24 things at 15 months

She’s 15 months old. Fifteen! And thus it’s that time again — time to think of 24 things for Faith’s virtual baby book since she was born on the 24th. Here goes…
If you’d like a little trip down memory lane…3 months, 6 months, 9 months, 12 months.

1) Your smile now comes complete with four top chompers, two molareque teeth, two bottom teeth and the nub of a third next to them. We get to see your teeth often, since you’re such a happy/smiley baby, except for when those teeth are poppin through at which point we collectively curse that babies aren’t born with a full set of dentures.

2) Your vocabulary now includes Howie (pronounced Ahwie) Mommy, Dada, Wawa (for all liquids) Dolly, Baby, Nana (for bananas only) Ball, Hi, Yeah, Bye, No, Uh Oh, Ow, Moo, several monkey noises and squeals that could be animal noises.

3) Your new talents include blowing kisses, peek-a-boo, identifying your nose and ears, putting phones (and remotes and several other items) up to your ear and walking around the house.

4) Three months ago, at your one-year appointment, I had no idea how we’d wean you off bottles, but we did it, partly because we sent you to grandma’s and forgot to pack a bottle for the morning. You don’t seem to miss them, but still like to eat something first thing when you wake up, usually a cereal bar and some OJ. And you looove chocolate milk. (Way to  go, Rob).

5) In the next three months we hope to wean you off your pacifier. Lord, give me strength. I may need to join a “parents taking away pacis” support group. “Hi, my name is Nicole and my daughter is a Binkaholic.”

6) Your bedtime is about 7:30/7:45 and you wake up around 6:30 or so. I might mention that we have to “pacify” you about 3 times a night or so, so this could change when we take on number 5. Either way, when you’re in dreamland, it’s a beautiful thing.

7) Your locks are getting so long. I can now put your hair in piggies, which makes you seem like such a big girl. And remember, as Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons once said, “Big Girls Don’t Cry.” (I’m slightly obsessed with Jersey Boys after seeing the show).

8) Your obsessed with “Ahwie” these days. You chase him around, feed him scraps and give him treats. You’re learning to “pet nice.” I do believe you said your first “sentence” right after I yelled at him. Mimicking me, you shouted, “Ahwie, NO!”

9) I remember the days when I thought you’d never learn to eat solid foods. I wish I could go back in time and take a chill pill. While you hopefully won’t be competing in any food competitions any time soon or ever, you can put away some food, girlfriend. Makes mama proud. You also LOVE drinking out of a straw and it increases your milk intake threefold when you do so.

10) No Fear (no, I’m not talking about the awesome t-shirts I used to own – those were the days weren’t they, 80s peeps?). I’m talking about how you run for the stairs and the edge of the couch like you have no sense of depth perception. The doggie gate has become a Faith gate. We hope we don’t have to use the kennel.

11) Dancing Queen. Now that you’re coordinated enough to stay on two feet most of the time, you like to bust a move during the hotdog dance or any random song that comes on over the TV, radio or out of Daddy’s mouth. How much are you going to pay me not to show this video to people?

12)You weren’t exactly happy to go back to daycare after spending the summer at home with your dad. You cried when I dropped you off for the first three weeks and then would cry when we picked you up. As someone who used to cry when their mommy picked them up, I’m onto you. I know you were really having a good time the whole day.

13) It makes me happy that you and your dad share a special bond. He would do anything to see that smile of yours. (Seriously, the man sings Imma Little Teapot instead of DMB now.) And if it weren’t for him, you’d never know what it’s like to be upside down.

14) Down with the Sickness. You’ve had approximately four fevers in your life and every time you do, it’s the worst. Recently, you were sent home from daycare and within a half hour of medicine, I wanted to send them this video and ask if they had taken the right kid’s temp.

15) You are quite the fashionista, no thanks to me. I dress boring, but I live vicariously through you each day. Here you are wearing some skinny jeans, a onesie that says “my puppy loves me” and a headband that stayed on for all of 11 seconds. I later added a white cardigan, but you weren’t feeling like smiling once I got that on. The TOMS complete the look. I think I’m ready for Project Runway…if only I could sew.

16) I’m not sure exactly how tall you are or how much you weigh, but the tendinitis in my arm and the fact that you managed to knock a pop off an end table recently tells me you are growing.

17) You cracked me up at a wedding recently when you saw a baby crawling around and got down on all fours to crawl just like him, even though you never use that mode of transportation anymore. How sweet of you. Here you are with all your cousins and great grandma Alice at that wedding.

18) You recently participated in your first race. It was a two mile walk and grandpa pushed you the whole time while mom and dad ran the 10K (dad beat me again, but only by 45 seconds or so). It’s a start.

19) You just learned “Touchdown!” so your ready for the Cyclone game versus Texas on Saturday. (Nebraska and Iowa fans can save your snarky comments 🙂

20) Your favorite new game is hide and go seek. You love doing laps around the upstairs, running from us and giggling the whole time.

21) Have I mentioned you like ice cream…a whole lot?

22. Don’t hate me. If you didn’t want me to post this many things, you should have been born on your due date…the 20th!

23) Your artistic skills are getting better, and by better I mean you are putting the chalk and crayons in your mouth less and on the paper more.

24) You are the star of the show. I love you so much and try to pause and take in what it feels like to hold you and hug you so I can remember it always. I love being your mom. If I died tomorrow, I’d die knowing that I brought one little amazing person into this world. Hopefully I don’t go anytime soon (barring any more chicken soup incidents) but when I do, you are what I want to be remembered for. I love ya, Faith! So, so much.