16 months of love...

watching youtube music videos with Dad

In the park on our way to Budding Babes (natural parenting group)

Reading 'At the Market'

Colouring

Avalon is 16 months old tomorrow.

I amazed at how quickly she has turned from a baby to a little girl. I think the transition to walking has had a huge influence and to then confidently running was a further pang to the heart strings.

She loves to be on her feet and unless she is tired isn't as content being carried in the Ergo (or in arms for that matter.) She is far to independant... and curious... to what is going on around her.

She wants to be in it. A part of it.

Her vocabulary astounds us every day, not in the 'Oh-my-child-is-uber-intelligent' kind of way- but that there are new words and new sentences every single day. This has really taken off in the past month and she mimics us alot now (so would REALLY be the time to start curbing the potty mouth!)

Some of her words are: Shoes, Socks, Crocodile, Duck, Dog, Hello, Phone, Nannie, Daddy (on from Dadda), Mummy, Baby, Izzy, Kitty, Nana (as in banana), Nani (as in nachi), truck, car (toot! toot!), Peppa, ... and onwards...last night we sang 'Twinkle Twinkle' together- hand actions and all.

She loves to colour and paint... we have bought her a couple of colouring in books and crayons... she loves it and goes nuts for them- I thought she would just eat them but she will take the book and crayon and find a hard surface to scribble on- she also hold the crayons correctly... we may have an artiste here! (tongue planted in cheek!)

Books are her favourite toy. Really. She will happily sit my herself, crossed legged, book in lap and reading to herself.

Listening to her babble away is the sweetest thing. When she wants you to read to her, she brings the book, plonks in your lap and turns the pages... She is so gentle with books too, turning each page delicately.

She has started eating alot more too. At 16 months she is very much a breastfeeding babe but has started having more and more at meal times; she loves bananas, nachi's, english muffins, cheese and Linda McCartney burgers and sausages (ha!) I have doubted our baby led weaning jouring with her at times but seeing her come into her own independantly with perfect health I know it was right for us.

Her Granny takes he swimming on a Tuesday and she loves the water (apparently.) She kicks her legs and I believe there is a challenge to get her out again. I am glad she is turning into a water baby- I grew up in the water and I think it is great for her confidence. She showers with us now more often than bathing... standing under the stream playing her her toys or holding onto the shower head and spraying us (whomever is in with her.)

She adores her father. For every 'Mummy' there are ten 'Daddy's'... I relish this, I do, and I am not surprsied she is a 'Daddy's Girl.'

She is very cuddly and will nestle her head into your shoulder for long hugs. She melts my heart. I find myself rushing home to her after work to see her smiling face. Being back at work, and her huge affection for her Dad, I do cherish our nursing time together as it is just 'ours.' We cuddle up on the couch and chillout- although she is becoming very squirmy and active when she feeds which can be interesting...

We do a web camera call with my parents to Australia every Sunday and she is recognising them and they sing to her which she giggles along to.

She has 11 teeth, and I am pretty sure more on the way very soon (lots of biting of her arms and fingers and grizzly times at night.)

She is growing so very fast and it is truly bittersweet.