I am a year and a HALF!

I am 18 months old and life couldn't be better! Summer is super cool: swimming, gardening, ice cream, fresh fruit and running around in my diaper. This is the life.
You probably heard- I FINALLY weaned Mommy. She seems a little sad sometimes so I give her extra cuddles and let them read to me now. I really love to see all the pictures in the books and imagine all the fun places and things I have yet to explore.
I am really into animals and their sounds right now. My favorite is ROARING like a lion. When there is an animal I don't know, I just roar and both Mama and Dada laugh so hard. Mom was trying to teach me new body parts and said "cheek" and I started to "bok" like a chicken. They get a kick out of me.
I am also really into spying cats when we are out and about.I usually don't get to pet too many though, they always run away. But BOY do I get to pet lots of dogs at the dog park. There are fluffy ones, smooth ones and ones with big teeth. (There is one with NO tail too, not sure what happened to him.) After I pet all the dogs and say "woof woof" to each of them I like to take a plastic bag and do what all the big people do, bend over, scrunch up the bag and then tuck in under my arm. I do this over and over and everyone laughs. Mama says it's because I am pretending to pick up dog poop. I'm just trying to be a grown-up. I like grown up things a lot and like to mimic, but I also love being a baby still. I guess that's what being a toddler is all about, I get the best of both worlds. When I don't want to behave I can still claim "baby" status!
I have lots of new words and the most useful ones are: help (they come right over), pool (used to denote any body of water), and spoon (for any eating utensil).
Daddy has been home a lot more this summer because his project at work is done. It has been so fun to spend lots of time with him. So far we went to New England, NYC, the Jersey Shore, Harrisburg, and to Nana and Pappy's. We are going to go camping in a few weeks and I can't wait to sleep in the tent and get super dirty.
Speaking of pools, Daddy bought me a HUGE deluxe pool for the backyard with a slide and waterfall. When Mama is around she doesn't get it out and says it's the "bane" of her existence. She gives me an old bucket to sit in. But if Dad is home he totally pimps out our backyard for me. One day my boyfriends came over to swim and I was the cool kid on the block. I like swimming at the public pools too. There is LOTS to watch there. I even put my face in on my own last week.
The other big change this summer is that Shirley now comes to my house!! We both miss Jona and went to visit him once, but I have a new friend- a BABY! It's hard not to take the baby's bobos, but I am learning to mature now that I am the older one. But when the baby isn't around, I can still sneak into her swing, it is soooo fun.
I am eating better now, still not gaining A LOT of weight, but Mom and Dad don't chase me around with food anymore. Sometimes I eat a lot but if I don't feel well I don't like to eat. The doctor says this is okay. I am 25% for my weight and 75% for my height.
My favorite foods are: cheese, pasta and ice cream cones. And juice boxes, especially when I am allowed to hold them myself.
Mama keeps talking about trying to call the Bobo fairy, but I keep hiding her number. I LOVE my bobo (pacifier) and lovey (blanket.)
Mom and Dad refer to them as "my friends" because they think I don't know what they are talking about, but I do. I usually only get to have them when I am sleeping. But if I get really fussy when they are trying to do something adult-like, I usually get my way.
I love playing "mommy" and feeding, dressing and rocking my baby dolls. I also LOVE shoes, jewelry and bags. Daddy says he is in trouble.
Yesterday, Mama, Miss Emily and I went to the mall and Whoah!!!! there was a shoe section that had shoes everywhere. As fast as I could, I sat on the floor, took off my shoes and started trying them on. I liked the purple sparkly ones best. I kept asking for the other shoe to the pair, but Mom said at the store there is only one out at a time. That's weird.
Speaking of stores, I don't like sitting the cart anymore, there is too much to explore. Mama says I am a hurricane. I like to think of it as creative, just like her.
One more thing before I go- I got a new toothbrush and for some reason it tickles me when Mama is brushing my teeth! I laughed so hard last night I fell down!