Eighteen Months

Scarlett: fiery; confident; strong-willed; happy; social; determined; gentle; sweet.

  I have so enjoyed being a Mom for the past eighteen months; I truly believe it is my calling in life.

Scarlett is amazing in so many ways; it is incredible to me all of the things she has learned, and all of the new skills she has mastered.

At eighteen months, Scarlett is talking up a storm.  Not only does she jibber-jabber all day long, but she actually says a lot of real words.  The list seems to grow daily, and it is so exciting when she pulls out a full three word sentence (ie: "it was yummy" or "I go my room").
Scarlett can be found wandering around the house, purse over shoulder, baby doll strapped in the stroller, and cell phone in hand, held up to her ear talking away.  She also loves to drive.  When we pull in to the garage after being out and about she points to the steering wheel and says "me!  me!".  I take her out of her car seat and let her sit in the drivers seat for a while.  She likes the door closed, the windows down, and for me to go in the house while she turns on the lights, blinker, windshield wipers, etc.  She usually always ends up honking the horn, which scares her, and is my cue to come back out and get her (don't worry CPS, I don't leave her all alone in the garage, in the car...). 

 Scarlett has mastered the iPhone and looks through my Contacts to find Uncle Kyle and calls him several times throughout the day.  Singing and dancing are still some of our favorite past times, as are playing outside and walking to see the "ship" (sheep) in the hills near our house.  Scarlett can be very particular about what she wants to wear- she often chooses her socks and shoes, and I try to make sure everything matches.  New this month is an interest in television- one show in particular, Bubble Guppies.  When Scarlett wakes up in the morning, within 10 minutes she asks for it, "Bub Yuppie?"  I only had one recorded for this weekend and she watched it twice before getting upset that it was the same episode.  She kept asking for it, but when I turned the re-run on she was frustrated.  I have since recorded several episodes.  The girl likes to have her options.   

 Scarlett can be very easy going, but the older she gets, the more her own opinion has formed, and trust me, she shares her opinion.  People tell me all the time that I have my hands full, and it's true; Scarlett is constantly busy, constantly getting in to something, but for the most part, she does what I ask (certainly not always- and usually not at all when other people are around).  But, even on days when I feel like I just want to scream because she hasn't been listening to me, I would never want her to be any different.  I love that Scarlett gets in to everything- she's curious.  I love that she is active and in constant motion- she's ambitious and determined.  I love that she back talks (OK, not always) because it shows me that she has a mind of her own; her own thoughts and opinions.  I truly believe she will be an amazingly strong person as she grows.  And I am so grateful for that.  And she's smart.  Oh, my is Scarlett smart.  She helps unload the dishwasher,  she helps put away her laundry, she helped me change the sheets on my bed yesterday.  She brushes her own teeth, tries to put on her own shoes, and wipes herself when I change her diaper (number one only).

Scarlett STILL wakes up most nights wanting a bottle.  She also still sleeps in until about 8:30 or 9am.  She does not eat breakfast- flat out refuses, and barely eats any lunch.  She will usually have some dinner, but prefers just to snack throughout the day on grapes, apples, tangerines, avocados, cheese, gold fish, veggie straws (or Natural Cheetos) and chocolate whenever she can get her hands on it.  Scarlett is super tall- she wears 18-24 mo bottoms (which are so ridiculously big around her waist), but is still just a skinny little thing.  She has four molars, and two more working their way through (along with the eight front teeth; four on top and bottom).   

I can't believe how fast time is going- but then again, I don't remember my life without Scarlett.  What did I ever do without her?

Happy eighteen months to the happiest, most stubborn, most beautifully adorable little girl I have ever known.  I love you, Scarbaby.  I am so happy to be your Mama.