Ponder This: 16 months

She is 16 months old now! This month has been CRAZY! Between our homelessness, moving into our new home, and finding out Samantha is going to have a SISTER, it has been a whirlwind of a month. And of course, our little toddler has grown and learned many new things this month, as well.

Memorable moments:

-KISSES! The girl loves to give kisses, blow kisses, etc. She will sometimes procrastinate bedtime by trying to give Josh and me multiple kisses. Other times I see her lying in her crib giving her doll and stuffed animals kisses.

-Loving her crib! Samantha just loves to play in her bed. I usually have to bribe her to get out with milk or going to see Daddy. Sometimes when we are in her room playing, she just wants to play in her bed.

-Enjoying swimming. She just decided this month that she can tolerate being in a pool. She still doesn't want to be in it longer than about 10 minutes, but she will have fun during those ten minutes. But it's a good thing she's made this leap now that we have a neighborhood pool.

-Identifying body parts. She is getting so smart and learning so much daily. She blows me away by the things she understands. One night I was asking her to point to her ears, eyes, nose, mouth, hair, hands, feet, head, and belly and she knew them ALL! She could then distinguish between her body parts, mine, Daddy's and the ones on stuffed animals.

-She's getting better at her expressive communication as well. She's learning new words ("no, no, no"), nodding and shaking her head, doing more signs, making more animal noises, and just getting better at talking daily.

-TERRIBLE TWOS! I thought based on the name that I wouldn't have massive meltdowns until Samantha was two. Boy was I wrong! She is continuing with her stubborn, independent streak that she's had since birth. She wants what she wants when she wants it. She is definitely struggling with the concept that she doesn't always get what she wants. She even had her first blown fit in a public place a couple weeks ago. She threw herself on the floor and Lowes and wouldn't get up until I carried her, kicking and screaming, to the register. All because she wanted to keep playing with the drawer pulls.

-Hiding everything! Since we've been in this new house, I can never find things! She is in a phase of putting things in random cabinets, drawers, etc. I have been looking for a shoe of hers for a week. And the other day I found a part of a sandwich from three days prior in one of her dresser drawers. I just assumed she had dropped it and Lilly ate it.

-Not only is she a full-blown walker now, but she's learning to RUN! She wants to go, go, go as much as and as quickly as she can!

-Officially down to one nap a day. That was a difficult transition, but we are there now!

...I'm probably forgetting a lot. I'm telling you, she does something new daily!