Eleanor at 18 Months

As of this morning, Eleanor now weighs 21.5 lbs, has a head circumference of 18.25" and is 32.35" tall.

She has learned that Will is prone to taking away her toys. So now when she is playing with something and she sees that he is approaching her with that intent, she will run to me as fast as she can, her chubby little legs pumping, and wrap her arms around my legs and then turn around to stare down Will, daring him to take the toy away from her in my presence. Its pretty hilarious!

On the other hand, she will never miss an opportunity to take possession of something that is Wills, the MOMENT he puts it down, or isn't around. Often Michael takes her out in the garage with him after dinner as a way to kill some time before bed. If Will isn’t there, she insists on wearing his boots rather than hers. It makes us smile because Will’s boots are about four sizes bigger than hers, and they come up mid-thigh on her. She still walks around in them happy as a clam. She will also quickly claim any item that Will usually plays with in the car, any time she and I are riding in the car together without Will (like when hes at preschool). She is no dummy and snatches opportunities as they come!

We were reading a story right before bed one night and she made it clear that she REALLY wanted to show me this one particular page. On the page was a character who was sucking on a pacifier. She pointed to his pacifier and to her own, and then looked up at me for a response. I said, "that right! He has a pacifier just like you do!" And with a satisfied grin, she leaned back against my chest for the rest of the story.

She is starting to be really into helping lately and will help Will pick things up that hes dropped, pick up his toys with him and even put things back where they belong after shes taken them out. She also really loves to mimic me and one thing in particular that I find cute, is when I am cooking, and she goes into her toy kitchen and finds a spoon, some play food and a mixing bowl and will come into the real kitchen and "cook" next to me.

This is a fun age. She is a very social, interactive child. She looks right into my eyes and gives me little smiles. She loves to come up and sit in my lap, and then look up at me and smile. She loves to wear my shoes and try on my apron. When Will goes to preschool, we play together and just have the best time. We dance together. She is just so much fun! Nora is my little sidekick and I just love her to pieces!

Speaking of social interaction, lately shes really taken to seeking out older girls, any time we are in a public play space with mixed ages. There are bonus points if the girls are dressed super girly, with lots of pink, sparkles and tutus. Of course, Nora is always a hit with girls like these too, because she she small, cute, cuddly and quiet. She just casually strolls right up and makes herself a part of the group. Its pretty funny. I couldn't imagine Will ever doing something like that, or myself at that age either for that matter. She is a self confidant little miss!

Nora also really enjoys some of the games we've invented around here. Her three favorites are "Mr. Frumpy", "Who's Back There" and "Chase around the Island." Michael is responsible for the creation of “Mr. Frumpy”. It starts with asking Will a question: “Will - I have a question for you. Is your name Mr. Frumpy?” If Will says yes (or sometimes he whispers “little frumpy”) I tell him that means I have to tickle him. Usually that involves a short foot chase around the house until I tackle him on the ground. I think Nora has seen this game often enough that she knows what happens after we ask the question. Recently, when I tell Nora that I have a question for her, she doesn't even wait for me to ask “Is your name Mr. Frumpy”, before she takes off running! She loves the game and the attention. It is funny to see her try to run though. Since she only learned to walk a few months ago, her version of a run is a quick baby waddle while squealing.

"Who's Back There" is another fun one and it involves the curtains in Will's bedroom. The game usually happens right before bedtime or a nap, when both kids are getting ready for bed. Nora will 'ask' me to play this game by coming up to me close, giving me a serious stare down, while glancing to the curtains. When I ask her if she wants to play "Who's Back There", she excitedly runs back behind the curtains. Basically, both kids go behind the curtains and I say, "Hey! I see the curtains moving! Is there somebody back there? Who's back there?" And both kids come out running and giggling. They both LOVE it! Its especially cute to see how much Nora relishes it though. Oftentimes she will remain back there for a half minute longer than Will, to create a more dramatic exit. As far as "Chase around the Island" goes, the name says it all. She (they both) love for me to chase them around the kitchen island. When I catch them I give them small tickles, to their great amusement. She is getting better at running lately and I actually have to work to catch her now! The excited giggles make for much fun and entertainment!

She still hasn't really said any words (other than "mama" and "dada" a couple of times). She does sign 'more' and 'all done' and will shake her head 'no' and nod 'yes' so that makes communication easier. For the most part though she continues to do her regular dinosaur yell to get whatever she wants. Still its sometimes a challenge though. Michael was commenting that he thinks she would be cuter if she didn't let out guttural yells every 2 minutes. I disagreed though and said that was part of her charm. Here is this tiny little, adorable pixie of a girl, and when you expect only sweetness to escape her lips and instead she lets out a grunt from the bottom of her belly, while dramatically pointing, it might just be the most hilarious thing ever. She is a riot! I love the incongruity!

Lately, whenever she is upset, she will come up to me and grunt while pulling on the front of my shirt. This is her signal that she wants to nurse. I ask her if she wants some milk, and she nurses for a little bit until she feels better and then she pops off, good as new. Its such a magical way to calm her down when shes in distress for any number of reasons and I think we both very much enjoy the cuddle time. I am so glad she still likes to nurse! It makes me feel like I am able to retain a tiny shred of her baby-hood, even as I watch her grow like a weed before my very eyes!

All of her teeth, with the exception of her two year molars, have now broken through the skin. Some are fully emerged and others just have the points through the skin, with the main body of the tooth still below the surface. But already I have observed her being able to chew things better. She can eat crunchy things like chips more successfully, and can take bigger bites of things. Once they are all completely emerged, I can start offering her things like nuts and hard crackers. She will be thrilled!



She is growing and changing so fast lately. She is just bound and determined to be a kid. I am SO SO glad that she is a cuddler though and takes every opportunity to sit in my lap. I try to treasure that each and every time as I know it won't last forever. My baby girl is quickly changing into a toddler and it is bittersweet!