twenty-one months

You are a quarter year older and have reached 21 months.

Your communication skills have really increased over these past months.  You say new words and string new combinations of words everyday.  Just now someone asked if you wanted to go swimming.  You said, "Bathing suit.  On."  You have started using personal pronouns and get them right most of the time.  You can sing the full ABCs (minus a few missing words at the end).  You also love to sing Happy Birthday, Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, and lots of songs we don't know but that you appear to have learned in school.  You know your numbers one through ten, though you still don't totally understand the concept of counting, you point and count but you often count items multiple times.  You know and can identify the major colors very quickly now.  You're also a lot quicker to identify shapes, animals, etc.  You continue to be interested in modes of transportation - you enjoy identifying and mimicking the sounds of trains and police cars that you hear.  You learned quickly to call the car we are renting, "rental car."  You loved taking the airplane.

You like to know what people are doing.  You constantly ask, "Daddy doing?  Mommy doing?" about everyone.  We answer and you often keep asking and asking.

You have transitioned into the Penguin classroom and really like being around fellow toddlers as well as your new teachers.  They are teaching you lots of new things and you like to be there.

You now understand the meaning of being scared and tell us when you are.  Just this past week, you told us you were scared when we were eating at a restaurant and helicopter flew very low past the window.  After you calmed down, you could not stop talking about the experience.  Helicopter!  Flew by!  Loud!  Going home!  Experiences are starting to really leave memorable impressions on you.

You are a very social girl.  You are quiet when you are around new people at first but quickly warm up and like to interact with them.  You like to give people hugs and kisses when asked because you like how they react to receiving them.  You have grown more comfortable singing and talking while others are present.  You have also started singing and talking to yourself a lot.

Your motor skills have improved a lot over these past few months.  You now run a lot better.  You can finally jump with two feet off the floor.  You are really enjoying your gym class and can't wait to get there when I tell you we're on our way.

We are starting to have to discipline you at times. It can be difficult because when you get upset, you throw your body and head on the floor and can hurt yourself.  But you do eventually calm down for the most part.  You know how to tell us you are sorry.  You also say please and thank you.  Those words are due to your teachers.  You like to sit on the potty but you've only actually gone on it a few times.

We've really enjoyed the summer with you.  On this vacation, we have gotten to spend so much continuous time with you and we are grateful for all of the experiences we have had together and for being able to watch you have them and learn and get excited and be happy, and even be a little scared too.