22 Months

On Tuesday, Rilo turned 22 months.  How does that happen?!  I haven't done an update post in months and so it seems like it's about time!

Here are the 3 most common things that people tell me about Rilo:  1. "Wow, she talks A LOT." or "Wow, she says a lot for her age." 2. She is so busy!  3. She is so independent.  And really, those are all very true.

  

Rilo's verbal skills have totally exploded since about 15 months.  She talks all.the.time.  She forms some pretty complex sentences, though most are about 4 or 5 words.  My favorite thing she says right now is "Mmmmm...how about..." when suggesting something other than what I was suggesting.  For example, I'll say "Would you like some yogurt?" to which she replies "Mmmm...how about...oatmeal?".  Really the funniest part of the whole thing is her tone and inflection, since it is clearly mimicing the way I offer her options.  One of my other favorites is her answer to any question about where someone or something is.  "Rilo, where's Daddy/your cup/the moon?" "He's/It's stuck".  Always, without fail..."it's stuck".  It cracks me up because she definitely uses "it's stuck" when something is actually stuck.  She also LOVES to sing songs.  She knows all the words to the ABC's, Twinkle Twinkle, Wheels on the Bus, Ring Around the Rosie and a bunch of others.  Rilo is also super polite.  In a crowd she will say "Scuse' me people."  If you are getting her dressed and she's holding something, she'll say "Scuse' me cup. Scuse' me book.  Sorry arm."  It is so funny.  She likes to say "Thank you Mama" and "Bless you Daddy".

She is busy.  This girl never stops.  Never.  She is always on the move...always onto the next thing.  Her favorite toys are things like strollers because playing with them means she doesn't have to be still.  Her mind is always going a mile a minute.  She is clever and so interested in how things work and figuring things out.  She loves to climb and explore.  You've probably noticed pictures of her on the counter/table/desk.  By some miracle, she makes no attempts at escaping her crib, even though I know she could do it in a heartbeat.

She is fiercely independent.  She likes to do things all on her own.  I can't tell you how many times a day, she closes her door to her room so she can read and play on her own.  Playing with Rilo is really playing along side Rilo.  She likes when I come in her room with her but she doesn't actually like me to do what she's doing.  She just likes to have me talk and watch her.  On rare occasions, she asks me for help stacking her blocks or coloring, but those days are rare.

She can be trouble!  I am in for it in the next year or so.  She loves to dump things and spill things.  She loves messes, mostly because she likes to clean them back up.  She definitely knows when she's up to no good because she closes doors so I can't see her or tells me "No, Mommy, go back."  Sometimes she'll do exactly what I just told her not to do with a smile on her face, looking right at me as if she's innocent as can be.

Somehow, I can't get enough of her!  She is happy about 98% of the time.  She sleeps like a champ (about 12 hours at night and 2-3 at nap time).  She loves to go to bed and often asks to do so.  She still loves to read books or have them read to her.  It's about the only time she sits still.  She requests her books by their names and recites the funny parts of the story.  She is a ham and is funny as can be.  She loves to make me laugh.  Most days I can't get over how smart she is...she remembers the most obscure facts and names and knows words to things I have absolutely NO idea how she has ever even heard them.

Mostly I love her because of who she's made me.  She's made me a mom.  She's made me more patient, slower to anger, more loving, and more selfless.  Essentially, she's made me better than I thought I could be and she makes me want to constantly try to to be even better than the day before.  I love you more than ever Rilo Jane.  Happy 22 months little girl!

{Side note:  These pictures are from her first bike ride with Adam.  This was an early Christmas present from Adam to Rilo.  Let's just say she asks me to ride the bike with Daddy every single day now.  She loves it!}