Maeve, 19 months

Our teeny tiny preemie is no longer tiny in any way.  It is so hard to believe how much she has grown.  We are simply having a BLAST with both Maeve and Noah each and every day.

At 19 months, Maeve is a cheerful and sweet little girl.  She melts our hearts each second. 

Her speech has picked up tremendously.  And in her coy little way, she listened intently at the doctor's office at her 18 month appointment.  I shared that she still wasn't speaking much.  The doctor said to watch for a month or so and call back if I had concerns.   In the car on the way home she just started talking... car, dog, snack....  She probably has 20-30 words now and is putting together 2 word phrases.. bye bye Daddy, etc.  Her favorites are No (with a sweet and sassy little grin) and WOWAH which translates to Noah.  She absolutely cannot stand life without Noah.  If he isn't awake or if he is at school, she is worried sick about him and calls his name over and over.  If he wants to play alone she sits at his door and cries. 

At her one year appointment the doctor characterized her as "pleased with herself, content" which is still an apt characterization of Maeve.  At a recent playdate with many children, there were many things to do and play with.  Maeve was content to sit in a chair and pretend to talk on the phone.  I often have to look for her because she is quiet and busy with whatever she finds. 

At 18 months our "big girl" is still holding on to some comforts of infancy.  She still loves her pacifier (but we only really use it for sleeping) and she loves her blanket....  This blanket thing is a little over the top.  She is very attached to an infant swaddling blanket.  Each night she wants to be swaddled in this 6-12 month blanket and she is just way too big for it but she insists.  She lays down and waits for you to put it on.  I tried to leave one arm out to transition her and she managed to dig her arm into the blanket.  The irony is that she takes it off when you leave the room but she just holds on to it as part of her routine.  She also refuses a cup or sippy for milk.  She accepts it for juice or water but not for milk.  She insists on a bottle for her milk.  Oh well, I think Suri Cruise is 5 and still using a bottle!  The doctor wasn't the least bit concerned. 

On the flip side, she is incredibly interested in the potty.  She is constantly mimic-ing someone in the house and because she sees us going to the bathroom she must participate.  She goes when she sits on the potty almost every time, but she doesn't differentiate between a diaper and the potty.  She only wants to go when she sees us going.  We are trying to encourage her without pushing her. 

It is always impossible to capture a personality in words, but it is so wonderful to watch Maeve grow and develop.  She is sassy and sweet as sugar all wrapped up into one!  

At the end of her 18 month appointment the doctor asked me when I wanted to schedule the 2 year.  I told her I didn't want to.... that Maeve wasn't turning 2.  She said, well, then let's just schedule the next appointment, okay?

I agreed.