Lainey is 17 months old!!

I feel like this is going to be a long post. I have this desire to record everything that's going on in this baby's life at this time; this blog is a much better record than her baby book and I want to remember it ALL. Within the past month or two, she's really "grown up" so to speak. So much has happened! So, bear with me as I bring forth some of the highlights of this 17-month-old's life!

Just a cute bottom!! Since we've had a couple of days of cool weather, she's been donning some warmer clothes. I think her little bum looks so cute in these pants! :)

climbing into the bathtub

a typical fussy face - "Please hold me!!"

When I was taking all of these pictures, she kept saying "hi" to her reflection in the dry-cleaning bin.

a little playtime with Dad

I am 17 months old! And determined to get in this drawer even though it has a latch on it!

Favorite activities:
1. dancing (she really limps when she dances - it's quite funny!)
2. "helping" Mom with laundry - putting the clothes into the washer, the wet clothes into the dryer, and trying to put the dry clothes onto the bed where I fold them
3. feeding Reagan - she LOVES to get the little food scoop and scoop out food for Reagan. I think she'd do this all day, and therefore Reagan would be 400 pounds. She also likes to hand feed her (as you've seen in pictures)
4. stacking blocks or cups and tearing them down
5. pulling out Mom and Dad's shoes that we should wear that day
6. walking Reagan around the neighborhood on her leash (this is done with assistance)
7. rearranging things - like pictures, decorative items...so helpful
8. reading books - Go, Dog. Go! is her new favorite.
9. hoarding binkies - when she wakes up in the morning or from her nap, she tries to take all of them with her.

Accomplishments:
1. taking off her sleep sack when she wants to
2. understanding SO much of what we say and tell her to do (it amazes me that little kids can pick up on things so quickly!)
3. pointing to her changing table for diaper changes, pointing to her crib when sleepy
4. coloring - and no longer eating the crayons (Reagan has taken up that pastime.)
5. "helping" me pick out her clothes and actually choosing what outfit to wear
6. putting things away - like her dirty diapers (she puts them in the trashcan), her binkies (not without a giant fight), her jammies, her sleep sack, her books, our shoes, her shoes, etc.
7. She's very funny about her dirty diapers. We have gotten rid of our diaper pail, so whenever she has a dirty diaper, we put it in a plastic sack and put it on the stairs so we can take it downstairs to the trash. Well, Lainey has taken this a bit further and throws them over the gate onto the stairs OR - better yet - she throws them over the landing onto the ground below. It's pretty funny; she is so proud of herself when she does this!
8. blowing kisses
9. happily going to school two days a week
10.pointing out her nose, eyes, belly button, mouth, feet, toes, hands, fingers, ears, etc. and yours too, if you ask ;)
11. CLIMBING. She climbs and stands on her toy train, our coffee tables, and anything she possibly can.
12. She does hand motions (kinda) to the "Itsy Bitsy Spider" song! It's adorable - and it's definitely something she learned at school but I love that she tries to do them. So cute.

New foods:
1. cucumbers
2. ICE!

Favorite commercials:
1. the Prius commercial
2. the Dell commercial where they sing "Lollipop"

The not-so-pretty side of being 17 months old:
1. She fights me on a lot of things: sitting in her car seat, stroller and high chair; getting her hair done; getting diapers changed (although this has gotten better); brushing her teeth; putting on clothes.... Truth be told, it wears me out. :( I feel bad saying that, but it's true!
2. She loves to be held (except in stores where suddenly it's okay for me to let her down!) and gets very jealous when I hold Reagan. Not a good sign...
3. Her attachment to her binky is a strong one.
4. When is she going to understand "no" instead of just smiling at us and doing whatever she was doing harder/faster/over and over again? I have to contain my smile because her expression is funny and really cute but I'm strong - No means No!
5. increasing frustration when she can't do things by herself (like putting the square in the square opening, etc.)
6. I think she'd prefer to go about her day without clothes or shoes or a diaper.
7. Fussy days are no fun. Sometimes I just think she just wakes up fussy (she's much worse around me than Ben) and it sorta sticks with her through the day. :(

And finally, here are some words Lainey is saying. Please use the term "words" loosely. She definitely only says these words when she wants to and more often than not, it takes the skilled ear of Mom and Dad to understand what she's saying!
1. "ah guh" (all gone - usually she shakes her milk cup back and forth and says this - although she never applies this phrase to anything else)
2. "ho" (home)
3. "hi"
4. "Gee Gee" (Reagan and Keegan)
5. "mo" (more)
6. "Dada" and "Daddy"
7. "Mama"
8. "lsh" (leash)
9. Whenever we say something is "yucky" she makes a funny guttural noise in her throat!
10. "Uhmo" (Elmo)
11. "uh-ooh" (uh-oh)
12. "die" or "guy" (bye!!)
13. We've heard her say "Buh aoow" for Bud, but only a couple of times.
14. She also says "Yiyia" but we're not sure if she says it in the right context or not?
15. "eye" (ice)
16. Sometimes we'll get something that sounds like "thanks" out of her mouth - it's more like "th"
17. Animal sounds: "ooooh" for moo and "ooo ooo ooo" for woof woof woof and "ssszzz" for bzzzzz and "agghhhh" for the sound that a bear/lion makes.
18. "baow" (ball)
19. "eeeese" (cheese)
20. "boo boo" (for a boo-boo on her knee)
21. "du" (duck)

22. "ha ha ha" (hot)

23. "ha" (also used for hat)

24. "buh buh buh" (balloon)

You can see what I mean - her words aren't really words. The only clear, clear words she says are Mama and Dada and Daddy and hi.

Happy 17-month birthday, little Lainey!!

We love you dearly!