Emma at 19 Months

Emma's favorite thing to say this month is definitely, "I on help!"  Meaning, I wanna help! She wants to help with zippers, picking out her own clothes, pouring water, drinking her juice, cutting her food, etc.  If we try to do something for her, she will say, "Nonononononono".  I have put her desire to help to good use, as Emma has discovered the thrill of illustrating vertical canvases.  Here she is below washing the wall that I caught her scribbling on with pencil.

And here both Lucy and Emma are "helping" to wash off the chairs they colored in with chalk while I was getting adjusted at our chiropractor's office.

Next on the popular phrase list this month would have to be "I on see!"  Translated, "I want to see!"  Anything Lucy has, Emma wants to see.  Up until this point, Emma was the laid back sister.  Now, Lucy has her work cut out for her.  Emma has become quite competitive and has even resorted to biting to get her way.  Right now Lucy is sporting a bruise on her back that showcases all twenty of Emma's teeth.  Will confided in me that if he was Lucy, he would be very afraid.  It hasn't slowed Lucy down though, and I come running when I hear Lucy shout, "Emma, no biting!"  Emma also likes to say "I on see" when I change her diaper, when Lucy is sitting on the potty, and when I wipe her nose.  Along those same lines, she has become fascinated with toe jam.  I have capitalized on her new interest in the fuzz between her toes when I change her diaper, as it is the only thing that gets her to hold still.

The sibling rivalry has been pretty rough this past month and drains my energy like nothing else.  Now I understand what my mom meant when she insisted all she really wanted for Christmas was for her kids to get along.  Truly, that's all I want for Christmas, and I want it to last for longer than five minute stretches!  Don't be fooled by the below pictures of them getting along.

Despite Emma's new competitive streak, she is still a sweetie.  She has gotten really good at saying "I yuv you" this month.  She says it in a soft, high pitched voice that melts my heart every time.  Especially when she says, "Hi, mama.  I yuv you."  Here she is below looking oh so sweet for her 18 month portraits that we had taken a month late.

If you ask Emma what her favorite song is, she will most likely say "Doodle Dandy".  If you ask her what her favorite color is, she will probably say, "Purple!"  A couple of Sundays ago we arrived at church late and had to sit in the front row where the only remaining open seats were left.  There were flowers on the alter in front of us that were purple and Emma spent the entire service pointing and yelling "PURPLE!"  No amount of shushing would deter her excitement of seeing her favorite color on display for all to see.  Here she is below wearing one of her favorite shirts because it is purple.

Emma has been suffering from acid reflux again this month.  Sleep has become harder and harder to come by for the entire family and she is getting more miserable as the days go by.  We have an appointment scheduled with the pediatric gastrologist this coming month which can't come soon enough.  Ironically, just days before the reflux symptoms started showing up she had her 18 month well visit at the pediatrician's which she passed with flying colors.  Here she is below looking cute in the tiny gown, waiting to see the doctor.

The below picture was taken before she started having tummy issues.  I wouldn't dare risk waking her up with a picture now!

We are blaming her recent picky eating on her tummy troubles too.  Fortunately this time around she has a bit more chunk on her to see her through, but it is still difficult to not make her special meals when all she will eat lately are hot dogs, apples and cheerios.  The other day we were driving home from running errands when we started talking about getting hot dogs at Coney Island for dinner.  Will was eating something in the front seat and reached back to give Lucy a taste.  Emma of course wanted a taste too, so Will reached back with a couple of crumbs on his finger for Emma to taste.  It was then I heard a yell so loud I almost ran the car off the road.  Emma had bit down on Will's finger so hard it drew blood.  As Will nursed his wound in the front seat, Emma started crying and saying "hot dog" in the back seat.  The moral of the story - never talk about hot dogs while offering your finger to Emma.  She must have thought Will's finger was a hot dog!

Finally, I need to note that Emma has gone vertical in more than just her artwork.  She is climbing on everything.  Life was so much easier before she decided to scale furniture, counter tops and window ledges.  I found her on top of the stove the other day and couldn't stop thanking God that it was off.  I feel like my sole job is to just keep Emma alive, and Lucy from being bitten.  Add that to all of the other challenges we have going on this month makes for one tired mama.  But when I kiss those squishy cheeks of hers, and she wraps her arms around my neck and says, "Hi mama.  I yuv you," it definitely makes it all worth it.  I yuv you too my little bean sprout!