Sunday, April 12, 2009

All About Anslie

At 18 Months
Favorite Foods: Fish sticks, Peas and Carrots, Freeze-dried apples, Chicken Nuggets, Asparagus, French Fries, Yogurt, Strawberries, and anything Chocolate.

Favorite Things to Do: Stack things inside of each other, climb on everything, walk on her own in public like a big girl, push her stroller and shopping carts, talk, dance, climb in her toy box, draw on her mini pad of paper with a mini pencil, walk around the house with a play cell phone attached to her ear, climb all over her mom and dad, hang out with Tess (the dog) and give her hugs, (occasionally) watch Blue's Clues, take everything out of drawers and off shelves and put them back again, and sit in her "big girl" chair at her "big girl" table.

Words: Mommy, Daddy, Tess, Sit, Go, No, Bye-bye, Eyes, Nose, Uh-oh, Wee!, More, Done, Please, Fish, Woof.

Cute Stuff: Anslie can blow kisses, kiss on the mouth (and even make the kissey noise), wave bye-bye, give big hugs, point to her eyes, nose, ears, and mouth, run to her mommy and daddy when told to go get them, put things in the trash when told (and even when she isn't supposed to), show you her tummy by lifting up her shirt, play very nicely with other girls and boys, go down a little slide mostly by herself, blow bubbles with her bubble wand, color and draw for a short period of time, sit in her chair when asked to, and help put socks away while I am folding laundry.
Not So Cute Stuff: Anslie does not like to sit still for a single minute. She doesn't tolerate a stroller or high chair for very long and will usually go the opposite direction we want her to when we let her walk around in public. If she feels pressured to eat, she won't do it and will not only refuse to open her mouth, she swats at your hand, the spoon, or anything else coming toward her face. If she gets really upset, she makes sure whatever is within arms reach ends up on the floor or tossed across the room. Temper tantrums are frequent, as with all one and half year olds. But she throws some great big ones where she arches her back and throws herself head first into the ground. That, of course, makes her cry even harder. Not cute at all.

A Few of My Favorite Things: Mornings. Every morning when I get Anslie out of bed, we cuddle on the couch for a few minutes until she is ready to face the day. Hugs and kisses. I love how she will run across the room kissing at me until we make contact, and then keeps kissing over and over until she is finished. She runs off and then a few minutes later is back with more kisses. And the best feeling in the world is when she wraps her little arms around my neck and holds on tight. Bath time. Because I think it's her favorite time of day. She loves it when I scoop water up into a cup and then let it pour out into one long stream. She holds her hands under the water and watches in amazment, and then calls for more when the water runs out. Chit-Chatting. Anslie is a chatterbox and makes sure she is heard. She will walk over to you and squatt or bend over so that you are face to face, chatter, and then move on with life. And her inflection is incredible, especially for her age. She says something new almost every week, too. Watching her learn and grow. It is so amazing how quickly a child learns a new skill. Since last Friday I have made a point to take her to the park by our house for at least one hour every day and she is already sliding down the baby slide all by herself. Copy-catting. It is very endearing when I brush my teeth and Anslie wants to brush her's, when I eat a particular food and Anslie wants it too, even if it isn't kid friendly, and when I vaccuum and Anslie comes along behind me with her popper. The greatest form of flattery is imitation. Sleep. I love to sleep and I surely don't get enough, but it's the best when Anslie is soundly sleeping. Not only does she look so angelic, she also stays in one place, is quiet, out from under my feet, and I get some "me" time. Homecoming. Any time Kevin or I reunite with Anslie, even if we have only been gone for a few mintues, she shreaks with joy, dances, and covers her face in excitement when we return. It always makes me want to come home.

6 comments:

Bows & Toes said...

Thank you! I love getting to know Anslie, she's beautiful! I can't wait to hug her in June!!!!

Cessily said...

I do check out your blog all the time...and i LOVE the pics from this time (very cool backgrounds and expert photography skills). :)

Kendyll said...

She is adorable and so big! I can't believe it's been so long since I've seen her. But, good news, I'm coming to town for my brothers wedding mid May. I'll let you know more soon. I'm excited to see you.

Tera said...

Loved the pics! They are amazing. Anslie is a doll and I loved being able to read about what she is doing. It is especially cute because I've seen her do some of them! By the way, I showed my friend Shelly the pictures you took of Ethan and she saw the ones you did of him as a baby. She said you are so talented and she loves your work. She says the next time you are in town if you'd like to earn some extra money she'd love for you to take pics of her daughter! Ha ha! I'm networking for you! See, giving your old sis some pics is payin' off after all!

moliver said...

Oh My Gosh! So Adorable! I love the 18 Month Photos. You're so awesome at documenting every stage of Anslie's little life. This will be so fun for you to look back on.

Rachelle said...

I loved the update and the pics. Anslie is absolutely adorable and I am so proud to be her aunt. I love the pic where she's sitting on the ground crying. It captures so many emotions and absolutely tugs at the heart-strings.