Audrey Nicole at 18 months

 

My baby is growing up. She walks now, which is great, but, wow, is she a toddler already? She is talking too. Check out this post to see her orginal set of words, which, by the way has doubled, at least !

She's an adorable little chatterbox just like her big sister. I encourage that every chance I get. We talk all day long, and I try to acknowledge all the words she says--"Oh, do you see a doggie? Is he barking? What does a doggie say? She soaks it all up like a sponge, just like another 18 month old I remember from not too long ago.



Her favorite words are me (as in I want to do that too, or I want to go too, or I want some of that too,)  mine, momma and milk. 
My mother and aunts used to say I spoke in Chinese as toddler and I never really understood it until the last few months... Audrey definitely speaks Chineese... and the funny thing is Audrey acts as if everyone should understand her.



Although she still spends a few hours in the early morning in my bed, overall Audrey is sleeping in her crib! She lays down (fully awake) around 7:45 or 8:00 and puts herself to sleep. She sleeps most of the night (maybe, waking around 12 or 1, where I tell her it is still night-night time and she lays back down and goes to sleep.) Around 5 :30 or 6 am, she cries out again, but is too rested to go back to sleep, so she comes into my bed  and plays with me... sometimes falling back to sleep for an hour or two.  




Audrey loves to help.  Both Kristen and I ask her for help all the time and Audrey loves to assist. We ask her to go get certain objects or put away certain objects. Audrey loves to throw things away in the trash can. She also loves loading the washing machine and dryer. Kristen has taught her to help put away silverware and the kid's dishes from the dishwasher. (I know the pic shows her making a mess of the silverware... which she DOES do, however, she does put them in the drawer too.)

Monkey see, monkey do is the theme of Audrey’s life right now. She wants to do everything and anything Kristen does…. including sitting on the potty. So I indulge.

She is so cute about it. She wants the toilet paper for wiping, she has to flush it, even though she does not go… and most of the time I don’t even take off her diaper, and she always washes her hands.



Audrey also thinks she should be able to sit on a big girl chair, not in a booster, and drink out of a regular cup, as she is tired of lids.  Audrey wants to play with markers, glue, scissors, and glitter when she sees Kristen playing with them. It is sooo much fun watching the two of them create.  And she wants to play Candyland, Hungry Hippos, and Go Fish just like her big sis. And beware if you tell the girl "no." She has already mastered the art of the tantrum. 

 Audrey enjoys painting her nails... maybe because Kristen gets a kick out of it too.  Audrey also loves bows, barrets and headbands.  Our hair things are hanging across from the changing table, so when Audrey is being changed, the bows call out to her, "Wear me,"  and then Audrey calls out to me, "Bow? Bow?" and pats at her hair.



  Audrey is a bright little girl just like her big sis.  She loves to play puzzles, color, and sorts toys.  She wants to know what is behind, under, and inside of everything.  She has begun to "read" board books on her own.  Animal books are her favorite and she can pick out the dogs, cats, ducks, bunnies, cows and birds.  She loves making the roaring, mooing and barking noise when she sees the appropriate animal. Roaring is probably her favorite. 



Audrey loves swinging, dancing, chasing and hide and seek. She LOVES squealing with her sister.  She also enjoys scribbling with crayons or finger painting, stacking blocks, and pushing buttons on telephones.  She loves balls.  She can't quite kick balls. but attempts to.  She just doesn't have the coordination to do it and end up sort of walking into the ball.  Kristen will roll the ball to her or they play fetch with Daniel and Ella using mutiple balls. 

We have tons of fun playing together.  Audrey is a happy toddler with lots of energy and is soooo fun to be around. She smiles easily and laughs a lot. She is goofy, like any toddler, and has fun doing whatever.



Audrey doesn't want to sit still long enough to watch t.v., but she likes to sit next to Kristen at the start of the show, especially if it is Dora.  Audrey can say Dora, map, and boots.   After a few minutes of the show, Audrey will get bored and come find out what I am doing, (or eating.)  Then she might play for a few minutes and then wander back into the living room and sit down for a few more minutes. 



I said already that she was goofy and fun, right?




Audrey likes music and will hit her thighs and sway her head back and forth to request music in the car. She asks us to roll down the window by pointing to the window and saying "no, no." She still signs for milk, but also says milk. She signs for more, but again, can say more. Sometimes she points at her empty tray or bowl and says more. Kristen interprets many of the "words" Audrey says but Daddy and I cannot understand.  Like ja, da, huhn, pu, de.  A few we have learned: billow, manket, tuck, poon,  doe, tadt, hore, muc, bock, pa, yack, nack, bir, all gaug.  (pillow, blanket, stuck, spoon, doll, that, horse, music, block, paper, yuck, snack, bird, all gone.)  I could bore you with probably another dozen or so, but you get the point. 

  Audrey loves hats, shoes and jackets.  And I mean that she LOVES them.   If she sees her shoes out, she will pick them up and nag you until you put them on.  If she sees her hat, or your hat, she will holler, "hat, hat, hat... " until you go get it.  And her jacket, oh wow, this girl is attached to her jacket.  She has asked to sleep with it several nights. 

Audrey often wakes up before Kristen and my daycare kids, so I try to keep her quiet.  We read books, color or just cuddle.  She is really cute when I pick her up and tell her the other kids are sleeping.  She puts her fingers to mouth and says "shhh."

Audrey loves baby dolls just like her big sis.  She carries them around, lines them up, feeds them, rocks, them, and pushes them in her toy stroller.  Audrey also loves real babies.  We watch a little girl who is two months younger than Audrey, but Audrey still sees herself as the girl's mother.   We occassionally, watch or play with another baby who is 6 months younger than Audrey.  Audrey loves to pat either of the girls, feed them, hand them toys, hug them and kiss them. 
 

  In the last four months Audrey has starting petting and rubbing her own tummy as a substitute for sticking her hand down my shirt.... which is great... except now we cannot dress her in sleepers or dresses. 




Audrey LOVES to kiss. I think that is one of the best thing about my wonderful 18 month old. She'll walk up to me at random times throughout the day and give me a hug when I'm not expecting it, pucker up her lips and and make a noise that I (and the rest of the family) has learned means she wants a kiss. She runs to me anytime I say ouch and kisses everything better

Kristen is still a heartwarmingly affectionate kid, but she's growing more independent as she gets older. So it's such a blessing to have this little girl who showers her affection on me and still likes to cling to Mama every chance she gets.

I think my favorite thing about her at this age and stage, if I had to name just one thing, is lying with her in the morning.  She lays her head on my chest and says, "Momma," to see if I will respond.  If I don't respond she lays back down on her pillow and knows she needs to rest more.  If I respond with "Audrey," then she knows she can play.  If it is playtime, she will hug and kiss me, point to body parts and identify them on herself and on me.  She will roll around, sit up, fling herself on me, laugh, and roll around some more.  I know I should be sleeping during all of this.  But this is precious time to me.  

Could you send this cute face back to her crib??  and then make her make this face?