20 Months

My girl is 20 months old today! The last several days I have seen glimpses in her expressions looking more and more little girlish and less baby/toddlerish. While I am enjoying this stage very much, this past month has also been the most trying behavior-wise. I know this is just the beginning of that journey, and some day when she is 14 I'll wish for the days when she was 20 months and the battles were about the things they are now. But as for today, it is all I know, and it has been difficult at times.

 In the last month she has been saying new words and phrases, "whatcha doing?", "Seeyalater", "havegoodday", and "I'm sorry" are a few that come to mind. She is constantly moving and most often talking, singing, or babbling. This month she has been very interested when I'm cooking and has been helping me with some easy parts of mixing or making things.

She has started saying bed sometimes when she is ready to get in bed. She can take her shoes off and now put them on by herself. She has been playing or coloring independently for longer periods of time (10 minutes max). She has learned the colors blue, red, pink, yellow, and purple.  She seems to grasp better who some people are and has been saying and remembering more names.

 She loves sweets, just like her Mama, but is pretty good still about eating a variety of foods. She still loves looking at books and being read to. Although, we have done this many times, the last time we returned books to the library she became very upset and screamed Books! Books! as they disappeared down the return chute. I left the library grappling a screaming, upset child.

Happy 20 months Isabella! I'm ready to journey through the ups and downs of this next year and all of the changes and growth we will both experience!

 *For comparison here she is a exactly a year ago at 8 months! 

So much has changed in a year's time!