18 months and more

So many fun things happening for the Mattson family!
The most exciting of all is that our little girl is 18 months today! Happy half birthday Mary Therese!! Either I am an overzealous mother who thinks my daughter is advanced (don't all moms?) or I just had no idea how much toddlers can do at 18 months. 

Mary is a little chatterbox (wonder where she gets that from??) saying well over 100 words with several new ones being added daily. I feel like every day I hear her say a word or two that I hadn't heard from her before. She can put two and three words together. Her first sentence of course was "I see Minnie." She understands how to ask questions, just this morning she saw a bee on her baby's shirt and then pointed to her own shirt and asked me "where bee?" 

I am having so much fun teaching her! She is learning to count, the names of colors, and her ABC's. She knows pretty much every body part and its name and lots of animals and the sound they make.

She understands pretty much everything we say to her and follows directions very well. I always heard people say that you can't reason with a toddler but somehow you can with this one. When she is refusing to put on her shoes I will say to her "if you want to go to the park you need to wear shoes" and she will promptly come sit down and let me put them on. 

She loves all things Minnie Mouse, Yo Gabba Gabba, and Elmo.

She has mastered self feeding and uses her own fork and spoon like a pro.

She likes sitting on her potty. She hasn't yet gone pee pee but liking the potty is a fun start.

In the last week she has mastered wooden puzzles.

A little thrill seeker she loves when daddy throws her up high in the air. She is a very active toddler who loves to run, jump, and go to the park (the slide is her favorite). She loves dancing and we often have after dinner dance parties.

Beyond all these things her favorite is definitely her babies. She has a baby with her almost everywhere she goes. She hugs and kisses them, pats their back, eats with them and loves to share her food with them, change their diapers, give them milky by putting on my nursing cover and "nursing" her baby, and rocks them in their cradle for night night time. She is a great little mommy! 

Mary still nurses and I love that time of bonding with her. 

The K-9 teeth have been her enemy but after several months we almost have them all in and then hopefully she can get some better sleep. Speaking of sleep, we have so much fun hearing the things she says in her sleep. She must be a good dreamer because she is very animated and says clear words such as Elmo, Tootie, Baby, Dada, and bye bye in her sleep. 

Mary has a very sweet temperament and loves to snuggle and give hugs and kisses. She likes to end each day with a big bubble bath and an hour of books in bed with mommy and daddy. 

This age is so much fun and filled with so much learning and amazement. We look forward to the new things she does each day!

 

 

The shirt says it all! A quote from her patron Saint Therese, she is a small thing with great love!

In other news:

Yesterday we spent a nice family morning at Knott's Berry Farm. Every year Firemen and Law Enforcement get in free to Knott's as an appreciation for their service. The first time we went was mine and Eric's third date. Mary was still a little small this year for most of the rides but she did love the trucks and Eric was able to walk right on to a few roller coasters since the park was very empty. 

We are also very excited because we just booked an RV trip to the river in Parker in February. We go several times each summer but this will be our first winter trip. We are looking forward to a week of fun with Grammy and Grampy!