.: 16 months

Our baby is getting so big!! Dylan and I have seen some big changes over the past couple of weeks even. Yesterday she had her 16 month well exam. We ended up going to a different doctor (though with the same provider) because of scheduling issues, but the appointment went so well and I was extremely impressed with the doctor, that I have scheduled her next appointment with the same doctor. The doctor asked lots of questions that others haven't asked before and interacted with Madison in ways that other doctors have not. So, to start off with the basics, Madison is 22 lbs, 30 inches???? Either Madison shrunk or someone measured her length wrong. She was supposedly 32 inches at 14 months. I'll have to check that and let you know... She is still in the 25% for weight and head circumference and if she is really 30 inches now, she is in the 25% for height too. I find that hard to believe though because she is as tall as or taller than a lot of the babies in her class that are older than her.

The doctor asked a lot of questions about Madison's development, including how many words she knows. Though Madison pretty much repeats EVERY word that comes out of mine and Dylan's mouth, the doctor really wanted to know how many words Madison uses on her own. My first quick guess was 10 words and her doctor was really impressed!! She said that Madison is really advanced for her age if she has a 10 word vocabulary at this age. I also told her that Madison is putting together some two word sentences, like the other day when she came running over to me with my shoe in her hand, saying, "Mommy, shoe" and tried to put it on my foot. She said that usually doesn't start happening until around age 2, so that is very advanced as well.

What I am most proud and excited about though is that when I got in the car after Madison's appt., I started making a list of all the words Madison uses on her own, on a regular basis, when identifying objects, asking for something, or just in response to things Dylan or I say. Not only was I curious how many she really knows at this point, I wanted to be able to list them here so that I can look back on this one day....

So, here goes:

1) Mommy

2) Daddy

3) Baby

4) Puppy

5) Duck

6) Book

7) Thank you (says this on her own many times after receiving something she wanted)

8) Bye-bye

9) Hi

10) Truck

11) Hat

12) No

13) Bobble (toy bottle)

14) Pappy ("Paci" - pacifier)

15) Ball

16) Outside

17) Shoe

18) Mine

19) Poo-poo (hey, it counts)

20) More

21) All done

22) Wow

23) Ow

24) Yara

25) Up

26) Off

27) Down

28) Apple

29) Nana (banana...but can count for you too, Sherry :) )

30) Cracker

31) Eyes

32) Nose

33) Hot

I feel like I am forgetting one or two, but you get the picture! It amazes me everyday how much she is learning and how much she seems to really understand and express to us.

Though she doesn't really say the other body parts, she can identify just about every body part, she also knows many animal sounds and points up to the sky if she hears a plane or a bird.

She is just the happiest, sweetest, affectionate little girl and Dylan and I are loving the fact that she now calls out to us as "Mommy" and "Daddy", and we agree that we could listen to her giggles all day long and never get tired of that sound.

I really could go on and on, but I'll post a few recent pictures and head off to bed.