20 months

20 months with Buster Bear

We've emptied what used to be the guest room and had an almost completely empty room (except for this chair that was on its way to a yard sale) getting things ready to paint and move furniture to Nad's new room. But she LOVES the chair. She wants to sit in it and play in it and read in it all day. So I'm definitely not convinced, but the chair may have a longer lifespan in our family to come... we'll see. Nadia is very excited about her new room, especially about it being "pink!"

She reads or brings to us to read to her no fewer than 30 books a day. She spends HOURS everyday with books. Regular trips to the library are a must, though she still loves all of her old favorites the most.

Nadia in her teeny bikini.

My 13 year old Nadia flashed before my eyes in this moment. She looked so grown up. We definitely don't want to rush it!

Playing dress-up. She insisted on giving Daddy a fashion show of all her dress-up outfits while he was working outside.

Isn't this the perfect summer look? Boots and shorts? She was so proud because she picked out and put the boots completely by herself!

In the process of transitioning the guest room, I took down the curtains. She found them and immediately turned them into dress-up wear - a toga, a cape, a royal robe.

Uncle Jor came to visit this weekend - a few days before his birthday. Nadia helped stir, pour, ice and sprinkle this cake for him.

Some of her latest -

She knows lots of colors! She picked out 5 shades of pink crayon and identified them as "pink" from the 48 crayon box. She can point out orange flowers, purple flowers, yellow, etc.

She has some serious MOVES - from break dancing to hip hop to disco to her own creative dance steps, she loves to DANCE! She tries to copy anything she sees us do.

She has great physical coordination. She does somersaults, can balance on one foot, can stand on a domed shaped bowl without support, and can jump (high!). She climbs stairs and ladders on big playgrounds with ease.

She is talking more and more EVERY single day! She uses new words by the hour, and understands us completely. She loves ocean animals right now and can identify "shark", "whale", "clam", "lobster", "sea horse", "star fish", "crab", "turtle", "clown fish", "angel fish", and more.

She has a fantastic memory and recalls things she has only seen once before or was introduced to days prior. She makes associations and transfers them to her imaginative play - like turning a plastic french fry she stuck through the hole in a plastic donut into a "popsicle" or playing pat-a-cake with her baby dolls in the doll highchair.