Only 14 months...what an amazing journey it's been...

Before Reese turned one I used to take the time each month to write down all her milestones and reflect on her little accomplishments in growth and development. I realized the other day that although I don't really need to write things down every month. I miss the time I spent reflecting on her and all she's learning. I feel like she changes everyday, and brings so much joy and happiness to both Arnold and me. We are continually amazed at her abilities and fall more and more in love with this little person that has been entrusted to us. Next week Reese will be 14 months old and there are just a few things I want to remember about my 14 month old little monkey.

• Reese picks up on things around her very quickly. If we show her how to do something even once, it seems to stick. When we decided to have her start brushing her teeth all I had to do is show her once, and that was it. All I have to say now is "Reese, it's time to brush your teeth" and she goes strait to the bathroom, climbs onto her stool, opens the drawer, gets out her toothbrush and toothpaste, and she's brushing away. It's been the same with the potty, getting ready for bed, putting on her shoes etc...
• Reese understands just about everything we say to her. It's really amazing to me that this little baby that used to stare at me blankly as a newborn can now communicate and understand me. When it's dinner time I say "It's time for dinner" she will go and pull out her highchair, waiting for me to put her in it. After dinner I ask her to put away her highchair and she pushes it back where it goes. When its time for bath, she heads upstairs into the bathroom and starts trying to take off her clothes. I could go on and on with all she understands. It's really amazing to me, watching her grow.
• Reese is my little side-kick. She has to be doing anything and everything that mommy is doing. She loves to stand on her stool next to me in the kitchen and help me cook. She also loves to do aerobics with me. It's pretty darn funny. I notice her all the time, just watching me; even studying me at times with a look of total concentration. I'll then notice her trying to mimic what ever I was doing. It's given me cause to really think about every move I make. The other day I was doing a stretch, using my yoga ball and balancing it on my feet while laying on my back. Suddenly Reese is lying beside me in the exact same position trying to balance her rubber ball on her feet...amazing. She also loves to help me fold clothes. She will pick something up and watch me very closely trying to mimic each fold I make.
• Reese is a good eater. She loves vegetables. Sometimes she loves them a little too much. Lately I have to give her a protein and starch first and make sure she takes several bites before I put the veggies on her plate. Otherwise she will eat all the veggies, want more and never touch her proteins or starches. Green veggies seem to be her favorite; peas, beans, asparagus, broccoli etc... I think green is her favorite color.
• Reese has discovered the refrigerator. I never have to worry about knowing when or if Reese is hungry. She will let me know when she wants a snack. She stands by the fridge and pounds on the door. As soon as I open it she will pull out the bottom drawer where her fruit and string cheese are located and grab her own snack.
• Reese now has 11 teeth and counting. (3 bottom front, 2 bottom molars, 4 top front, 2 top molars) They just keep coming and it doesn't seem to phase Reese in the least. Every now and then she'll get just a bit cranky or clingy and I'll notice she has a low grade fever, so I figure she's getting a tooth. But even that doesn't happen with every tooth. She never wakes up at night. In fact I've noticed she sleeps more when she's teething. I have been warned however, that my next child could be totally different.
• Reese loves dogs. And when I say she loves dogs...I mean...she LOVES dogs. We have several dogs in our neighborhood and most of them are scared of HER. She attacks them and tries to squish them with love. She will let them jump on her and lick her all over and the whole time she just giggles uncontrollably. It's pretty cute to watch her light up at the mire sight of a dog. Unfortunately with my allergies and well...general dislike of pets...poor little Reese is going to have to settle for the electronic "Real Pet's" doggy that Santa will be bringing her for Christmas! And of course the little brother or sister I'll be giving her next summer. That's got to be more fun than a dog, right?
• Reese is an extremely good sleeper...still! I know I've been blessed with a good baby, but I'm still going to take a little credit for her good sleeping habits. I did read 4 different books on how to create good sleeping habits for babies. I took the best information from all those books and applied the principals to teaching Reese how to have good sleep habits. So while everyone tells me how lucky I am to have such a good sleeper...I smile and quietly know that part of that had to do with me as well. Reese sleeps 11-12 hours every night and takes 2 naps, both about 2 hours long. Recently she's started weaning herself off of her morning nap, but has increased the length of her afternoon nap to 3 or even 4 hours sometimes.

The more I watch Reese grow the more I realize how much she is like me. As a child I was very stubborn, independent and a quick learner. I was also very coordinated, and pretty much anything I tried and "wanted" to accomplish I could do. When I got my first bike as a birthday present, my dad promised me he'd start teaching me how to ride as soon as he got home from work that day. Well I couldn't wait so I taught myself how to ride the bike in a couple of hours by simply hauling my bike to the top of the hill by our house, jumping on and riding to the bottom. Each time I fell I would get up, head to the top of the hill again and ride down. It only took a few falls before I was riding like a pro. By the time my dad got home from work I had taught myself. The same was true with just about anything else I tried. The key to my success has always and will always be; I had to really want it and set my mind to it. I see so much of that with Reese. She has all those same qualities, even at a mere 14 months. As her mom, I also realize the great responsibility I have to steer her in the right direction and help her harness her desires for good. I also have to help build her self esteem, so she realized just how amazing she is and how much she really can accomplish in life. What a awesome responsibility. But I'm up for the challenge!