THE KUPPERSMITH FAMILY: 16 Months and Counting

Marlo is now 16 months old (and then some:)). She is a ball of personality and energy. I love seeing the individual she is becoming but have to admit, there are a few things I am not liking too much. Marlo continues to be a happy girl who plays well with others and is doing better at places like the gym when I leave her. She loves her brother so much and imitates almost anything he does..good or bad. The main area of development we have seen over the last month is her temper. She gets frustrated easily, I am guessing because she cannot communicate everything well yet, and often hits or throws her body at something or to the floor. This is partnered with crying and screaming. Liam did not use this type of method to show his frustration so while I know it is common, it is new to us. I, myself, may have had a "small" temper when I was a kid. I know it seems funny to those of you that know me now but just ask my loving family and they will confirm. All of that being said, I am a little nervous about what is to come.

This month, Marlo has dropped her morning nap and now takes a long afternoon nap only. I usually try to stretch her until 1:00 but it is sometimes earlier as she adjusts. She also is going to bed as early as 6:30 if she needs to right now. I am enjoying having our mornings free now.

Marlo's vocabulary is growing daily. She now says "Laura," "Papa," "Nemo (very clearly)," wawa (water)," "shoes," "nana(banana)," and more. She has even told us a few times when she had a dirty diaper. My favorite thing she does to communicate is over exaggerating her head shaking for "yes." Often, if she wants something she will point to it and slowly and purposefully shake her head yes until we acknowledge what she wants.

Physically, Marlo's walking has turned to more of a run. She enjoys parks and can be more independent at them since she can climb and walk almost anywhere her legs can stretch. Marlo has started to pay attention to the TV if Liam is watching something but I would not say she wants to sit and watch a show yet, which is fine with me. Marlo is still wearing 18 month clothing.