Mila's 16 Months

I feel like I just completed the 15 month post......time is really going by way too fast. Here are some updates/pictures:

My little mechanic. It will be interesting to see what she does when
she grows up. She loves to explore/try to figure things out.

She loves picking flowers. Not sure this is a good habit given that most folks, including mama, don't want their annuals picked.

1. Mila now has about 15-20 signs that she does on a regular basis. This past month she added cold (her favorite), hot, bug, apple, and car. What's really cute is that she is using her signs across situations. When she has had enough of the stroller or car seat....she signs "all done" which used to be exclusively for meal time. The funniest one for me is when Mila is getting into things she shouldn't and I have to get her away from it. She signs "more, more" as if she wants more of what I just told her she can't have/do. I have to give her credit for trying.

2. Mila's hair has grown a ton and is curly, curly, curly! So cute! I really can't "tame her mane" for any length of time. Since she won't wear pony tails...it often looks like I don't comb it. Luckily- she's cute anyways and it will be nice when it's longer and the curls will just flow down her back...hopefully:) In the sun her hair has a nice red tint to it.

When wet and straight..it's pretty long

Bed Head!

Wild girl.....Wild Hair!

3. Mila is a feisty little girl! She can be a little stinker at times. She still puts everything in her mouth but what's sort of (yes, not really but sort of) funny is that when I tell her not to put something in her mouth, she'll do it anyway and look at me and smile. It's hard not to laugh. When I told her not to put sand in her mouth, she took a finger full -put it in her mouth and said "yummm!" Funny girl. Either she has pica or -will grow out of eating dirt, rocks, mud, sand, and toilet paper:)

She also is a runner.....she loves to run and be chased. This is fun but not so fun in airports when she runs out of mama's sight. Yep- as much as I hate the "child leashes".....she may be one of those kids who need one

4. Mila is very social and will wave to anyone....especially if they are paying attention to her. Sometimes she waves when they are not even looking at her but she seems to be okay when they don't respond. She is fun to travel with as she always finds a few fans in the airport/on the airplane.

5. Mila is a good sleeper in the sense that she sleeps through the night for almost 12 hours. That being said, she continues to be a short napper and a poor "sleeper-in -er." Mila's preferred schedule is 6 pm to 6 am and she naps for about 1.25 hours on most days when she has one nap. I still give her two naps on the weekends and she naps for an hour each time. I am learning to live with this sleep schedule but don't love it. The hardest part is the early morning wake up calls and the fact that I go to bed later than I should. When we travel to CA.....she gets up between 5:00-5:30 am which is really rough. A mom I met in CA this past trip said her girl didn't sleep through the night until she was 2 so......things could be worse.

6. Mila is a good eater and is good at trying new things. Her food intake has decreased a bit since the surgery and it also seems like some of her food preferences have shifted. This past month she has tried and enjoyed cheeries, peanuts (yep- even though she's not supposed to have them) and raisens. She is not a big meat eater. In fact, she rarely eats the meat (chicken, beef) that I give her. She prefers to get her protein from milk, cheese, and beans. Mila now eats cold cereal in a bowl with milk and a spoon. She seems so grown up when I see her eating this.

7. Mila seems to be growing like a weed......every time I look at her she seems taller. I keep needing to move things higher and higher to keep them out of her reach. One of her favorite things to play with are a set of keys.....she loves keys. So much so that I am making a set for her to have/use vs. using my keys. Her other really favorite thing to do is put lids on things and take them off (milk, soda bottles, aspirin.....anything with a lid). She really prefers these things over real toys.

8. Mila has gotten a few new teeth this past month. How many....I am not sure. She never really lets me look unless she's laughing really hard. All I know is that it has seemed like she has been teething all month (drooling more...if that's possible....hand/fingers in her mouth) and new teeth pop up all the time. The pediatrician mentioned during our last visit that Mila has an under-bite, which you can see if you look at the "bed head" picture above. She thought it may be related to her huge tonsils/huge adenoids but what is interesting is that I too had an under-bite as a kid. Weird how our adopted kids have similar traits/characteristics as us. I had braces as a kid and Mila may need them too......only time will tell.

9. Mila LOVES to hold things and always has something in her hands. The first thing she does in the morning is look for something to pick up, hold, and play with and then eventually- put in her mouth.

What can I say? She's the pug of my life and I really do enjoy watching her personality come out....spunky girl and all!