18 months

Ok, I haven't done an "official" update on Eleanor in a while, so I'm gonna. Because I want to.

You guys, she's pretty awesome. I know I'm biased, but her Mother's Day Out teachers, the ladies (& gent) in the church nursery, the appointment desk lady at our pediatrician's office and lots of strangers comment on how happy she is. Which is great, but it's mostly true! She's not happy all the time. She throws tantrums and pitches fits and gets shy and cranky, but for the most part, she is an amicable and happy child. She plays independently. She explores. She likes most everyone she meets. She is quick to smile and wave. I am trying to soak up as much of this awesome as possible because I know that hard days are coming. I can see the willful in her eyes. I can see the boundary-pushing, limit-testing, stubborn, rule-breaking terror in her eyes. It's there. It's coming. But for now, she's truly wonderful.

Vitals:
Height: 32.25" (80th percentile)
Weight: 24 lb 12 oz (75th percentile)
Head Circumference: 18.5" (85th percentile)
I think her doctor said "nicely proportional" but I heard practically perfect in every way.

figuring out this doctoring business

Highlights:
I don't even know how to pick! 6 months is a long time of great moments.
We took some swim lessons, thanks to our friends K & D going on vacation & giving us their son's spot and that was a blast. Eleanor & I had matching swim suits. It was exactly as sickeningly sweet as you imagine and I loved every minute of it.
We went to California to visit my family out there, so first plane ride, and playing in sprinklers.
All of Faire happened, and she seemed to love it all. Half the time, she was a tiny pink mini-me. Half the time she was a turquoise mini-Diva. All the time she was adorable.

She has enough hair for some seriously adorable curls in back, and sometimes I can wrangle them into pigtails.

Skills:
Walking! Everywhere. Running & climbing stuff too
Talking! She has about 15 words, though lots of them are single syllable & hard to distinguish (up & help, baby & bye-bye, etc), but with visuals & signing, she is pretty clear
Signing! She has even made up a few signs of her own, like lotion, hair bow, purse, outside & Bagels taught her a sign for her name (Bagels' name, not Eleanor's name)
Eating & drinking with little to no help from anyone.
Chasing & throwing balls
Brushing her teeth (of which she has all but her top 2 canines now)
Washing herself in the tub
Sitting (uselessly) on her tiny potty & putting TP in the bowl
Charming the pants off of strangers

Works in Progress:
Taking her clothes on & off. (My mother is giggling manically right now. Apparently I was a terror as a toddler, demanding several costume changes a day)
Using forks & spoons
I'm not saying "potty training" because we're not there yet, but she has a definite interest in potty activities and in telling us when to change her diaper, so... you know... it's something. That might happen someday.

She loves:
Mother's Day Out. Seriously, she runs to her classroom & she loves her teachers.
Baby dolls. She got one for her birthday, but just recently has shown interest, and now that baby gets fed, cradled, diapered, napped, and dragged around by the ankles.
Her blanket(s). She doesn't have A single blanket, but 5 of the muslin style swaddle blankets and those are necessary for sleeping.
Dancing, which is starting to involve more than just her hands, so that's nice.
Purses
Bows (which don't stay in her hair very long, but she has decided that she needs one to leave the house, so I keep one in the car)
Stacking things--also the knocking them back over
Putting things into & taking them out of containers
Books--not to "read" but to turn the pages vigorously & then shake about
The pets. She meows & woofs at them. She climbs into Puca's crate with him & shuts the door. It's adorable





I love:
I think the hugging might be the best thing ever. Once she started walking, she got snugglier. She now lays her head down on my shoulder & pats my back when I ask for a hug or a snuggle. When I ask for a smooch, she usually just presents her forehead or cheek to BE smooched, which is great, but sometimes she will actually kiss me back. Sometimes she blows a kiss. To sum up-her giving physical affection is really rewarding.  
The clothes, still. Dressing her is still so much fun for me.

In the past week she's had a mini language explosion, learning a new word every day it seems, and that is so exciting to watch. I see friends' kids having whole conversations with their parents and it just boggles my mind that Eleanor isn't as far from that as I think. She's very expressive, but soon, people who aren't us will be able to tell what it is she's saying.

She dislikes:
Being told no
Closed doors (she's very much like the cats in that way)
Sitting still

I dislike:
The tantrums
The inability to figure out what it is she's ACTUALLY asking for that, and that inability causing a tantrum
When only Mama will do, and how that breaks J's heart.

Too cool for clothes?

With the same giraffe as always

All in all, I'm really loving this stage of her life. I can't wait for her to meet her baby brother, and I hope we all handle that transition with as much grace and compassion as possible.