Miss Adalee has been 15 months old for about two weeks now, but you know what they say...better late than never! :)
At our 15 month pediatrician appointment, Miss Adalee weighed in at 23 pounds, 13 ounces (80%) and measured 30.5 inches (50%). She is wearing all 18 month clothing, size 5 shoes, and is in size 5 diapers. Overall, she is a pretty average-sized little lady with a killer smile! Speaking of killer smile...Miss Adalee is boasting seven visible teeth (four on top and three on the bottom), and we found out at her appointment that her top molars have already come in and her bottom molars are about to come in! So exciting! Explains some of the fussiness we have been dealing with the past week or so... :) The doctor also informed us that Miss Adalee has some fluid in one of her ears (most likely due to being on an airplane for our Hawaii vacation a few weeks ago) - so we are going to be watching that closely - hoping it doesn't develop into her second ear infection. (Update: She did develop another ear infection - her second one - and we are now treating with amoxicillin.)
Overall Miss Adalee has been fairly healthy over the past three months - which considering the last three months have included December, January, and February - I am counting my blessings. She has been managing a cough/cold for a few weeks now. It hasn't really gotten worse, but she also hasn't been able to kick it. The worst part is the middle-of-the-night coughing. We constantly run humidifiers in her room to keep the dryness down, and we recently started giving her a little honey before bedtime, which seems to be helping!
Miss Adalee is an awesome eater - usually eating the same size portions as Mommy and Daddy! She loves to "use" her fork and spoon, every though it takes three times a long and she mostly ends up holding the utensil while eating with her other hand! While she goes through picky stages, she is pretty open to at least trying new things! Her current favorites include all pastas (spaghetti, mac n cheese, chicken alfredo), all mexican food (quesadillas, tacos, enchiladas), cheese, chili, all forms of potatoes (especially french fries), pizza, cheeseburgers, and all fruit (blueberries, bananas, applesauce, peaches). She is not a big fan of veggies, but every one in a while I can get her to eat green beans, if I melt cheese on them! We don't give her sweets very often, but she has had the occasional bite of Mommy's ice cream - which she loves! We try to do two or three glasses of milk a day and one glass of juice - otherwise she gets water. When she realizes that we have given her apple juice, she usually drinks the whole sippy cup at once - barely stopping for a breath. It is like she thinks it is going to be taken away and she has to drink it as fast as she can!
Vocabulary right now is rough - it is a lot of babbling. She is very clear with "ma-ma" and "add-y" (Daddy), as well as "hi" and "ess" (yes). Most other "words" are interpreted. For example, when we finish reading a book or singing a song, she will make a sounds like "aug" - which means again. I will say, do you want to read/sing again, and she will nod her head or say "ess". Despite not being able say much, we have definitely noticed that Miss Adalee can understand a lot more of what we are saying. She follows directions fairly well, including "sit down", "get your shoes", and "give it to me". She still hasn't quite figured out nodding or shaking her head for "yes" and "no" - she usually gets them backwards. If you ask her how old she is, she will usually hold up her one pointer finger. And if you ask her where her belly is, she will pull up her shirt (when possible) and point to her belly button. It is also pretty funny to ask her this when she has a onesie on, in which case she can't pull up her shirt - she gets a little frustrated. :)
Her walking and balance gets better every day! While she still likes to be held, and will adamantly raise her arms when she wants to be picked up, she is also fairly independent and likes to walk herself into school and around the house. She has started figuring out how to run - and "chase" has become a fun game for her. When she really gets to running she really pumps her right arm to help get herself going - it is super sweet!
Miss Adalee loves to play, as long as other people are involved. She is not one to go play with her toys independently, but if you sit down with her, she loves to play with you! Reading books is still one of her favorites. She will generally pick one out, come sit on your lap, have you read it to her at least five times, then go put it back - then the process starts all over again with a new book! Her current favorite book is the "Llama, Llama" book series that we have - mostly because Mommy has made up fun actions to go along with the words! We also recently got some flashcards - which have been a big hit - almost as big as the books. She still loves all toys that make noise or play music - especially when she can dance to the songs. Loves to change the tv channel with the remote. Loves to "talk" her her play phone, as well as anybody's real phone if they leave it in reach. She received a baby doll for her first birthday, and we have been using the doll to talk to her about her new sister. She loves to hold the baby, rock the baby, and feed the baby her bottle! Puzzles and blocks are also commonly chosen toys. While we were in Hawaii, I was reminded of how much Miss Adalee loves being outside and how she really enjoys her stroller rides - makes me wish that spring and nice weather would get here faster! Only downside to being outside is how many things she can find to put in her mouth - you can't really "baby proof" the outdoors! A few days ago I found her chewing on an acorn! Goodness gracious!
Sleeping is still a strong point for Miss Adalee, who usually goes to bed around 7:30pm and wakes up around 6:30am. She generally takes a 1.5-2 hour nap at school after lunch. Still loves to stroke her giraffe's feet and suck her thumb while falling asleep - that is going to be a hard habit to break - a battle I am not planning on fighting for a while. Miss Adalee loves to wake up in the morning - usually her happiest time of the day! If she is able to wake up on her own schedule, she generally will sit up and spend a few minutes babbling to her giraffe before she stands up and waits for us to come get her - she never really cries or screams when she wakes up - rather she is really patient and just hangs out in her crib. I have noticed recently that she prefers Daddy to come and get her in the mornings (as that is the typical routine because I am usually in the shower when she gets out of bed). But Daddy has been out of town the past few days, and she has not wanted me to be the one getting her out of her crib. She just stands there saying "add-y, add-y" and looking for him to come get her. Breaks my heart a little.
Miss Adalee, you are a wonderfully smart and busy little lady. You are pretty demanding. You wear us out. You keep us on our toes. But we can't imagine our family without you! We love you so much!
