Millie is getting to be quite the little character. It is really cool to see her personality emerging as we start to hear what's been going on inside her head.
At first, Millie may seem very quiet, but she isn't really. She likes to observe a lot before she says much. I am also this way. She does well playing with others, and doesn't usually mind too much when they play with her toys. While some of her friends will argue back and forth over one toy, she will usually just go find something else instead. She is pretty independent. When we go to playgroup, I often find her happily running around by herself. She also likes to figure out how to do things on her own.
She has learned that she can call herself "Me." She can count... to 2. She goes "2,2,2,2,..." She says she is 2 while holding up 1 finger. She knows most of her colors now, and can say yellow, blue, purple, and pink. She knows her body parts extremely well, some of the latest are shins, nostrils, ankles, heels, wrists, hips. She is obsessed with my friend's dog Lyla and always says "Lyla, soft."
Her favorite songs are "Temple" (I Love to see the Temple), Ashes, Ashes (Ring Around the Rosies), and anything about Daddies, Mommies and Babies (sometimes we have to get creative. The other night I heard Brandon singing her "I am a Baby of God"). She takes after Brandon in that she usually makes up her songs instead of singing ones that already exist.
Lately, Millie has been really interested in the toilet, and usually uses it 2-3 times a day. I am still hesitant about potty training, so haven't really been pushing it, but I have been acting excited over all of her little successes. It has rubbed off on her, because the other day when she heard me "having success," she made a big excited, surprised face, clapped and said, "yay, mommy!"
She is pretty mischievous--
I was giving her a bath the other day and reminded her not to drink the bath water. So instead of drinking the water, she had her toys pretend to drink it and say "mmm, yum!" Then she kept dipping her fingers in it and taking quick little tastes, with a mischievous gleam in her eyes.
She likes to steal my water bottle and drink from it, even when hers is right next to it. Then she giggles.
She often runs away when she knows we need her--like when we are about to change her diaper. She loves to be chased, so she'll always check to make sure we're following.
One way we have gotten her to give us hugs for a while now is by telling her to "squish" us. It works best when you tell her to squish a different person than yourself. We pretend like it's a form of teasing and say "ahhh! you're squishing me!" She is more likely to squish us when she's in a teasing mood than give out hugs.
She loves to steal our shoes and practice walking in them.
She has learned a lot of facial expressions, like sad, mad, happy, silly, winking, kissy face, fishy face, and excited/surprised. I haven't taught her this, but she also sometimes rolls her eyes up and to the side and acts exasperated. She uses these expressions at sometimes really funny times. I have caught her glaring at me when I look over my shoulder while cleaning the kitchen a few times, just to have her start giggling.
Silly
Bored
Surprised/Excited (accompanied with a quick intake of breath)
Wink (takes a great deal of effort--first she closes both eyes, then she opens one)
Mad (I love that she puts her eyebrows as far down as they can go. We usually have to sing about frowns and smiles when this one comes out)
Sad (accompanied by "oh-hohoh!")
"Happy!"
The Kissy Face
I know this is blurry, but check out how far those little lips pucker! It's quite an impressive feat that we always try to mimic, just not quite as well.
Creating Chaos on the laptop on the tabletop.
Love this Face! (wearing a diaper cover on her head)
