Fifteen Months Old

Pearl is having FUN being fifteen months old! She's a very active little toddler; scooching backwards on the floor on her belly, walking backwards, turning in circles, stomping in place, dancing, and in general running around like a crazy, adorable little monster.



We have gone to local parks often in the evening since moving to town, to get some exercise and fresh air. Lately those trips have not included much excercise for us parental units as going to the park means clambering all over the jungle gyms rather than walking sedately along the trail with Pearl sitting calmly in the stroller. One of us gets ground duty and the other follows Pearl as she climbs up steps and attempts to fling herself headlong down slides.



She is babbling so much, and learning words and noises and signs very quickly right now. She can say:

Kitty
Hi
Kiss (which she pronounces oh-so-cutely: "kisssh")
Kai (short for her cousin's name)
Hey
Daddy
Yay
Wheee (as she swings)
Woof woof (to identify puppies)
Hooo Hoo (for owls)
Brrrrr (for cold)
Hot (oft accompanied by the sign for hot, which is blowing as if you're cooling off a hot bite)
Vrooom

and maybe Baby and Pillow, not sure on those yet.

She knows the signs for:

Milkies
Potty
Bite (as in she wants one!)
Airplane
Rain (also used for fountains and showers)
More
Hug
Fan



Perhaps last month I was too hasty in condemning Pearl to the realm of tantrum-throwing toddlers. Once she got over her cold/dairy reaction, she pretty much returned to her sunny self. She still makes her will and displeasure known but she isn't so dramatic about it - for now. Even so, I am trying to work new activities into our daily life because we're both getting bored and cranky with each other just hanging around the house.



There has been a marked increase in the amount of solid food she's eating, and I am proud to say that she can feed herself with a spoon! She can scoop up her own bites out of a bowl and get them to her mouth for the most part.



Until this very day she has been unable to scale our furniture. Our couch, chair, and ottoman are very comfy and cozy but they are also huge, made for humans bigger than I and very hard for a baby to get onto. But today Pearl found a foothold and climbed onto the ottoman beside me (it doubles as my computer chair) and stood up on it victoriously.



How did my little tiny baby grow so big? Pearl seems like a kid lately, with her arms and legs tanned, knees in a constant cycle of skinning and scarring. But she's still baby-plump and cuddly. Her hair smells of warm, freshly cured hay and strawberries and earth. Her smile as she dances to the rhythm of the washing machine is the most delightful thing I've ever seen. She's my girl!