Babies to the Max: 21 Months

Dear Sarah,

I don't know that one month can contain all that is Sarah right now because NOTHING can contain you! You seem so old all of a sudden. Your vocabulary continues to explode, but now you are really combining words into two and three word sentences (commands). "Baby" is like your "Aloha" - a general catchall word. You use it as a personal pronoun ("Baby Read Book" or "Baby Fall"), an object (your small elephant lovey is "Baby Bankie") and expletive ("Baby!") None of these are to be confused with "Baby", which is the name for your baby dolls. We are going to need to be more descriptive in order to differentiate.

Miss Manners always insists on eating with a fork or spoon. You request a napkin to wipe your mouth and then wipe off the highchair tray. A true cleaner at heart, you will also pick the leftover food out of the highchair and dispose of it. In your mouth. Actually, you adore putting things in the trash can. You know where all the waste receptacles are located and will pick the tiniest piece of trash off the floor to take to a nearby can. Closing the dishwasher door is always a job reserved for Sarah. And if your brother cannot find something (his socks, shoes, bag), you can immediately locate it for him.

This face:

is produced by the words cookie, snack, and blueberry. See a trend?

No child could be happier at being turned upside down. You beg for us to tip you over and try to hang off the couch on your own accord. Your feet and hips start moving when music is playing. We attempted our first gymnastics class because you were so intent on doing a forward roll on the floor. Mommy quickly learned that an interest in tumbling does not equal an interest in following directions.

The biggest problem with gymnastics was the fear that another adult might attempt to separate you from Mommy. I cannot take two steps without my shadow following me. You want Mommy, Mommy, Mommy. Fortunately, you continue to go to the church nursery and MMO with no problems. And of course you need to be near Mommy all the time because you are practicing your mothering skills on your baby dolls. We need to keep working though because real babies need clothes and shouldn't be slung across the room! If Mommy has a hat or coat or purse, then Sarah needs a hat or coat or purse, too!