18 Month Checkup

Dear Quinn,
Last night you had your 18-month well visit with Dr. Christine. You are now 26 and a half pounds and 32 and a half inches, which puts you in the 90th percentile for weight and the 71st for height. You are such a big girl, and it makes us so happy to see you growing and thriving.

And now I am going to brag a little bit because I am your mother and I can't help it. You noticed a painting of an owl on the wall in the examination room and you immediately pointed to it and said, "Owl! hoot hoot!" This impressed the doctor, who was blown away by all the animal sounds you knew. The other side of the room had some decals of fruits and vegetables, and you began naming them and telling us what color they were. The doctor was charmed when you identified a banana and proclaimed that it was "YELLOW!!!!" but she was not expecting you to say, "Broccoli!"

We then moved on to naming parts of the body, and I was about to show the doctor how you count, but your Daddy had to step in and tell us to stop showing off. Dr. Christine says that you are incredibly smart and that you are "developmentally off the charts."  She also said that based on your vocabulary and cognitive development, you are on par with many four-year-olds. Congratulations, Quinn, you are officially brilliant. 

We could not be more proud of you. You are naturally curious and love to learn. If this continues throughout your life, there is no limit to what you can accomplish. Keep up the good work, and remember that we love you so much! 

Watching "Doe" in the waiting room

 

Eighteen Months!

Dear Quinn,
Happy half-birthday, baby girl! You are at such a fun age, and are such a pleasant and enthusiastic little person. We are becoming more appreciative of the little things in life just by observing you. It's hard not to smile when you become ridiculously excited every time we pass a doggie on the street, or laugh when the wind blows in your face, or decide to dance along to the song from the ice cream truck.

I've been keeping an eye on the milestones for 18 month-olds and you have surpassed every one. The two-year old milestones more accurately describe your recent behavior - naming your colors and body parts, saying the names of your friends and interacting with them, repeating our words and mimicking our actions, defiantly answering, "no!" to almost every question directed to you.

It's amazing to watch your personality develop and notice your little quirks. You are becoming very particular about certain things. Every night during dinner you make a big mess on the floor, and then point to it and say, "Oh no!" over and over until we clean it up. The other day you actually handed me the dustpan.

You have also decided that I am not allowed to put my feet up on the coffee table. I know I'm not setting the best example by putting my feet on the furniture, but I am in my 30s, and it's my house and my coffee table, so I will do what I please. But for some reason this irritates you, and you make a big show of getting up and waddling over to push my feet back onto the floor. Thank you for your efforts to preserve our low-quality IKEA furniture... now if you could only remember not to jump up and down on the couch like a madwoman, or use it as a napkin or tissue. 

Here you are being Quinn and enjoying the beautiful spring weather: 

I love swingin'!

...and slidin'!

Strolling with my Daddy

Hanging out at the South Street Diner

Mmm! Ice cream!

Cheering on Daddy's football team

Go, Daddy, go!

Put me in, Coach!

Playdoh is pretty cool...doesn't taste too bad either

Floor is dirty - get the mop!

We love you, Quinn!

Video Roundup - Easter Edition!

Quinn decorating Easter eggs

Quinn opens her Easter basket

Apartment Easter egg hunt

Hunting eggs at Grammy and Pop-Pops

Happy Easter

Dear Quinn,
We had the most wonderful Easter! Your holiday weekend began on Friday with the Easter egg hunt at school. That night we attempted to decorate eggs, which mainly resulted in you decorating yourself with washable markers. On Saturday morning, Daddy took you out on a mystery errand so that I could do some cooking and baking. (You guys actually went to get a surprise Easter basket for me, so thank you very much, Quinn!).

Later that day, Mom-Mom and Pop-Daddy came over and took you for a long walk all over the neighborhood and down to the river, so we had no trouble getting you to sleep to rest up for the big day.

On Sunday, the weather was perfect. You woke up smiling and Daddy entertained you upstairs while I hid the eggs and readied the video camera. You were delighted by your Easter basket and by the egg hunt we set up in the living room.

When the excitement died down, we got all dressed up and headed to Grammy and Pop-Pop's house for Easter brunch with them, Uncle TJ and Rebecca and Uncle Mikeyface and Julie. Grammy and Pop-Pop set up an egg hunt for you, so you wandered around cracking open eggs and eating cookies and goldfish. Then we had a delicious meal and you took a long nap in your crib at their house.

When you woke up, we put on the fancy shoes and Easter dressed that Mom-Mom bought for you and headed to your Great Aunt Sheila's and Great Uncle Beav's house to see Pop-Daddy's side of the family. You were the life of the party and had a great time playing with my aunts, uncles and cousins. They had not seen you since last Easter, so it was a wonderful feeling to get everyone together again.

Quinn, you have a lot to show for your Easter adventures. It was like a second Christmas for you. Your haul included four Easter baskets, one from school, one from us, and one from each set of grandparents. Your grandparents also provided diapers, cool new toys, much-needed new books, and an entire summer wardrobe, including pajamas and six pairs of shoes. You are one spoiled baby... but even though you can't yet verbalize your gratitude, I really think that you are very appreciative of all your gifts. The way your little face lights up with pure delight is almost a thank you in itself. But in the meantime, we'll say thank you on your behalf to all the people who love you.  Thank you, everyone!  And thank you, Quinn, for the precious memories of another holiday with you. We love you!

It's hard to believe we let the whole day go by without getting a family photo, or one of you with your grandparents, or one with your mommy or daddy, but you aren't much for posing lately...what we do have are a couple photos to document the day, including plenty of you in your pretty dress - enjoy!

Easter baskets and cookies!

There's one!

 

Oh! Is this for me??

I'll share with you, Uncle Mikeyface

I'm a good egg hunter!

Quinn, Marie and Elizabeth - you were so excited to see them

America's next top models!

 

 

Reading a book with the girls

Quinn and Diana

 

Dear Quinn,
One day on the bus to work I was sitting in front of a little boy and his mother. I used to avoid little kids on public transit, but these days I don't mind so much. I recognize how nice it is when people smile at you to provide a friendly distraction that keeps you momentarily entertained, so I try to do the same. Also, it gives me a chance to observe other parents in action.

The little boy was looking out the window and then he turned to his Mommy and asked, "Mommy, what does 'melted' mean?"

Quinn, it isn't very polite to eavesdrop on other people's conversations, but I wanted to hear how she would explain this one. I distinctly recalled a time I overheard a kid reading the street signs aloud and then asking his mother, "Mommy, what is a Walnut? Is it a kind of nut?" And hearing her say, "No, it's the name of a street."

The mom thought about the little boy's question for what seemed like a long time, but then she gave such a thoughtful answer. "Well, remember when we talked about the states of matter, like solid, liquid and gas? (She didn't go into the plasma thing) 'Melted' is a word that means something going from solid to liquid, like an ice cube turning into a puddle."

The little boy got it right away, and I could hear the excitement in his voice when he said, "Oh yeah! Like the cheese in a grilled cheese sandwich is 'melted!'"

Not only was this adorable, but it really got me thinking about how our jobs as parents is to also be your teachers. Sometimes this seems like an overwhelming proposition. We don't have all the answers, but we are anticipating a lot of questions. You already ask the simplest ones in your own way. "Cookie? peese!" or putting your arms and eyebrows up and saying "uh-oh?" meaning, "I dropped something, where did it go?" They are only going to get more complicated.

I'm slogging through two of the latest bestsellers about parenting toddlers at the moment (Bringing Up Bebe and Happiest Toddler on the Block, but these don't have the answers either. I'm realizing more and more that I need to look to the moms around me. I'm lucky to have a lot of great examples in my life, and I know you will too. Sometimes I feel guilty for dropping you off at your grandparents' so that Daddy and I can go house-hunting or go out to dinner, but then I remember that any time you spend with people who love you is a good thing (and they love you so, so much.) When I get overwhelmed with the enormity of the task of raising you, I remind myself that it takes a village and that you have an awesome one.

Tonight when I picked you up from school you were covered in blue paint. Your teacher told me that you were in the book section by yourself pointing to colors and saying them out loud. She was amazed, just like we are amazed everyday by how smart you are.

Keeping going, Quinn! Learn everything you can from all the people you encounter, but pay special attention to your Mom-Mom and Pop-Daddy, Grammy and Pop-Pop, your aunts and uncles, our extended families and trusted friends, and your Daddy and me. Take your guidance from the people who love you the most, because we will always have your best interest at heart.

We are so proud of you and we love you so much!

Haha! Daddy, there's a sticker on your nose!

My new dollhouse - the angel goes on the roof!

I like your hair, Uncle Mike!

I found a new use for the Oriental Trading catalog...

Blue!