18 month Mer-bear

Jumping right in, Meredith is 18 months old.  She's mastered a very convincing stink eye which she will give to everyone at some point.  Just get used to it.  It is her method of 1 year old manipulation and if you fall into her trap, she will definitely utilize it to get whatever she was after in the first place.  Up until last week, she was generally quiet unless it involved tired or hungry.  Then she found her voice, or rather her shriek.  She varies the noise as she plays with the sounds that will come out of her vocal chords and always at a defining volume level.  To which Beca then thinks she needs to mimic or at least match the decibel level of said lovely tone.  And my ears try to fold over on themselves but alas, cannot drowned out that sound enough.  Though it is nice to know she will have her own voice.  If her sister lets her get a word in edge-wise.

Meredith is smart.  Yes, I know everyone says that about their baby but besides the very devious manipulation (which must work because Daddy often hands over his keys when she asks for them "kee-kee" so that she can mash the red button and make the van honk loudly so she can proudly giggle at herself)/ And she can count.  First time I realized this was Jan 13.  Beca tossed her snack containers on the counter and on one of Mer's sprints around the downstairs circle, she spotted them. "Nack, nack" quickly ensued. Me:"OK I'll get you a snack", pulling out apple slices that were leftover from McDonalds a night or 2 previous but she didn't care as long as it was "pul" (Apples).  Mer: head nodding vigorously up and down almost bobbing "Mo, mo, mo" (More, more , more).  Me: "You want more?" Mer: "es, peessss" (Yes, please) more head bobbing. Me:" OK" hands second one.  now there's one in each fat little fist (chunky monkey has the most adorable chubby hands). Mer: "No. Fee" Me (dumbfounded):"Did you just say you want three?".  MR: "es, peesss" so I give her the third which she clutches with both hands between the other two. Mer: "tay" - which might have been ok or thank you but was fairly inaudible she she was turning around and running off laughing since she mastered holding three pieces of something in her little hands and it was all food so life was all good.  Plus she didn't have to sit at the big table to eat her "nack nack".  see, smart.
And she's big too.  Like 3 year old big.  97% weight and 99% height big.  Her doctor called her "perfect" and a "bruiser" both in about 2 minutes' time.  She also said no one would probably try to mess with her.  True.  We try not to mess with her but she didn't fuss as a baby unless it was important so we tried to minimize the fussing.  Sometimes simply because her sister wanted to fix everything and I'd rather not have the crying from one and whining from the other at the same time.  This will be an interesting dynamic in a few years.

But she's so darn cute too!  I only put the t-shirt and jeans on her - she's the one that picked out the accessories!!  See, smart!

And here's a recent of Rebecca and her sassy self.  More on her later...