A Girl and Her Elephant--15 Months

Surprisingly, this may be the only time she's cried during her elephant photo shoot.  15 months...I'll take it!

She's making the elephant noise here, so I figured I should share it too!

This little lady is learning, learning, learning.  I swear she says a new word every day.  I need to be better at keeping a daily record of what she says, because I swear I have forgotten a LOT of them.  She's also growing, growing, growing.  Well, as much as Samantha grows, I guess.  She just had a 15 month check-up and she weighs 21 lbs!!! Woohoo!  She jumped from the 5th percentile to the 25th percentile in 2 months.  Now those doctors can get off my back! I told them she was fine!

Here are some things baby can do right now:

Word List (new words in bold):

1. mama/mommy

2. dada/daddy

3. puppy

4. baby

5. noodle

6. hi

7. bye

8. no

9. banana (said nana)

10. grandpa (said buh-puh)

11. bath (said "ba")

12. milk (said "lllaa" Don't ask, we don't know why)

13. uh-oh

14. aloha (“uh uh”)

15. diaper (“bye-per”)

16. more (“mo”)

17. hello (“lo”)

18. thank you (she said it once where it actually sounded like it, but now it sounds like “daddy,” but she still says it when appropriate)

19. ball (“baou”)

20. book (“baou”)

21. nose (“no”)

22. ducky

23. yucky

24. down (“daou”)

25. soother (“fff”)

26. shoes (“fss”)

27. mouth (“maou”)

28. bird ("baou") 

Sign List (new words in bold):

1. please

2. more

3. all done

4. Thank you

5. up

6. sorry (occasionally.  She usually says it like please, because they are pretty close.)

7. I am teaching her “help” right now, but haven’t done much with it.

Animal Sounds (new sounds in bold)

1. bark

2. neigh

3. baa

4. meow

5. bock (chicken)

6. whatever sound a monkey makes

7. And an elephant

8. moo

9. roar (like a jaguar, yes, she associates it with a jaguar because that, of course, is one of the first animals Derek taught her...)

Body Parts she can point to when asked:

1. tongue

2. belly button

3. nose

4. Working on eyes, ears and toes right now.

She's started some small imaginative play.  She loves phones, and for awhile now, she's put up one of our real phones or one of her toy phones and we'll have conversations, but just the other day, she picked up a random toy that was rectangular but otherwise didn't look like a phone, put it to her ear and said "lo?" She's also taking some of those bristle blocks and tried to comb her hair.  I didn't think imaginative play began this early.  But, then again, I also didn't know tantrums began this early either, and we've been dealing with those for months!

She loves brushing her teeth.

She hates vegetables and meat.  Where does she get her nutrition?  Good question.  We're sorry Auntie Carolyn!

She loves singing, and it's super cute!

She hates when mommy and daddy hug or kiss (she'll slam her hands on the floor while screaming "NO!!!")

She loves playing with daddy when he gets home.

She hates the vacuum.

She loves reading books.

She hates being restrained.

She loves showing off all her new words and noises to everyone.

She hates when someone isn't playing with her all. the. time.

She loves doing what I tell her not to do (as she's looking directly at me).

She hates when I leave the room.

She loves splashing in the toilet.

I feel like I'm missing like a million things.  I say it every month, but this girl is so much fun!  I'm learning a lot, right along with her.  I'm learning how to discipline as she learns to throw more tantrums, steal from kids, and hit.  I'm learning to take time to teach her new things as she learns how to say them and point to them.  I'm learning how to keep my house somewhat clean as she learns new ways to destroy it!  I love her!  Here are some pictures:

She got into my church bag that has paper and colored pencils in it and made a complete mess of my floor...

...and her face!

Fun going down slides. 

Even more fun going down BIG slides!

I painted her hands and toes for Hawaii.  

Seriously, this was the best I could do!

I hope my friend doesn't mind that I posted this picture of her son.  Samantha is very forward with the boys...

Sorry it's graphic, but the story is awesome, and we had to document the first time she pooped in the tub!  With her soother in her mouth, she looked up at Derek and said "bye-per" (diaper).  The sound was muffled, and she said it about 3 times, before Derek realized what she was saying.  He looked down, and it was too late!  At least she tried to warn him, right?

I looked over at her from the kitchen and this is what I saw...

On an abnormally warm day (literally all of our snow but this melted that day), we went outside to play.  She wasn't that interested unfortunately.  We'll have to get some toys out there this summer!

She rolled on top of this blanket, then pulled it over her like we do before bed.  When she rolled over to get up, it covered her face.  She was kneeling on it and couldn't get it off her face.  Pure terror filled her poor little body and all I could do was laugh hysterically and yell at Derek to get the camera...then I saved her.  I am such a mean mom!