Samantha - 18 months!

On March 26th, my baby girl turned 18 months!  How time does fly!  I cannot believe it has already been a year and 1/2.  Sammie has grown and become such a sweet part of our family.  I cannot hardly remember life without her.  She is such a sweet girl. She dearly loves her Mamma...and I am ok with that. ;)  She looks for her bubba each morning and calls for him when she wakes up, because 99% of the time he is the one who is there.  She loves to pick Sissy up from school.  She says "Sissy" when we pull up in the carpool lane.  Then says "Hi Sissy" when we pick Jasmine up.  She gets so excited when her Dada comes home from work.  She takes off running for him and calling out "Dada! Dada!"  It is so cute. 

 

To help me remember what she was like at this age...

 

She does like 20 animal sounds - my favorite is the gorilla when she beats on her chest

 

She knows names:  Mama or Mommy, Dada or Daddy, Sissy, Bubba, Sully (Suh-wee), Nana, PaDaddy, Mimi, Papa, Ellie (Eh-wee), Evie, Jadyn (Jayen), Joss, Elmo (Eh-mo), Abby (for Abby Cadabby), Presley (Pwes-wee), Caroline (Yay-yine), Cole (Coh), Avery (Ay-wee), Tucker (Tuck-uh), Sara (Say-uh) - oh how she loves Ms. Sara. 

 

She says Puppy, "B" (for her blankie), water (wah-wah), night-night (ny-ny), awww, I love you (I dluh loo), another one (anuya ohn), moon, outside (more like a cuss  word - "az-soh"), dog (doh), ball (ba), balloon (ba-yoon), and so many more. 

 

She runs, she can dribble the soccer ball, she can climb the playhouse ladder and slide down, she can almost jump (which I love to watch her try), she can somersault (occasionally the right way), she climbed out of her crib once, she gets up and down /on and off the couch now, she climbs into chairs, she can stand on the stool and reach the running water if she stretches her tooth brush out...it is amazing how in the last few months she is so much a toddler and not a baby now.  Of course - she thinks she's 5 and can do everything. :)

 

She is a trooper.  She goes to gymnastics practice once a week, soccer practice 4 nights/week, 3 soccer games/weekend, and church on Sunday mornings and Wed nights.  She spends a lot of time in the car on Tuesdays and Thursdays taking brother to and from pre school.  I think she will enjoy the fall a little more with out being carted all over town. 

 

She has slept through the night since she was 11 weeks old I think...but she has screamed out at least once a night every single night since she was born.  I didn't go in her room, but it would concern me each time. If you cracked the door at all while she was sleeping she would wake up...even be sitting up staring before the door was all the way open.  She was the lightest sleeper.  Then...suddenly...in the last couple of weeks...she has begun sleeping without screaming out.  I can also sneak in and get a pair of socks for Jasmine for school the next day if I forgot at 11:00pm and she stays asleep.  What a wonderful thing!  It's the little things.

 

My precious girl brings me lots and lots of "learning patience" moments.  She is strong-willed and knows what she wants.  She thinks she should have whatever big sister and brother get.  It is a lot harder to hide things with 2 much older siblings.  She is challenging me and I am continuing to grow as her mamma.  Love her dearly and praise God for allowing me to be her mamma.  Each time I stand my ground and see improvement in her behavior, I am reminded of how God molds and changes us too.

 

Sammie - I love you baby girl.