16 Months

16 months has come and gone and I almost forgot to write about Riley's new milestones. Yikes!

So, at 16 months...just what has Riley been up to???

Riley learned an all important word this month - NO - or as she says, "noy, noy, noy". We call it a Japanese "no" and it always comes in three's when there is something she obviously does not want. She can be so loving, yet so stubborn at the same time.

We are beginning a new morning routine of getting up at the crack of dawn and she is not too fond of the idea...usually trying to ignore me when I am gently trying to wake her up.

However, if I crack out the "La, la, la, la" from Elmo's song...she jumps out of a dead sleep and is on her feet sleepily showing off her dance moves. You would never know that she loves Elmo and dancing! What she doesn't love so much right now...eating school lunch at daycare. I can't say I blame her most days, as I don't think the lunches are always toddler appropriate, but sometimes, I think she is just manipulating her teachers so she can be given a choice of an alternative. Even this does not always help, as she is just beginning to be more of a picky eater, and sometimes the alternative is not what she likes much either. This has been most difficult for me, as I prepare to go back to work next week. I don't think I can handle it if my baby goes all day without a meal...although experts say...when a child is hungry they will eat! Just another transition we have to get through.

Riley may be more picky when it comes to eating, but when it comes to milk, she can't seem to get enough. Sometimes when she wakes in the middle of the night, she shows us the sign right away so we know what she needs. This is one nighttime interruption that we plan not to make a habit. I think it is mostly due to the teething of her molars. Which right now she has just one on the bottom, but is working the matching one on the other side.

We did buy Riley a potty, but have not started training just yet. We are planning to wait until she can communicate better, but have the potty so she can get comfortable with the idea of it. She likes to sit on it with her clothes on when we are in the bathroom together.

Some favorites...

Books - The Mitten and Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You?

Quacking like a duck

Playing hide and seek - She is so funny when playing this, as she will lay down on the floor, thinking that we can't see her. Or when we find her, she will point another direction, so we have to go another way to find her. Funny!

Cuddling with her favorite blankets

Daddy...definitely her most favorite thing right now!