15 Months Old

I'm sure I'll be saying this again at 18 months, but 15 months feels so different than 12 months (which in retrospect, wasn't all that long ago)!

This morning, Mia slept until almost 7AM before waking up hungry as usual. She quickly downed her 7 oz of milk and but was still a little cranky. She held onto me and wanted to be rocked in the glider longer than normal. Which was fine with me. But it felt like she was still sleepy and she wasn't able to get comfortable sitting in my arms, as much as she wanted to be there. I finally bit the bullet and laid her back down in her crib. I don't think she ever really went back to sleep, but she laid there happily sucking on her fingers and resting.

When she was finally ready to get out of bed, we did the morning routine and then loaded up to go get some breakfast. I feel like I rarely get to have morning outings with Mia and was really looking forward to one! We headed over to Wholefoods where I had a breakfast bagel and coffee and Mia had a blueberry muffin and strawberry milk. When we went to sit in the dining area, there was apparently only 1 high chair and it was already utilized by a younger child. So I just grabbed the only booster seat and decided it will just have to do. And wouldn't you know it, she did just fine! She was able to reach the table and eat comfortably. In fact, I think she must've felt a little extra grown up in it because she acted a little extra grown up! She neatly ate her blueberry muffin and would set it down on her wax paper after every bite. Then pick up her box of milk and take a sip (refusing my assistance) and then setting the box down deliberately right next to the muffin, also on the wax paper before moving back to the muffin. Wow. Mommy is easily impressed!

After breakfast, we went for a quick loop around the grocery store. Mommy pushing the special cart while Mia drove the special car below. Waving and screaming HI to everyone we passed. Mia, I mean. Not me. They loved it especially since she was wearing her monkey knit cap with the bow. Who wouldn't be happy to get a hello from something that special??? =)

After the grocery, we stopped into the Learning Express toy store to find a birthday present for cousin Megan. I LOVE that place. It's not a big box store and the people in there genuinely like kids and know their toys. They give you informed advice and then leave you to it. Mia loved the place as they have all their toys out for her to experience. She pushed vanilla smelling baby dolls in strollers and the pushed dump trucks across tables. She sorted out all the farm animals before moving over to organizing the super bounce balls. She had such a blast. And now is such a great age because she can experience everything and still doesn't ASK for anything!

One last stop after the toy store. We hopped over to Crate N Barrel to see if they had any must have's (they didn't). So Mia had a good time riding up and down the escalator (one of her favorites).

As soon as we got in the car, she conked out. Mission accomplished. She slept for an extra 30 minutes or so when we got home. When she woke up, she asked for some milk and a cereal snack. She sat in her little girl leather chair juggling both her snacks and her milk while wearing house slippers and watching Finding Nemo. I couldn't believe she was sitting still watching TV. So this only lasted about 15-20 minutes. But that's about 10 minutes longer than I've ever seen her sit under her own free will!

Intently watching her movie

Taking a breather from her snack break

The afternoon was complete after a long walk with Daddy and Stoli around the trail and playing at the park and a 2 hour nap. We woke up from our naps refreshed and headed to a friends housewarming party. Mia was one of the last babies to head home tonight! YAY party animal in the making! =)

Posing for a pic with Mommy before the party

So that wraps up Mia's 15 month birthday. Here are some interesting facts about her from the last month:

• Stats: Weight 22 lbs 4 oz. Height 30 inches. Head 46.5. Right on track!
• Mia has learned to kiss really well. Before, she was blowing kisses, but now she leans up to you and pecks you really loudly on either the cheeks or lips. Whatever you prefer =) Daddy still can't get over it when she does this for Stoli. Sweetest ever.
• Mia can pick out many of her facial features, when she wants to. She knows nose, eyes, ears and she really likes teeth for some reason. She still likes the belly button a lot.
• We're learning that she knows much more than we realized. For example, she has a wooden puzzle with farm animals. When asked for a cow, she will correctly pick out the animal and hand it to you. When asked to put it back, she will look at the puzzle piece and then at the puzzle and put the cow over the picture of the cow. She can do this with all the animals in the puzzle! She isn't quite coordinated enough to actually fit the animal into the slot, but she's moving in the right direction!
• She also loves to play with her kitchen and toy foods. Frequently, she can be found in her playroom cooking and having a meal at her picnic table. She sits and pours tea and stirs it with a spoon. Then she drinks it and gets a fork and proceeds to "eat" her food. Seriously hilarious.
• When Ba and Aunt Stephanie came over to play, we found out that she not only knows how to play with these toys, but she has a good idea of what they are as well! Stephanie asked her for corn and wouldn't you know it, she brought her an ear! I asked for a cup of coffee and she went over to the coffee pot. Not the tea pot. To pour me a cup. And when Ba asked for ice cream, yup, she went over to her cabinet and picked out 4 matching ice creams to share with everyone (even though she had 3 different types to choose from)
• One night, our Mia was being not so good. She was pulling out DVDs from the cabinet, which is fine since they are in their case. But then she started throwing the cases at me and Stoli and then stomping on them. I told her to stop a few times without success. Finally, I held her by the shoulders and said to her, "Mia, if you don't stop being a bad girl, you WILL get a pow pow." Then I released her and asked, "You don't want a pow pow, do you?" She looked at me, put up her dukes and said, "pow pow pow" Just like her Aunt Cathy taught her to do (fake punching). It took all our will power to not laugh in front of her. I think Mark ran out of the room.

What fun times we're having right now.