Time flies

Grace is 15 months old today and she has been home for almost 6 months. Most of my adult life I have heard parents say how quickly the time flies but now I am really experiencing it. Recently, I have noticed Grace growing so fast. Many times the last couple of weeks I have chosen clothes for her to wear only to find out when she puts them on that they no longer fit. Last Sunday I (sadly) went through her closet and drawers and set aside many outfits and about 10 pairs of shoes that she has worn only a handful of times (or less!) each. Now I understand why there are so many consignment stores that specialize in children's clothing and toys. They grow out of them before they wear them out!The good part of my girl growing is that I see her thriving. I think back to the little baby I met in September 2007 and how worried I was that she was so tiny. When she came home in March and we went for her first medical checkup the doctor seemed concerned that her weight and head circumference were small compared to her length. The same was true when we saw them at the end of April. I remember the doctor and nurse talking among themselves about her weight (which was 16 pounds at the time) and I asked if they thought she looked malnourished. They said "no" but I could tell they would be keeping an eye on her growth.

In the last 4 months Grace has proven to be a good eater, rarely turning down any type of food. It is an adventure to have her try new foods and I keep waiting to find something she doesn't like! Getting rid of her bottle (and formula) was a good choice because she never really drank much from it at any one sitting. With the sippy cup she can (and does!) enjoy a full cup of whole milk a few times per day without help from an adult. That, and being able to add other dairy products into her diet (yogurt, cheese) have helped her weight become more proportional to her length.I am excited for Grace's 15 month check-up (which isn't until September 10th when she will be 15 months and 3 weeks, but that is a whole other story!) to have exact measurements to support what I see happening.Grace's development also seems to be on track. Although there are some things she really hasn't taken to (stacking blocks, scribbling with crayons) there are so many other things she can do.

Grace can:

• walk!
• climb a whole flight of stairs (the only problem is that she doesn't know how to go back down!)
  
• pick up objects in one or both hands and walk with them
• put smaller objects into larger ones (boxes, nesting cups)
• turn pages of a book
• point to things she wants or wants me to see
• make deliberate sounds for things she wants (milk, Daisy, a toy that is out of reach)
• understand commands ("Go get the baby and bring it to Mommy") and most of what I say (This totally amazes me since a lot of what she responds to are things she hasn't been formally taught)
• identify some body parts (teeth, belly button, toes, hair)
• use a tool for the correct purpose (puts a brush to her, my, or the doll's hair; brushes her teeth)
• use a fork and spoon to feed herself if someone else gets the food on it
• speak "baby babble" which she does all the time and lately it is starting to sound more like phrases and recognizable words
  
• blow kisses and give a "high five"

(All these pictures were taken at the pool on Friday. It will probably be our last time there for the summer as they close on Sunday and school starts for everyone in our area next Wednesday.)