17 months!

Dear Lucy,

What a month! It may just be because I've been doing the solo parenting thing most of this month, but it certainly seems like you have developed quite the "personality" this month. Most of the time that is a good thing but good or bad, it wears me out.

You have finally found your voice. Whether it is screaming (because you aren't getting what you want, because you're excited or just because you feel like seeing how loud you can be), babbling or talking, you are much noisier than last month. In addition to the "mama" and "dada" you have been able to say for months, you say ball (ba) and meow regularly now and have said "hot" and one other word which I can't remember a few times (how sad is that, I know your up to 5 what is #5?)

Update: I remembered, it's "pop" as in bubbles "pop."

I think it is fun how you are choosing such random words to say, probably because you already know how to "say" almost anything you want to communicate by signing. Signing is still your main mode of communication and while I stopping counting a few months back when you were in the mid 30s, I'm sure you have at least 50 now.

Helping me make pie crusts. 

You absolutely adore being outside. Sometimes I'm afraid to take you outside because I know no matter how long we are out there, you will throw a fit when it is time to back in. But you are so easy to entertain when we are outside that it is still worth it. You like to find bugs, pick and eat Grandpa's tomatoes (I think you believe Grandpa has a magical candy bush just for you) and go "crunch crunch" in the leaves.

You certainly don't mind getting dirty

But your favorite outside activity is sliding. You like to go up the park platform/steps, sit down, scooch to the edge then slide. At first you would let me help with some of those steps but now you want to do them all by youself. If I try to help you, you'll just push me away. Its a bit scary for me to let you go and I've tried to steer you towards the little slide but you don't like that one, you like the big whirly slide!

You've also decided this month that clothing should be optional. And you are pretty fast at getting it off. I'll put your shirt on, turn around to grab your pants and by the time I turn back around, the shirts off again. Sometimes you insist on being naked, sometimes you just want to practice taking your shirt on and off over and over again. You also want to put your shoes on all by yourself but can't yet and get very frustrated by that fact. Basically, you want to do everything all by yourself - except sleep. You tell me when you want to go to sleep but you still want me to be there by your side. But you only nurse to sleep about half the time no, the rest of the time you ask me to sing and you lay next to me and let me rub your back until you drift off.

4 generations!

You've become very interested in music and singing this month and not just at night. You've always liked it but now you ask me to sing every 20 minutes or so. And you are quite particular about which song I am to sing. I'll start singing and you will shake your head until I figure out the correct song. But luckily for me you are pretty consistent in your selections (que sera sera is your favorite night time song, Old McDonald or Wheels on the Bus are your favorite daytime songs). You really like Thursdays because that is when Bubbie's music therapist comes and you get to listen to a real musician. And sometimes she even lets you play the maracas or tambourine along with her. Last week though you got frustrated with her song selection so we had to leave the room so I could sing Wheels on the Bus for you myself. Oh, what a character you are!