18 month old baby/little girl

I have been so busy lately with my 2 kiddos 3 and under, combined with being a stay at home mom and having a husband who works a rather odd schedule, I sometimes don't even realize what day of the week it is.  But with Alea's 18 month doctor's appointment looming on the calendar, it hit me, she is 1 and 1/2 years old!  How did that happen?  I know with Evan I was always on top of these things but it is not as easy with two... I remember my dad telling me it was the same way when I came along 2 years after my brother Josh.  Now this does not mean my little girl doesn't make her presence known, wowza!  She is feisty, adventerous, funny, determined, stubborn, sensitive, curious, tender-hearted, smart, crazy, and simply beautiful.  I am still in shock sometimes that I have a daughter and I get to be part of her life and watch her grow and change.

Her eyelashes go on for miles which complement her huge brown eyes.  She has a little baby mullet as we like to call it as she sleeps on her tummy so it grows in the back and she rubs it off in the front!  :)  Her feet are long and flat like her daddy's.  She has already slightly chipped two of her teeth and has at least a few new scrapes on her body daily.

She ADORES her big brother and calls him "Buddy".  She imitates him, wants to do everything he is doing, wants to play with whatever he has (which doesn't annoy him at all! ha!) If he is in timeout, she goes and joins him.  If he is sad, she gives him a hug. 

Enjoying some dessert at the park with big bro

Wrestle time with daddy is a highlight of her day.  She is not scared to try and knock him down and get rough with the boys.  Getting chased around the house by daddy makes her scream in delight. 
She loves carrying around a dolly and recently a little Belle figurine (since brother loves Beauty and the Beast).  She is getting into Legos and sticks with it till she gets a pretty big tower built.  She love play-do but I have to make sure she doesn't slip it in her mouth-it is like she is still trying to figure out what it is!  If she is outside, she is the happiest.  She would stay out there all day if I let her...  she loves digging in dirt-not afraid to get messy one bit, swinging at the park-she sees them and bolts for them while saying "wings!", she loves riding in her little pink push car while Evan rides his bike, and running out into the middle of our cul-de-sac much to my dismay-still working on this, and now that it is hot, we have had our little pool out and whether clothed or in a swimsuit, she just gets right in. 


Loving the natural playscape at Jester Park

Visiting daddy at the firestation, all dirt smudged from climbing around the fire trucks

I lost track of how many words she can say now and she can string together 2-5 word sentences.  She pronounces all words with the K sound with a T sound-like cookie sounds like tootie.  Our doctor was pretty shocked at how well she was speaking at her appointment, she even said, "hi Dr. White" perfectly after I told her to say hi.  My favorite is how she says love you, she says "love ooo"...it melts my heart. 
We have standoffs at the dinner table quite often.  We usually make our kids eat their veggies 1st and she will sit there FOREVER and refuse to eat so has gone without dinner at times, but then sometimes she scarfs them down!  Girls!  :) She loves crackers, pretzels, pancakes, ketchup, hot dogs, noodles, broccoli, banana, applesauce, and pears. 
As you can tell, she keeps me BUSY!  I can't imagine life without her and though I was never planning on her at that point in my life, God had the best plans in mind when allowing me to become her mommy. 

;mbbbbbbb       ziuiujjummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmk  (haha, Alea just got hold of the computer and did this!)

Giving me bday kissers before going on a walk