17.5 months

I truly cannot believe that our baby girl is almost 18 months old. A year and a half has passed by since I first heard her scream and first saw her face.  In some ways, I have felt every single one of those days--but, at the same time, it feels like time has just flown by.  She literally has grown right before our eyes.

I have not been as good at updating her monthly stats like I was for Grayson.  I think, with 2, things move more quickly and life becomes much more busy.  It makes time for anything other than taking care of the kids sparse.  Anyway, I wanted to be sure to document some of what is going on in the world of Finnley at this age.  She is so fun!!

So, at 17.5 months, Finnley:

• is so full of energy!  One of her favorite things to do is run around the house as fast as she can and scream at the top of her lungs.  She will yell and yell and laugh and laugh and run and run in circles.  It is exhausting just watching her.  But she loves it, and Grayson just loves to chase her.  :)

• loves her Bubby (Grayson).  She will do anything and everything that he does with reckless abandon.  It's almost like she thinks, "Bubby did it, so it must be safe!" She chases him around, takes his toys and runs in the opposite directon, will tackle him from behind, and will whack him across the head if he makes her mad.  I remember, when we first found out we were having a girl, I dreamt of the times these two rugrats would play together.  Watching them become best friends has been so fun (although frustrating at times), and I know how blessed we are that they will grow up so close!!

 

• has to have a pen and a piece of paper with her most of the day.  She loves to color and write--and I remember that I used to be the same way when I was a little girl.  I was always playing office or waitress--Finn is definitely doing the same thing!

• is a great sleeper!  We had a couple rough nights after she had her surgery, but we are back on track to sleeping through the night--just like she has since 6 weeks old!  She usually goes to bed around 7:00pm and is up by 6:30am every morning.  Some nights, we put her to bed a little earlier, especially if she didn't nap well.  She will take one 2 hour nap at school every weekday and usually takes two 2 hour naps on Saturdays and Sundays. 
• LOVES water.  She hates hates hates to have her hair washed, but she absolutely loves to splash in the water.  We took her to the pool for the first time this season and she just about had a fit because she was so excited.  Last summer, she was too little to really enjoy the times we went, but I can tell that this summer is a whole other story.  And, she's not afraid to get her head under water--which is much different that Grayson was at her age.  I think it's safe to say we have a water baby on our hands!! :)

• is a true Daddy's girl.  The instant she hears her Daddy's voice, Finnley will run to give David a huge hug...and she just laughs and laughs at him.  She totally has her daddy wrapped around her little finger already, and that's the way it should be.  :)

• is Little Miss Independent.  She definitely gets this from her Mama.  She wants to do everything on her own, by herself, with absolutely no help from anyone.  I love this about her.  Believe me, there are times when I just want to scream because she insists on being such a little diva, but I hope that this quality is something that sticks with her forever. 

 

• is addicted to her foo-foo and her blanket.  She has to have both things with her at all times or she will scream bloody murder.  I think I should start referring to her as Linus.

• is quite the eater!!  She eats everything that we do, and she isn't picky at all.  She also insists on having a spoon and a fork with every meal (hello, Miss Independent!).  Again, she's like her Mama--big girl can eat!! :)

• is talking more and more, but still not a big chatter box.  She is starting to say more words each day, so I hoping she will be a full-blown talker soon.  Some of her favorite words are: plane, Bubby, dog, Daddy, Mama (only when she's mad), bath, duck, shoe, baby, hi, bye bye, and ball.  She babbles all the time, even though I can't always understand what she says.  I swear the other day she said, "I'll be right back" just like her brother does. :)
• is a social butterfly.  She will wave and say hi to everyone she passes, even if they are in the car driving next to us.  And she is so nosey!!  It will take her hours to eat at a restaurant because she spends all her time turned around in her chair watching everyone else eat!  I call her Nosey Rosey, and that's just because it's the truth.  :)

• wears size 2T-3T shirts, 18 month to 24 month shorts, and wears a size 5 diaper.  I told you she was a big girl! She drinks only from a sippy cup and will drink 2% milk with breakfast only.  (We had to cut back because she was gaining too much weight too quickly!)
• loves to play with trucks and books...which is a good thing, because we have a house full of both!

Finnley is absolutely our pride and joy.  Raising a girl is so completely different from a boy--she is much more set in her ways, not as laid back, and wants to sitting in someone's lap or having them hold her all day every day.  She is our princess and our diva, and I can't imagine our life without her.  I worry sometimes because she is at the age where she gets so frustrated with communicating with us that she spends more time crying than laughing.  But, those moments where she is cuddled up in my lap, watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and pointing out all the animals--well, that makes everything worth it. 

We love you, sweet Finnley Elizabeth!  You are our angel on Earth!! :)