13 months

 *This post is weeks late, I started it on the 23rd when she really turned 13 months but finally finished it tonight. So much to say!

Hello and welcome to the world of toddlers. I always thought that stage was way later but I'm going to go ahead and say I have a toddler now. She is such a little person and everyday I am blown and (and exhausted) with what she has learned and how much energy she has! She is saying more and more words everyday and it seems like when I talk to her now she gets so many things. It's like talking to a little person which is pretty fun. She can say dog, cat, duck, hi, bye, mom, dad, maaama (we think its grandma), bath, ball, and will occasionally try and copy things that I say but those are the ones that she knows. When we point to a dog or cat in a book she will say it pretty clearly. For the past few days she has called anything that flies a duck but it's cool. I try and tell her it's a bird but she doesn't really care and says duck. She can make the sounds for a cow and fish and will pretty much copy any other sounds you make from your mouth (that aren't animal related)

She loves singing songs and can do most of the moves to head, shoulders, knees and toes, patty cake, five little monkeys, itsy bitsy spider (that's her best one), and we are learning I'm a little teapot and we almost have it down. She now sings along with me to certain songs which might be the cutest thing in the world.

The other day she started doing the hands out I don't know hang gesture. I have no idea where she got it from but if you ask her something and she doesn't want to answer she puts her arms out. That or she shakes her head no when you ask her to do something. I taught her a trick and now she is obsessed with playing it. I think we sat for at least 30 min today playing it. So the trick is hiding her little toy cell phone in her yo gabba gabba boombox. I tried to video it on my phone but as soon as I do that she immediately stops. So she takes her phone puts it in the box, closes the box, and makes the I don't know where is it expression. So I pretend to look all around for it and then after a few seconds she opens up the box and I scream cause she is such a good hider. It's probably my favorite thing to play right now cause she is so proud of  herself and she thinks that she is so tricky.

Just today she learned to sign "more". I have no idea why it took so long to get that sign down but she gets it now. Haha right when she can probably actually say the word but I'm happy she knows it now.


She will climb anything and everything. She will hang from anything that she can grab. She is like a little monkey. She is wild, brave, and beyond adventurous. I love her independence. In the past few days she has really started to want to try and do things by herself or at least try. She pulls out her shoes many times and day and tries so hard to put them on. She isn't there quite yet but she is trying. She grabs her hats and puts them on her head. It's not just doing something to do it but everything is so intentional now.

I love this age and it has been filled a ton of fun but it has also really tested me. She has been pulling some major tantrum shit on me. If you take something away from her, or tell her no she will just full on melt down like it's the end of the world. Full tears and all. She quickly recovers and is laughing and smiling in minutes but holy shit it's intense. Blake thinks it's because she is a girl but I'm hoping all kids are like this. Right right?? The really bad thing is when she gets REALLY mad she actually hits me. Blake and I have never hit her or anything in her site EVER so I don't know where she would get that from but she straight up tries to wack me. She also throws stuff at the dog and tries to step on her. Most of the time she just wants to pet and snuggle her but there are the occasional few mean times. Luckily Sierra is a mighty fast Chihuahua and gets out of the way but it seems to cruel. I mostly find it interesting cause this isn't a learned behavior. Blake and I would never throw anything at Sierra or try and step on her so this is all her which both scares me and fascinates me.

BUT when she isn't melting down she is super sweet and cuddles and gives kisses. She was never a cuddly baby ever but now she will just hold me and snuggle into me and it's the best feeling ever. She gives out kisses like crazy. She isn't actually mean to dogs she is quite the opposite, just occasionally to Sierra but never other dogs. Maybe Sierra talked shit to her one day, I dunno. Anyways she snuggles the crap out of Blake's parents dog and my parent's dog so I know she doesn't mean to try and hurt Sierra. She has started to get a little stranger anxiety but only for about 2.5 seconds and then she is your BFF. We started a  tumbling class and last week she actually went up to two mom's in the class and gave them hugs. I was totally mortified cause I thought they were looking at me like I was the worst mom in the world and I don't love my kid so she hugs strangers. Nice Olive, nice.

I'm just amazed with how much personality she has and how funny she is at 13 months. As always I could ramble on and on but I will leave it at this.