Sweet sweet sixteen months

Dear Maya,

You are 16 months old today! In honor of that, here are 16 things you've been up to this week:

1. Shrieking with excitement. Sometimes you scream with delight when we chase you around, but most often it is directed at one of the cats who then runs away promptly. Those poor little creatures...
2. Throwing things, not in a bad way (yet). You started with the squeeze ball at the doctor's office when mommy had blood drawn, and since then you've been practicing with balls, etc. we have at home.
3. Climbing things. You like to turn over any box or container you can find and climb up on it. You've figured out that this can help you see more and reach more and use it to your advantage.

standing on the basket your toy food came in so you could watch a DVD

Intent on the Japanese lesson about eating and drinking in said DVD

Perking up noticeably when the topic switches to bananas!

4. Falling. This is related to the climbing, but also to your running, spinning and overconfidence in your sense of balance. You have a bruise on your cheek and a bump on your head from the last 2 days alone! 

5. Loving Auntie Rhi! Lately you are just so attached to her. You get excited in the morning to go downstairs to see her and always cling to her legs until she picks you up. And you love to share her drink. How sweet!

6. Putting pillows on your lap. Whenever you climb up on the couch to sit next to one of us you have to have a pillow to put on your lap. Even if you have toys or a drink, the pillow must be readied first.

"You want me to sit???" 

"Mmm...I don't think so."

"Oh, all right. I needed a break anyway..."

7. Laying down. Although you are extremely active, occasionally you join one of us in laying on the carpet in the living room. We set a pillow for your head and you always miss it, but you're back up soon anyways... 

8. Helping. You have helped put away your toys and messes for a long time, but lately you seem to want to help with other chores, too. When mommy is making the bed, you race to hand me the pillows even. Cute!

9. Cooking! Well, not really, but tonight while mommy was making scattered sushi and miso soup, you put vegetable scraps in a measuring cup and mixed them with a spoon. For over a half an hour!

Asking for a book  from the top shelf

Putting spilled Cheerios back in your bowl

Pondering your bird toy

10. Remembering a lot. You suddenly remember where you left things. When mommy went to give you a cucumber stick tonight, you went to get a dish you'd eaten out of earlier for me to put it in. Wow!

11. Hearing and responding. This morning there was a dog barking in the distance, not terribly noticeable. You looked up and said "Da!" to mommy several times until I confirmed it was a dog. Good job!

12. Understanding more words. Tonight when Uncle Matt hid a toy by putting it on his head, mommy told you to look at his head and you did! I guess all that "Head, shoulders, knees and toes" is paying off!

"Shall I put my shoe on?"

"I think I can, I think I can..."

"I can't! Grr..."

13. Loving shoes. You get very excited and sit right down when mommy pulls out shoes to put on you. Today we got a package of used baby clothes and you played with the winter boots like toys!

14. Playing with sticks. When we went to a huge sculpture garden yesterday you were much more interested in sticks than art. You used them to push against the ground from your stroller like oars! So funny!

Posing with some sculptures in the distance

Playing with sticks, ignoring large animal-like sculpture behind you

Admiring the mesmerizing motion of this piece with daddy

15. "Oh no"-ing. This morning you finally replaced your sad-sounding "Oh wow" with the proper phrase "Oh no" when something doesn't go your way. Your little voice + mispronunciation "nyo" = too cute!

...and, last but not least...

16. Singing your ABCs! Well, sort of. You took your beautiful rendition of "Twinkle, twinkle" from last week and added a run of what sounds like "H I J K lalalala" in there in the right place! Holy cow!

Well, goodnight my little 16-month old!

We love you!