Look who's 18 months old!

Today is August 6, 2012.

Getting ready for her photo shoot

Me!

Hi!

The kitty is on my shirt

This morning RaeRae came into our bed about 6:30 and after nursing, we had this little conversation in ASL:

RaeRae: Dada?
Me: Out there in the kitchen
RaeRae: Work?
Me: Yep, Daddy is getting ready for work.
RaeRae: (nods her head yes)
Me: Daddy is eating. Would you like to eat?
RaeRae: Eat. Cracker?
Me: Not a cracker, but you can have some cereal.
RaeRae: Chicken?
Me: Not chicken, but you can have some cereal.
RaeRae: Chicken!
Me: Cereal.
RaeRae: Cracker!
Me: Cereal.
RaeRae: Cracker! Cracker! Cracker!
Me: Silly girl, let's go find Daddy.
RaeRae: (nods her head yes).


Today our little RaeRae is 18 months old! That's a year and half! A half a year away from being TWO!!!

My, oh my. RaeRae, you continue to be the star of our lives. I love being your mama and having fun with you everyday. I love watching you figure out things, your creativity, and your growing vocabulary!
I am still amazed that this little being used to be inside my belly, kicking away and making my belly shift in shape. I get teary-eyed watching old videos and looking through pictures from across the past 18 months. She was such a chunky baby and now she is a rather slender toddler on the go!
I am excited to make this list of words she knows! It's been two months since the last time I made a list and I just know it is going to blow all of us away!

Signs RaeRae knows at 18 months:

1. Mama (signs it correctly)
2. Daddy (signs it correctly; sometimes goes back to 1-handshape)
3. Nana (does same for Nama too) (close to correct)
4. Papa (does same for Grandpa too) (close to correct)
5. Baby (one-hand most of time)
6. Me/I (signs it correctly, and oh so cute!)
7. More (she uses this sign ALL the time to mean she wants more of food, milk, or of a certain activity such as reading or tickling)
8. Eat (definitely has this down)
9. All done (one hand wave over the shoulder)
10. Thank you (so good with this one)
11. Please (signs it correctly)
12. Yes (nods her head and signs yes almost correctly but with different movement)
13. No (almost correct except all other fingers are not folded)
14. Up (points up)
15. Down (points down)
16. Bed (signs it correctly with head tilt)
17. Blanket (both hands moving on her chest, almost correct but movement is erratic)
18. Sleep (hand brushed across face)
19. Toothbrush/Brush-teeth (1 handshape across mouth)
20. Diapers (open-5 handshapes at her diaper areas on sides)
21. Shoes (evolving from "with" sign to look more like correct sign)
22. Socks (signs it correctly)
23. Clothes (looks like dress)
24. Fan (1 handshape in the air); does same sign for music mobile in a book
25. Pacifier (hilarious; open 5 handshape over the mouth and grabs her mouth)
26. Ball (signs it correctly)
27. Hat (signs it correctly)
28. Drink (open 5 handshape over the mouth in right movement)
29. Book (open 5 handshapes instead of b-handshape)
30. Car (open 5 handshape up and down)
31. Bike (similar to car)
32. Moon (1 handshape moving away from side of forehead)
33. Water (1 handshape on mouth)
34. Milk (signs it correctly--of course!)
35. Chicken (signs it correctly)
36. Cereal (signs it correctly)
37. Cheese (tries to do it but always consistent)
38. Cracker (signs it correctly)
39. Banana (almost right, but handshape a little off)
40. Strawberry (1-handshape on chin)
41. Orange(signs it correctly)
42. Cat (right location and movement, but uses all fingers instead of index finger and thumb and says "meow" at same time)
43. Dog (signs it correctly--of course)
44. Mouse (signs it correctly)
45. Elephant (arm waving on side of body near face)
46. Lion (hand over head)
47. Frog (looks a bit like "pig" sign but handshape a little different)
48. Fish (signs it correctly)
49. Alligator (clapping movement close to body)
50. Bear (right location and handshape but doesn't cross arms/hands yet)
51. Giraffe (right movement and location but handshape is open-5)
52. Bird (signs it correctly)
53. Duck (5-handshape)
54. Caterpillar (1-handshape like a person walking by)
55. Cow (1-handshape on forehead with right movement)
56. Pig (open-5 handshape under the chin with right movement)
57. Deer (signs it correctly)
58. Horse (similar to cow but movement is a bit different)
59. Movie (looks like she's brushing something off her hands)
60. Shower (open 5 handshape by head)
61. Bath (almost correctly)
62. Work (she will sign Daddy and work together, to tell me she knows that Daddy is at work)
63. RaeRae (does her sign name with 1-handshape on cheek)
64. Come-on (waves with one hand in motion to say come with me)
65. Paint (signs it almost correctly)
66. "Bus"--(she tries to fingerspell this word when she sees a picture of a bus)
67. Nose (points to her nose)
68. Eyes (points to her eyes and squints)
69. Ears (pulls on her ears)
70. Teeth (taps on her teeth)
71. Bug (signs 1 handshape in simliar movement on the eyebrow)
72. Penguin (does the movement with her body)
73. Bee (open 5-handshape on her cheek)

I'm sure there might be some I am forgetting...it's hard to keep track now! She picks them up so fast!
She also points to everything to tell me she sees things or communicate something. Spoken English words:

1. Mommy/Mama
2. Daddy/Dada 
3. Bapa
4. Papa
5. Nana
6. Nama (I think)
7. Kitty
8. Meow
9. Doggie
10. Uh-oh
11. Up
12. Down
13. Baby
14. Chicken (sometimes sounds like "kitchen")
15. Hi
16. Bye-bye
17. No
18. Tango
19. Cow
20.  Eat

(This is all PJ could remember and that I knew of. There might be more.)

At 18 months, RaeRae has 16 teeth, rather long semi-wavy hair, wears mostly 12 month-sized clothing (tops) and some 18 month-sized clothing depending on the brand and type (mostly for shorts and pants due to her fluff!). I don't know how much she weighs yet since we don't have a scale but I will find out soon at her check-up appointment next week. 
She can sort of run, loves to chase the geese and ducks at the park, still loves books, her baby dolls, building with lego blocks, riding in her car, and trying to put on or take off her clothing and accessories. She is obsessed with shoes, especially her flip flops. She likes to help sort the laundry in her own way. She wants to hold your hand at her own decision and pull you to different rooms and places. 
RaeRae is a bit of a picky eater (sigh) but sometimes will eat certain foods if offered by a different person or at a different time. She is still breastfed--of which I am very proud to be! 
In two weeks, she will start full-time daycare for the first time! Bittersweet for both of us, but exciting too. 

Happy 18 months to our darling RaeRae!

Breastfeeding thoughts

This week has been dubbed World Breastfeeding Week. It is not something new actually, and has been celebrated for 20 years now! I was doing some reading on the World Health Organization (WHO) website and learned that World Breastfeeding Week is August 1-7 every year across 170 countries  and has been established to educate people about the benefits of breastfeeding as well as encourage more breastfeeding for the health of babies around the world. (Source: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/events/annual/world_breastfeeding_week/en/index.html)
I have heard that WHO actually recommends breastfeeding until the age of two, if you can and are willing.  So in light of this week's celebration, I wanted to reflect on my own breastfeeding relationship with my daughter.
I am proud to share that I have been breastfeeding RaeRae for nearly 18 months now! I'm hoping we will make it until she is two years old. I did not expect that we would enjoying a positive nursing relationship this long and feel grateful for all the positive support and encouragement I have received from friends, family, and as well as "strangers" across FaceBook groups such as The Leaky Boob and Respect the Breast, and the cloth diapering community as well. I've also gotten great information on sites like KellyMom and other blogs.
When I think about breastfeeding, I think a lot of people are misinformed about the benefits and the work that goes into it. When RaeRae was born, she had a difficult latch. Her latch would regress and she would just be sucking on the nipple part, causing bloodiness and pain. On top of that, we had our first case of thrush at only 3 weeks postpartum. But with the help and support of a patient husband, supportive mom, and all those others I have mentioned here, we got through the hurdle and still are nursing strong. 
It's an amazing feeling to know that my own body is giving her all that she needs. She has been sick less than 5 times since she was born, and all of those times were just colds. I know that the longer I breastfeed, the longer she will get all the benefits from my milk and I will have less of a chance for breast cancer as well. I found this page that lists all the benefits from breastfeeding, as well as extended breastfeeding. Click here. 
It gives me joy to know my daughter finds comfort in breastfeeding--when she is hungry or has a boo-boo. She makes me chuckle when she puts her finger in my belly-button as if it is a switch to turn on the milk. I laugh more when she sits up from nursing on one side to ask for the other side, pointing and smiling as if she is saying "this one, mama" with giggles. 
To all the moms out there who make the decision to even try breastfeeding, you rock! Feel free to email me if you have any questions or just need some support. A lot of people supported me so I am willing to support whoever wants to try.