Audrey - 18 months

Audrey,

You are now a year and a half old! Completely unbelievable to me! The time goes by much too quickly and, at the same time, it seems like you have always been in our lives.

This month you helped plant the garden. You are such a good little helper in anything Mama asks you to do. You are eager and anxious to lend a helping hand. Everyday, you grab me by the hand and we have to go over to check on our plants. You eat raspberries off the raspberry bushes and point out the "baby" yellow squash that have started to grow.

We are pretty sure you are allergic to strawberries, but when we went to pick some at a local farm, you were such a good girl and didn't try to eat any. It's a total bummer that you're allergic because you love them, but you make up for it with all the other fruits you eat. You LOVE fruit! Blueberries (blue), bananas (nonas), mango, peaches, apples, grapes...it doesn't matter to you! You love them all!

You have become quite a little Mommy to your baby dolls this month too. GG (your great gramma) bought you a little dolly highchair, and you love to put your babies in it and feed them with a spoon. You also have a little cradle that Papa (your great grampa) made you. We put it next to your crib, and you have to tuck your baby in and kiss her goodnight before you will take a nap or go to sleep for the night. Right now, all your babies are named "Auuu-ree."

Your vocabulary continues to expand at the speed of light, and you use more than 60 different words now (Mama started a list because she was curious.) You also continue to try to repeat anything we say. When we're reading some of your favorite books (for the gazillionth time!) or singing songs, you jump right in with some of the words. Even though I know you aren't actually reading, it still makes my heart leap with pride! You love to sing the alphabet and can pick out the letter "A" from words. You also understand that your name starts with the letter "A." 

You continue to love animals. You know the sounds that the dog, cat, duck, horse, cow, sheep and pig all make. You chase birds around the yard and intently watch ants on the ground. You yell "ta-ta" at the squirrels when they eat your raspberries, but you do it with a big smile!

You now go pee-pee on the potty anywhere from 2-5 times a day. You still don't really understand to tell Mama before you have to go, but if Mama puts you on the toilet and you do have to go, you will.

You love to run around and play with other kids, but it is when you play by yourself that you impress me with your imagination, curiosity, and love of the outdoors! As soon as you walk out the door there is always a stick or a rock in your hand! You also love the water! It doesn't matter what the temperature is, you want to be splashing in it!

You are opinionated, stubborn, brave, and sweet as pie all at the same time. You are exhausting, frustrating, challenging and completely precious, and I wouldn't change a thing!

I love you "much" sweetheart!
Mama

**Edit 7/6/12** You had your 18 month check-up today. You weighed 28 pounds, 5 ounces putting you in the 95th percentile. As I expected, you grew SO tall since your last visit. You are now 34 1/4 inches tall, putting you completely off the percentile chart! You're going to be a tall girl my dear! You also finished all your main childhood vaccinations and won't need any others until you get some boosters at 4 years old. The doctor continues to be impressed with how advanced you are for your age and you don't have to go back to see her until you're 2!