20 Months

Isla has been such a doll this past month. Graham and I often spend our evenings recounting and sharing the off-the-wall hilarious things that she says and does. She is pretty smart (if I do say so myself) and is really picking up on the world around her.

Isla is saying so many new things now that I don't even think I can keep track. She talks almost constantly (in a cute and totally not annoying way) and has kept me great company while Graham is away at work and class. My absolute favorite new word of hers is "applesauce" but she also can say Papa (Grandpa), broccoli, open, close, basket (for basketball), flower, beer, white trash (don't ask about the last two), hole, purse, coat, wash, peekaboo, crash (which we taught her to say when she falls), couscous, poop, toot, booger, Josh (which she says about 5 billion times a day), thank-you (which she usually says unprompted), taco, smoothie, berry, park, slide and walk. She used to say "mill" for milk but it has evolved into "milch" which cracks me up. She has a special word for Grandma now too but I have no idea how to spell the sound she is making.

Her latest obsession has been with buses and trucks. She LOVES Mondays because that's when we hear the "trash truck" come pick up our trash. When she hears it, she'll drop whatever she's doing to listen and then proceeds to mimic it: "beep, beep, beep." She also loves to spot buses, mail trucks, mailboxes and basketball hoops when we are walking or driving.
 
"The dreaded dinner hour" has arrived. You always hear other mothers talk about it but now I know it to be true--it really is something to dread! Starting at about 4:30-4:45 PM, the meltdowns begin. The only word I hear for the next hour is "Uppy, uppy, uppy!" Cryyyyyyyyyy! "Uppy, uppy, uppy!" And so on and so forth until I'm finally able to finish preparing dinner and throw it on the table (somehow managing not to kill myself on the cooling racks, tupperware, dish towels, aprons and measuring cups and spoons that have been removed from my drawers and strewn across the floor). After Isla and I eat, it is bedtime at once as it is quite obvious she has "expired" for the day. When we don't have evening activities, she is usually in bed around 6:30 PM.
 
Speaking of sleep, she usually sleeps until about 6:30 or 7 AM (long gone are the late awakenings at 8 or 9 AM...) After a long and hard fight, I think we finally have her back on a better napping routine. For the past week or so, she has consistently been taking one 1 1/2 - 2 hr nap midday. Oh sweet relief!

Isla LOVES her uncles! She was talking about them all week, even though we hadn't seen them for quite some time. She really took to Josh and Ben when our family hung out early April. She found it quite entertaining to watch them and has been learning to "bump it" (punch fists rather than high five) with them.

Sometimes I wonder why we even give Isla any toys. Honestly, I think she'd be perfectly content playing with her doll, her own diapers/changing supplies and all her former baby gear (the swing, bouncy seat, car seat, blankets etc).

Potty training is, well, going. Actually, if I'd been asked a week or so ago, I would have said that it is going surprisingly well, especially given the fact that we don't have a real "plan of attack" laid out. I'm sure all my readers saw the lovely picture I posted on Facebook that illustrated how her number 2 attempts are going... The first time she pooped on the floor, I laughed until I cried for a good hour. When it happened again the very next day, I didn't find it nearly as funny. Honestly, I don't even know how it happens. I don't know if she squats and lets it drop right on the floor. Or if she does it all on the potty and then just gets up too fast and it flings off. No, it's not because I'm an inattentive mother. It's because my daughter only does her business in private, with the door shut. The girl likes her privacy and I really can't blame her! I think she has only gone potty ONCE when I was in the room. All the rest have occurred once she's left alone. She did successfully poop once in the potty, when Graham was in charge (thankfully!!) Apparently she got a bath right after because she'd proceeded to touch it and smear everywhere. The weekend before last, she peed in the potty every day but then I guess decided to take most of this past week off. But hey, I'm just thankful we're making some progress since we don't really have a set time frame goal other than to have her potty trained by the time baby comes (is that possible?)

Isla has turned into quite the mommy's girl. She always wants "Mommy, mommy, mommy" and will keep saying my name well after I've answered her and am waiting to hear what she wants. She likes being held but not cuddled if that makes any sense. However, if someone else is holding her and I walk in the room, she will immediately want me and only me to hold her. We're working on teaching her that "Sometimes mommy's hand are busy" since she needs to get used to the fact in t-4 months, I won't be at her beck and call. Lately, she's been even wanting me to carry her down the stairs though she is fully capable herself. She also has grown quite possessive of her toys and doesn't like when other kids touch them. This is going to take some work!

I found Isla's 4th molar cutting through on April 20th. Then today I found two more teeth making their way out (upper left FRONT tooth and lower left, 2nd from center). It's going to look like Isla got in a bad bar fight pretty soon here if she doesn't start filling in the huge gaps...

Overall, I would describe Isla's personality as being both cheerful and fun. It is very hard not to fall in love with all the cute things she says and does. She definitely has a will to her and can stand up to any boy that comes her way. She loves to run around and wrestle with her Dad but also likes to twirl in her dresses and wear "pretties" in her hair. She likes everything "just right" and wants to do things herself (except when it comes to climbing down the stairs). We love our little bundle of energy!