Alexia is 19 Months 12.22.09

If I had to describe Alexia this past month with one word, it would be "busy". That girl sprints around the house like it's nobody's business. I know that in every monthly post I write how Ryan and I are amazed with her, but watching how much she comprehends (and any baby her age) is truly amazing. Especially because of how little she is able to communicate in words. But the girls gets it. It has been scary to watch her begin to mimic us in what we say and do. I have succeeded in passing on my dramatic response to hurting myself. So now my little mini-me walks around and if the slightest thing brushes against her she says, "Ow!" She even does it in a partly comatose state of half asleep and half awake. I need to post a video of it because the way she says "ow" is too adult-like to be coming from her 19 month-old lips.

Her vocabulary keeps getting bigger. She's really into saying things that have a "k":

• book
• look (she's infamous for putting something on her finger, like a Cheerio or a cap to chapstick and holding it up for us to see and saying, "look")
• truck (grandma just taught her this on our roadtrip to Indiana)
• tick-uh (tickle) *she'll tickle any exposed skin
• guh-koo (cookie) *I thought she would have this one down pat much earlier considering her hawk eye for anything chocolate

She sprints across the room if she notices me drinking coffee. I try to hold her off as long as possible by telling her it's "hot". So now when she sees a coffee mug she points to it and either says, "hot" or "mama". Does that mean I have a problem if my child associates coffee to mama at 19 months?

Still taking two two-hour naps a day and sleeping 8am-8pm. She's a great eater and eats whatever is served for each meal, so that's kept it easy for me. She has all four incisors coming in right now. Almost all of her hair is able to fit in a ponytail. She's wearing 18-24 month clothing, but can still squeeze into 12-18 months. She just started climbing onto everything - chairs, coffee table, Naiya's crib - but gets stuck and needs help down. Her blanket is still the greatest thing on earth (for her and us) and goes with us for car rides and naps. She lets me know she's tired by going and stealing her blanket out of her crib and lying on the floor sucking her thumb. She has started to dance to music and my cell phone ringtone. She LOVES to grab fistfulls of "no" (snow) and eat it.

It has been so fun to watch Alexia interact with her sister by making sure Naiya has a toy to play with, picking up dropped toys, and shouting "Naiya" if she hears her crying. There have been a few times I realized Naiya was up from a nap because of Alexia shouting her name. This past month Alexia's annunciation of Naiya's name is as clear as a bell. No more "Nai-Nai". She loves to tickle Naiya and is now able to entertain Naiya and make her laugh. It's the sweetest thing as a parent to see your children laughing at one another for the first time.

Alexia is still a Daddy's girl and a Grandma's girl, preferring both of them to hold her over anyone else (even me). {wiping tear}. Ryan's dad (Alexia has named "Papa") and I are scheming how to make Naiya a Mama's girl and Grandpa's girl though.