Isla {21 months}

Weight: 24lbs (my measurement)

Length: 33 inches (my measurement)

Accomplishments:

18 teeth (still working on those last two painful molars)

Climbs in and out of her chair

Knows most body parts (even the random ones like elbow and shoulders)

Says two to three words together 

Even looking at her, I can tell there is no baby left in Isla. This girl has become so fiercely independent. She wants to do everything on her own and do everything her brother can. But when she is tired, she still wants her mama. 

People are always commenting on how tough Isla is. But that is to be expected given the beatings she takes from her brother every day! She is learning to dish it back though. She will grab Connor's toys and run away while looking back at him running after her. It is pretty funny to watch. Isla literally has no fear of anything, even when a healthy fear would be nice. She loves playing with duplos and can stack them and build things all by herself. She also enjoys puzzles and being read to. Elmo is her absolute favorite, which is funny because we don't watch much Sesame Street or anything, but she saw him one day, latched on and hasn't given up her obsession. 

When Isla doesn't get her way, you know it. In fact, everyone within a mile radius knows it. She especially doesn't like to have to stop playing. And she isn't quite old enough yet to be reasoned with. So, she resorts to making her body stiff as a board and screaming at the top of her lungs. It's awesome. Thankfully, once we are out of the situation (like in the car leaving the park) she calms down rather quickly. 

A couple months ago now we switched her out of her highchair and into a youth chair. (youth chair - like a normal chair, but higher and smaller for a kid). She now even climbs in and out of it on her own. But don't worry, she still eats like a toddler. You know, food smeared all over the table, down her shirt and lap and all over the floor. Isla is now also drinking out of a cup at the table. She only gets small amounts because you never know when she will decide to turn the cup over or dump the whole thing on her face. 

I'm still nursing Isla and that has become an interesting thing in and of itself. She was down to twice a day, then started getting her two year molars and it became an around the clock thing again. Think hourly nursings at night. Exhausting. Because of this, she is getting night weaned. Amazingly, after Ian goes in to comfort her at night, she will sleep pretty much the rest of the night. But it can't be me going in there, because she gets angry if I withhold the cantaloupe juice from her. 

Most of the time Isla will tell us when she poops. She even likes to take toilet paper and "wipe" herself over her clothing, but she is still completely against sitting on the toilet. If I try to set her on it, she goes stiff and cries. I've even tried with all her clothes on and she still won't sit on it. I tried pulling on the little potty we have, but that just resulted in Connor using it and Isla not, so it got put away again. I'm not concerned with potty training her, but was excited she was showing some interest, that turned out to be just that, interest. 

And just a few things I want to remember about Isla right now. The coy look you have...your big eyes do all the talking, how you want to take everything out of your bed with you when you wake up, going along with that, you wanting to carry far too many things at one time, then get frustrated when you drop something, the way you lay your head on your daddy's shoulder, your laugh, how close you want to be to me when you sleep. You are one special kid Isla.