19th Month Update

Caitlin is 19 months old today. Wow! She has made some great strides lately, even since her 18 month checkup. In the last week, she has developed an amazing awareness of herself . One of her favorite words is baby, and she points to our all baby pictures she sees. When she points to a picture of herself and says baby, I say "yes, that's baby Caitlin." Then she points to herself, and again to the picture. She can't say Caitlin yet, but she makes a funny sound whenever she refers to herself, and makes that sound when she knows a picture is of her. She points out all of us family members, and names us all. When we were in California, Brian said she once went around the family room at his parents house pointing to certain chairs and naming who usually sat in them. No one else was home besides them.

We are also dealing with a Caitlin word explosion, and the need to know the name of everything that surrounds here. There are the normal things we teach her, such as eyes, nose, mouth, and articles of clothing. But then there are the all the other things she wants to know about, such as the wall, the railing, the chairs, etc. I feel like I am watching the scene in The Miracle Worker where Helen Keller discovers that the wet stuff has a name, water, and then proceeds to want to know the name of all the things around her. Caitlin repeats everything I tell her, and then wants to know more. I remember Brandon just talking up a storm at 18 months, but I don't remember that desire to know what everything around him was called. He was talking more, and more clearly than Caitlin at the same age, but he talks more and more clearly than most kids his age, even now! He also had to get out and run or he wouldn't sleep, and she doesn't seem to need that (although it helps).



Showing off her beloved bunny slippers

This was right before she took one off to cuddle with it.

Other things Caitlin does lately:
**tries to put all her clothes in the diaper champ. I have to check it daily, and before I toss the diapers in the trash, just to make sure I'm not tossing out her stuff!
**Brings us her shoes whenever one of us mentions that we are going to leave the house, or whenever she deems it necessary to leave the house.
**Brings me my shoes or Brandon's shoes as well
**Gets all bent out of shape when she doesn't get her own way. No major tantrums, but I can see it moving that way.
**Now tells me when she has a poopy diaper

Favorite Words:
Daddy (pronounced, loudly, as DAA--EEY!)
Bindon (Brandon)
Abbey
Apple
Milk
butterfly
star
truck
Mommy
blueberries
Jackie
icky
poops
pee pee
Ya (for Yes, pronounce "da", "ja", or "ya")
No
No
No
No
Gramma
Grampa
Nana (pronounced Nina)
Water (pronounced wa-wer)
Blankey
and a whole host of other words that really, only I can understand.