18 months of minden

Our sweet little lady, Minden, is officially 18 months old. We celebrated her half birthday with fanfare. Some people might think I went a little overboard, but look at that smile. Worth it, so worth it. I had to work a twelve hour day the day before, so Nate single handedly blew up a sea of balloons for our living room. She loved them. She clapped and squealed with excitement, and then tried to bite them.

Then we celebrated at breakfast with blueberry muffins and one and half candles. She even blew them out on her own! I didn't expect/know she would do that. She is at a really fun stage right now. Just blowing me away with what she knows and understands.

I think that is one of the most fun aspects her age right now. Suddenly she understands. I can ask her to take something to Nate, and she'll do it. She loves to help around the house, and I have to enjoy that while it lasts. She helps me get the laundry out of the dryer, feed Cooper, pick up her toys and unload the dishwasher.

She does have selective hearing though. When you tell her not to do something she will stare away and be extra careful not to make eye contact with you. She's also a very independent little miss, with very little patience. If something isn't going her way you will know. Yesterday she was trying to build a Lego tower. When it wouldn't stand up the way she wanted she belted out a scream of protest. As if she were teaching those Legos a lesson.

She loves to walk herself out of the house now, refusing to be carried. It's so funny to see such a little thing walking around the yard, or on the sidewalks outside of Nate's business. 

(Minden took cupcakes to daycare so that her friends could join in on her half birthday fun. She loves sweets, and definitely got that from me.)

She loves: to dance, chase Cooper, be outside, give kisses, be chased by Daddy, being the center of attention, to spin in circles, put her ball in the basketball hoop, cheer, sing (nonsense), boss Cooper around, blowing kisses, being tickled under the neck coloring and drawing the chalkboard wall at daycare.

Favorite foods: grapes, turkey hot dogs, applesauce, guacamole, strawberries, stir-fry, pizza and anything sweet!

Favorite books: "I'll love you forever" (she brings that to us everyday, and wants it read everynight), "That's not my Panda", "Old MacDonald", and "The Foot Book".

Currently saying: mama, dada, eat, up, bye-bye, hi, no, yes, good girl, bad dog, gram-ma, gram-pa, dank-you, there you go, go, moo, and nigh-night. She attempts to say Cooper, but it comes out funny. So she usually calls him Marley (the daycare provider's dog's name).

She recently started sleeping through the night, and we are no longer night nursing. We read a book or two then she walk to her crib. We will hear her talking to herself for 10 to 15 minutes before she finally drifts off.

She is growing so quickly. Nate and I often say to each other how lucky we truly are. She  fills our days with joy.