Natalie Lately

At almost twenty months old.....

her language has exploded - she will fearlessly try to pronounce any word you throw her way and she is starting to speak in short sentences.

she loves to run and jump, to twirl and spin.

her favorite playmates and cuddle buddies are still Angie and Ajax.

she's outgrown all her 2T summer outfits and is working into 3T winter clothes.

we have finally gotten her into a solid sleeping routine which starts around 8:00 and ends with her waking up between 7:00 and 7:30 in the morning.

there isn't much that she won't eat but her favorites include mac and cheese, peas, milk, strawberries and anything she can dip.

her hair has turned a golden brown and those curls are holding on at the bottom of her hair but I am thinking they won't stay much longer.

she is at the top of curve in both height and weight but her little toddler body is still long and lean....just like Momma.

Conquering the big slide at the playground near our house.  When it comes to doing physical things, she is absolutely fearless.  Climb up the "rock" wall?  Check.  Go down the big slide on her own?  Check.  And of course, every park trip has to end with feeding the duck-ducks.

Watching "ball" on television with her own volleyball in her lap.  Anytime she sees a ball game (football, basketball, volleyball, baseball, golf) on the television (or in real life for that matter) she points and screeches "BALL!  BALL!"  She's not really a television-watching kind of kid - we don't watch cartoons or DVDs in our house at this point in time, but put on a game of volleyball or the Olympics this summer and she is mesmerized.  The other night at my 7th grade volleyball game every time one of my girls would serve, from across the court I could hear her yell "BALL!" and point as the volleyball was launched over the net.  I must admit, this makes my little coaching heart very proud.

And this is how we start our mornings.

Little curly piggies.

We found a great little jean jacket for cheap at JC Penney's and it was love at first sight for Natalie.  She had to carry it on her own to the register but then got a little frightened when it came time to check-out.  Natalie did NOT want to hand it to the lady at the register but luckily she was kind enough to scan the tag while I held Natalie and her jean jacket in my arms.  It's a great little jacket that goes with every outfit she has....but doesn't it make her look so grown up?

Just hanging out in the cart at Garden Ridge waiting for me to pay for the new living room rug.

She disappeared one night before bedtime and this is where I found her - curled up with one of her favorite books...about a dog of course.

Her super cool outfit complete with leggings, long t-shirt and boots.....ready for the high school volleyball game!

And then this happened last week.  Brushing her teeth in the corner with her new boots on coupled with a pink tutu.  If that doesn't scream INDEPENDENT TODDLER I don't know what does.