Littlest One at 18 months is such a busy bee! I feel like I literally haven’t had a moment to sit and write about her at this stage, because I’m just always following her around, keeping her out of trouble. But these photos have been sitting on my computer for almost two months, and I want to share them with y’all and get some thoughts out before she wakes up and I start running again. So, here’s a quick share of LO, 18 months old.

Can’t stop, won’t stop. Always moving! She was a late walker, starting around 15 months, and she’s one of those quickly advanced to running. And while she was waiting to walk, she built up that upper body strength… So she’s so fast and a climber! She’s our first to push chairs up to counters, pull herself up, and grab the scissors. Nothing is safe in this house.

Just like the big kids. Oh, does she want to be just like her big siblings! She follow them around, copies every move. They dress up with blankets for capes and stuffed animals as babies? She does the same. Then trips over the blanket cape. Oops.

Following, or maybe leading, daily routine. Typical toddler, LO loves routine and regularity. Which means in the morning, she’s the one coaxing her siblings to get out the door to school. Bringing them socks and shoes, carrying their backpacks to them, going into the coat closet and retrieving their rain jackets no matter what the forecast. If only they’d be so on top of the morning routine…

Finding her words. Post-ear-tube surgery, we’re starting to get some words out of her. They’re hardly coherent, but her dad and siblings and I can figure out many of them now, and it’s just adorable. My favorite, is ‘bye, see you tonight’ when her dad leaves for work in the mornings. With a little hand wave. Adorable.

Quite self sufficient. Hungry? Well I’ll just go into the pantry and get myself a snack (typically Pirate’s Booty or pretzels at like 7 a.m.). Diaper full? Well I’ll just take it right off. Not dressed? Big sister’s clothes are on the floor, I’ll just slip that shirt over my legs.

Loves her babies. This babe has attached to her own babies so early! Probably because she’s got a big sister to emulate, and she watches her care for and go on adventures with her dolls. But she just loves to find her baby dolls, give them a cuddle, and push them around in the stroller that has clearly become hers. Sorry, big sis.

Enjoy the rest of this photo overload, friends, because I clearly couldn’t get enough of her in this bubble-romper-wearing, baby-doll-loving stage!

Kate Gelatt