19 Months!

Today my little girl is 19 months old! We are now closer to 2 than 1...crazy! She is definitely showing more of that 2-year-old spunky personality than that of a one-year-old baby. Here is what Mady has been up to the past month and a half:

-is getting much more successful at pooing on the potty. There are times that she realizes she needs to go and starts tugging on her diaper and pointing upstairs while getting someone's attention. She also knows when she needs changed and will answer when we ask her if she's gone pee/poo. I think we are starting to see some progress in potty training! She is also very fascinated by toilet paper and undid a whole roll of it on the floor in a matter of seconds.

-is a climber with no fear! You name it, she'll try to clumb it. Pub table chairs. Highchair. Couch. Babygate. Playpen at Mimi's. She is extremely coordinated at getting to these high places very quickly and scaring us half to death!

-says "Geggie", "Ella" (cousin's little girl), "Mimi", "Bapa" (grandpa), "Nana", "Gama" (grandma), "cacker" (cracker), "Daddy", "Mommy", "i-er" (tiger), "e-ba" (zebra), "Gu" (Gus--Grammy's dog), "ucker" (Tucker--Mimi's dog), "yeah", "uh-oh", "nana" (banana), "baby", and has said the phrases "Mommy Geggie bye-bye", "love you", and "ni-ni" (night-night). I'm finally starting to worry less about her talking because she jibber-jabbers non-stop and I have picked up on a lot of her language/words that she is trying to communicate.

-loves going to the zoo! Madelyn had her first pony ride and rode once all the way around with Daddy standing next to her. She didn't even care that the pony had to take a "potty break" in the middle of her ride. She loves watching the white tiger and always wants to try to pet her. Haha! She could watch that thing all day long if we let her. She definitely doesn't get her love of animals from her mommy, but I sure do love watching her fearless attitude toward them.

-is quite the character! She does anything to get a laugh out of us. She makes silly faces by scrunching up her face and looking at us strangly through her eyes. She has also entertained herself by playing with a pair of Mommy's underwear for a good 30 minutes. Putting them on her head and running around. Thank goodness they were clean!

-mimics everything with her baby doll. She uses one of her cloth wipes and diapers to wash the baby and change the baby's diaper, tries to feed the doll some of her Cheerios, milk, or water, makes the doll "sit" in different places of the house where Mady likes to sit (the stair, the highchair, Daddy's chair, etc.), and puts her bib and sandals on the doll.

-loves buckles. Have I mentioned this already? This child is obsessed. Her Oma (Nana's mom) got her a puzzle that has all sorts of snaps, buttons, laces, and buckles on it and she loves it.

-loves to be outside and throws a fit if someone goes outside without her. She has grown tall enough to reach the handle to the door, too. Luckily, we are getting a new sliding glass door on Monday!

-rode a carousel for her first time at the beach in St. Joe, Michigan. She was so excited when it started moving that she started shaking with excitement and making a hilarious face!

-likes to walk or ride in the carrier more than ride in the stroller.

-is able to communicate her needs and wants much more effectively! But when things don't go her way, she will still throw a fit.

-is a dancing machine. Anytime she hears music, she dances. It can be at the mall in different stores, a commercial on TV, or dancing non-stop at her aunt and uncle's wedding.

-is starting to dislike veggies and fruits that she has always eaten. This can be very frustrating to Mommy and Daddy, even though we know that it is quite normal at this age!

-loves to have things clean and in place. She will find a little piece of lint on the floor and stop what she's doing so she can throw it away. It sure makes her Daddy proud!

-is cutting her four canine teeth. Pain, drooling, and crankiness can stop any day. Poor kid!

We sure do love this little girl and I have enjoyed every minute of this summer with her. It has been so much fun making memories together and watching her learn more and more about the world around her. She is getting to be so much fun at this age even though it can tire her Mommy out! She has become quite a little Mommy's girl and wants to be around me all the time which I really do love. It's going to be hard to go back to school and leave her at her Mimi's house all day, but I am also excited about the new school year and all that it has to hold. She gets so excited to go over there and has so much fun with the other kids, that it is totally the best of both worlds. I never dreamed that it could be this good when thinking of my life and a mommy and a teacher when I was a little girl. I'm also happy that I am finding my place in it all and am thankful for the life I am living.