Seventeen Months

The most noticeable event this month has been an unbelievable growth spurt.  I swear Punky grew an inch!  

For about a two week stretch, there was absolutely no satisfying her appetite.  She ate constantly, morning till bedtime.  We were starting to wonder if she had a tapeworm or something.  Seriously, it was that ridiculous.  We had no clue where she was putting it.  

One day, just after her appetite returned to normal, I reached down to touch her hair while she was standing beside me.  Her head was higher then I had remembered.  I stepped back and took a good look at her suddenly longer legs.  It all instantly made sense.  Too bad all the growing was only in length; her twelve-month pants still fall off her butt.  She could really use about an inch or so around her mid-section.

We've still been taking the swim classes on Saturdays.  We've gone four times thus far and I think she enjoys it more and more each time.  It's had some side effects though...it's nearly impossible to get her out of the bathtub.  She always loved bath time, but now she learned how to really play in the water.  Along with the most effective way to splash and soak her mama.  It has also made her more comfortable taking big girl baths (showers) with me.  She loves letting the water run right down her face.  She pulls her head out of the stream just long enough to giggle and catch her breath.  I'm so glad I decided to take her to the classes, even though it's created more work for me in many respects.  It's definitely been worth it and the bonding time is priceless.

I've already written about her recent language boom, but I sat with a scratchpad on lunch the other day and jotted down all the words she says just to quantify it for myself.  The count is around fifty.  I think that's mighty impressive for her age.  Everything I've read says about twenty words is average for eighteen months.  

In the food department I'd say she's eating about 75% real stuff, meaning non-jarred baby mush.  She still hasn't gotten any more teeth, but she is finally mastering the art of using the ones she has.  I no longer break crackers into small pieces; she's learned to take little bites.  She likes feeding herself, especially when she gets to eat with us and have what we're eating.  Almost like some social pressure influences her to conform.  She's more consistent with trying to use a fork if we are.  If she's eating alone, she's more likely to toss the fork on the tray and use her fingers.  Strange but true.

The war continues between Punky's noggin and all the other objects in the house.  Now, thanks to that growth spurt, she easily bangs her head on the dining room table.  She can't seem to grasp that she can no longer walk underneath the edge.  

Her constant climbing is quickly making me gray.  I forgot to push a chair in after dinner one night and found her standing on the table a minute later.  She climbs up and sits on the back of the couch...and smiles at her accomplishment while someone darts over to get her down and tell her no for the hundredth time.  Sometimes she has so many black and blue marks that I lose track of where they came from...and it makes me question my mom-abilities...but then I realize if I watched her any more closely I'd need to physically strap her to my hip.  Boo-boos happen, I know.  She seems to get over it much more quickly than her mama does.

Summer weather has finally arrived and Punky's been enjoying outside playtime.  Sidewalk chalk, bubbles, rocks, and sticks can keep her busy for hours.  Sometimes it's hard getting her back in the house but the promise of an apple is one trick that works nicely when all else fails.  She still loves apples; they are definitely her favorite snack.  I hope it lasts a long, long time.