-Jillian loves her books, and does demand her favorites to be read to her repeatedly (at a tiresome level of repetition). Matt sometimes just tells her that he cannot read "Big Sister, Little Sister" one more time, and that she has to choose another book. A couple weeks ago, we discovered that the repetition really does pay off. When reading "If You Give A Pig A Pancake" for the bazillionth time, Matt paused after the first few lines that read: "If you give a pig a pancake, she'll ask you for some syrup. You will give her some of your favorite maple syrup, and she'll probably get ___________" Jillian smiled and said, "Ahh tee-kee", which was clear to us that she correctly filled in the blank with "All Sticky". We of course were dumbfounded at first, and then went on to keep "testing" her. Sure enough, she could finish most of the last words of the sentences on each page. We have since tried this with the other most requested books and have discovered that she really does know these books. She loves to chime right in and help us "read". I would love to get this on video because it is just so cute.
-Jillian is beginning to put two words together in some instances. Most of this has to do with labeling something with the proper owner, such as "Mommy's shoes", or in the below instance, "Daddy's shirt"
(This by the way, was Jillian's Valentine's present to Matt. She had fun wearing it for dress-up this week)
-Jillian continues to test limits by engaging in a behavior that she knows is not tolerated (i.e. trying to turn the stove knobs) and saying "No no" as she does it. She recently, however, began reprimanding me with a firm "No No!" when I turn the knobs to use the stove. Hmmm....how does she expect me to make dinner?
-Jillian is very attached to her friends and asks for most of them by name, especially those she sees most frequently. When I get her up in the morning we talk about what we are going to do that day. I usually tell her we are going to play with friends, because most days we do that in some capacity. She then runs down the list in her memory, and it usually goes something like this (the order varies): "Jay-seh?" (Jayson), "Eh-wee?" (Ellie), "Ra-ra?" (Malea), "I-sah?" (Isaac), "Fa fa?" (Sophia)....and so on.
-Jillian still hates anything green...but she did devour peas one day last week when I served them on a whim! This sort of thing really gives a mother hope.
-Jillian has lots of teeth. So many teeth, in fact, that I stopped counting or tracking when they arrived. The bottom one year molars are fully in, and the top ones have poked through but are still moving down. She is only missing a few to make a complete set of baby teeth.
-Jillian learned how to drink through a big straw when she was curious about Matt's can of raspberry sparkling water. He was worried she would cut lip on the can lid, so he stuck a straw inside. She had trouble in the past figuring out a straw sippy cup, so I assumed she wouldn't get this yet. She just stuck it in her mouth and sipped away like a pro (making very dramatic faces about the "bubbles" in that water)
-Jillian imitates everything we do. Most of the time it is stuff I had no idea she was attending to in the first place. For example, if Matt kisses me first when he comes home and doesn't go right to her, she starts puckering and smacking her lips until he goes to kiss her. It's very cute. Apparently, I do the same thing :) She also showed me she has been paying attention to our photography attempts when she picked up the neighbor's toy camera, pointed it at me (backwards) and said "teez!" (cheese)
-Jillian has started to try to undress herself. If you tell her to take her pants off at bathtime, she can usually get them down around her ankles if she works at it. She has started trying to take off her shirt as well, just in a sort of unorthodox way
I plan to leave her in onesies as long as possible (but she is in the last size of them!) because I am just NOT interested in having her remove her diaper!
-Jillian is becoming interested in the "finer things" in life, evidenced by her fascination with handbags and jewelry. Perhaps we have a girly girl on our hands? When I told her we were going shopping with Grammy last week, she got her little pink purse and peered inside...perhaps looking for an allowance she doesn't yet get???
Playing with her new bracelets...such beautiful jewels!
-Jillian's vocabulary is large. I can't keep up with all the new things she says every day. Over the last week, however, she has started to have some intense "conversations" with us that consist of rapid jargoning with serious expression. Nothing about it is understandable, and it is hilarious to hear her little voice ramble on and on and on.
-Jillian might look more like me, but she definitely has her dad's sense of humor. She is always doing something to make me laugh, and I am never quite sure what she will come up with next!
She is full of fire, energy, and spunk...and yet she gives the softest, sweetest bedtime kisses that you could possibly imagine. I love those quiet bedtime snuggles where, just for a moment, I can pretend that my big seventeen month old toddler is still a tiny baby who will stay that way forever.
1 comment:
What a great summary of all she is doing-makes me feel like I am there. Where has the time gone? She is really learning and saying so many new things. Very smart! This is one very proud grandma..Kisses and hugs.
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