18 Months Old

Anna Scott is 18 months old and life is getting sweeter by the second.  She is a complete bundle of joy, just oozing with personality and sweetness!  She is so smart, and I just love watching her learn and grow every day.  She is the little love of my life, and each night when I fall asleep, I can't wait to wake up the next day to see her, hold her, teach her and love her all over again.  Here are some things about Anna Scott at 18 months, along with some of the most recent pictures I have taken...  

- She loves watching the Pajanamals, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Alvin and the Chipmunks, the muppets, and any kind of music television.  She is getting some Disney movies for Christmas, and I can't wait to watch them with her.

- She sings now, and it is the cutest thing I have ever seen/heard.  She actually tries to say the words of the songs she sings instead of only humming.  When I start to sing a song to her, she says "no" if she doesn't want to hear that one and we will repeat this until I get to one she wants to hear.  (She is starting to do the same thing with her little movies/TV shows).  Our Christmas musicals are coming up, and she loves listening to those songs in the car.  She says "again" after each one is over.  I am going to know all of the songs very well, thanks to her!  For those of you who are familiar with or singing in the tree, her favorite song is "Take a Walk through Bethlehem."  I have heard it at least a million times.  

- She says "no!" and shakes her head "no" to most questions, but will let us know if she does want something.  If we ask her, "Do you like Alabama Football," she smiles and nods.  She will say "Roll Tide" and raise her arms and scream "Touchdown!"  She will randomly pick up our Alabama shaker and shake it while saying "Roll Tide" over and over.  I must say, she has a pretty good record so far in her little life.  :)  I can't wait to see her at games in a few years.  She will be the biggest little Bama fan there is.  

- She really really loves and misses her Aunt Allison.  The last time Allison came to see us, she brought a gift for Anna Scott - some Christmas pajamas!

- She not only says "no" in answering questions, but she loves to say "no, no, no" and point her little finger.  A man came to our house one day to draw some blood for insurance purposes.  When he was preparing to stick my arm, Anna Scott looked at him with a little grin and said, "no, no, no."  :)

- She says everything.  Yes, I mean everything.  She has the sweetest little voice.  She repeats anything we say (at least the last word of our sentence) and loves to carry on little conversations (I must admit that I am not quite sure what she is saying, but I know it is important to her, and I act like I am following her the whole time.  I love when I say something like, "You're ok" after she falls, then she gets up and says "ok."  :)  Another favorite is I will often say, "Now then" after I get her bow in or shoes on (habit) and she will walk away and say, "Now then."  I love how she says "read it" and "touch it."  My favorite is how she says "Oh Wow!" with a look of shock on her face when she hears an airplane or train or siren.  She also understands so much.    

-  She calls her close friends and family by name and will tell you her name.  She has the Scott part down and she is putting Anna with it slowly but surely.  Sounds like "Ann cott!"  I have spelled her name for her over and over again since she was very little, and now when she is coloring or drawing, she will say "A" then scribble a second and say "TT." So, she knows the first and last letters of her name.  :)  It amazes me how quickly they learn!

-  She knows her colors!  She knows red, pink, purple, blue, green, white and black.  It is so funny because she loves the color white and will often choose it to color with, only to be so frustrated when it doesn't show up!  

-  She has attachment issues right now that have really just developed over the past couple of weeks.  She cries when she has been with someone (scott, me, or grandparents) for awhile and then has to part from them.  It breaks all of our hearts, but we are happy to know she loves us!  :)

-  Speaking of loving us, she shows it in so many ways.  She walks up to me with her arms high up in the air and says "mommy!"  She gives kisses and hugs and also says "love you" and "miss you!"  When I ask her how much mommy loves her or how much she loves mommy, she throws both arms up and says, "Much!" (i say "this much!")  There is nothing sweeter than feeling her little head on my shoulder.  I feel like I have never been loved so much!  

-  We haven't started potty training yet, but she talks about the potty a lot.  I think Santa may bring her a potty if she is lucky!  Who knew Santa Claus carried little potties around!?  :)

-  She loves her "beep beep" car.  When she sees our storage shed (where we keep the cozy coupe) that is the first thing she says.

-  Have I ever mentioned that she loves ball?!?!  Football, basketball, baseball, soccer ball, tennis ball, bouncy ball, golf ball, she loves them all.  I think I have said this before... I want her to love to play ball (especially love to hit the tennis ball) and I want her to love reading/learning.  These are definitely her two favorite things!  You should hear how animated she is when she reads to herself.  Precious!

-  She loves to dance and twirl!

-  She does not walk now.  She RUNS......

-  She loves her pearl bracelet.  She holds her arm up and very still for me to put it on her.

-  We are teaching her to use her manners.  :)  She says "please" and "thank you" and covers her mouth when she coughs.  :)  I had to ask her to please cover her mouth until this week.  Now, she just does it on her own.  So sweet!  She is also learning to share.  She is getting better, but this is a really hard age for sharing.  She does have one thing mastered... She can tell her friends that they need to share.  :)  

-  Question:  Is it 18 months or 18 years that we can vote in this country?  

OOPS!!!!  :)

-  She loves to feed herself and will never learn is slowly learning how to use a spoon.

-  She has a temper!  I wish I could sell tickets to the show she puts on when pitching a fit.  I can't help but laugh when she puffs her lips out and breaths hard and fast through her nose.  :)  She used to just throw herself back when she was mad, but she has now learned that she could potentially injure herself doing this, so she lays back ever so slowly now, still making it to the floor. 

-  She plays so well on her own. 

-  She is into moving things around the house now.  We will look and she will be carrying the trash can from the study or carrying clothes that have just been folded into the next room.  The latest - I was cooking one night, looked over, and she was standing in the doorway of the kitchen with our bedroom pillows. 

-  She is not really interested in her baby doll.  In fact, she slings her around most of the time (if she gives her any attention at all).  But one thing is for sure.  That baby will not go unfed.  She loves the act of feeding the baby more than she loves the baby itself. 

-  She is so friendly (most of the time).  She waves to everyone in public.  You would think she was in a parade!  

-  She doesn't cry much, but when she cries, she cries for Daddy.  In fact, it has just become a part of her cry.

-  She does not like to brush her teeth.  I think we will need a dentist sooner than later.  :)

-  When asked how old she is, she holds up two fingers and says two.  I have no idea why.  At least she is ready for next year.    

-  She calls her letters (ones in the bathtub and on the refrigerator) "AB."  She just says the first two letters of the alphabet song.  She knows and can say ABC  and 123.  That is about as far as she gets.  :)

-  She loves to color, but she is always losing her crayons.  One night, we were holding her and felt something inside her pajamas.  She had stuffed a couple of crayons down her top.  Good way to keep track of them!

-  Scott was home with her one night and he hadn't seen her in a minute, so he walked into her nursery (where she usually wanders to) to find her sitting in her big pink bear's lap, looking up at the bear, lost in conversation.  Sweet moment.

-  The city of Homewood recently had it's Christmas Open House.  That night, we learned that Anna Scott is not a fan of Santa Claus at 18 months old.

  

-  Kristin has started doing a lesson plan with Anna Scott and Owen each week.  Anna Scott's first bible verse to repeat (one word at a time) was "We give thanks to God."  She has also learned "I'm a Little Teapot" and made a turkey out of her handprint this week.  Kristin is amazing.  I am so thankful for her.

-  She has had a few boo boos lately, and she loves to have them kissed.  She'll ask me to "kiss it" and after I do, she says, "better."  When she says anything that ends in "er" like better or water, it sounds like betta or wata.  So sweet.  

-  She loves to play in the leaves!

-  She tells me that her food is "HOT!" even when it is just a little warmer than room temperature.  I will tell her that it isn't that hot and that she should just go ahead and eat.  She then blows it by holding it right against her lips and blowing air through her teeth.  Yes, it is the funniest thing I have ever seen. 

- She loves spending time with her friends.  Bentley came into town recently for a Friday night date.  :)  They got to tour the Rick and Bubba studio and eat at Mugshots.

Scott and I are leaving on a 5 night cruise vacation this coming Wednesday (in 2 days!).  We are going with 3 other couples.  I know we will have a wonderful time, but I am really going to miss my baby girl.  Her grandparents are keeping her, so she will be in good hands.  :)  I know that I'll be missing her more than she'll be missing me, and for that I am thankful.