Little Lermas!: Isabella 16 Month Update!

My baby is not a baby anymore! Yes, I have said it before. Several times! But really, we now have a full fledged walking, opinionated, occasional mild tantrum throwing toddler! Oh boy!

HAPPY 16 MONTHS ISABELLA RAE!

16 Month Highlights:

-We celebrated Mimi's birthday and Mimi and Pops 40th Anniversary with a low key family dinner. We didn't get any pictures, but you had a little photo shoot with Dani as our gift to Mimi and Pops. The pictures turned out so cute!!

-We celebrated Mimi's birthday with a day in the city (which is SO different than saying "a day in the city" when talking about Chicago!). We ate at the famous Varsity (never have to do that again!), rode the Ferris Wheel, and walked in the park. You had a blast.

-You absolutely love to play in the cabinets while I cook lately. Your favorite things to pull out are the colanders, the cheese grater, and the grease splash guard.

-We went to a football party for the opening game of the Bears at the Leflers which was a lot of fun. You slept the entire game, but had a blast "jumping" in the bouncy house after you woke up. I think you mostly enjoyed watching the Lefler girlies jump around you : )

-You have grown increasingly aware of the camera in your room and will wake up and just stare at it...it's a combination of creepy and cute! When we go to get you out of your crib, you look up at the monitor and point at it, almost as if to say "I know you were just watching me in there!"

-I found a booster seat at a garage sale and you absolutely love it! The first week, you would sit in it and stand back up, only to turn back around and sit back down about 1000 times. You were so proud of yourself, every time you sit down you clap and laugh!

-You absolutely love reading books, and definitely have favorites that you want us to read 5, 10, 15 times in a row! You love books that have animals because you are really loving learning what different animals say. You also love "First Words" books that have a big picture, and one big word, with lots of colors.

-We had a few play dates with Dani this month which were fun, although you definitely get jealous when Dani crawls into my lap. We need to do some more prepping before Aubrey gets here!

-You took your first real, big step the day you turned 15 months, and by the time you turned 16 months you were full out walking! I am amazed at how quickly you have learned this skill. You no longer crawl places, but just walk (and fall still quite a bit) and that still amazes me!

-We continued to go to Singing Storytime at the Library and you absolutely love it! You love all the singing, and the playtime towards the end, whether it be bubble day or shaker day, or fancy scarves day. I love the way you light up and clap when we sing songs together.

Sleeping: Bedtime is around 6 or 7 depending on your nap schedule, and you usually sleep until sometime in the 6 am hour, although we leave you in your crib until 7 or 7:30 (depending on when you wake up...and we wake up!) and you are content the entire time.

You still take 2 naps most days, although some days you veto the afternoon nap and just have quiet time in your crib for an hour or so. On normal days, your first nap starts around 9 or 9:30 and lasts about 1.5 hours or so, and then your second nap is around 1:30 or 2:30 and lasts an hour or 1.5 hrs on really good days!

Eating: You are truly your Daddy's daughter...you LOVE to eat! It has been nice not having to puree foods, although this has caused you to find textural issues with certain foods that used to be your favorites (like carrots, corn, and sometimes peas). That being said, you still love your oatmeal with fruit for breakfast, PB and pumpkin sandwiches with fruit and cheese for lunch, and dinner is either whatever we eat, or organic gluten free chicken nuggets with veggies, or eggs and spinach with Ezekiel bread. You have started not liking and eating chicken (other than nuggets) and meat too so we try to get in protein in other ways. You love Greek yogurt and Organic Puffs for snacks.

Isabella Loves:

-Eating (especially cheese, anything on our plates, eggs with spinach, fruit/veggie squeeze pouches, and PB/pumpkin sandwiches)!

-Sparkly things or things that light up

-Music (in the car, at home, musical toys and books, doesn't matter as long as it's singing!)

-Reading, your favorites this month are Touch and Feel Animals, Animal Noises, First Words Book, Pajama Time, Jungle Boogie, and I Love You Through and Through.

-Being chased around the house by Dada

-Playing Peek-a-Boo

-Throwing or chasing balls

-Trying to walk farther and farther without falling down!

-Shoes! Wow, what a change in the last month! Not only do you love me putting shoes on you, you keep them on! AND you are always trying to put on Mama and Daddy's shoes that you find around the house!

-Bubbles!

-Library singing and story time

-Picnics, or just being outside in general

Isabella Hates:

-Being in your carseat when you are tired (although this is probably noticed more now that we don't give you Moo Cow except in your crib to sleep)

-Doorstoppers (you get so scared and cry when Dani hits them and they "boing")

16 Month Stats:

Height: 31 inches (just a little over the 50th percentile)

Weight: 21.5 lbs (25th percentile)
# Teeth: 6 (4 on top, 2 on bottom)

Isabella's Firsts this Month:

-Learning more animal noises (pig and lamb)

-WALKING...finally! First step was on 9/13 (the day you turned 15 months), and over the course of 4 weeks you have really gotten the hang of it. You still fall a lot, but you can get to where you want to go walking rather than crawling now.

-You have really mastered signing this month too which has made life so much easier! You say "all done", "more", "thank you", "please", "hungry/eat", and "sleepy"!
-You can point out where your tummy, belly button and nose are