hadley fern {eighteen months}

Hadley Fern, you are 18 months old!

At a year and a half you are surprising us every day.  I keep wanting you to be a baby, but am seeing ways all the time that you're growing into toddlerhood.  Haddie, you love to help me in the kitchen by unloading the tupperware drawer and getting out "your" spatulas and serving spoons from the jar I keep low for you.  You also desperately want to use crayons and Play-Doh, but still haven't figured out that they aren't for eating, so for now they're still off limits.

You have started talking more and say a few words that everyone can recognize.  You love to say "Hi!" and "Bye!" to people we see in the store.  If they don't respond you keep saying it louder and louder until they do.  You also say "dada," "baba" (for Asher), "peeeas" (please), "ank oo" (thank you), "mama" (milk, not me - boo), "bath" and a couple others.

So far you still aren't a picky eater (knock on wood!).  You do have some things you don't prefer but that's not too common.  Your favorite foods are cheese, chicken, hummus, any fruit, green beans, carrots, and anything we call a snack.  Sister loves to snack.  In fact, "nack nack" might be your favorite word.  I'm looking for new, healthy snack ideas because you love to graze and I don't want us to get too reliant on animal crackers.

You adore your big brother!  Asher is your favorite person, hands down.  You wake up asking for him and always want to do what he's doing.  He loves you too.  :-)

A couple weeks ago you really figured out walking and haven't looked back.  Hadley, you've gone from walking to running and now I can't keep up at all!  After months and months of crawling I'm still surprised to see you come walking around a corner.

You're a super smart cookie, if I do say so myself.  It's clear that you understand a LOT more than you can say.  Haddie, you love to throw things away and will head straight to the garbage can when we tell you that the fuzzy you found on the floor is trash.

With this understanding comes some responsibility to obey, though, and that's led us to some problems. ha!  You aren't a fan of stopping or coming when I call so we've had a couple talks already about obeying mommy, even when you don't feel like it.  I have a feeling you'll be a bit stubborn and make me work for it.  yikes.

Hadley, you're a pretty good sleeper, but being sick this month hasn't helped us on that front.  You are still taking a morning nap - I tried to cut it out a couple times but when I do you are super cranky and still take a short afternoon nap, so I guess we'll keep it for a bit longer.  Your morning nap is only about 30 minutes, then you take an afternoon nap for about 2 hours.  You go to bed at 7pm and wake up between 6-7am.

Sweet Hadley, your personality is coming out more and more.  As a newborn we nicknamed you Happy Hadley and it's only becoming more true.  You are generally smiling and laid back - you're a joy to be around!  Of course, you also have a feisty and sassy side.  I'm hearing more screams of disapproval from you - like when I say no more snacks - and we are working on being patient.  Asher is quick to remind you that we don't have fits.  ha!

We go to the doctor on Monday, so stats will update then!

Weight:
Height:
Clothing:  12-18mo or 18mo
Diaper:  size 4
Shoes:  size 3 or 4
Walking:  fast
Eating:  faster
Babbling:  frequent
Smiles:  constant

Hadley Fern, you have been such the perfect addition to our family.  Having two kiddos to care for and raise well has thrown me some curve balls as a mommy, but I couldn't ask for a more go-with-the-flow second baby.  Your smiles make everyone around you light up.  God's love is reflected in your sweet nature, lovely girl.  Oh Haddie, we are so blessed to have you here!

Happy year and a half!