Lenore at 18 Months

18 Months Old
(and ready for nap)

Her stats (from the pediatrician's office):
Height: 32 1/4 inches [66th percentile]
Weight: 27 pounds 7 ounces [94th percentile]
Head Size: 49.2 centimeters [98th percentile]

She had her 18 month check-up this morning, which went pretty well. We did have to wait a really long time, but Lenore checked out ok. Her iron level was up into the 'normal' range, which is great (she's been taking a vitamin with iron the past few months). It's still on the low end of normal, but on the way up. She did well through the finger prick process, but she was pretty sad about her vaccination.

What she's up to this month:

• She is starting to say more and more words. BYE! is the newest, and she says it very loudly and very twangy, which is adorable. She also says 'UH OH,' but not always at the appropriate time. Like the other day, she said a pre-emptive 'uh oh' and THEN pushed her spoon on the ground. Lewis used to do that, too.
• She continues to eat and sleep the same as last month. She IS finally drinking milk, sporadically (hooray!).
• She is finally pretty sure-footed on the stairs, but I still stay with her in case she misses a step. She will fly up them on her hands and knees and scoot down them on her butt. 
• She is tall enough to reach door handles and things on countertops/tables/etc. now. Not quite tall enough to turn a door handle, but tall enough to pull on them, and we have quite a few doors that just pull open. There was also a flipping-of-Lewis's-Cheerios-bowl incident before school a few weeks ago. And I worry about her in the kitchen while I'm cooking--a couple of times, she's walked by the oven door and grabbed the handle and tilted it open a little. Nothing has happened, but I have to be  extra careful that she doesn't reach up and burn herself on something on the stove or otherwise. On the bright side, though, she can put dishes in the sink for me.
• She 'gets' so much. I can tell her to do something, and she'll hesitate for a second while she processes it, then she's off to do the task. It's just little things, of course, but she seems proud of what she's accomplished, and I'm happy to see her being more and more independent.
• She is crazy-brave when it comes to climbing on things. Like from a chair to the tabletop to swinging on the light fixture, in 10 seconds, flat. The only time I am at peace is when she is napping or at night. I'm looking into tumbling classes for her to get out and harness some of her energy.
• She is wearing mostly 24 month clothes now.
• Current Tooth Count: STILL 12, but she has 4-8 of them so close to coming in. We had a week or so of having to use Orajel around the clock this month, but now she doesn't seem to be in pain anymore.

Here she was at the doctor's office this morning, trying to unlock the cabinet with my car keys while we waited:

The cabinet was actually open, but I thought it was cute that she tried with the keys. It wasn't so cute after she started opening all of the drawers over and over, but I was able to hold them closed with my leg.