18 Months Old

Dear McKenna,

18 months old.  How can that be?  You're 18 months old. 

What an amazing last three months it's been for you.  I can't believe how much growing you've done.


18 months old, October 9, 2011

Oh, how you love to brush your teeth!  I couldn't even get your toothbrush and toothpaste out of your hands to take your 18 month pictures on your rocker!  If we go upstairs, the first thing you say is "TEETH!" that means you want to go into mom & dad's bathroom to get your toothbrush.  I could think of so many worse habits, but sometimes we just don't have time to sit up in the bathroom waiting for you to finish, especially when you want to brush your teeth 3, 4 times a day!  We now make it part of your routine with Daddy when he gets home from work.  As soon as he walks in the door, you run up to him, first yelling "DAD!" then asking "TEETH?"



We met with Dr. Kreiling for your 18 month well check.  You weighed 20 lbs. 2 oz. (less than 5th percentile), you were 30 3/4" tall (25th percentile), and your head was 17 7/8" (20th percentile).  We were very excited that you were 20 pounds!  We know you're healthy and that you're just going to be little, but it was nice to see that we're closer to the chart now :)  We were a little early on receiving one of your immunizations so the only one you had was the flu shot. 

You're kind of in between sizes right now...12 months are starting to get bit small, but 18 months are still too big.  You're wearing size 4 diapers and size 4 shoes.

 

Your vocabulary grows by the day.  We are in awe of how many words you have all of a sudden...yes, no, more, car, water (hou), shoes, mom, dad, bye (die), cupcakes, cookies, dog, elephant (you flutter your tongue to say it), gorilla (ga-la-la), geese, horse, three, go, done, keys, egg, Pepper (Pep), bib, Danny (D), Mikey (Key), ball, hot, down, up, walk, hop, help, this, teeth, duck, cheese, socks, eyes, hi, hello (only when you're talking on the phone!)I'm sure I'm missing some...

The only word you're still relying on sign language with is, please.  For some reason, you won't try to say it.  You sign it every time. 



You love to look at books.  You don't always want to hear the words in the story, you just want to look at the pictures and point to the object we ask you to touch.  Your favorite books are "Wild About Books" (you touch and we name just about every animal in that book!), "I Love Pets" (oh how you love pets!), "Pinkalicious" (you love to point at the cupcakes), "Brown Bear Brown Bear", "Quack, Quack" (a touch and feel book that we like to rub our cheeks on!), and "The Noisy, Noisy Farm" (the newest book to our collection - you touch a little sun in the book to make the animals say their sounds).  If there is a dog in the book, or any other animal for that matter, you'll probably like it!


Aunt Lynn, Uncle Rick, Danny & Mikey got you this puppy costume for your first birthday - it finally fits you!  You just may be the cutest little puppy :)

Your love for dogs, especially yours, has not diminished at all.  If anything it has grown even stronger.  You love to give Trippy kisses, you love to play with her, you love to chase her around the house, you love to put her in her cage, you love to get her out of her cage, you love to throw her ball for her, you love to tease her with your cookies, you love to throw your dinner (breakfast and lunch) on the floor for her, you love to give her treats, you love to laugh with her, you love to feed her...you love to do anything that has to do with Trippy.  I think these pictures show your love for our sweet puppy, perfectly.

We can't forget your other two favorite puppies...Pepper and Louie!  You love to visit Pepper, GranMom and GP's Black Lab.  You love to give her Pup-peroni's.  When you walk in their house, its the first thing you want to do, so you head right to their laudry room where the treats are kept.  You also love Louie, Aunt Lynn & Uncle Rick's Golden Retreiver.  You get to play with Louie every Wednesday when Aunt Lynn watches you guys.  You love to give Louie food right from you plate and I'm pretty sure Louie loves it too!  He gets so excited when we pull up into their driveway! (Aunt Lynn does too!)




Your favorite job around the house...feeding Trippy!



Thanks to our neighbors, we were happy to find out that our dishwasher is magnetic!  Our stainless, non-magnetic, refridgerator doesn't work so well for your fridge farm!  You are very good at matching the animals and of course hitting the button to play music. 



The Baby Einstein DVD, Baby Noah, has become you & Benny's most favorite show.  You won't watch any other movie or TV show except for Baby Noah.  The two of you just stare at the TV while it is on.  You love to look at the animals, dance at the music, and laugh at the silly puppets.  You will now grab the remotes and ask us to put it on for you.  It makes for a very quiet dinner time! 



You still love to take baths.  You love the playing and splashing and kicking.  You'd stay in there all day if we let you.  After Benny gets out we move the bath seats and you "swim" as I drain the water.  Oh how you love water!

  

You still get your binkies for naps and at bed time, but that's the only time.  Sometimes you have a hard time with that rule - even though it's been in affect for 6 months now!  When we go upstairs, after you brush your teeth or after you take a bath, you sneakily run over to your crib and reach your hand in to grab one of your binkies.  If we take it away from you, then you get very upset and throw a tantrum.  We're thinking that the binkies won't be around much longer...which won't make for a very good couple of nights, I would imagine. :(

You are such a daredevil!  You climb, jump, and run all over the family room couches, chairs, and ottoman.  We always have to keep an eye on you.  But you are one smart little girl.  As soon as we look at you or say something to you then you sit down.  Then as soon as we look away, you're right back up.  You think it is hilarious.  We don't.  You have even figured out how to climb up onto your chair at the dinner table. 

Temper tantrums have definitely begun.  You know what you want and you're not happy when we don't let you have it. 

Your eating habits are more of a snacking nature.  You'd much rather snack all day than sit down and eat meals.  We can't always guarantee we're going to get much in you.  But when we serve...Oreos, pancakes, yogurt, cheese, jelly, peanut butter, mandarin oranges, peas, corn, cupcakes, yogurt bites, raisins, puffs, Kix, Cheerios...then we're pretty certain you'll eat.  Meat is still out of the question, you immediately spit it out.  We can't tell if it's taste or texture that's bugging you so much. 

You love to spend time with all of your Grandparents.  Grandma & Grandpa Witkowski watch you and Benny while we're at work on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.  You love to take walks with them, play on their screened in deck, and play with all of Daddy's toys from when he was a kid at their house.  GranMom & GP come over as much as possible too.  They come over a lot for dinner during the week.  We see them every Friday night for Dateline Friday.  We also spend time with them on the weekends.  They are our go-to babysitters.  They watch you when Daddy and I go out.  You love to feed GP.  You'll take his fork, get some food on it, put it in his mouth, and then say "Mmmmm".  It is so funny to watch.  You're always cracking us up with the things you do.  

You love talking on the phone.  You will grab it and bring it right up to your ear and say "Hello!".  We like to call Aunt Krissy, Aunt Beanie, and Aunt Mackie together, although you're not very good at keeping up the conversation.  You just say Hello and then walk around with the phone.  I usually have to prompt "Bye!" (Die!) and then take the phone from you.  All three of your aunts have even called asking for you!  They just love you so much!

What an amazing 18 months this has been.  I just can't believe it.  I'm just so happy to be your Mommy.  I don't know what my life would be like without you -- it's something I don't want to think about.

Just know you are the most perfect little girl in the whole world.

I love you, my sweet sweet miracle.

Love, 
Mommy