20 months

Anya is 20 months old today.

These monthly updates are getting more difficult, since developmental changes aren't quite as obvious as they once were. But a few things come to mind.

- Counting. While Anya has been able to recite the numbers 1-10 for awhile now, the idea of actually counting is starting to make some sense to her. Really, just the early sparks of that idea. Sometimes it seems like she gets it and other times not quite yet.

- Colors. Identifying colors is also starting to click. We can say "Anya, will you hand us the [color] crayon?" and she'll get it right most of the time. Sometimes she'll randomly point at something and correctly name its color. But still, if we are holding up an object and say "Anya, what color is this?" She automatically says "yellow," whether she looks at said object or not. And then if that's not correct answer, she defaults to "green".

- Speech. I don't recall if this has been mentioned here, but bug often speaks in the third person. "Anya go see Flynn" etc. I guess it's one of those developmental phases where they start to recognize that they are individuals and have their own separate wants.

Lately, she has taken to using the word "too," meaning also. "Anya want some water, toooooo". And from this morning "Grandma too loud. Grandpa too loud too" (Lynn & Steve - I have no idea what she was talking about, but you should probably lower your voices if she can hear you all the way from Virginia). It's probably her favorite word lately, since she seems to tack it onto sentences whether it makes sense or not.

Other stuff

Not developmental, but starting last week, Anya spends two hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays with my friend Jennifer's nanny, Sheri, while I go to the gym. Sheri watches 3 other kids while Anya is there. I'm thrilled because Anya gets to spend more time with her friends (and I get more time to myself). And they are all a fair amount older than her (range from 2 to just-turned 4) and she'll be able to learn from them....especially when potty training time comes this fall/winter(?). She has the time of her life. When I picked her up last Thursday, all 4 kids were running circles around the house, chasing each other and squealing. I love seeing happy kids.

Likes/dislikes

Likes: playing with the dog food (putting it into various containers), digging in the garden, watering the garden, bathtime, playing in water, singing, climbing, drawing and painting, helping me "cook", playing chase, trying to put on/take off clothes and shoes, going for walks around the neighborhood and looking at the neighbors' chickens, The Little Gym, bothering the cats, books.

Dislikes: having her teeth brushed, joining in group activities (she always wants to do her own thing and only joins in if the activity very much interests her...and then goes off again once she's done with activity).