14 Months

"It was THIS big, I tell ya!" (Actually, I caught her mid-dance.)

Yes, she's trying to climb her sound stage.

This is what I like to call her flirty pout.

Thought you might enjoy an update on the kiddo considering she is now 14 months old. I can hardly believe she's that much older now, especially when I think about when her older friends were this age. She's learning and exploring more each day, and I love watching her make new connections.

Here are just some things she's mastered or learned, as well as activities she simply enjoys:

*Throwing away her diaper. Granted, this only happens with the diapers we bring downstairs since I'm carrying her. She can't (more like won't) walk on her own yet, so she doesn't throw away the diapers that we change down in the family room. Still, she knows where the dirty diaper belongs, and is eager and willing to do her "job".

*Going for shoulder rides. Probably one of Leah's favorite activities is riding around on her Daddy's shoulders at the end of the day. Scott will run through the house, with Leah squealing with delight as the "wind" whips through her hair.

*Walking... kind of. Although Leah COULD walk on her own (she can easily walk between people), she chooses not to. I guess she just really enjoys having us with her. Case in point, last night: She had her little radio in one hand and Scott's hand in the other as she toddled laps around the house. Periodically she'd stop to play the radio, but she wouldn't let go of Scott's hand for fear of him stepping away. Instead, she'd kneel down, set the radio down, press the button, then pick it back up and continue walking; during all of this, she maintained a vise-grip on Scott's hand. Too funny.

*Expressing herself without words. Though she doesn't say any words yet, she understands plenty and can communicate what she wants without any problem. Thanks to pointing and a couple signs, we can determine what she wants. Plus, she understands most of our requests (pass Mommy the spoon; hand Daddy the toy; come sit over here; etc.). I sometimes wonder if she's simply soaking up all that we say and the books that we read and then will start speaking in sentences. If anything, I'm sure she'll surprise us with the words she can say once she decides to speak.

*Eating with utensils. Leah's gotten pretty good with a spoon. She can't load it herself, but she does know how to get it to her mouth, and she's gotten good enough that she doesn't drop as much on herself anymore. Don't think that she's a clean eater, though, by any means. She can make quite the mess. Often she'll "style" her hair with yogurt, peanut butter, or cottage cheese. (Sometimes this is because she's flung the food from her spoon, sometimes it's because she's grabbed it off the spoon and then rubbed her fingers in her hair.)

*Blowing kisses. Leah often affectionately blows kisses, regardless of whether or not someone is leaving. I must tell you, though, that she forgets to actually "blow" the kiss, preferring instead to keep her hand affixed to her mouth.

*Identifying body parts. When asked, Leah can identify her head, feet, and nose. Upon witnessing her identify her nose, you might think she's confused since she manages to plant her hand on her nose AND mouth. Rest assured, however, she knows where her nose is.

I feel as though there's so much more to say about her development, but because of how much she changes regularly, I can't remember everything (despite my best efforts to record her development on an index card). All I know is that my baby girl's growing fast, and each day as I witness various aspects of her personality, I love her more and more.