19 months

Mary Frances turned 19 months old last week.  We celebrated by getting hand, foot and mouth disease while taking antibiotics for an ear infection and antibiotic eye drops for conjunctivitis in both eyes.  It has been a rough two weeks!  Regardless, Mary Frances' sweet and fun personality has still shined through and we are so thankful for this little girl!

Relaxing on the couch with baby
(you can see her rash on her red cheeks).

As I have been thinking about writing this post and what things I wanted to include about her at 19 months, I suddenly realized that my little lady is closer to being two than she is to being one.  Wow!  I don't like thinking about that yet!  Anyways, this past month Mary Frances has started doing several new things.  She is definitely becoming more independent and wanting to do things herself, or "self" as she says.  Going up the stairs is one of those things.  She also likes to walk down, but always with help.  Mary Frances also loves throwing Maggie's toys to her when we play on the deck.  Sweet Maggie, who loves to play catch, doesn't always appreciate the little lady's enthusiasm :)  One day...

A girl in motion!

Sweet Maggie

Her vocabulary has continued to expand and she is starting to string two to three words together at a time.  Some of my favorites are: hereugo {here you go}, loveutoo {I love you, too}, do it! {usually in reference to her doing something for herself}, chase! {for us to play chase with her}, nuggles {snuggle}, seepy {sleepy}, check {usually for us to go check on Maggie}, park {her favorite place on earth!}, cass {music class}, etc.  She has also started calling her friends by name and it is so sweet to hear her ask for them.  I am especially thankful for these friends and their wonderful parents who I call friends as well!

Mary Frances' play has also started to change and become much more of a role play.  She loves her baby doll, feeds her and rocks her.  She tries to put baby in her sleep sack and put her to bed.  I also catch Mary Frances putting her baby and stuffed animals in the chairs around the table, telling them to eat whatever it is she ate earlier that day.  She loves to vacuum with her new vacuum and usually repeats anything that I do or say.  Her imagination is also blooming.  She takes anything that is round and turns it like she is driving.  This has happened a couple of times with her plate at the dinner table.  Love that she is creative, but how to teach her meal time is not play time...

Here are a few of Mary Frances' favorite things right now:
- playing with baby
- reading books
- going to the park (she asks for this almost every day)
- playing with her cozy coupe car
- swinging
- running
- playing chase
- being outside
- Max and Ruby (tv show)
- watching football with her daddy (not sure how he managed that one, but props to Paul for working that one out!)
- counting to ten (yes, by herself!)
- taking baths with coloring tablets that color the water
- building lego towers
- snuggling before nap and bedtime

The last little thing I want to note is how she is really starting to become helpful around the house.  When I ask her to take off her shoes she will sit and take them off, usually by herself, but sometimes requiring assistance.  I can ask her to put her shoes in her closet and she will run off and put them up.  Likewise, she will also go and pick out her shoes when asked.  She also loves to clean up trash and put it in the trash can.  This includes putting my friend's three month old son's pacifier in the trash :)

Love, love, love that girl!

Love,
Katy