18 months, 13 days

That's how long it's been since Michaela joined the family. Here's some info about what our little toddler is up to these days. At her 18-month medical appointment, Michaela was declared to be a healthy little gal. She weighs 21.5 pounds (10th percentile for her age) and is 32.75 inches tall (75th percentile). She got one vaccination, but luckily doesn't have to get another one until her 2-year appointment! That will be the longest stint she will have gone without an immunization. The doctor expects Michaela's verbal development to skyrocket over the next few months and encouraged us to try to get her to say words out loud which she currently uses hand signs for (like "please," "thank you," and "more"). Words she does have in her vocabulary right now: Mama, Dada, blanket, milk, more, up (pronounced "bup"), doggie, book, bye-bye, and a very mangled attempt at banana. She understands nearly everything we say, though, and I find it incredible on a daily basis. I had to ask the pediatrician about the 3 'P's at this appointment - peanut butter? potty training? and pillow? The answer was yes to the peanut butter, since we don't have any peanut allergies in the family that we know of. As of now, Michaela doesn't seem to like peanut butter, a great disappointment to her mother. Potty training... the doctor says Michaela is still really young and just said to do all the things I have been doing - sitting her on her potty chair, both clothed and without a diaper on, and waiting for her to do her thing. And Michaela is way past the risk of SIDS now so when I find a small pillow that I like, we'll put it in her crib. Lately I've noticed she's been wadding up one of her blankets and laying her head on it. Hmm.




Using a spoon to feed herself Malt-O-Meal... a work in progress




With cousin Genevieve at Playdate PDX - a fun indoor park!



Unfortunately her 18-month check-up was bookended by ear infections. One at the end of January, and one on the mend now. It was a scary time for Adam and I as we tried to figure out why Michaela was running a fever, was so lethargic and yet cranky, and wasn't sleeping for any length of time at night. The first time I took her to the doctor, she just had fluid in her ears, but it wasn't infected, however after the course of a weekend (during which poor Abbey, Dave and Greyson were visiting) Michaela had developed a double ear infection. Conveniently she loves the pink color and bubble gum flavor of the antibiotic. Then about a week or so after her last one cleared up we awoke to her crying and running a fever in the middle of the night... again. So I gave her a day and when it didn't seem to get better, off we went to the Children's Clinic and it was confirmed - yup, an icky ear infection.  So we're 4 days into this next run of antibiotics, and she's getting close to feeling better again, for which I am very grateful. We have, however, gone through an entire bottle of children's ibuprofen.

But back to happier things... here are some other funny things Michaela's been up to lately:

-- coloring in her coloring book, just a little scribble on each page

-- closing doors (say on me while I'm in the laundry room) and then knocking on them. She also likes to close herself in a room (i.e., the bathroom) and then knock

-- she's into talking on the phone - but only fake phones. Just today she was talking into the calculator.

-- diapering her baby dolls. Actually, I do the diapering, and she does the undiapering. Multiple times per day.

-- climbing backwards down our staircase all by herself. However, it's so much more entertaining if she's also carrying one or two items in her hands.

-- dancing with her index finger pointed up to "This Little Light of Mine"

-- going down slides; the small one in the church nursery she goes down on her bottom, but the big one at the park she can go down feet first on her tummy

-- and of course... READING! We read and read and read and read and read...



Michaela, Isaiah and Lily at Lily's first birthday!!