I Love This Age!

18-month-old Christmas Princess spreading cheer to one and all!

It started with a simple question - because Princess and Tobes have birthdays that are just days apart (literally - 2 days) every milestone he hits or every holiday or event we encounter makes me think back to what Princess was doing at that time.

I did a search through my journals (while I'm relatively new to blogging, Princess' first 4 years are chronicled on an online forum... I need to blog more about my kids on here!) and found that at the age Tobes is now (17 months, soon to be 18), Princess had a vocabulary of over 25 clear words (compared to Tobes' 4ish... Though tonight he did learn how to say "Ho Ho Ho" courtesy of Princess). That search lead me to photos and videos of my little Princess... Baby Princess... 18-month-old Princess running down hallways and dancing to her Uncle's cellphone ringtone.

I miss that little girl. I love who Princess is now - I wouldn't change her for the world. My girl is bright, inquisitive, funny, kind, and loving. Looking back at those photos made me realize how much I LOVED that age, and how much I LOVE this age with Tobes.

At 18 months Princess was really starting to become independent in the sense that she loved to hit the ground running and explore. I have video of her tearing down the hallways of a building downtown on our way back to the car from a festival. She was verbal (again, 25+ word count... It was probably over 30 if I really think back) and so expressive. She had the best surprise face when she discovered something new, and her smile took up her entire face. When she didn't have words, she made the funniest noises. I have a video of her saying "WOAH!" at the sight of an indoor waterfall. When she ran her whole body ran. She was still very little, but I feel like it was the point where I looked at her and saw "toddler", more than "baby".

And Tobes is getting to be the same way. He might not be as verbal, but that doesn't stop him from talking (just this evening he carried on a conversation with Auntie L and Baby B for several minutes... I am guessing he was talking about his foot given the way he gestured emphatically at it more than once). He is just as expressive as Princess was, and gasps in surprise at the funniest things (like when we open the curtains first thing in the morning). I love watching him chase after Princess, and try to copy her (as I mentioned earlier, he learned how to say "Ho Ho Ho" this evening, and tried galloping like a reindeer as she did - he even tried to hold his hands in the same way she had hers). He laughs at his own jokes, and has even mastered the fake laugh when Princess finds something funny and he feels the need to join in. His current favorite activity is to shuffle around the kitchen when "his music" plays (we have a little fridge toy that you're supposed to use to make matches with magnets. He just uses it for the music it plays and gets quite upset if a magnet is actually in it).

We're done having kids, but I kind of wish I could keep a constant stream of 18 month olds around!! (as long as I had a nighttime nanny...)

It's such a fun age!