18 month old Nave.

This has so far been my favorite stage with this little lady. Our days have been long with Brian's internship and graduate school hours this summer. A lot of the time Navy doesn't even see her daddy during the day (unless I risk my sanity to keep her up until he gets home.) But I think it has been good for me to really focus on keeping our days full and we just play until we can't play anymore. I feel like she's finally old enough that it's so fun to interact/be around her all day. Life for her is a constant party and she is laughing (usually at herself) 24/7-so it's hard not to laugh right along with her. A few things I don't want to forget about my 18 month old Navy:

-At night time she usually tells us she's ready for bed when it's time. Sometimes putting on her pj's, brushing her teeth and saying family prayer is a struggle because she just points at her bed begging us to let her get in. (I always wanted a baby that begged for bedtime) :) Sometimes thought (especially lately with her 3 or 4 teeth coming in) she'll want us to read and sing while we rock her, but she'll still only last a couple of books and a couple of songs before she's pointing at her bed.

-She all of a sudden loves her baby/stuffed animals. It started when she got this stuffed dog from a furniture store while we were in AZ. (the sales guy gave it to us since we were there pretty much all day and she was such a trooper) It isn't the cutest dog, it isn't very soft and it's practically the size of her, but she LOVED it and had to take it anywhere. Now she loves her little bunny that she has had forever. It kind of depends on the week what she is attached to, but she always has to have them with her before her nap or bedtime, as well as her blanket.

-If she's trying to go to sleep in the car (we've done a lot of car time this summer) she wants to hold my hand. Usually it's at night and Bri is driving so I can easily reach back there to hold it. She'll fall asleep pretty fast as long as she has my hand and her thumb. I think it's pretty adorable.

-She isn't saying too many words yet. (probably only 10 that I know she knows) but she understands basically everything I say. She still just jabbers all day long and i'm pretty sure she thinks she knows what she's saying and expects us to know too. A couple of weeks ago she finally started repeating a few words if we asked her to, but she's pretty stubborn about it. I'm trying not to get impatient, but i'm just getting worried that in just 4 months i'll have a newborn + a toddler that can't communicate to me what she wants.

-She is such a girl and LOVES carrying a purse around. Her grandma Peterson gave her the cutest purse and we rarely leave home without it. And it always has to have her sunglasses in it.

-She still loves to call aunt Mal or grandmas on face time to chat. Usually she doesn't let me hold the phone or butt into the conversation-she makes it very clear that she's the one talking to them.

-We spent a lot of time at the pool. She usually walks around outside the water more than she does IN the water-but loves it all the same.

-She's so good at entertaining herself while i'm busy cooking or cleaning. It's been nice to be able to spend a little more time on dinner or in the kitchen because as long as i'm close by she'll just do her thing.

-She still sleeps like a champ, and will usually sleep about 13 hours at night regardless of what time I put her down, which has been SO nice for the nights that we are out late. & she takes a 1.5-2 hour nap in the afternoon.


-Has become quite the awesome little traveler and doesn't mind the car because we've been in it so much. It's nice to be able to put her in her car seat without her kicking and screaming. She just embraces it.

-When we ask her "where is your baby sissy?" she points to her belly and we think it's hilarious.

-LOVES to sing songs and do all of the actions. Her favorite as of late is Popcorn Popping.