18 Months

Jillian turned 18 months old on Wednesday. It is hard to believe that we are halfway between one and two, and this next month will be one that will bring a whole lot of change for all of us. Unlike Jeramy and I, Jillian is blissfully unaware of her little sister's impending arrival. She has only noticed the new functionality of my stomach as a stepping stool and place to place the pile of books she wants me to read.

She continues to be quite the little monkey. "Monkey" has actually been Jeramy's nickname for her for many months, and it is quite appropriate. The other day he turned around to find she had climbed up her high chair and was standing at the kitchen counter. Soon I'm afraid she will be scaling the baby fence placed strategically to block access to the fireplace and dining room.

She talks constantly. Now it is pretty difficult to understand what she is saying, but she seems to comprehend her language perfectly well. She'll run into the kitchen and point at a cabinet..."blah, blah, blah, blah, blah". And if you can't decipher what she wants based on that, it turns into tears. Admittedly it is a frustrating experience for all involved. It is often easier just to pick her up and let her show you want she wants herself. Gradually the blabbering seems to be turning into real words. Recent additions to the vocabulary include duck, book, and "e-i-e-i-o" from Old McDonald. I'm told by both sets of grandmas that she says thank you as well, but I have yet to hear it. I guess we are just not as big on manners at my house.

I find that she is a little hard on her mama these days. She greatly enjoys pulling my hair, pinching, and grabbing parts of my face. Not anybody else...just me. Perhaps it is because we've sang a little too much "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" together. Who knows. But it hurts like hell. I try to express that something hurts me (which she doesn''t quite understand) and then if it continues set her down on the floor, which seems to be the worst possible punishment I can inflict. I am really hoping this is just a phase that passes soon.

Another phase I would like to see pass are night terrors. She has often been waking up about an hour after going to bed screaming and screaming. She isn't awake but she'll sit or stand or walk as if she is (basically like sleepwalking). There is nothing you can do to console her either, and it is absolutely heartbreaking. At her check-up Dr. M said the usual cause is being over tired, so we've been trying our best to stick to the usual bedtime regardless of whether she seems sleepy.

Both Jeramy and I agree that she has reached such a fun age between her expressions and laughter. She loves going places and exploring. On Tuesday, he took her to the Seattle Children's Museum with his mom, niece and cousins from Iowa (I'm always missing the fun when I'm at work). It looks like they had a great time though based on the pictures: