18 months

Weight: 23.6 lbs (40%)

Height: 32.5 in. (76%)

Elle's now totally entered the do-it-myself, stubborn, and very opinionated stage. It's frustrating while completely hilarious at the same time. For example, I put Elle's shoes on the other day, then then went to redo her pigtails. As I finished with her hair I looked down to find that her shoes had been changed to opposite feet. She had to do it herself!

At 18 months:

- Elle has finally mastered the spoon. She's been using a fork independently for awhile, but now is good with a spoon too. And of course she doesn't like anyone to feed her- except during her second breakfast that she has every morning on Spencer's lap.

-She loves throwing fits when things don't go her way. Luckily recovery time is pretty quick.

-When Elle gets hurt she does the hold-your-breath cry (she's done this almost her whole life). She holds her breath for the longest time. I can't count the number of times I've had to blow in her face and tell her to "BREATHE!!"

- She's great at washing herself in the tub. It's quite adorable too.

- She's talking so much more now and starting to combine words.

- Two favorite words are "NO" and "MIIIIIIINE". Most answers are "no" but when she does want something or agree with a suggestion, the answer is usually, "uh huh" or "hm"

- She loves saying all our names and listing the people in our family. She'll say: "Madi (without pronouncing the "d"), an Daddy, an Ellie." Then she'll thrown in "MOM" and laugh at me.

- For dog she says, "Ruff", her giraffe is "Raff". For m&m's she just says, "M".

- Madi is the first person Elle asks for every morning.

- Elle loves her bed!

- She's a stomach sleeper all the way and sleeps just like her mama. When it's time for bed or nap she practically jumps out of my arms to get into her crib with her "raff", blankie, and binky. She immediately lays down, puts her binky in, tucks her arms underneath her body, kicks her legs back and forth a few times, and usually goes right to sleep.

- Tells me "poop" when she's in need of a diaper change. She's asked to use the "potty" a couple of times this month, but every time I tried to put her on it she'd freak out.

- Loves to pull bread out of the wine cooler and bite the bag.

- Elle's favorite toys are still babies and books, but she does love drawing, building towers, playing dress-up and kitchen.

- Elle's really gotten into imaginative play this past month.

- She takes such good care of her babies- always rocking them and saying, "Nigh nigh baby" Tucking them into bed, and saying, "shh, shhhh, shhhhhh" when they cry.

- I love watching Elle read stories- she "reads" with such excitement.

- If Elle sees a picture of a little girl who looks remotely like Madi she'll get all excited and yell, "Madi, Madi!" while pointing at the picture.

- She's already had 3 weeks in nursery. She's doing ok- I'm sure the adjustment will be a lot faster than it was for Madi.

- Chucks her binky whenever she sees food she wants or when she's really into reading a book.

- Elle detests brushing her teeth (the 12 that she has). I seriously pin her down every night before bed to do it. She cries the entire time.

- She's a pretty good nose blower and loves wandering into the bathroom to blow her nose.