So Caroline turned 16 months in mid-July and continues to change each and every day. She looks like a full-blown toddler and can definitely throw a tantrum if she doesn’t get her way or if she is forced to share! But most of the time, she is adorable, silly, ticklish, loooooves to cuddle and snuggle, is trying desperately to communicate, and wants to eat alllll the things. She is just so much fun. Unless of course you have to hold her on an airplane, in which case it’s like holding a squirmy baby octopus in your lap, which is just not much fun. 

Here is a snapshot of Caroline at 16 months:

• She is in size 5 diapers, wears 12-18 month clothes or 18 month dresses (in swimsuits she is in 18-24 months). She weighs around 23 lbs according to her last checkup. She still loves to eat anything and has gotten very good at feeding herself with a spoon–usually with her left hand! She definitely likes to do it herself. No help thank you!
• Bath time is still every other night and she conks out between 7-7:30 and sleeps as long as we will let her–sometimes she is up at 7 but other times we have to wake her by 8. Thank goodness for sound sleepers!
• She is officially on to one afternoon nap a day, usually noonish to 2, occasionally later if we’re busy.
• She takes iron drops in the morning and at night, 1 drop with a little apple juice. She has milk in the morning, at lunch, and at bedtime. The rest of the day she drinks water. She is still loving her water bottle and will ask for “wa wa” when she is thirsty!
• Verbal development has started to soar this month–we hear dog, mama (alllll day long, and usually in a succession), bubble, more, mine, da da, water, bow, ball, and berry. She also tries to imitate what you say and looks at you very intently when she is trying to tell you something in Baby Speak and you are not comprehending it.
• She loves the water. Pools, splash pads, the ocean, her baby pool, the water table, the bathtub. Especially drinking it–even the ocean 😉 It has been so fun this summer playing with her in all things water.
• Her comprehension is amazing. I can say two-three commands and she will do them–“go upstairs and get in the tubbers!” And she will make a beeline for the stairs, climb them s-l-o-w-l-y, and go right into the bathroom. I love that she understands. 
• Favorite toys include her backpack, the remote control, her Gobal Babies book, and her little white shoes.
• Favorite activities include putting her socks on her hands like puppets, carrying around her pacifiers in her mouth and in her hands and swapping them in/out, and putting the sunscreen caps on and off. She loves going down the slide at the playground and climbing back up. She also loves to ride in her little pink and purple push car and pat the cement lions at Larry and Diane’s house and look for the cat who sometimes hangs out on our street. 

Here are some of my favorite pictures that capture her big personality at this most-favorite age.

My favorite thing at night. I hold her just a little bit longer, each night. Usually I take a little snooze, too. I know this is going to change once the baby arrives so I plan to enjoy it as long as she lets me.

Here she is in her “Wimbledon whites” tennis dress and OF COURSE the backpack because ALWAYS.

Saturday morning breakfast at the Silver Diner and clearly she doesn’t trust us–she must hold on to both her milk and her Cheerios. 

She selected this skirt from her closet entirely on her own accord. I think it’s a sign of things to come. 

Up the slide, down the slide…with our trusty backpack on, of course! We played at the park on Bastille Day: July 14th. 

Getting balloons for Baby Eliza’s Sip n’ See party! Do you like the colors I picked out?!?

Happy 16 months, Sugar Bear!