We didn’t throw a big party this year, but had a lovely little family gathering instead.  Maiabeanie was pretty overwhelmed by our fussing over her, trying to get her to wear a silly hat, and pushing a bunch of wrapped gifts at her.

She got lots of great stuff: books (including a Thomas one), a wooden train, stuffed animals, and wheeee a bicycle!

Here she is “reading” from one of her old Thomas books, aptly about a birthday party:

Maia weighs 24lb 6oz (38%ile).  She is 33.5 inches tall (34%ile).  She is perfectly healthy, and for that we are grateful.

She was totally unphased by her flu shot.  We were told (as we were at the 12, 15, and 18 month appointments) that we really ought to give up bottles.  😀  I think we are going to try, and I’m pretty sure Beanbean won’t be pleased!

Hurrah, we all survived another year!   😀

Beanie is still as wiggly and physical as ever, constantly jumping, spinning, or climbing.  She loves to learn new things.  She picks up new songs after just a couple of listenings.  She loves books, her owl 바지, her brownma sleepsack (not the blue sleepsack!), and Thomas the train.

She is happy and talkative.  She can sometimes be stubborn and tantrum-y, but gets over it pretty quickly when she is upset.  (Sometimes afterwards she tells me very matter-of-factly, “Baby cry.”)  She pulls off her socks and hands them to me when I drive her in the car.  She is a great eater.  She still sucks her thumb.

Happy birthday my 뽀뽀bean!

Today Maia was singing:

Old MacDonald hadee farm     E-I-E-I-yoooo

Ondee farm he hadee cow      E-I-E-I-yoooo

Ondee farm he hadee trash can      E-I-E-I-yoooo

Ondee farm he hadee bicycle      E-I-E-I-yoooo

Ondee farm he hadee 빵       E-I-E-I-yoooo

Today we almost got kicked off the Tilden Park steam train because Maia won’t stay seated.  😐   Now, I know I can force her, but I want to figure out a way to keep her contained that doesn’t involve wrestling and screaming, so…. not sure what to do.  She totally understands me when I tell her we need to stay seated, and in fact she deliberately stands on the seat just to oppose me if I get on her case.  Gah!

At the train last month when family was visiting:

Tonight once again, Maia protested bed time and kept calling me back in.  On the 5th or so attempt she told me, “Mama get in” (to the crib!) and tried to pull me in.  I ended up patting her to sleep while she clutched my wrist.  Luckily it didn’t take too long, but I really don’t want this to become a habit!

A week or so ago, as I was forcing Maia into her carseat (the carseat continues to be a struggle here), she said something to me that sounded like “뽀뽀 hate you.”  I swear.  I know she is too young to conceive of or understand such a thing, and when I told Tom later he said as much and I believed it…. but now every day she surprises me with the things she says and understands so I’m thinking she actually did say it!  Ofcourseofcourse I know she doesn’t hate me, but damn.  That hurts.  Kids.

I saw this recently and it cracked me up.  Beanbean is a twister, slow poke, and rod!

From Hedger Humor via Buzzfeed 

At Little Farm playground there are some (fake) boulders that are a good five or six feet high and have no barrier or bannister.  This is the first time I let Maia explore them without insisting she hold my hand.  She was really happy and exclaimed, “Baby sooo top!”

The next is a a pic taken on an old cell phone, so not great quality, but anyhoo Beanie is really into Thomas the train.  My parents scored some Thomas books and toys at a garage sale and these have kept Maia quite entertained.

In the last few weeks Maia has become more and more resistant to going to bed, especially if Mama is the one putting her down.  Sigh.  Please let this be a short phase!!!