Things I Love About MiniM.E. at 15 Months

This post is inspired by this post written by a fellow former-expat-mommy at Two And A Half Taylors.

While the thought of MiniM.E. turning five makes me well up inside, I am sure that there are things that I will love about her at every age.  And I don't want to forget them.

MiniM.E. has grown the most in the past three months.  Since turning one, she's become a little person and she amazes me every day.

So, here are some things I love about her right now.

-she repeats everything.  I mean everything. From "cooking pizza" to "oh $#!%!" (have to watch our language!)

-she thinks everything lying down is "leaning back" for a "diaper change"

-she thinks everything upright is "standing": trees, toys, chairs, etc.

-she loves our Pileated Woodpecker and is really sad when he isn't there.

-she is pretending with stuffed animals.  They all need water, puffs and diaper changes.

-she loves her squeaky shoes and doesn't want to wear any others, even if it's 5 below.

-she knows how to say "hugs, cuddles, and nuzzles" and gives all of them freely.

-she can say "different" and applies it to everything: different water, different snack, different couch, different shirt, etc.

-loves seltzer water and requires that we buy some to drink in the grocery store whenever we go (we also have to get a slice of cheese).

-knows when she's tired and asks for naps, bath time, and "night night".

-loves baby yoga, swimming, baths, cheddar bunnies, eggs, balloons, playing popper on the stairs, daddy playing the trumpet, the bug song on baby einstein, trains, curious george, going to the grocery store, and reading Maisy Big, Maisy Small in the bathroom.

I hope I can keep saying this for a while, but having a 15 month old is my favorite - so far.

Chowderfest, the Superbowl...

...and an adorable toddler, and a mommy who is in desperate need of more time... for things like writing blog posts...

Last weekend was Chowderfest.  Last year we went with MiniM.E. and it was fun to be downtown with a lot of people, but there were long lines and we only got to taste a few chowders.  I wasn't really thrilled with the experience.  BUT, we decided we would go again this year... and hope for a better experience.

We planned to be downtown right as the festival started and it was a great plan.  We had already tasted 3 chowders by 11:15!  We had everything mapped out but we had to take a duck detour which pushed our schedule back a bit.

Waiting outside Ben & Jerry's for ice cream "chowder"

Intently watching...

Yay! Ducks!

But we ended up tasting about 6 chowders and managed to squeeze in a much needed Druther's stop before we headed home.  MiniM.E. even took a cat nap while we relaxed for a bit.

Sunday was, of course, the Superbowl.  I'm not into football... Bob isn't really into football (though he did a good job pretending)... but MiniM.E. really seemed to get into it.  Or maybe she was just into the TV being on.  I'm pretty sure she said "wide receiver".

Trying to score the best seat in the house

Resigned to sitting in her own chair

Intently following the game

Our littlest football fan (not MINE, our friends')

Other than that, it's still winter... not a lot of snow, but enough cold to keep us inside....

Look what I found in the "baby" box!

Pantsless reading: a new favorite pasttime

Attempting to fingerpaint

Except that Mommy made it, and it was more like J-ello than finger paint... fail...

Window clings!

Snack time! I'll just help myself...

MiniM.E. has been posing for some adorable photos.

And we've been keeping busy by going to playgroups.  MiniM.E. finally seems to notice that there are other kids to play with.  Or at least other kids to steal toys from...

And we went to the mall...

This was our whole trip.  Really.

And to another mall, with a playground.

And... MiniM.E. has a new teddy bear obsession.  Mostly the tan one, but lots of times Two Teddy Bear has to come too.  They come everywhere.  To swimming, to bed, to lunch, in the car, to the grocery store.  It's pretty cute.  Though I'm not sure about the reason for the tan one... I don't even know who gave it to us.  It came in a ceramic mug with footprints on it.  I think it was from the military?  Or it had a tag with a flag on it... Anyway, point being, it would be cuter if it was a bear with some sentimental value.  Oh well.  Still cute.

Lastly, I have a couple pictures of my super cute kitties.  HUGGING.  Because what's cuter than cats hugging?  Not much.  Except MiniM.E.  But after all, before MiniM.E. my cats were my babies.  So here are some pictures of my other babies.  

Some Warmer Weather - FINALLY!

Last Thursday we ventured to the Tiny Tots Tearoom because we just needed to get out.  Being cooped up in the house for three and a half days was driving us both up the walls.  Me, figuratively, MiniM.E., literally.  While being in a room filled with toys that may or may not have been cleaned in the last year with children whose noses were leaking so much that you could track one down by the drips of boogers she left behind as she toddled around wasn't so appealing, MiniM.E. seemed oblivious to the germ infestation, and I had to tell myself that with a child who has "night night piles" on the floors of establishments such as Target that germs are just a part of our everyday lives.

We had a good time playing with all the balls and making phone calls from the princess castle.

MiniM.E. drove a school bus then decided she was done, but rather than walk out the open back, she tried to climb out the window.  Way to think outside the box.

Mostly, MiniM.E. liked to drink chocolate milk in the cafe area, but whatever, we were out of the house and she was happy.

Friday we went out to meet our playgroup friends at a frozen yogurt place, Plum Dandy, downtown.  It was a reward for MiniM.E. for going myself for taking MiniM.E. to the doctor.  I was worried about the 15 month appointment all week, and MiniM.E. did not disappoint.  The second we walked into the office she started screaming and aside from a 5 minute fussing hiatus, she didn't stop until she was fully clothed and we were walking out the door.  Needless to say, the doctor was far from impressed with MiniM.E.'s extensive vocabulary (the only words she uttered were "no" and "home now!") and was rather unimpressed by her fit and strongly suggested that she was spoiled.  But other than the embarrassment of a screaming toddler, she is healthy.  So I suppose that counts for something.

Frozen Yogurt went well.  MiniM.E. played with her friends and I got to vent about the doctor's visit with my friends.

Other than that, we've still had to keep ourselves cooped up inside because of the weather.  Which has brought out some interesting developments in MiniM.E.  Like the newfound desire to be pants-less:

And the need for all her stuffed animals to wear diapers:

I also realized why it is AWESOME that MiniM.E. has her own shower.  A whole extra room to play in!

Finally, today, the weather is letting up and even though it's damp and cloudy, its in the 50s and we got to go outside!  MiniM.E. was SO excited to get back in her swing and go for a walk.  AND, today Gram came to visit for a couple days (which is awesome for me because MiniM.E. isn't napping and I'm still writing a blog post in the middle of the afternoon) and MiniM.E. loves the extra attention.  And the Elmo balloon!