20 Months Old

Happy 20 months to our little sweetheart!  She delights us every day with her energy and joyfulness.

Lately, there has been a lot of dancing, hide and seek, and helping in the kitchen.  We discovered recently that she loves to dance to her Judy Rogers album Teach Me While My Heart is Tender.  (This is basically the old Why Can't I see God? tape plus selections from Go to the Ant and another tape we didn't have growing up . . . and I can see why . . . hearing Judy Rogers trying to rap is kind of terrifying.)  She had heard this album before, but I'd usually played it in the car.  Now when she hears it, her little feet immediately start moving!  I think her favorite song is Isabel is a Pig!  I'll have to find a video of it soon.  :)

A few months ago, we started visiting a different, older library branch which has lots of great summer programs.  For the past few weeks, we've been going to the "Movement and Music" class for toddlers, followed by "Dream Big Story Time" half an hour later.  Gemma loves the socialization, and there is plenty of opportunity for it . . . usually the room is filled with 20-40 toddlers and their mommies!  She also loves checking out new books every week, even though she's too distracted by the library itself to read them until we get home.  Gemma frequently brings Daddy or Mommy a book, saying, "eh, eh!"  

Dress-up is still a favorite.  :)

And the play-area at the mall . . .

Gemma now says at least four words very clearly:  Daddy, Mommy, eye, and ball, all in context (though sometimes "Daddy" gets a bit misapplied.)

Here she is cooking some triscuit soup.  :)  Gemma's third grandma gave her the apron, which has a cute print on one side and is red on the back--just like Mommy's.  She loves wearing it.  :)  

She's also growing more independent!  When I tell her that we're going down to the living room for dinner, she goes to get her bumbo and brings it over near the coffee table.  It's a big, bulky load for a little girl!  She can also wipe her own face and does her best to wipe her own tray when she's done!

Where's the baby???

There she is!