21lbs 3oz of a perfect balance of pure comedic relief and sheer torture. I honestly think she can sense the change that is so rapidly approaching and she's testing her limits in a big way. She has lost interest interest in every single one of her toys and prefers to spend her time climbing all over the furniture. She's standing on end tables when we aren't looking and laughing hysterically when we tell her to get down.
When I take her outside, she runs STRAIGHT for the street. I think she thinks my current version of running is sort of hilarious and I'm sure the neighbors probably agree. She screeches with frustration if you try to stand next to her to make sure she doesn't fall. Then she glares at you like it's all your fault when she does indeed fall. The girl is spiritied, I'll give her that.
She's OBSESSED with her baby and I'm beginning to wonder if we've talked TOO much about the baby in attempt to prepare her for what is about to happen. When she's drifting off to sleep she starts with Mama, then Dada, then Baby and she repeats this cycle until infinity or until sleep overcomes her stubborness. She drags that baby around all day long, ripping it's hat off and slapping it on the forehead ('be GENTLE Renee,' for the 912th time today), shoving it's bottle in it's face (yes, it is still an IT which is probably confusing in and of itself for her but really, what am I supposed to do?), moving it from the Pack N Play to the swing and back again. She's interested alright, probably TOO interested. I can hardly wait to see the look on her face when she sees the real baby, I think she's going to think we MUST be joking because the baby, her baby, is already at home tucked nicely into it's crib. It sleeps and she can throw it around and do what she wants with it.
The kid slept through the night every night with very few exceptions from 12 weeks old until the day we got her flu and chicken pox shots at fifteen months. Then she got an infection in her leg. Then she had the flu. Then a cough and now a cold and she wakes up at 2AM like clockwork. And she doesn't really want anything other than for one or both of us to hold her. She will go back to sleep if we bring her to bed with us but honestly I didn't spend the last year and a half fighting that to give in now. So I do the only thing that works for me in this enormously pregnant state. I make Ski get up with her. HAHAHAHAHA. Paybacks are a bitch, huh?
Her speech has taken off this month and the list I have of words she can say is in the 20s or 30s. Yesterday she said breakfast (which was more like Bac-FA) and waffle (like WaFa). She says Mommy and Mama and Mom and Daddy and Dada and Dad depending on what sort of mood she's in or what she's trying to manipulative out of us. Her favorite word this month is hot and she whispers it in this devilish little voice at EVERYTHING. Even the cool mist humidifier is HOT. She hears the toaster pop up or the oven beep and says HOT. The bath is HOT. HOT, HOT, HOT. She can say Wama and Pop Pop and will run to find the phone if I mention either of them or if the phone rings (in her mind they are only people I EVER talk to...which come to think of it is not that far off). She screeches until you give her the phone, says hi and promptly hangs up on them. Every. single. time.
She desparately needs to have her bangs cut and I just can't bring myself to do it. My wish appears to have come true, she inherited her daddy's curls. The mullet of curls in the back just about kills me and I am not sure if I will ever be capable of cutting one of them off. Her eyes that used to be blue are sort of gray, looking blue in some lights, brown in some and green in some. I am not sure they have settled yet.
She absolutely loves to throw and catch balls of any type and giggles if you even say the word ball.
She prefers daddy for chasing and tickling.
But loves mommy for snuggling and reading stories. And when mommy can find a little spare energy? Some rough-housing too.
She's a happy little girl and we're so lucky she's ours.
Sorry about the picture overload. I have this irrational fear that I'll never have time to obsess about her sweetness or take pictures of her as our one and only ever again. I know this is not the end but for some reason it sort of feels like it. I have loved every single minute of the last sixteen months and I'm sort of sad to have things change. Sort of sad but in a happy way...because I'm thinking that I'm about to double the cuteness factor.
"a perfect balance of pure comedic relief and sheer torture" -- our girls should not meet. they would raise hell together.
i love the photo with daddy on the swing. it's fantastic.
happy 16 months, renee!
Posted by: jessica | October 30, 2008 at 05:38 AM
she is so beautiful...
and i'm sure she will be a GREAT older sister!
Posted by: lib | October 30, 2008 at 06:45 AM
Love, love, love the photo that is 3rd down. The serious looking black and white. She is so pretty!
And I cannot believe how much hair she has. How sweet!
Posted by: AmandaH | October 30, 2008 at 07:25 AM
She's wonderful! She really is a great mix of girlie girl and maybe tomboy, too. You truly are lucky. Thanks for sharing. Oh, and I always laugh when I hear the word "ball", too :)
Two babies close together in age make for some wonderful photo ops. I am certain you will get some fantastic ones! I cannot wait to hear about the baby! What's the word? How much longer?!?!
Posted by: The Mommy | October 30, 2008 at 09:49 AM
She's is just adorable. What great pictures.
Posted by: Leslie | October 30, 2008 at 10:27 AM
Renee sounds like the female version of Ryan. We should do a blogger playdate someday! LOVE the picture of her in the pink coat walking down the leaf-laden street. And yipes about the flu shot...Ryan's getting his tomorrow. I hope nothing serious follows.
Posted by: anne | October 30, 2008 at 11:31 AM
Holy cow...I love the pictures! I cannot believe how much Renee has grown and how adorable her little curls are. She's going to be breaking boys' hearts in no time.
Posted by: Gretchen | October 31, 2008 at 06:05 AM
she is a total doll. happy sixteen months! all of these pictures rock - love the one with the bricks in the background! :)
Posted by: jenny | October 31, 2008 at 06:42 AM