Olivia Layne - 21 Months

Oh my goodness, I can't believe how fast the last month went. (or the last year, but never mind that.) This past month we had a fun celebration with Nayelle because she's been keeping you for a whole year now! When she first started caring for you you couldn't even crawl and now look at you, about ready to drive away to college ;) You are a dance machine and it is one of my favorite things EVER to watch you groove adn then say "more" when a song ends. You say "more" not only when you want more food, but when you want to do something again. It's very cute. You can now go down the small slide at the park all by yourself, even the very end. You don't even need us to catch you anymore! You also like to swing on the big swings by yourself sometimes. You climb up the "scary" ladder at the park and swing from your hands while picking up your feet! I want to say stop growing, but at the same time I just LOVE watching you develop and become. You have started loving Curious George and the color purple. You like to watch episodes on the "eenle" (Kindle.) You ask to watch it by making a monkey sound. You call animals by their sounds rather than their names. You love to do Skinny Cats and somersaults with Daddy and then point to us so that we'll do somersaults, too. You are very particular and observant. If we come home and Daddy has been wood working, sometimes he has his shirt off because he is so hot. You immediately point to him and then his shirt because you do NOT like him to not be wearing it! Once he made his long beard really messy and you got upset and said no and pointed until he fixed it. If we drive up to the garage and Daddy is working with a mask on or a pencil behind his ear, it's the first thing you notice. You usually only sleep through the night once a week, and the rest of the time if you wake up I go in to rock you back into peaceful slumber. I'm tired, but I have grown to be OK with these night bonding's, and try to cherish the closeness. Soon enough you will not need those extra times with Mama. Sometimes you like to bring a chair into the kitchen so you can help mama stir things or wash things. You help wash the table and mop the floors. You like to play pretend eating with your play kitchen food and you're enjoying reading books for longer. You seem to like picking out your clothes a little more, although on many mornings you'd rather not pick anything! You do, however, like to help Daddy pick out his clothes, especially his shirt. I think his Broncos shirt is our favorite :) You are a bit over 32" tall! You have become a little clingier when I drop you off with Nayelle most mornings, and even though in the past I have wanted you to miss me and want me, it is much harder for me to leave you if I think you are unhappy. But the best thing about these mornings is when you reach for her happily and give me a nice kiss right on the lips to say goodbye. :) I think I've said it for several months, but you are so fun and I love you at this age. You are funny, a fast learner, curious, independent and adorable. I'm trying to ignore the fact that you're almost 2, but when that day comes I know I'll love it AND YOU just as much :) xoxo, Mama