20 Months, iPhone Pics, Paci-free

Hmm, so I guess my sweet baby girl is going to be TWO in fours months.  That hardly seems possible. 

• Gabrielle is DONE with PACIFIERS.  On Sunday I noticed all of her paci's were totally chewed and mangled on the sucker part....not safe at all.  I couldn't live with myself if I actually went out and bought new paci's for my 19 month old, so I figured that it was a sign to end it.  I cut the end off and showed Gabi that they were broken and didn't work anymore.  She had a very concerned face and a few whimpers but did SO well....better than I could have ever imagined.  She hasn't had one since.  I had to show her her broken paci a few times when I knew she wanted it just to remind her they didn't work anymore.  Really, she has done great.  I'm very surprised/pleased/thankful/proud!   
• I think I'm definitely Gabi's BFF right now.  Actually, I think she is just maturing and finally wants to actually play with other people.  I think until around age two-ish kids mostly just play "next" to each other rather than really interacting and playing together.  Now, Gabrielle wants me to color with her, play with clothes with her, do sidewalk chalk with her, play in the sand with her, etc.  Before she would definitely want me close by, but now she really wants me to participate.  Fun :)
• And the time Nick and I spend with her really does make an impact.  Nick colored in her coloring book with her a few weeks ago - he colored one side of the page and Gabs "colored" the other.  Well, about a week or two later she was flipping through her coloring book when she stops at a page, points, and says "DADA!!!".  She found the page he colored with her and definitely remembered it (as opposed to pages that I've colored with her).  Nick was pretty impressed by that.
• And on the potty training front (not that there is really a potty training front, but oh well) Gabrielle is recognizing when she poos/pees.  For a while now after she poos she grabs her diaper and say "poo" - definitely recognizable.  I think she's starting to get the pee now too.  She'll very suddenly stop, grab the diap, and say poop.....but it's really pee (at least I'm guessing she just peed...it's not poo, that for sure).  She a bit confused, but at least she's noticing now.   
• A few days ago we thought she finally grew big enough to get on the couch all by herself.....but nope.  She grew smart enough to find a bucket, put the bucket by the couch, and climb on the bucket up to the couch.   
• Gabrielle is consistently learning new words, can usually pick out most colors when I ask, can identify and say blue and pink (boo, pee), can recognize names of all friends/family we see regularly, can say mommy, daddy, pa (grandpas), Cee-cee (babysitter Stacey), and Todd our neighbor.  Haha, seriously....he has similar features from a distance and his and Nick's cars look similar too, so Gabi always gets excited and says "dada!!" when she sees Todd and I have to tell no, that's not Dada that's Todd.  So know she knows Todd by name.
• Gabrielle started her second year of swimming lessons on Monday.  The session is only four days but she LOVES it!  It almost seemed like she was more of a natural swimmer last year at six months than she is at a year and a half, but she really enjoys the water. It's a bit "emotional" to get out when class is over.  Luckily I can promise we'll be back the next day, and she gets it.  
• Gabrielle is starting to get more two-word sentences too.  She says hi/bye to almost everything.  When we're done with our swimming lessons she has to wave and say "bye ahwa!" (bye water).  She also has "up please", "mommy sit", "up tree" and I guess a few other randoms. 
• Labels everything possible as either Mommy's or Daddy's, or hot or cold.  It's her think right now I guess.

I got her this little pony and she thought she should be able to ride it.....she'd say "rock! rock!" and try and sit and rock on it.  I guess not all horses are made for rockin.....

She's very close to getting on the couch....but she still needs the bucket.

 

 This kid is obsessed with mandarin oranges lately.  The only issue, is they basically come out whole once she's through will them for some reason.  Gross.....but she likes them. 

Mmmmm....ghi cheese!!!

Eating a popsicle for the first time.  Her entire body was stained red by the time she was done :)

Another obsession discovered - the mini automatic sink in the family restroom at the mall.  She thought that was the coolest thing ever. 

We've started locking our gates to our fence.  They seem to randomly end up open and the dogs get out......and I find them in the neighborhood looking like this.  Yes, Oskar is supposed to be all white.

On our way to the zoo last weekend!