Michaela

Michaela is quickly approaching 18 months.  She is not very verbal, though I've heard that is pretty common among the youngest children in large families.  All the words she's learned up to now are used most sparingly and never on cue.  She is does not show off.  So, we get an occasional mama, dada, ball, this (dis), baby (beebee), and bye-bye (bah-bah) with a princess wave.  Most recently she has started to play peek-a-boo with her sisters.  She says something with her hands up by her face but we haven't figured out the exact sounds.  When I try to coax it out of her I get nothing.  I have a little movie of her babbling to her reflection in this stainless steel bowl.  It's not much, but she really doesn't talk much.  I thought I'd just share a couple pictures here for now.

She LOVES her boots. She would wear these things 24 hours a day if I let her.  I have never had a child so attached to her footwear.  I have been looking for another pair of rainboots like these in a larger size but all I can find are wellies, which are a little more tricky for toddlers to walk in since they come up so high.

She has ample opportunity to splash in the mud.  It is part of country life that I have yet to embrace joyfully, though the kids sure do.  I have a movie of her going back and forth through this muddy puddle.  That's another that I may post a clip of later.  Here's a couple of pictures for now: 

SPLASH!

Like all kids she loves to swing and slide, two more opportunities to take pictures of my beautiful, happy baby girl.  There is a better one, but this was all I had time to upload before the camera battery died.  Besides, she's at my side trying to grab the mouse and keyboard, now, so that's my cue to sign off.

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