Abbigail - 15 months old

I just don't understand where the time goes... how is my baby already 15 months old?

Abby turned 15 months old last weekend and she had her check up this past week. Here are her stats & digits...

weight - 19.7 lbs (5%)
height - 31.25 inches (50%-75%)


Yeap... she is still tiny. Apparently she is average size for how tall she is, but petite, petite, petite with her weight! Matter of fact the other day she had on size 9 month pants. That is crazy. Almost all of her things are size 12 months, but I guess she is still skinny enough to fit into those. My god! Make no mistake about it though - she is larger than life. For example...

• Appetite - she continues to eat twice as much as Thomas and also eats it twice as fast. Granted part of that is because Thomas is the "Mouth of the South" and talks about everything at dinner. I'm wondering if that will start to happen with Abby when she begins talking. Favorite foods include Mandarin oranges, PB&J sandwich, grapes and Goldfish.
• Talking - She is very vocal (and loud), but doesn't really say any "real" words. Yes, she will say "Mama" and "Dadda" but her only other close "words" are "Dis" which we think represents "this" and is usually coupled with pointing. The other thing she is trying to convey to us is "Ziggy" (our dog). Hopefully the words will start to come a little bit more this next couple of months because a lot of her frustration & tantrums are because we don't always know what she is trying to communicate to us.
• Attitude - by this I mean, tantrums, screaming, crying, defiant "NOs" with head shakes and refusal to do something. Huh... sounds like teenagers to a degree. Anyway - needless to say she is not always cooperative. Actually, make that she regularly is not cooperative.
• Sleeping - she is a champion at this and has been since she was about 3-4 months old. Usually sleeps 11-12 hours per night with a good 2 hour nap after lunch! Yeah for this!
• Energy - endless supply. Not sure where her little Energizer battery is, but the girl keeps going nonstop.
• Drama/Exaggeration - tantrums are also in this category but what I'm really alluding to is her joking around with Thomas (and Daddy egging them on) when it comes to screaming and making as much noise as possible and laughing hysterically about it. She gets so "into" it that she makes these straining faces that completely involve her tensing up every single muscle in her body... including her face... and then screaming and then coughing because she is so tense and excited. Brian and I almost pee our pants laughing at her. I'll try to get this on video for you.
• Sweetness - her snuggles, her kisses, her willingness (on the rare occasion) to go and get something for me or throw something away and then coming back and giving a kiss in return. Her smile & squeals of delight are just as sweet too.
• Competition - I guess this goes without saying... she tries to keep up with her older brother. I know the age difference is close and she really feels like she wants to do what he does... run fast, climb high, slide down, read, eat, etc. You get the idea, right? When she wants something he has... well, she wants it. When he wants something she has, she fights to keep it. I'm wondering if this same pattern is going to continue through the teenage years like it did for my sister, Jen and me?
• What she hates the most - being buckled into her car seat. Usually 1 out of every 10 car rides will be peaceful and with no drama. Otherwise, its kicking, screaming, arched back, tears, flailing all about, etc. You get the picture, right? The girl just doesn't like to be confined or constrained.

So there you have it... my little 15 month old Abby who thinks she is 15 years old.