Eighteen Months

I can hardly believe that title...

I think Punky has changed more in the last two months than any previous time frame.  The difference between sixteen months and eighteen months is incredible.  She is embracing the world of toddlerhood.  And she's good at it.

She had her eighteen-month check-up on Friday and the results were just as I suspected.  She was always in the 5th to 10th percentile for height and weight; now she's in the 50th for height.  The growth spurt I felt she had was no figment of my imagination.  She did get tall...just under 32 inches.

Her weight, on the other hand, still lingers in the same percentile it's been.  Twenty pounds, three ounces now.  She finally reached the point where it's legal to turn her forward-facing in the car, but I plan to keep her rear-facing as long as possible.  I watched the videos; I'm not taking any chances.

She reached all the normal milestones for her age, and the doctor was impressed with her language development.  Despite the fact that she screamed the last two times we tried to clean her ears, there's no sign of an ear infection or fluid.  So, we can just add it to the list of things she previously loved and now suddenly hates.  This "phase" stuff sure is fun.

Of course the appointment ended with a round of vaccinations and Punky was not happy.  Actually, she cried through most of the visit so I was already numbed to it by shot time.  She was genuinely afraid and teared up at the doctor's every move.  I had so many questions I didn't get to ask because we were all rushing through the appointment so she would calm down.  But I did get an answer for the rash behind her knees.  Eczema.  Again.  Most likely caused by a food allergy.  

Last year I was fairly certain carrots were the culprit.  Now she hardly ever eats carrots.  She eats so many different foods; it will be next to impossible to isolate the trigger.  The doc found it odd that it cleared up in the winter but came back in the summer.  Usually eczema works the opposite way.  Poor kid, she's apparently ass-backwards like her mama.  Medicine designed to make you sleep makes me jumpy and wide awake; the non-drowsy stuff knocks me out in twenty minutes flat.  Heat to sooth cramps?  Nope, only makes it worse.  Ice for me, thank you.  The list goes on and on...

Anyway, this year and a half has gone by so quickly.  One year ago today I had the best photo shoot with Punky; now I can't get her to sit still long enough for the click.  I'm going to attempt some eighteen month shots but I'm not expecting much cooperation on her part.  We'll see, maybe I can bribe her with a cookie.  Or an apple.  Yeah, an apple will probably work better.

It is so much fun watching her learn to communicate verbally.  She continues to repeat words and phrases.  Her current favorite is, "Oh, man."  Her dad spilled half a box of crackers all over the kitchen floor the other night and Punky marveled with delight as she jumped up and down, pointed at her dad, and shrieked, "A mess! A mess! A mess!" over and over again.  And now when I ask her if she loves her mama, she says "Yes!" and my heart melts every time. 

She still loves books and is taking an interest in longer ones these days.  It's so refreshing to read new stories to her, books that have more than a handful of words per page, and somewhat of an actual plot.  Dr. Seuss books are a big hit now.  Sometimes we make it all the way through; sometimes we don't.  But it's an improvement nonetheless.  I can't wait until we can read the books I loved as a kid...Judy Blume, Beverly Cleary, Paula Danziger, Paul Zindel...but those are still a long way down the road. 

A few typical behavior issues have popped up recently as she tackles toddlerhood with a vengence.  Jumping on the furniture is a big one.  Beds are like giant magnets for her and no amount of asking, telling, begging, pleading, yelling, or disciplining can deter her from their magical, bouncy powers.  I'm so worried she'll get hurt, like broken-bone hurt, and I'm about at my wits end.  I hope this is one phase that passes quickly.

Learning to share is another hurdle we are struggling with now.  She doesn't have many opportunites to interact with other kids, maybe once or twice a month if that.  She doesn't like sharing her toys, and gets mad when I tell her to let another kid play with her things.  And then there's the hitting.  She has a bit of a temper and likes to take a swing when she doesn't get her way.  Never hard, more like just a tap, but the intent is there and it drives me crazy.  That's not a behavior she sees, so I don't know why she even thinks to have that kind of reaction to anything.  Yeah yeah, another phase...all kids do it...blah, blah, blah...

Not to paint a picture of a total devil, she really is well behaved 99% of the time...but the 1% is awfully frustrating.  She picks up her toys, helps clean up messes she makes, generally listens very well, does what she's asked to do, and is normally pleasant, sweet and loving.  I know, if she were an angel all of the time she wouldn't be a normal kid.  And what fun would that be.

Happy half birthday, beautiful girl.  I love you...