Little R Is Eighteen Months Old

R with her favorite toy, the Dora MP3 player

One of her favorite activities is reading

Driving the fire engine in the park: she also loves vehicles

If allowed, R would do this all day long

Jumping is so much fun!

She likes carrying things: here she is carrying the groceries for me, along with a large leaf

Playing with Dolly in the toy box

Reading in the toy box after a bath

Eating ice cream: she can use a spoon now

It requires a lot of concentration

Success!

Thoughtful moment (she picked out this shirt herself)

At a museum exhibit, organizing her bag

Sitting on a cygnet at Haw Par Villa

All grown up!

I'm a little behind with this (I usually write posts in the evening but have been out the last few nights until late). But R has reached a real milestone: eighteen months! That's official "no-longer-a-baby" territory. She's no longer a baby, but a little individual, with definite likes and dislikes, a sense of humor, the beginnings of morality, and an excellent memory. It's a little sad, because my tiny snuggly baby is gone forever (and I didn't take enough pictures): but also exciting, because she's much more interesting now.

R is on the go from morning until night. We average two activities/day (pre- and post-nap): swimming, museum visits, playdates, walks in the park, music class, and so on. When she is at home, she doesn't rest either, but is always doing something: manipulating small objects, climbing, drawing, 'reading', imaginary games, running, interacting with me or her father... Even in the evenings when she's totally exhausted by her full schedule, and can barely muster up the energy to move herself, she will not rest but insists on dragging herself around on various self-appointed tasks. It is very rare for R to do nothing. Even in the stroller or taxis, she finds amusement for herself (playing with my wallet and credit cards, by practicing fitting the cards in various slots is a big favorite). I tell her we are going out, and she runs around the house packing up her bag or purse with toys and books for the journey (she doesn't like to leave unprepared, because then it might be boring!). This is all her idea: I rarely brought toys for her when transporting her as a small baby (I had the misinformed idea then that being a little bored would develop her character).

R is still cheerful, very social, adaptable and even-tempered (in that small upsets or injuries don't disturb her much). She seems to prefer tidiness and will point out small crumbs to help me as I clean; she is not very impulsive for a small child, and I often see her carefully considering her next step (like how to step over a gully, or how to use some toy). She still sleeps pretty well (12 hours at night, plus a 2-hour nap) and eats a wide variety of food without any problems. Her physical skills are now quite good and she runs, hops, climbs and throws with ease.

She is also developing her negativism, tantrum throwing, and general defiance/testing of authority quite handily, which is of course normal but very tiresome. The constant ricocheting between "Mommy, I need you and am dying because you aren't here (cue hysterical crying whenever I am in the shower, even though the door is glass)" and "I will run away from you laughing because I am so independent: leave me alone already!" is also hard to take. But in general she is a delight.

Nicknames: Fur, Furble, Zizi, Monkeybaby
Temperament: Extroverted, cheerful, curious, active
Things I Could Do Without: The constant boundary testing; deliberate disobedience; the weird mood changes (desperately clinging and then running away; happy and then throwing things in fits of anger; etc.)
Item/Toy We Love the Most: Your little purse, because it's so cute to watch you packing it up for the day and then solemnly carry it around with you (over your forearm, just like Mommy)
Item/Toy You Love the Most: Still the Dora the Explorer song toy. Other favorite: your toy shopping cart (you load it up and take it all over the house; we call you baby hobo)
Things I'm Loving Most Right Now: You understand almost everything and can follow instructions, give your opinion, and apply what you hear. I can just tell you to be careful, or that food is hot, or that we will go in a minute, instead of having to physically convey that information. I feel like we are finally communicating in a more typically human fashion.
Things You're Loving Most Right Now: Swimming (you are obsessed and will get your swimsuit out and try to put it on, while giving me commentary, almost every day); getting adults to 'jump' you (they hold your hands and pull you into the air as you leap); going outside, to anywhere; getting your way
Foods You Like: Boba (the pearls in pearl tea); ice cream; veal sausage; Cheerios; organic squeezable juice packets; rice cakes; mangoes; baked beans; paneer. You will eat most foods though.
Sounds/words: This area took off this month! Now you say: Mama, Daddy, no, yes, what?, this, that, why?, hi!, bye, eye, dog, blubblub (for fish), uh oh, whee!, mine and wow. I think there's more, but I can't remember at the moment (I don't have a list or anything, because I am a little lazy). By far your favorite word is 'no' ('this mine' or 'mine this' are a close second).