Eighteen months

Eleanor had her eighteen month check up at the doctor this week. Only two shots, and I believe there may be no more until she goes to Kindergarten in several years! Lucky girl. Her measurements were slightly off because there was a different, less experienced nurse taking them, but as close as I can guess, Eleanor now weighs about 23 pounds, 7 ounces (25th-ish percentile), and is about 31.5 inches long (also 25th-ish percentile and 48% of the way to my adult height).

The biggest change these last few months is that Eleanor has started using telegraphic speech. She is putting words and concepts together now to convey her desires and interests. For example, in the morning she comes in our room and says "mommy, get down" (off the bed). Or she will drop something and say "Uh oh, drop it." She also says things like "more cracker, please." Yesterday, for the first time, Eleanor said, "I love you!" I am trying to get her to learn the ABC's without much success, but she loves singing the song. She is proving to be so smart these days! She can say the names of basically all of her family members (extended included) and friends, and recognizes them and asks for them!

Physically, Eleanor can now climb up and down stairs without assistance, and can almost climb onto the couch or a chair independently. She loves to throw trash away in the trashcan. She also loves to help cook. She still naps once a day for between 1.5 - 3 hours, but sometimes she just sits up and reads books in her bed until she's done with her "nap." She was fully weaned from pacifier, breast, and bottle in December when she was 16 months old and hasn't looked back. She will even hand other babies their pacifiers without sticking them in her mouth - she truly seems to have no desire for them anymore. She still only has twelve teeth but more are on the way soon ready to break through!

Eleanor at one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven,  twelve and fifteen months.