18 months of Rosie

I failed to do an extensive "Rosie at 1 year old" post, so I'm making up for it with an 18 months post. Get ready, because at 18 months, Rosie is basically a person already. When did that happen?? (Mostly I can't believe that this is how old Georgie was when Rosie was born. I can't imagine adding a brand new baby to the mix.)

At 18 months, Rosie likes:
- Reading
- Playing
- Doing whatever her sister does
- Climbing up and down (the stairs, the couch, chairs)
- Throwing things on the floor (the bigger the crash, the better)
- Doing things by herself
- Saying "Nnnnnoo!" and then smiling like it's a game
- Getting tickled and chased
- Rubbing food in her hair
- Bath time
- Birds (I can't even attempt to type how she says "birdie" but it's always said with extreme enthusiasm)
- Watching "Umi Zoomi"
- Eating cereal, strawberries, bananas, chicken, ranch dressing, yogurt, and crackers
- Going outside ("go" was one of her first words, followed closely by "out")
- Snuggling, especially when she wakes up at night

Rosie does NOT like:
- Having things (toys, markers, pens, open cups about to spill) taken away from her
- Getting sat upon by Georgie
- Being ignored
- New people (she warms up relatively quickly but has definitely perfected her distrustful scowl)
- Having her hair washed or brushed

Rosie LOVES with all of her heart:
- Her blanket ("wah-wah" as she calls it)
- Her adored and idolized older sister
- Her parents
- Her baby doll (mostly because Georgie has a baby doll)
- Her two mini board books she picked out at the book store recently. She literally slept with them the day we got them.
- Her kitty, which she initially called "Bunny" and is now referred to as "Me-ooo" (instead of "meow")

 Some other things about Rosie:
- She talks, almost in sentences. We've got a couple of phrases put together but stringing more than two words together has not quite clicked. She's really close though. Her favorite words: "Do-dgeee" for Georgie, Mama, Dada, "peeease" for please, wah-wah (her blanket), baby, "juuuuuuice," "yyyyyyah! and "nnnnnoo! (with the first sound dragged out), cracker, cereal, "nilk" for milk, "meooo" for cat, house, "goooo," and "out!" She newest phrase is "Help meee" which I find very helpful. I love this stage when I can actually communicate with my child!
- She generally sleeps through the night, though she frequently cries at least once. Most of the time I let her cry (I think she's usually still asleep) but lately I've been getting up with her. I've found the best way to get her to go back to sleep is to snuggle her in my bed, which seems like a slippery slope but I'm usually too tired to care.
- She love to be helpful, especially when it comes to wiping off the table or floor.
- She finally has eight teeth in front, plus her first four molars. That eighth tooth took literally months to cut through - literally. months. Ughhh.
- She is super observant and picks up on things incredibly quickly. Words, actions, processes, everything she sees, she will (at least try to) do after just one time - especially if it's Georgie doing or saying it. She knows a lot of body parts and even recognizes some numbers already.
- She loves loves loves music, singing, and dancing. I even think she's already got a good sense of pitch. Favorite songs are "Happy Birthday" and whatever little song she decides to make up and sing to herself.
- She is one tough cookie. Must be part of the 2nd child package, but Rosie takes in stride getting pushed and pulled and kicked, and even recovers really quickly from bigger things like falling down the stairs or falling off the couch. With just a few quick loves, she's pushing away and back into the fray.
- We had some concerns in the last six months about her eyesight and walking but everything seems to have worked itself out and she's totally healthy.
- She is great at following directions. I love this so much. I can ask her to put things away, take things to another room, go find something, and she will do it right away. It's still a game, thank goodness!
- She is becoming her own, independent person, which is exciting and exhausting. When I tell her to get down from the back of the couch or stop eating the crayons or to quit throwing food, she loves to shout, "Nnnnoo!" and then smile at me because she knows she's making her own decisions. It's cute and even funny sometimes, at least for now.

Rosie is such a happy girl. That isn't to say that she doesn't cry and scream and wail when she's frustrated or doesn't get what she wants or has something ripped out of her hands by her sister, and there were probably four solid weeks of extreme crankiness while she cut five teeth at the same time (all four molars plus that last dang tooth in front), but in general, she is so happy and easygoing. She smiles easily, is quick to laugh, and is just generally playful. What's the word? Mischievous. She's very affectionate and gives me kisses every time I ask. Even though she likes to glare at strangers and can be very clingy and shy in new situations, she really loves people and would rather stay up and play than sleep, no question. No one is more adored than her big sister, and they get along pretty well most of the time. I can't imagine our lives without our happy Rosie girl and I truly can't wait for her to keep growing so we can get to know her even better!