Lily is 18 months

It's hard to believe Lily is only 18 months and that she is already 18 months. #allthemommasgetit

This girl is a whirlwind of joy and I just can't get enough of her red-headed self.  It seems like she has 'grown up' the past three months.  At Christmas she was still a baby and then...ta-daaa...it's May and she is a full blown toddler with a mind and little spirit all her own.

Here is what our sweet, rambunctious, giggly not-so-baby girl is up to these days...

• Lily has picked up some words over the last few months including: hi, momma (said in the sweetest voice you ever heard), daddy, gaga, papa, hot, uh-oh, bye-bye, please, get (she says this to Abel), baby, yes, no.
• Walking over a crack in the sidewalk might be one of Lily's greatest fears.  It's quite funny.  Sometimes she will get down on all fours to crawl over the crack instead of walking over it.

• Babies bring Lily such happiness.  She loves seeing babies, rocking babies, dressing babies.  She is one good momma.
• We have gotten our money's worth on the backyard swing.  The swing is Lily's happy place.

• Lily is Miss Independent.  She likes things her way and wants to do everything herself.
• Taking off her diaper is one of Lily's little tricks.  If I don't have some kind of bottoms on her, I will find her diaper in a random place around the house.
• Lily sleeps with a baby doll and a random 'Franklin Elementary' t-shirt from my teaching days.

• Lily takes one nap a day from about 1:30-4:30 p.m. and sleeps from 7:30 p.m. - 7:00 a.m. at night.  There have been a few times lately where she cries out and I will go in and soothe her for two or three minutes, but most nights she sleeps straight through.
• When Daddy leaves for work in the morning, Lily loves to give him kisses through the baby gate at the top of the stairs.  It is the sweetest thing.
• Some of Lily's favorite foods are smoothies, muffins, quiche and eggs, bananas, cheese sticks, applesauce, blackberries, and veggie straws.
• Lily's favorite book right now is The Magic Hat by Mem Fox and coming in at a close second is Old Black Fly by Jim Aylesworth.  She also adores any book with animals.

• Luke and Lily play together almost all day long.  There are disagreements here and there, but Lily truly adores her big brother.
• Daddy and Lily love to turn on some music and dance together.  If there is a tune playing, you better believe Lily is heading for Daddy with her arms stretched high, ready to dance.

• Lily has an attachment to accessories.  She enjoys purses, necklaces, bracelets, headbands...the works.
• Bellybuttons might be Lily's most favorite thing in the whole world.  She loves her own, but does not discriminate.  Daddy's belly button is great, as well as anyone else's that she can get to by lifting up his or her shirt.   For her, thumb sucking and belly button touching go together like peanut butter and jelly.

The lyrics to the song 'Slow Down' by Nichole Nordeman come to mind when I think of my baby girl...

Slow down 
Won’t you stay here a minute more 
I know you want to walk through the door 
But it’s all too fast 
Let’s make it last a little while 
I pointed to the sky and now you wanna fly 
I am your biggest fan 
I hope you know I am 
But do you think you can somehow 
Slow down