It should be noted that I am writing this before Rachel is 19 months old...I don't know if this has ever happened in her lifetime. I'm behind in a lot of other things, but not in this! A celebration is in order.
21 lbs. 5 oz. (28%)
32.25 inches (57%)
Head: 48.8 cm (96%)
Our little peanut is growing! Up until about nine months, I believe, she was in the 10-20% for just about everything, with her head being average. Maybe this is because she refused all food up until nine months. But, she has taken off, especially in her head! She has joined the "Toney Head Club" with her siblings. Big brains in there.
She is still a great sleeper, going to bed about 7:30, still lunging for her crib while saying "bed". She wakes up anytime between 6:30 and 7:30. I have found if I get her down for a nap at 12:30, she will sleep for a good three hours, which is wonderful! If it is later than that, she typically just takes about a two hour nap.
She still refuses milk, but today I just bought strawberry milk, so we'll see if there is success with that. Unlike Bridget though, she loves juice, and begs for it all day long.
She also likes cereal, toast, Anna's peanut butter sandwiches, mandarin oranges, bananas, grapes, strawberries, mac and cheese, and all pasta, meatballs, brown rice, string cheese, wheat Ritz crackers, granola bars, and fruit snacks. She is our only child to not like McDonald's french fries and chicken nuggets...not a bad thing.
This little girl has spunk and personality. She knows exactly what to do to annoy her siblings. She loves to take Bridget's blanket and run away. Look at her face in those two pictures! Such devious excitement. Bridget frequently gets dressed in the living room and the second Bridget brings her clothes out Rachel picks them up and runs away. The other night Marshall was in his pajamas and I wanted him to try some dress pants on. He took off his pajama pants, and Rachel grabbed them and was off. Richard found them in the bathroom garbage can. This girl!
She went through quite a mean streak in January/beginning of February. She was especially brutal to Bridget, pulling her hair and scratching. She spent some time in time out and has seemed to mellow out. However, she just pulled a chair out from Bridget today. How is this possible? I don't know.
She has become quite the Daddy's girl and Richard is LOVING it. She gets so excited when he comes home and is almost always the first to give him a hug. She often times prefers to cuddle with Richard and have him put her to bed. She is also perfect for Richard. She doesn't cry when he puts her in the car, she doesn't cry when he takes her grocery shopping, she doesn't throw any tantrums for him. He is lucky and I am jealous.
I'm not going to lie...Rachel is getting tricky for me. When Bridget was 19 months old I wanted to pull my hair out. She was killing me. Rachel is not far behind. But, thankfully this time, I know its a phase, I just don't know how long it will last!
Rachel still adores her babies and it is so sweet to watch her with them. She goes crazy anytime she sees a real baby or a doll on a shelf in the store. "Baby! Baby! Baby!" she loudly exclaims.
She loves to read books with us. I love to watch her run to her room to bring out a book.
She can say: mama, mommy, dada, Bridget, happy, apple, please, cracker, cookie, juice, good girl, thank you, bed, inside, binky, baby, blanket (although those last three sound pretty much identical).
She has some darling little dance moves that often involve one arm raised in the air.
Whenever we are getting ready to go somewhere, or when Marshall is getting bundled up for school, she gives everybody what they need. She brings us coats, hats, mittens, boots, bags, etc. It is so fun.
I adore her big ears, and big, squishy lips.
She has a lot of crazy hair that falls straight down in front of her eyes, see picture below. Nowadays I can usually only do her hair if she is completely occupied with electronics and binky. Today I had to wrap her up in my legs too. It is frustrating. But, just recently a friend reminded me that most one year olds don't have this much hair, and they are very unlikely to cooperate. Good reminder.
Rachel is, by far, our most independent child. At least once a day, she opens a cupboard, pulls out a plastic plate, attempts to open the pantry (usually successful) carries it all out to the living room chair, and proceeds to dish herself up. To this day, Marshall has yet to do this.
She is a climber and I cannot leave her alone in the living room without finding her on top of the kitchen table.
When she was just a baby Marshall started calling her Doke. I hoped that it would pass, but it has not! We all call her Doke now and I can't believe it, but I am just as guilty as all the rest.
Little Rachel still gives the absolute best hugs. She really hugs with her entire body, both little arms, and all ten fingers. I adore it.
She keeps us laughing and we love her personality, that we are still trying to figure out.
