Toddlerhood

Toddlerhood is in full bloom here at our house. Our days of cuddling a tiny little infant are over. Instead, they have been replaced with non-stop messes and minute to minute mood swings. With that said, here's Chloe's 17 month update.
Sleeping: Chloe continues to be an amazing sleeper. She usually goes to bed between 7:30-8PM and doesn't make a peep until 8:30-9AM. (yep, it's pretty awesome!) It doesn't seem to matter when she wakes up, by 12-12:30 she's ready for a nap and sleeps for about 2 hours. Chloe is a wild sleeper. She manages to get herself into some pretty interesting positions throughout the night. My favorite is the bum straight in the air position. Chloe can't go to sleep without her beloved blankey and binky. We've narrowed down her binky usage to in the crib only. So, every time I go into her room to get her up, Chloe will pull out her binky and throw it in her crib and say, "NO!" I think she gets it.
Eating: Chloe has become an insanely picky eater. The only foods that I know she will eat without a fight are fresh fruit, cheese, yogurt, and mac and cheese (it has to be the character kind, believe me, she knows the difference). Sorry, this topic frustrates me so that's all I'm gonna say about that.
Physical: So, Chloe still isn't walking independently yet. She continues to cruise around and stand up to everything in sight, but she hasn't worked up the nerve to try it on her own. She's gotten to the point where she will walk along side us holding only one hand, which is a big step for her. Chloe and I have gotten in the habit of walking with her stroller or push car to the mail box each day to let her practice. It usually takes us 30 minutes to check the mail and we're both drenched in sweat by the time we get home, but practice makes perfect. She's so close, I have a feeling it will be any day now. Chloe recently mastered the skill of climbing. Anything with the least little bit of height, she's on it. She's discovered the stairs at church, which are tantrum inducing if we try to pull her away and the bottom bunk bed in her room has become her new favorite toy. She even understands that she has to turn around to get down safely.

Verbal: Chloe is a talking maniac!!!! Here's a list of her words:

• Mama
• Dada (She calls our front door Dada.)
• Bankey
• Car
• Go
• PeePee (If I ask her if she needs her diaper changed, she'll say, "peepee.")
• Potty (She'll point to the toilet and say potty or giggle and say potty when I'm changing her.)
• Where Go? (Almost always after she drops something on the floor.)
• Shoes
• Uh Oh
• Puppy
• Cow
• Monkey
• Ball
• All Done
• Bebe (Chloe is obsessed with her Baby Signing Time videos. About 50 times a day she'll point to the TV and do the sign for baby while saying "bebe.")
• Hi
• Bye (Chloe loves to wave bye to everything and everyone. Whenever she waves she says " bye bye bebe.")
• Pease (She often has to be prompted, but she's getting better and saying it when she wants something.)
• Milk (She knows the sign for this one, and does it all the time! She even knows where the milk is in the grocery store and will point and do the sign all while shouting "milk.")
• Snack
• Cracker
• More (She knows this sign too.)
• No or No Way (I hate that she know how to say this!)

Aside from all of these words that she says easily on her own, Chloe is amazing at repeating words that Riley and I say. Her little voice is so sweet. I could listen to her talk all day. Oh wait, I do.

Personality: Chloe has such a goofy personality. She loves to laugh and be silly. If Riley and I laugh at her doing something, she'll do it over and over again and if we are laughing at something, she'll start laughing too. We've walked past people in the grocery store laughing and she'll start laughing too. She does the same thing with clapping. If anyone around her claps, even on TV she'll drop whatever she's doing and clap too. Chloe loves to be outside. Her finger is pointing nonstop whenever we go out. Chloe loves her stories (books). She'll sit quietly and look through the pages or hand us story after story to read to her.

I can't believe how fast our sweet little girl is growing up. I hate to say it, but I don't have a baby anymore. I have a beautiful little toddler.