Sweet 16

She's getting closer to 2 and further from 1 but she is still our baby. I would say this past month has been the hardest. And I will quickly add that hard is completely relative. As I've said from the beginning Charis is such an easy baby. Sleeps great. Eats great. I guess this is the "just wait" that everyone was talking about. And on that note I've vowed never to say that to a mom cause it pisses me off. Anyway. In this past month she's been sick more and having more interrupted sleep. This has caused her to be more clinging and cranky. Two characteristics that are hard to deal with. Even if just for a couple hours a day. Last week I found myself praying and asking God to help me enjoy her clingyness because that is when she is most cuddly and wants me more. I know the day will come when she'll slam her bedroom door in my face, so I want to relish these sweet (& hard) moments. All that to say that it's just a couple hours a day. The rest of the time is fun as we watch her curiosity grow.

too cool
- She's been waking in the middle of the night more. A handful of times we've just brought her to bed with us and she's even slept on me. Way different from her new days. Part of me wants to freak i'm-becoming-one-of-those-cospleeping-parents-and-she-is-going-to-sleep-with-us-til-she's-15. Then I get a grip and actually enjoy her sweet breath as she cuddles with us and her dollie. Some nights I try to ignore her and she can put herself back to sleep then there are the nights where she is too far gone and needs some mama love which I am "happy" to give.

- She still loves to read. She signs "book" and say's something like "boo" when she does it. I'm amazed that she'll sit and read a whole stack of books. She even has preferences for which book we read to her, which is funny to me.

looking at the ducks at freedom park
- She is using the potty lots. We introduced the potty early and did some of that "elimination communication" stuff so she is familiar with it. By no means is she potty trained. She can sign "potty" and sometimes tell us she needs to go or take us there. When she poos on the potty, she loves to read. I'm not saying where she gets this from.

- She's talking a lot. Some are recognizable words and some are sounds that refer to something and some is straight up jibberish. I love it all. Some of the words she is saying are "cracker" (which is any dried good), "go", "mommy", "daddy", "Amy", "bubble", "no". Some of the sounds/words she says is "book", "doll", "dog", "boat", "shoes", "school", "nose". She repeats a lot of sounds. Sometimes it sounds like she says "cool."

enjoying the sunshine in shorts...so cute
- I'm constantly amazed at her ability to remember and make connections. She loves birds. Whenever she sees one or looks out the window she points and makes the whistle sound with her lips. (if that makes sense) When Adam's parents were here in January his dad did this funny thing with her where he'd stick out his tongue then slap the back of his head. The other day on Skype Adam said that when Charis saw his dad she immediately put her hand behind her head. Things like that are crazy to me. They just pick up on so much more than we think.

- Charis is so outdoorsy. She loves to be outside. If she is in a struggling mood and we take her outside, she is so happy and content. Which makes me so ready for Spring. We took her on a bike ride up to Freedom Park a few weeks ago. I think she is still getting used to a bike helmet and the bike trailer.

getting situated in her Adirondack
- She is officially down to one nap. Doesn't really seem to make that big of a difference, which means I guess I don't really remember what 2 naps were like. Some days it's 1 1/2 hours and some days it's as much as 3 1/2.

@ buxton's party...getting warmed up
- She has such a curiosity and attention to detail. She'll notice a crumb or even a speck of dirt and work really hard to get it. Once she has it in her (pincher) grasp she hands it to us. I've also noticed that she doesn't like to have her hands dirty. Figures.

I think I've taken less pictures this past month too. I'm not sure why but I can't seem to find many pictures. And I definitely neglected to take her official 16 month picture. Mainly b/c she's had a "tough" week. She came home Thursday with a blazing fever, then woke up last night at 3am burning up. So, she slept on me. I have to admit that I love that more than I don't. She babbles a bit then gets herself all cozy and goes to sleep. I love the closeness but I don't like the heat. Hot flashes and a feverish child do not mix.

i love when adam dresses her