My little girl is 18 months old, which is so weird, both because I can’t believe how fast the time has gone and because she acts like she is much older than she is. She is determined to do everything the big kids do, including the morning routine in the boys preschool (she always seems surprised when I drag her out of there).

She is talking a lot more now – among her first words were “ball”, “burp” (followed by a throw-the-head-back laugh), and “grandpa”. In addition to a handful of other words, she has started saying some family members names, including “Arthur”, “Hannah”, and “Leo” which is cute beyond belief. She continues to have an acute mastery for relaying her needs, desires, and preferences through non-verbal communication and she understands EVERYTHING she hears. It really is quite amazing to see how quickly language develops in young children.

She remains my delightful baby, but is really starting to look and act more like a little girl everyday.
I wish everyone a happy and healthy 2014! – Gretchen