Little Lermas!: Isabella 20 Months!

I can't believe that Isabella is old enough to have a "2" as the first digit in her age already! In four short months, we will be celebrating her second birthday, and I just can't even believe that!!! As I always say, Bella continues to shine in her personality, and gets funnier, goofier, sillier and just more fun to be around every month. I can't express how much joy this little lady brings to our lives! We love you to the moon and back Isabella Rae!

Happy 20 Months Isabella Rae!


Happy Valentine's Eve!

20 Month Highlights:

-We had some gorgeous mid-60 and sunny weather which is awesome for January and February so we took advantage by spending a lot of time outside, and going to the park. You and Dani are learning to play together so much better, and you both get so excited when you see each other, which is fun for us to watch!

-Part of spending more time outside this month meant you got adventurous and ate dirt. That's right, you bent right down, dipped your finger in the mud, and licked it right off! I was so grossed out, and didn't even know what to say other than "Yuck", but as I went to take a picture of your messy face, you did it again! So apparently you liked the taste...enough to give it two good finger licks!

-You started asking to sit on the counter top in the bathroom when I get ready in the morning, and after about 2 days of watching you wanted a make-over yourself! Now, almost daily you take me to the bathroom counter and point and ask to get up for your make-over which consists of putting your hair in pig tails, and playing with all of mama's make-up brushes!

-You absolutely LOVED your bubble machine this month, and asked almost daily for about 2 weeks if you could do it (I then got smart and put it out of sight so you'd forget about it occasionally!).

-You are a great big sister, and getting more and more used to having a baby around! You love giving her "kisses" in which you bend down and put your cheek onto her cheek or forehead or top of her head (it's adorable!). You love to "rock rock" her when she is in the bouncy or swing. You put your finger up to your mouth and say "shh, shh, shh" when you think she is sleeping. And for now, you still just call her "baby."

That being said, you don't like when she is in your space (AKA: if you want to cuddle, you don't want her being held as well, or if she is on the play mat you want to get on and push her right off!).

-We had a Superbowl Party with the family and made sure it was known who we root for, even though they never had a chance to come close to the Super Bowl this year! Bear Down!

-We went to the library Valentine's Dance which you absolutely loved! You were shaking your hips and little booty with the best of them, clapping those hands, and just giggling away. It was so much fun watching your eyes light up with each new song. You truly do love, love, love music!

-This month we really worked on decreasing the whining when you wanted something, and increasing you saying "Mama" and then sign please. You definitely have opinions and thoughts about what you want to do or eat and where you want to go, but the whining to tell us that really gets old. Hearing you say "Mama" and then pointing is just too cute!

Sleeping: Girl, you are one rockstar sleeper! When you were a baby (til about 7 months!), I never in a million years thought this would describe you but you love your sleep, and we are grateful! Bedtime is still 6:30 pm; some nights you fall asleep right away, and other nights it takes you 30 minutes to an hour but either way you are always so content just laying there with your paci and moos. You sleep until about 7 or so, but you play in your crib until about 8am when Daddy usually gets you. Before Aubrey came, Mama got you out at 7:30 but since you've transitioned to one nap, you definitely need more time to wake up in the morning...just like Mama : )

You take one nap now, usually starting at noon and lasting about 1.5 to 2 hours. Occasionally, if you've been teething and not had a great nights sleep, you will take 2 naps, generally going down at 10am and then again at 3, each nap about an hour (although this only happened at the beginning of the month 2 or 3 times).

Eating: You are still picky this month, and it cracks us up b/c when we say "Isabella, you are being picky!" you make piggy sounds (which for you means "go-gy, go-gy, go-gy" rather than "oink oink").
Most mornings you eat oatmeal with fruit in it, although you usually eat about half of it when you wake up, and the other half an hour or so later. I can't even really say you have favorite foods this month b/c one day you want 10 bananas, and the next day you spit out a bite of banana like it's poison! That being said, things you eat the most of include: string cheese, greek yogurt, PB sandwich on Ezekiel bread, GF chicken nuggets, peas, bananas, pears, strawberries, & squeezies.

Isabella Loves:

-Music!!! You are ALWAYS signing "music" so we can sing and dance! Almost every morning, you and Daddy sit and watch music videos to relax and sing : )
-Favorite songs to sing: Skid-a-Ma-Rink-a-Dink (seriously we sing on repeat these days!), Itsy Bitsy Spider, God Made the Big Round Sun, You are My Sunshine, Shake it Off, God Made the Animals

-Any musical toy or the 2 pianos you have
-Puzzles
-Anything with a heart on it...you point to yours and say "boom boom"

-Reading, favorites this month: I Am a Big Sister, Nursery Rhymes (I think b/c we sing them...over, and over, and over...!), Toes Ears & Nose, Pig-A-Boo, I Love You Through and Through

-Playing dress-up and getting "make-overs" with Mama's makeup brushes

-Wearing headbands and picking out shoes

-Playing outside and taking walks in the neighborhood

-Taking rides in her push car

-Carrying your doll around with you all over, naked or swaddled : )

-Bath time with foam letters and numbers

-Rocking horse and playing "Slow horsey, fast horsey"
-Playing in your play kitchen and making "soup" to pretend to eat

Isabella Hates:
-Not being able to do something independently. You get so frustrated and circle your hands around each other and slap them together while crying : (

20 Month Stats:

Height- 33 in (60th percentile)

Weight- 25 lbs 3 oz (65th percentile)

Teeth- 12! 4 on top, 4 on bottom, and one molar on each side top and bottom

*Wearing size 3 diapers

*Wearing mostly 18 month clothes, with some 24 month shirts

Isabella's Firsts this Month:

-You are talking more and more, and actual words are coming out more than ever! I can't keep up with all the new words, but ones you use every day include: baby, bibby (for bib), shoes and socks.

-You successfully scooch down our 3 garage stairs by yourself (I don't trust you going down our main stairs solo yet since they are hardwood, but I'm sure you could)

-You had your first true playdate with someone your age (and not your cousin) this month with Nico which was a ton of fun! Plus, Mama had a good time with his Mama, Nicole : )

-You are understanding who more and more people are, and call them by name, particluarly Mimi and Dani Leigh, who you affectionately call "Nani!" It's so cute watching you chase her around shouting "Nani, Nani" and she just giggles away!

-You also started shaking your head yes to answer questions which has been helpful. You have gotten "no" down for months now, but would just smile for yes in the past.

-You are becoming more aware of when you poop, and have occasionally gone to another room or the hallway to be in private while you poop. Then you come back in the room, scrunch up your nose and make really dramatic smelling sounds, to which I ask if you pooped, and you shake your head yes and laugh! I think we are working our way towards you being ready to potty train...but not quite yet!

This Month in Pictures:

"Excuse me, no pictures please!"


"What, I'm supposed to ride in it and not push it?"

This girl refuses to smile when I ask her to look at the camera!!

I can't even tell you how many times she has been found in the bouncy just chillin' : )

A sweet sketch of my smiley girl (when she didn't think I was taking her pic!)

Sketch of our make-overs!

Isabella LOVES her bubbles!

You LOVE to play dress up, carry your naked baby, and wear sunglasses in the house all the time : )

Oh yeah, sunglasses and leopard slippers!

Our new Fed Ex delivery guy : )

You love eating apples...or should I say taking bites out of an apple, chewing it to bits, then throwing it all over the floor, the counter and your high chair!