NO, NO, NO (17 MONTHS, 1 WEEK)

S new favortite word is "no" and she answers "no" to every question momma ask. She says "no, no, no" to lunch and dinner but her protests are often followed by "eat, eat, eat." Momma and daddy think S is learning what are the controls and limits to her world. They are trying their best to respect her "no" so she can learn and understand what it means (within parental sanity).

PS. Along with the "no" are more tantrums. Momma and daddy are hanging in there. This morning S had a tantrum because daddy wouldn't let her down from her high chair. So, she just screamed and yelled and finally calmed down and ate her bananas later with momma.

VISITING THE COUSINS (16 MONTHS, 4 WEEKS)

This past week, S has spent a week hanging out and playing with her cousins, Matthew & Lillian. She raced cars in the hallway, pretended to cook with L's toy kitchen, colored with crayons for the first time. S follows L around like a little puppy, trying to do whatever L does, somewhat to L's dismay.

S seems to have learned alot from following her cousins and trying to imitate them; for example, she tries to use the fork and spoon more. It seems that she is also more independent and less clingy to her momma, probably because there's someone else to follow around.

Overall, S is going to miss M & L alot! when she goes home on Monday.

P.S. This week S climbed into her high chair for the first time. She can go up, but can't yet figure out how to go down.

SINGING (16 MONTHS, 4 WEEKS)

S has started to sing and sign with her songs. She surprised momma by signing with the "Itsy Bitsy Spider." She signs the spider going up the water spout, rain falling down, sun coming up and the spider going up the spout again. Now, she also signs with "The Wheel On the Bus" and "Five Little Mice Went Out To Play."

In addition to signing, she also sings or hums the chorus. For awhile she's been singing EIEIO, but now she also hums some of the songs on her Music Together CD. Momma is amazed by what has seeped into S's (un)conscious mind.

BODY PARTS (16 MONTHS 2 WKS)

S knows her body parts. At first S learned belly button (10 months) from the book "Where's Baby Belly Button." Then S learned ears from yanking on momma's earings. Then she learned nose and mouth from daddy around 12 months old. Now she knows: belly button, ears, nose, mouth, neck, eyes, knees, elbow, toes, fingers, and neck.

Momma likes singing the book "Eyes, Ears, and Nose" by Karen Katz and it has helped her learn her body parts. S has great fun pointing each body part and naming them every day while momma kisses them.

PLEASE (16 Months 1 WK)

S started saying "please." Most of the time, she says "Up please, Up please!" It's hard to know if she's imitating momma and daddy or knows what "please" mean.

Then this week, Aunt Kendrah had a pop tart at the park. S ran to her and said "please, please, please" (and signed it, too) until Aunt Kendrah gave her a bite. Momma guess that S has learned that saying "please" will get her what she wants.