Up To the Sky

Today my daughter turned 14 Months Old! I can't believe it! She's just growing so fast. She has so much energy! Our days now consist of running around the house, from the living room to bathrooms to Mommy's bedroom to Daddy's office and back to the living room to check what's on TV and to see if she can get away with messing with the TV's stereo box. Sometimes she'll think it's a game and stop herself and say "no" while wagging her finger and walking to me to prove she's a "good girl." But sometimes she doesn't listen and I have to grab her hand and tell her, "Obey," to which she nods her head in response, saying "aw-bey." It's so cute to hear, but I love to hear her say "good gurl" even more. And she loves hearing it, as she runs, grins, nods her head, and claps, "good girl". If she wants something she points to it and tells you, "Deesh." Though it sounds German, it means "This." =)

Other favorites are words she's made up: "Doopa Doopa Doop" (which she sings occasionally) and "Babst" and "Dipst." They don't mean anything, but we crack up together when she says them. She also loves to say the sounds of the animals with passion (passion: the meaning of her middle name): Neigh, Moo, Meow and makes noises and movements for the squirrel and bunny. She points to her nose, likes to "help" brush her hair and wash her toys in the tub.

Her latest milestones besides walking just after her first birthday include totally weaning from breastfeeding on November 1st at 13 1/2 months old, taking naps unassisted (see last post), drinking independently with a sippy cup, and just today she drew her first scribble picture with her LEFT HAND! Not sure if I can yet peg her as a "lefty" since she does ambidextrous things... but Mommy would be SO happy to have someone in the family who understands the mind of a lefty, although it's a bit challenging at times.

She waves at EVERYONE and says "hi". Even to grumpy men who don't care to look at her. We sat by the toilet on our flight and she said "hi!" to everyone waiting in line to use the bathroom. Naturally, she was loved by all. Her dad calls her a diplomat. But I know her gift is deeper. A woman at the bookstore months ago said that she felt my daughter's big eyes were just "seeing through her" and proclaimed she would be a "seer" in her life. I recognized it as a prophetic statement and I love watching it unfold as my daughter's personality grows and flows out of her. She sees when people need a laugh and seeks to comfort me when I'm sad. She's a "relationship baby."

I saved my most treasured phrase that she says for last.... "Up Sky." She learned it in on vacation after I'd been encouraging her for weeks to raise her arms "up to the sky" when I was taking off her clothes before her bath. She got so excited when she could say it herself and DO what I was asking. And she loved looking at the clouds and learning about how we were really up in the sky on our flight home. So now she says it with a big grin on her face and eagerly helps me get her undressed (another milestone). The picture above is her new phrase in action as she reaches "Up Sky" as Daddy gets her ready for her bath. I hope she'll always have the same grin on her face and passion in her voice with everything as she reaches "Up Sky."