I realized this week that twenty months isn’t really that far from twenty four months, which means Caroline’s birthday is coming up. I’m not even going to pretend I’m sad about it – I’m too excited about getting to throw a party (I’m thinking winter/arctic fairy wonderland in white and red plus some puffins and whales and narwhals because, duh). Plus she’s already seemed like a big girl for so long now it hardly makes a difference if she IS actually a big girl. The only down side is I don’t get to blow strangers away with her awesomeness, although that hasn’t been happening too much lately since I think she hit a growth spurt and has super super long legs so she doesn’t look tiny. I HOPE she hit a growth spurt, since her normal breakfast is three scrambled eggs, an apple, toast, a cheese stick and a bowl of cereal. JUST FOR BREAKFAST.

She’s still pretending she wants to potty train, but only enough to be kind of a pain in the ass – last night at dinner she INSISTED she had to poop on the potty, which she totally did, but then she pooped again. In the bathtub. On purpose. Because she thinks that’s hilarious. I think I’m going to give her through mid-September and then I’m switching to underwear and we’re going to do this more seriously. Things are just too hectic right now to do it entirely on my own. Oh yeah, and, I’m lazy.

We’ve been going to the playground a lot lately, although all Caroline does is swing. The whole time. Just swing. While shouting “HIGHER!” at me and screaming if I try to walk away for even a second to help her brother not break his arm on the monkey bars. How dare I!? Worst Mother Ever. But she loves swinging so very much I can’t stop taking her. I pushed her for an hour and a half yesterday and she still screamed when I made her leave (to go eat blueberry pancakes. Someone call CPS!!) Who loves something so boring THAT MUCH?

Her other favorite things include her pink sparkle shoes, creepy dolly, OTHER creepy dolly, Minne Mouse, both of her blankies, apples, plums, eggs, reading books, my singing voice (bless her), dancing, kitties, whales, grapes, Octonauts, napping in my bed, arguing, saying NO, running, splashing, babies, the zoo, aoudads (at the zoo), cheese and having people tell her she’s pretty.

Dislikes include having a dirty diaper, half of her clothes, not having enough eggs, not reading books and not swinging.

These pictures are kind of not great and all over the place but between the swinging and the blueberry pancakes we were Very Busy And Important today, so I had to do them right before bedtime.

She insisted on wearing her crown…as a garter. And then biting it.

Hi neighbors!!

Double trouble

Daredevil baby is always covered in bruises

Happy 20th Monthday Caroline!

20 Month Milestones (from BabyCenter, as usual)

Mastered Skills (most kids can do)
Feeds doll – CAROLINE DOESN’T SHARE FOOD. But she could feed her doll if she wanted to.
Takes off own clothes – She can get from dressed to entirely naked in less than 30 seconds, including her diaper. I’m not sure if I should be proud or invest in snaps that lock shut.
Dumps an object in imitation, such as throwing garbage away – In imitation? No. But if you say “Hey Caroline, go throw your jammies in the laundry and this diaper in the trash and this bowl in the sink” she will do all those things correctly. When she feels like listening, she is EXCELLENT at following directions.

Emerging Skills (half of kids can do)
Learns words at a rate of ten or more a day – Easily. Her words this week include “iPad, sound machine, penguin, puffin (she can tell the difference between those last two in her books), lion, bell, carpet, Bailey (one of Evan’s friends), soda, bacon, eggs” and “band-aid”.
Can walk up stairs (but probably not down) – Up and down. Although down still makes me nervous, so I insist on hand holding if it’s more than a couple steps.

Advanced Skills (a few kids can do)
May start exploring genitals – There was a playdate a few days ago with a friend who was very interesting in his own, ah, areas. Now Caroline thinks putting her hand in her pants is HILARIOUS. Toddlers, they’re just like frat boys!
Draws a straight line – She loves to color but I wouldn’t call any of her lines straight. Mostly they’re just scribbles. In pen. She hates crayons.
Names several body parts – She loves body parts, but refers to everything from her neck to her thighs as “butt”. We’re working on it.

Tags: 20 months, Caroline, front porch, ginger baby, milestones, monthday, pictures, weirdo