Family Friday: 15 Months Old

Cameron and I headed over to the softball fields on Hickam Air Force Base at sunset for this month's photo shoot.  We took along the practice ball I was given at the Pirates vs. Mariners game that Johnnie and I went to in Pittsburgh earlier this year.

When Johnnie was young, he knew that he wanted to become either a baseball player or a pilot when he grew up.  He became a pilot (and a very good one) but is still a huge baseball fan and plays on softball teams when he can.  I don't know what activities Cameron will be interested in as she grows but one thing she will do is learn to play baseball.  I hope she loves it and from watching her at the field for these photos, I think she already does :)

At 15 months old Cameron just about has 12 teeth.  I say 'just about' because only the tips of all four of her molars have broken through in the past month.  It may take a while for them to come in completely.

Cameron is now wearing size 4 diapers, size 4 shoes, and sizes 12 and 18 month clothing.  She sleeps 12+ hours every night with a bedtime of about 7pm.  She takes one long (2+ hour) nap each day, usually in the morning unless we're out and about.  If we are home in the afternoon, I put her in her crib for a while.  Sometimes she sleeps and other times she simply plays with her sleep sack and talks to herself.  Regardless of what she chooses to do, the quiet time to herself really helps alleviate afternoon crankiness.

Cameron has been saying words like mama, dada, and baba for months and she has recently added a few more.  We will officially say that Cameron's first word is "this".  Definitely not what we expected but she began saying "this" with perfect clarity while she was playing.  She would pick things up and put them in a purse or in a box or in our hands and say "this. this. this." with every item.

Cameron calls me "Ma-ma" and she calls Johnnie "Dad" which I find hilarious!  I refer to him as daddy but she chooses to say Dad.  She says dada to him occasionally but that is her general term for everything.  "Dad" is specifically for Johnnie.

At 15 months old, Cameron has a spoken vocabulary of nine words that are all consistently used correctly: Mama, Dad, baba (bottle), this, that, no, yes, woof-woof (dog), and uh-oh. Cameron's unspoken vocabulary (words she understands but can't say) is huge!  She follows oral directions very well (therefore I know she understands the words) and is a great little helper.

airplane!

Cameron loves Dulce, all dogs, music, books, and dolls.  She loves phones, cameras, remote controls, and keys.  She loves pushing big things, climbing on things, and putting things into bags and boxes.  She loves to eat and loves to sleep.  She loves playing with water but she hates sand and waves.  She will blow kisses and give (open mouth) kisses sometimes, but she won't give hugs.  She loves to sit in laps which is her favorite way to cuddle.  She loves going up stairs by herself but prefers to be carried down the stairs.  She knows and uses sign language for more, please, and thank you.  She hates being told no.  She is generally a very happy child but if she is tired then every tiny thing will cause a major meltdown.

Our neighbor just had a new baby girl.  Seeing that tiny baby, it is hard to imagine Cameron once being that small (3+ lbs smaller actually).  It is amazing how fast babies grow, learn, and develop.  When someone asks how old Cameron is, I always answer in months.  People who have children understand, people who don't have children often say "so she's 1."  Well yes, technically, but 1 is a very special age and should not be lumped into a single number.  A 13 month old is vastly different than a 20 month old although they are both technically 1.  Our little girl isn't simply 1, she's 15 months and is learning new things every day.

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"The more we observe, the more we understand and appreciate the enormous amount

and speed of learning that happens during the first two or three years of life."

~Magda Gerber