15 Months Old

Andrea turned 15 months old yesterday. I haven't really been doing a comprehensive monthly update anymore; there's so many things to write about, I just put them on the Blog whenever I get a chance. But, I was thinking about it, and my last post ("Playing Around"), along with today's, will make a pretty good 15-month-old update. :))

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Andrea's 15-month-old birthday wasn't exactly a cheerful event. She has yet another cold, and this one is terrible. It's mostly in her chest and her throat, and she cries so much. I only worked a half-day yesterday, and I took today off, so I could stay home and fuss over her.

In between the coughing and crying spells, she's her usual self, so I've managed to get some pretty good pictures and videos of Andrea's newest talents and games over the past two days.

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Fun with Fat Trays: Yes, folks, you read that right. You know those trays that come with the George Foreman grill, that capture the dripping grease as your food cooks? Well, Andrea discovered them on a stand in the kitchen, and it is amazing how much fun she has with them. Here are just two of the many different activities she has created using the fat trays:

Carpet Skiing

Thunder Sticks

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Break Dancing: This one she's been doing for a few weeks now; it's a kind of crazy, spin-and-roll-around-on-your-bum move. Music is not necessary. She does it any time she's feeling silly, and anywhere she wants--usually in the living room, but also in her crib, in the bathtub, etc...

http://media.putfile.com/Break-Dancing-63

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Raise the Roof: In light of the Tigers' current World Series run, Daddy felt it was time Andrea mastered the "Raise the Roof" celebration move; and, she has done it!

http://media.putfile.com/Raise-the-Roof

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Talking/Singing: Here are some more videos of Andrea trying to talk and sing.

• This video was originally going to be sent as a half-laughing, half-complaining note to Grama Marty, about the mess Andrea makes with her toys. Then Andrea piped up with one of her latest phrases ("There go!"), so it made it into the Blog. http://media.putfile.com/There-You-Go-29
• Andrea has a funny little habit of trying to sing, after she hears Mommy sing to her. There's no distinguishable words, and not much of a tune, but it's so darn cute. http://media.putfile.com/Andreas-Singing
• Andrea's latest feat is trying to count to ten--with help, of course! She usually says 1,2,3,6, and sometimes 7,8,9. Ten is always said with the appropriate inflection (excited, proud), even if the word doesn't come out right. :)) http://media.putfile.com/Trying-to-Count

Pushing Mommy's Buttons: Andrea and I have a big difference of opinion when it comes to how our household should be organized. I like neatness; Andrea prefers chaos. I like cleanliness; Andrea prefers stickiness.

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And as for pushing buttons--well, quite literally, her latest trick is to crawl up to the computer (while I'm on it) and press the Reset button on the hard drive, so the computer shuts off. Grr.

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She also enjoys getting into my books while I'm on the computer. This is a tough one for me. I want to encourage her fascination with books (which has finally kicked in), but I am in agony watching how harshly she treats my books. If you know me well, you know what my books mean to me. I've tried to make her a deal by giving her a shelf of magazines to destroy, but that only lasts for so long. Then, she's back into my books! Argh.

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And finally, today, while I was checking my email, this is what she did:

Umm... yeah, she has a bad cold, but I think one tissue at a time would suffice!

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God Bless the Little Stinker. LOL She is a typical 15-month-old. :))