Yesterday was Alethea’s twenty month birthday.  Happy birthday, Baby Girl!

I can’t believe how much Alethea has changed in the last month.  She seems so much more grown up than she used did just a few weeks ago!

One thing I’ve particularly noticed is that she is getting more creative in her play and in associating things with each other.  For example, the other day for lunch I gave her a cheese tortilla that I had cut into wedges.  After eating a few of them, she held one wedge up and looking toward the Christmas tree in the living room, she said, “Tree!”  I thought that was a rather abstract association since it must have been based on shape alone.

She also is getting much more direct in her communicating, even giving me commands like ‘up’ or ‘walk’ when she wants me to stand up or to go somewhere with her.  Over the last week she has also told me ‘poop’ (as in “I just pooped in my diaper”) a few times.  I’m wondering if that means we should start potty training soon.

Her new found communication skills do at times make it easier to know what she wants.  She’s started to use the word ‘hurt’ which sure is a handy one.  The other day she was whining at me and I asked her to use words to tell me what was wrong.  She said ‘mouth’.  After a quick peak inside I could see a bump on her gum line that would indicate that her two year molars are on the way in.  That might explain why EVERYTHING is going in her mouth lately and why she’s constantly chewing on her fingers.

Another skill that we have been working on honing is counting.  Alethea can now by herself recite the numbers from one to nine, although she always skips seven and eight is a little hit or miss.  She does seem to really enjoy counting things though and is quite proud to tell you how many of something there are.  Truth be told, she’s usually wrong, but she still likes to say a number!

She continues to enjoy her favorite toys: Dee (the puppy), Bunny (the giant pink rabbit), the swing in the baby’s room, the Little People farm, as well as her books and puzzles.  She also has been playing quite a bit with her Christmas presents, in particular, her baby doll (who has to go everywhere with us), and all of the various toy food she received (she seems to like the cookies, rolling pin and eggs the most).

Other favorites currently include the color pink, the number two, Elmo, peanut butter, cereal bars, snow, taking baths, singing, dancing and playing the piano.  She also loves being wherever I am and doing what I am doing, although I was impressed the other day when she took the initiative to go upstairs on her own to retrieve her bunny who had been left behind during the trip downstairs to get lunch.  That’s the first time she’s ever made it all the way up without the incentive of having me waiting at the top of the stairs for her.

We are having so much fun watching her grow in her creativity and independence and as her days of being an only child come to a close, we look forward to getting to know her in her new role as Big Sister.