familySmilestones: 13 months (and a few days)

Little Rosie has had a BUSY month. In fact, everything about this girl is busy. I'm not sure if she keeps me young or makes me feel old . . . depends on the day and how much sleep she lets me get I guess. She is into everything. I often hear her sister saying:

"Mom, she's in the bathroom."
"Mom, she's climbing the stairs."
"Mom, she's got your phone."
"Mom, she's ......."

No wonder she's tired at the end of the day!

A week ago, if asked, I would have said she crawls more than she walks. Not so much the case these days. She is on the MOVE! She can handle most terrains and loves this new freedom, especially outside. I must admit, I am enjoying it too. In addition to walking, climbing has also become one of her favorite challenges. So far, she has made her way to the TOP of the piano, she enjoys sitting on her sister's play table, and she likes to stand in her toy rocking chair (and once she has her balance, she likes to rock it just a bit). If there aren't any now, I certainly see gray hair in my future. OY!

Although she is still on the little side, her personality makes her large and in charge! She has started pointing and babbling at the same time in a tone that feels an awful lot like scolding. (Yikes, where did she learn that!) She loves to have screaming matches with her sister, especially in the tub where it echoes or at the dinner table when we are way too close to appreciate this silly interaction. If you were to judge who was loudest, I am not sure big sister would come out on top. She continues to sign "more", "all done", and sometimes "milk" and has a few words she is starting to say:

     Bella = "Beba"
     Dad = "Dada"
     Mom = "Mama"
     Up = "pu"
     Down = "du"
     Done = "du" or "ahdu" (all done)

She also likes to say "nananananananana" an awful lot. I don't know what it means. Sometimes it is happy, sometimes, not so much.

At meal time, Rosie often eats more than her sister. She often initiates the prayer by folding her hands first, and if we are too slow, she has no time for it, she is ready to EAT! She is loving fresh summer fruit and enjoys a good hotdog (I use the word good loosely) and summer sausage. Unlike her sister, she has not fallen in love with cheese. And unlike her sister, she LOVES mac n cheese. (This makes her pasta loving parents very happy!)

When given the chance to play with what she wants to play with (and not what her sister will let her play with), she is often playing with the toys in the toy kitchen and playing with babies. She loves to feed her babies a bottle, put them in the stroller and push them around, pat their backs and give them hugs. I am amazed by this play . . . especially since it was not modeled by her sister or mom, at least not much. Watching her play with babies is one of the most precious things I have ever seen.

We've had a busy summer so far. Trip to the farm. Great Grandma's 80th Birthday. Trip to the lake. Lots of play dates, picnics at the park, back yard pool fun, and a few bonfires, although bedtime comes too soon for her to have experienced a roasted marshmallow yet. But hey, there are lots of summer days ahead!