovered the mouse to the computer.  You love moving it around (and sometimes steal it to play with).   You also love Mama's phone, our iPads, and looking at pictures and videos on the computer.  The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse still has your attention,  No surprise there!

You are climbing like a billy goat.  I caught you STANDING in our office chair- you know, the chair that tilts, swivels, and rolls.  I almost had a heart attack.  You have also been climbing up into the big red armchair in our living room a LOT.  That is also Izzie's favorite chair.  The other day you did a somersault out of it and I had another stroke. Heavens, my heart can't handle this phase.  Please be short lived. 

Every time I get you out of a car in a parking lot, you immediately declare that you are "stuck",  Apparently, "stuck" means to you that you are between two things, usually, when you are wedged between two pieces of furniture, and I guess also cars.  

Now, when you need a new diaper, you instantly start saying either "diaper" or "poop". Methinks potty training won't be too far off.  I've never taught you to tell me those things.  You just do it on your own.  Smart smart girl. 

Speaking of "poop", when we take Izzie outside, you always tell her to "poop" while we are in the yard.  

And your most recent toy fascination is your new baby buggy.  You fill it up with all sorts of treasures: other toys, books, water bottles, babies, Izzie's toys.  And then when you have it to your liking you with all your essentials, you push it all over the house.

Sweet baby of mine.  We love you dear girl!