18 wonderful months

Elliana is officially 18 months old (well, as of July 3 since I am a little late posting). I can hardly believe how quickly time is passing. Before my eyes, a tiny little baby is transforming to an amazing toddler full of life and personality. Allow me to share a few of Elliana's latest moments:

Although it started a few months ago, I still love that Elliana blames Daddy each time she passes gas. Almost instinctually, a little air comes from Elliana, and she quickly announces it was Daddy. Her confidence in pronouncing the accusation is perhaps what is most funny, given many times Daddy will be at work when she makes the announcement, therefore eliminating Daddy as the culprit.

Sunglasses are all the rage right now. As I type this, Elliana is dancing to Super Why! in the darkened family room wearing sunglasses, pajamas and carrying a sippy cup full of milk. It has to be dark behind those shades, but Elliana insisted on wearing them. Let's face it, if Elliana is happy...Mommy is happy.

"Why" and "Sid" are new words within the past month. Given these words represent PBS's morning line-up, I'm not sure if this makes me a good mom or a bad mom. I'm rooting for good mom since at 18 months, Elliana can clearly identify her desires and always says please while repeating the words and pointing toward the television. When I feel like I might be leaning toward the bad mom category, I try to remind myself that a good friend once encouraged me that the familiarity of a few shows is good for a toddler and encourages learning in a different way than I currently offer. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Twirling. Ahh, the beautiful sight of my daughter twirling around in our family room. She spins and spins for minutes at a time and goofily walks away in a crooked line of dizziness. The smile on Elliana's face is priceless and brings joy to my soul in a way I never expected.

Miss Bossy. For months, Elliana has slowly and surely been exerting her independence in new ways. Telling people where to sit and what to do seems to come naturally to her. Perhaps she is a CEO in the making (or a mom). Apparently typing this at the kitchen table was no longer acceptable, and I was directed to the couch to resume typing. This attitude extends at playgroup or storytime when Elliana will point at another kid and clearly say No. Whether she is merely telling the kid to stay away from her toy or to get out of her way is not yet clear. The good news is that Dr. Brokaw mentioned this is a sign of a two or two and a half year old and is nothing to be concerned about. She is merely aware of her surroundings and her role in them.

Imaginative Play. The past month or so has really enhanced Elliana's creative side. Almost daily, Elliana will set out all of her "Little People" in a row or a semi-circle (all facing Elliana perfectly) and then one by one she puts them away and sets them back up again. Elegant meals have been prepared in her kitchen as well, and frequently the end table in the family room is requested to be cleared in preparation for the table she is setting.

I suppose I could just keep writing and writing about all of the achievements of my daughter. Everyday I am surprised by a new development and everyday I am overwhelmed with gratitude that I am home daily to witness new achievements as they come. I am perhaps the luckiest woman in the world.

Independence Day Fun

Fireworks, family and fun. Pretty much sums up our holiday weekend. Oh, and these two cuties in the photo above.

Photographs

There are a LOT of things I really should be doing during this hour or so of down time (a.k.a Elliana's nap time). But, day after day, I can't help but feel the pull toward the laptop, the camera memory card and the habitual process of downloading, organizing and uploading of our family memories.

As I look through our photo software program, I can't help but notice that I take several hundred photos each month. Photos capturing our daily life. Our adventures. Our play time. As I look through the photos, I can't help but smile ear to ear beaming with gratitude for my life.

I love being a wife. I love being a mom. And I love the many photographs that capture these everyday moments.

Summer Fun

I can't help but share a picture of my family waving to me while swimming this past weekend. Words alone can't describe the joy that T.J. & Elliana bring to my life and how incredibly grateful I am to be a part of their lives.

The Magic of Disney

Last week, we returned from Elliana's first vacation to Walt Disney World. When we booked the trip shortly after her first birthday, we wondered if Elliana would be too young at 17 months to enjoy the vacation. Boy...am I glad that we followed our gut!

It seemed like with each new experience, Elliana blossomed more than the moment before.
On safari in Disney's Animal Kingdom, Elliana pointed to the animals and repeatedly said "hi." A smile literally never left her face during the safari adventure.
Elliana in awe of her first Disney show, Fantasmic! In between acts, she clapped and cheered and signed for more. Oh, this little girl just fills my heart with joy!

Our trip was overall, an absolute success! Elliana proved to love traveling as much as T.J. & I, and we all know that we have a long future of traveling ahead of us.