Pebble–18 months

Our Pebble is 18 months old! What a milestone.... it seems that the weeks and months are slipping by so quickly. I was just reading through Pebble's 'blue book', the one that we're given at birth to keep a record of everything. I have never really loved this book, it's a bit too tricky to handle and not very pretty. However, as we're about to go to Pebble's 18 month check up I thought I might read through and see how she's going compared to all the checklists.

It was so hard trying to remember when Pebble did this or that, and I was quite sad to find that my lack of blogging this year has meant that I don't have a record here either. It has made me more determined to blog more, even when my holidays finish at the end of this week (remind me of that later, won't you?).

The biggest change for Pebble this month is her language. She has never been quick to talk, she much prefers to use pointing and gestures over actual words, and is very good at getting the message across. However, in the last week Pebble's language has just exploded, as I knew it would one day. I knew because this is what I am trained to know, but still, I had started to wonder if this day would ever come.

Pebble has said her first sentence “there he is!”, when we were reading through the book I went walking. She loves to search each page for the black cat and what do you know, there he was! Pebble is repeating everything we say (onay oremay wearingsay), including some complicated words. Feel free to look away now because here comes an attempt at a list of words that Pebble can say without being prompted or without repeating what we say. This list is for no other reason than for my own personal records. You may fall asleep….. now:
more, uh-oh, Daddy, Dad, Mum, Mummy, baby, dark, duck, moo, moon, up, yum, no, yes, please, ta, Wiggles (said was WeeWee). Bugga, can’t remember anymore! I’ll have to pay attention and write a few more down.

Some ‘words’ don’t come as words but sounds, eg. car/motorbike/bus/truck = varying levels of vrrrooom! or beep!, cow = moo, dog = oofoof, sheep = baa, cat = miaow, mouse = squeak, lion/bear/tiger = roar….. you get the idea. 

Some words come as actions only: palms up, waving hands from side to side = where is it?, holding her hand to her ear and looking around = what is it?/I can hear something, putting her finger up and pressing it to her lips/nose = shhhhh I’m hiding OR more. The verbal word more is always accompanied by this symbol – cute! Going and getting a bowl or pushing at the fridge = I’m hungry (duh) and getting a cup = I’m thirsty. Carrying a baby/toy/bear around and fake crying = this baby is sad we need to help him by getting a dummy and putting him to bed (sometimes translated to I want to go to bed/have my dummy). Nodding her head just after something good has happened = let’s do that again. Getting a ball and holding it up while pointing at the floor = come play ball with me. Basically, if she can get away with not verbalising, she will, and she’s gotten very good at that.

Paul and I have also noticed a new gesture this past week, which perplexed us then made us laugh – One night Pebble was pointing repeatedly to the shelf where we put our drinks down when we’re not drinking from them. We asked if she wanted a drink? No. She kept pointing, coming and pulling on our arms then pointing again. OH! She wants us to put our drinks down. So we can play. Maybe you had to be there….

Food has become another list of things Pebble will eat, rather than a list of things that she won’t. She still loves her peas, pasta, chicken, cucumber, tomato, cheese, cheese sandwich, yoghurt, weetbix and grapes. Now she drinks milk with her morning and afternoon snack which she LOVES. She also eats toast (weird that I haven’t really given it to her before now), green beans, broccoli, corn, bolognaise sauce on pasta, pineapple, four bean mix, tortillas, olives, vegemite, ham, baked beans, melon, and most fruits, and anything that comes from Daddy’s plate. I’m having trouble thinking of more things because she will basically try anything. She does not like mashed potatoes (freak) and won’t try eggs (clearly not my child) or mandarins.

Pebble’s coming along in leaps and bounds with gross motor skills – she is great at kicking and throwing balls, climbing over everything, jumping with both feet off the ground, dancing and copying other’s actions while dancing. She is really enjoying some fine motor stuff lately too, especially putting the lids on and off of things (eg. textas, paint pots), and putting things into order (eg. a row of cars).

Pebble loves to keep things tidy and always picks up bits of this or that off my less than scrupulously clean floor and puts it in the bin. She also closes cupboards and drawers in my wake (I have a terrible habit of leaving a room with half of these open). She also loves to make mess and tips up her boxes of toys with no intention of playing with them. That is the play. She doesn’t enjoy having messy hands, and enjoys having them cleaned even less. Bath time is fun unless you actually need to wash her – she howls down the house when we wash her body and acts as if being murdered when we wash her hair.

Pebble had her first drop off at child care last week, where I left her for half an hour while I sat in the car and tried not to throw up. She was absolutely fine. She barely looked up as I walked away, and smiled and waved when I returned. Fabulous! I’m not expecting this behaviour to continue, but I’ll take the positives as they come. We have our second visit today – come what may.

Pebble loves hugs, especially ‘group hugs’ with mummy and daddy, where we all cuddle up together and give lots of kisses. We love this quite a bit too.

There you go, that’s our Pebble, growing up before our eyes.