Life Within the Cuckoo's Nest: Milestones: Evelyne 17/18 Months Old

You are so stunningly beautiful on the inside and out baby girl! I hope you always remember that.

Oh my goodness Evelyne, your babyhood is just slipping away from me! I can't keep up! I try so hard to write down every cute thing you say and do but somehow you are now 19 months old and I am just barely catching up from 3 months ago! Now I have to go back and try to remember what you were just starting to say and do 3 months ago because it all feels like a beautiful blur.

First off, I have to mention that at just barely 17 months old, you tried climbing out of your crib for the first time! You succeeded too! I was watching you on the camera the whole time and was astonished and slightly frustrated by your boldness. It brought back all sorts of memories of trying to keep your 16 month old brother in his crib when the little dude just wouldn't stay put! However, unlike your brother, once you got out and found your feet safely on the floor, you suddenly panicked! Like, the hysterical panic attack kind of panic! It was like you hadn't thought about what you would do once you were out of the safety of your crib and you didn't like it! I went running into your room and held you while you frantically pointed for me to put you back in your bed! Needless to say, you haven't tried it again.... and for this I am grateful! Between you and your crazy brother, I am already at my wits end! I don't think I could handle one more child on the loose at night....

Your back molars are making an appearance and it has you all sorts of sad! Basically you want your Mama 24/7 and you are ALWAYS in my arms! Nothing new since the day you were born, but now you weigh 22lbs and it's taking a toll on my back! Seriously though, I've been having to go to a chiropractor weekly now.... But you are still in the 10th percentile for weight and are considered a "very tiny thing" in medical standards so for that my back and I are grateful!

Your favorite word is "hi" and you say it to EVERYONE! You make the day of everyone in the grocery store and you have people swooning when you follow it up with blowing them a kiss! Seriously though, I know I am your Mom and therefore very biased, but you have a gift! A rare gift that has people obsessed with you! You are constantly being hugged or kissed, or eaten alive because I just can't handle your squishiness any longer and just have to have a little nibble! And the best part is you love it! It's almost like you just expect to be loved and adored.

However, along with this age increase thing comes some sass! I've nicknamed you "little miss sassy pants" because boy do you know how to do it! You can throw dramatic tantrums like I have never seen that involve you flailing yourself to the floor or punching walls, or throwing things everywhere! It is so unlike your sweet little demeanor and it comes on so quickly! I guess it is your God given right as a girl to have mood swings but you have me scared for your teenage years! I can just imagine the drama you are going to cause! Especially if you get any more beautiful.... Lord help us.

You have also started experiencing your first health problems thanks to no longer breast feeding and being exposed to all the germs at preschool and nursery :(. So far in just two months you have had a head cold, the flu, a yeast infection, and pink eye :(. It has been sooo sad! Oh yeah, I forgot to talk about nursery! You loved it right away and for the first time in years I found myself sitting in relief society completely childless! But that didn't last long. Some little boy bit you and now you want me in there with you as your protector.... dang it :(. But we will keep working on it!

Anyways, if you take anything from this little update on your life thus far, I hope it is that you are so unique, so perfect, and so loved. I can't express enough how loved you are!

Some moments over the past two months (They are completely out of order and disorganized but I only have so much time before you wake up from your nap!):

You got a horrible stomach bug that had you throwing up and miserable right before Thanksgiving. I kept finding you like this on the floor :(.

My sad, sick baby! I was trying to do sit ups and you wanted me to hold you so you laid on my tummy like this to compromise hehe.

More kisses!

You and your brother drive me crazy on a regular basis and daylight savings has about killed me! So we went out for Starbucks on this particular sleepless day. Obviously you didn't mind ;).

You love your brother to pieces, but sometimes his "warm embraces" are too much for you hahaha!

I could just take pictures of you all day, every day!

Even when I am sitting down you are on top of me!

Silly girl ;)

My little yoga buddy!

Helping us cook!

Your first selfie! This moment HAD to be documented-HAHAHA!

We are always outside doing something. You guys like to be wild and free!

This picture breaks my heart because you were so sick but neither your Dad nor I could take the day off work! So Daddy gave you a blessing and I prayed ALL DAY LONG that you would be okay at Daycare! Our prayers worked because nobody called me to come pick you up, but you fell asleep semi-standing up as soon as you got home :(.

This is the day when we were goofing off and having a good time and then you threw up all over right afterwards... You have been so sick this fall!

Another Starbucks pic :). This is basically our happy place lol

I love how you run into my arms whenever a big scary truck drives by.

We took a Messy Monday's class this fall and you guys loved it! Mom, however, struggled big time trying to keep you both on track amongst all the tantrums you were throwing over every little thing!

I know this post is all about you but I don't have time to do a separate post about Messy Days so I'm adding some pics of Austin too!

For Halloween, at Messy Monday's you guys made some really cute crafts!

I about lost my mind this day but you guys thought it was great!

This was such a great day :). We had a picnic on the porch with our McDonalds Happy Meals :).

Coloring with water colors at Messy Days. You loved this!

Passed out after church....

A fun Starbucks date with your little best friend Blakely!

You have this funny habit of shoving all your food in your mouth and then when you realize you can't swallow it, you spit it all out. It is really gross. But just look at those cute chipmunk cheeks!

Coloring at Messy Days

On this particular Messy Monday, you were more interested in eating the markers than coloring with them...

You are so adorable when I do your hair in the morning! You love to look at yourself in the mirror and say, "Hi baby!!"

You mastered the cobra pose while doing yoga with Mom! Such a smart girl!

Oh my goodness, we have such a good time baking together! Have I mentioned how much you love food?! You wouldn't know it by how tiny you are, but you sure do!

Such a Mama's girl!

Out of order but I had to add another one! You were just so cute!

On the day you both woke up with pink eye, Great Grandma Helm came to visit! She helped me take you to the doctors and then played with you and bought you both Happy Meals. You both love Grandma and her silver whistle necklace sooo much!