The Latest on Laney...

So I've missed her 18 month mark by a few weeks (August 4), but better late than never. I need to write down what she is up to these days, as I forget so quickly!

My sweet, little, content baby girl has turned into an active, chatty, social butterfly. Where to start...

Laney talks up a storm. She tries to repeat a lot of what we say. It's pretty funny to hear her quote us at times. Other times, it's not so funny! Some of her favorite phrases and words are:

Where's Dada? (or brother, mama, etc...)
I don't know (sounds more like 'I know')
night, night
bye bye
I do it (or 'I do dit')
I pick (got this one, too, from Carter. She has to pick her own yogurt from the pack, crayon, etc...)
Elmo, Dora (Dodo), Boots
Aw, maaaan (to quote Swiper)
(whatever it takes to fuss at the dogs)
More
Down (though it's sounding lately like 'I want down')
NO!
Bro-bro (for brother)
Gigi
Baba (grandma/grandpa)
Bapa (Papa)
Where are you?
Come on (m'on) - with the hand movement, too!

The other stuff she says is just a result of her being a little parrot. We really have to watch what we say!

Laney is a great eater - still. We call her 'our little carnivore.' The child can put away meat faster than I can cut it and have it on her plate. She definitely has her Daddy's eating preferences as she is a big broccoli fan, too. Blah... but she eats it plain by the handfuls. Like her brother, she LOVES berries and drinks lots and lots of water and milk. Sometimes she steals brother's juice if she can't get her own.

Also like Carter, she was a late(r) walker (just before 15 months), but Laney starting running immediately after - and hasn't stopped since. The often play chase around the house, and she is known to just take off as soon as you put her down. It's usually the opposite way you want her to go.

She will say 'hi' and 'bye' to people until she gets a response. If this means turning the volume up a bit, so be it. Usually we leave the grocery store with the next 3 people in line all waving and shouting 'bye, bye!' Pretty cute. If I'm not paying attention or just can't hear her, she'll grab my face and turn it or grab my leg to make sure she has my attention.

Laney is a snugly little thing. I love it. I started making her rock with me at night a couple of months ago (I know, I know...) I don't know if there will be another baby, so I take every chance I get with this one. She will pat my shoulder and just babble while we rock. Or, she also likes to sing 'Pat-a-Cake' or 'Itsy Bitsy Spider' before bed. She can't say all the words, but she has the motions down! If I get up to put her down before she's had enough 'mommy time,' she'll tell me 'no, rock.' It's really sweet, and it melts my heart each time.

As much as she loves to snuggle with me at night, she is her daddy's little girl. She looks like Joel, eats like Joel, LOVES when Joel comes home... just wants to be with him all the time. He's pretty smitten with her, too, to say the least. So sweet to watch them together.

Carter and Laney have really been playing together well lately. He is starting to realize that she can do more and more things, and they will look for each other as soon as one gets up from napping. Carter will ask to hold her hand when we're walking or check to see if she wants something in his sweet little voice. Can't describe it in words, but hope to get a video of it before too long. Of course they have their typical brother and sister moments, but I just love watching them interact with each other more and more.

As the doctor said at her 18 month check-up, "she's 35% weight, 50% height, and she still has a big head." Maybe no WNBA star, but I could think of worse things in life than being on the lean side of things.

Laney has 14 teeth: 12 that she's had for what seems like FOREVER and two that have recently come in.

She likes her Pinky, though not quite as much as Brother likes his BB. I do often find it balled up underneath her while she's sleeping. As of now, it still resembles a blanket - unlike its blue counterpart.

I really can't describe how much we are in love with this little one. She is such a happy baby and you just want to smooch her each time she walks by. She has the sweetest little smile and a laugh that is so contagious. I'm trying to hold on to the last baby days, but they are going so quickly. She has changed so much, and we are so thankful for the little girl Laney is growing into. Joel and I have been doubly blessed with our kiddos, and we thank God for the honor and privilege of calling them ours.

"You are my sunshine,
my only sunshine.
You make me happy
when skies are grey.
You never know dear,
how much I love you.
Please don't take my
Laney away."

Love you, Bugga Bugga