15 months old

Dear Alyssa,

You are 15 months old today! We had your check up with Dr. K and he mentioned that the 15 month check up is hard for a lot of moms because its the last "baby" check up. From here on out your are a toddler in the eyes of the medical community. Although I've been thinking of you as a toddler for all practical purposes since you started "toddling" right around your first birthday, you will ALWAYS be my baby . . . just for the record. You had a great appointment ~ in this corner we have the adorable Miss Alyssa Marie weighing in at 22 lbs 4.5 oz (40th percentile) and 30.5 inches (55th percentile). You were quite the charming little flirt as always with Dr. K., but could really do without nurse no-name who keeps coming at you with those darn needles.

So this month has been full of a lot of fun memories. You finally started getting signing down ~ although you make up your own signs. Who needs the official American sign language anyway? You throw your hands up the air for "all done" (Daddy thought you were doing "touchdown" and wanted to know how on earth you learned that when you have only been exposed to about 3 football games in your life), you put your pointer finger of one hand into the palm of your other hand for "more" (you first did that to Grandma Sandy when we were shopping in the toy department at Target ~ I told her that it meant "buy me something, Grandma, and put it right there), and you'll either put your finger to your mouth or do the "more" sign if we ask you if you want to eat. We were at the bank with Angie a few weeks ago and I told you to "come here" and beckoned to you with my finger. With a sly little smile on your face you planted your feet firmly on the ground and used your finger to tell me to "come here". No one is going to push you around. :)

Your new obsession seems to be putting things around your neck. We really need to get you some beads or something ~ watch out future boyfriends! I have to be really careful to keep the closet door shut and the dresser drawers shut in our bedroom or you'll wander around with my underwear, Daddy's boxers, or my bra hung around your neck. You don't even care if they are clean or dirty! There's a good story for your 16th birthday! You also quickly discovered that if you push the red button in the middle of mommy's key chain the car makes a really cool and loud "BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!" noise. Ahhhh the power of it all!

Your favorite food is still mandarin oranges, but string cheese and Capt'n Crunch with Crunchberries come in close seconds. You love the puzzles that you got for Christmas, but you get really frustrated if someone tries to put the pieces back where they belong. Puzzles are for taking pieces out, not putting them in, in your eyes. "Santa" brought you the Fisher Price Laugh and Learn house and you really seem to love it. You love pressing the doorbell and getting your mail from the mail box.

You are starting to talk a lot more. You have "mama" down pat and have started adding a very clear "mommy" to your vocabulary every once in a while. "Hi" is mastered, but "dada" could still use some work. We've gotten it every once in awhile, but Daddy is still waiting for the day when you coming running up to him when he gets home from working yelling "Dada". As it is, when you hear the garage door go up at the end of the day you'll say "oh!" and get a surprised and excited look on your face before rushing to the top of the steps. You also say "yes" and "no-no" at times. Thankfully "no-no" hasn't been too common. The other night you pointed at Joey's bowl of food and said "no-no". Maybe you are finally grasping that you're not supposed to eat Joey's food.

You're such a character my sweet baby girl. I love watching your personality develop every day and I love the little person you are becoming.

Love always,
Mama/Mommy