Savannah at 18 Months

I can't believe that 18 months ago my sweet Savannah was just coming into this world.  It seems like just yesterday she was a small 7 pounds 13 ounces.  Now as she comes running up to me, I pick her up and realize that it definitely wasn't yesterday :)  She is becoming such a big girl!  She is such a confident and independent little person but she'll still come running to her Mama at a moments notice.  I sure hope she always stays that way :)

This has been quite an interesting month.  We've definitely had our ups and downs.
~Savannah received her first "bad" report while at the gym nursery.  I had to be interrupted from my class to go get her and go home.  My sweet girl has started hitting the older kids in the nursery when they ignore her.  She's always done that to me but I've never seen her hit another child.  The ladies in the nursery have been very nice about the whole situation and they are really working with her to try to break her of this aggressive behavior.  They tell me that they have made great progress in the past week and a half.  The good news is that she doesn't hit to be mean---she just gets frustrated when she can't verbally tell the big kids to play with her.  I guess they don't understand her grunts the way I do :)  
~Speaking of the gym nursery, she absolutely LOVES Ms. Carolyn and Nicole.  She runs into the room and goes straight to give them a hug.  I rarely get a wave or a "bye-bye" now.  I guess that's a good thing---she's becoming more independent.
~We have started using the time out chair at home.  Savannah spends 1 minute there whenever she hits or bites someone (usually I'm the only victim).  I'll report next month if it's working or not.

~The few times that Savannah does get in trouble she tries to cover it up and make me forget by kissing me.  This often happens at the end of bath time when I tell her it's time to clean up and she proceeds to throw a fit.  In the midst of her crying, she tries to cling onto me and give me a kiss.  It's so hard not to laugh.  This smart girl is already learning how use her feminine charms :)
~Her favorite books for the moment are Giraffes Can't Dance and the How do Dinosaurs.... series.  These books have led to her new favorite animals: giraffes, lions, monkeys, zebras, elephants, and dinosaurs.  Nowadays her favorite animal sounds are "raaaaarrrrrrr" (aka lion or dinosaur) and "oh ahhhhh" (aka monkey).
~Savannah is becoming quite the singer.  Just when I thought that I wasn't going to re-enroll us in Kindermusic, she starts singing along and dancing in class.  Prior to 2 weeks ago, she barely got out of my lap and only danced while I held her.  Now she's all over the place as if she's at home watching Fresh Beat (still her #1 favorite show).  She's even singing along and clapping at the appropriate times during Gymboree, too.
~She is obsessed with helping me in the kitchen.  She demands that the stool be brought out so she can stand up by the counter with her own bowl, pot, and utensils.  And don't forget about her apron because she'll get very upset if you don't put it on her :)

~I've ran in a few races this spring and Savannah loves to walk around wearing my medals.  Never just one but all of them :)  She especially loves to get on my treadmill.  It's our routine for whenever I have to run inside, Savannah gets to jump on the treadmill when I'm done.  Hopefully I've got a real running partner in the making.

~It's only taken me 18 months to convince Savannah that bows and clips make your hair pretty.  She will now bring me her clip when it falls out to put in back in.  This makes me sooooooo happy!!!!!!!

blue shirt + blue clip + blue eyes = such a pretty girl!

~And of course, some things never change

 A few more great pics from the past month:

Her first real Disney princess doll----and she sings! 

always getting into trouble

and more trouble

Lilly Belle even has Savannah trained to rub her belly :)

say "cheese"

"No Mom. You say "cheese"."

"Fresh Beat on in the I-phone!?! That's too cool!"

Report from yesterday's 18 month doctors appointment:

     Age: 18 months and 4 days

     Height: 32.25 inches (75th percentile)

     Weight: 25.5 lbs (70th percentile)

     Head circumference: 48.2 cm (90th percentile)

~The doctor says she is perfectly healthy and growing at a healthy rate.  Her sudden grumpiness, irritableness, stubbornness, and frequent tantrums are probably just the beginning of her terrible 2s.  Unfortunately that means that there is no light at the end of the tunnel any time soon.  I also asked him about her lack of verbal development.  At this time she may just be a late bloomer in that category.  If she hasn't made any improvements within the next 4 months then we may have her evaluated by a speech therapist.  Until then, I'll just keep pushing her to say real words and force her to repeat after me throughout the day.  

It's amazing how having children makes the months speed by.  Three hundred and sixty-five days used to really feel like 365 days but now they seem more like 100 days.  It's baffling that in just six short months my sweet Savannah will be turning two!!!  I really have to come up with a way to slow down time :)

In case you can't tell, she loves cheesing for the camera.