maddie diary          fall 1998

sixteen-eighteen months old

this quarter
     - saying words
      - dancing
      - imitating conversation
      - understanding overheard                         comments

size
      - 32 inches
      - 25 pounds

activities

      - trip to Yosemite in September

interests

     - writing
      - music

Talking (10/7)
Mama, Dada, Pappa, No, Baba (bottle).  When she doesn't want something, it's "Nonononono", shaking the head back and forth.  She reminds us of the nightly bottle with "ba-BA! ba-BA!", followed by an approving "Ba-baaah" when we produce the goods.  "Yes" sounds like "zhayss".  Other words, occasionally: Hi, Bus, Cah, Gee (Augie), Kee (Kitty), Iss (this), etc.

She'll sometimes say something garbled that, when you attempt to put it into a possible interpretation, could be a fairly impressive statement, but may just be making language-like sounds.

She's a lot better at indicating preferences.  When I ask her if she wants me to put a tape in the car, she'll smile and nod.  You used to have to guess.

Food
Breakfast is a sippy cup of diluted juice, then eggs, pancakes, or oatmeal.  She's not too picky.

Cheap Toy
Her favorite toy seems to be pen and paper.  She's not missing and writing on her legs as much as just a couple of weeks ago.

Music
She loves music.  Whatever we put on.  Her favorites have been Paolo Conte and Serge Gainsborough.  We could put them on, and she'd drop what she was doing and start dancing.  A different dance for each song: a walking dance, a swaying dance, an up-and-back dance.

More Words (11/6)
She knows the letters A through E, H, O, and S.  Ice, Cold, Hot, Again (usually "Ain?" or "Gain?") Max ("Axsss"), Me, You, Up, Down, Teddy.

If you pick up a phone and tell her that Big Bird is calling, she'll pick it up and exchange a few lines that sound like conversation, and "OK".

Sleeping
We occasionally forget that when we put her in bed asleep a few nights in a row, she forgets that she can fall asleep in her crib on her own.  Then we have to retrain her.

The first time we went back to doing this, she jumped up and down so hard she threw herself out of the crib and onto the floor!  Landed on her back/butt and was upset but apparently unhurt.

Understanding
She's starting to understand TOO much.  Louise will ask me if it's getting close to bedtime, and she'll react "No! No! No!"

When she really, really wants something, she'll just point and say one word over and over, nodding until we get it.  Must be terribly frustrating.

And finally...
We're trying to get her started on the mini-toilet.  Letting her get relaxed just sitting there.