Audrey: 20 months.

I have been promising a development update for a long time. Here it is. I do apologize for the lack of current pictures. It is really hard to take pictures of A right now. Every time she sees a camera or phone she stops whatever she is doing and runs over to try to grab the device. Which makes taking pictures hard. Also, we are just kind of lazy, so there is that.

This is what happens when she sees the camera.

Audrey is a toddler through and through. She has very strong opinions these days and lets us know when we have wronged her in the normal toddler ways. She is obsessed with the "pad pad" (iPad) and phones. So much so that we don't ever take them out when she is around unless she is going to get to use them because it is just not worth the dramatics. She doesn't get to use them much, so it has effectively cut down on our screen time as well, probably a good thing.

She is also obsessed with Elmo. I think the only thing she loves more than Elmo is daddy. She is obsessed with him too. Every time she sees the TV remote she picks it up and says "Elmo?" When Sesame Street is on she only sits down to watch when Elmo is on. She also has Elmo-dar. The other day at the grocery store she kept saying "Elmo!" and I was like what are you talking about? But then I saw a sandwich container with Elmo on it, and then it was pajamas with Elmo on them, etc. I think she found every Elmo in Meijer. Told you Elmo-dar.

As I alluded to, she is also in a major daddy phase. If JT is home she wants absolutely nothing to do with me. When he is gone she likes me fine, but given the choice it is daddy every single time. This both warms and breaks my heart. I love that she loves her dad, I wish she would ask for me once in a while though. But, for the first 18 months of her life she almost always chose me, so I can't complain too much. It is very sweet to see how much she loves that daddy.

Other big things in the life of a little girl: she is saying a lot of words. Everywhere we go is a running commentary of all the things we see, rock, car, doggy, kitty, truck, etc. etc. Today she brought the top of her marker over to me and said "black." And I said "Yes!" that is black. She amazes me frequently.

She still loves to play pretend and her favorite is still playing night night. It has taken a new twist though. Lately when we go to get her from her crib in the morning or after nap she says "no, stay." She wants to stay in her crib and play. She sometimes asks for a book. Then she takes her pillow and blanket, lays down, rolls over, and says night night. She sometimes will play in her crib for 15 or 20 minutes just jumping around and playing night night. Such an interesting little lady.

Audrey still will eat most food we give her, she loves all things fruit. It seems if she is hungry she will eat what is offered if not, she makes up for it the next meal. I am really hoping this characteristic sticks over time, but I am not holding my breath either.

All in all miss Audrey is a wonderful, happy, energetic, 20 month old. She always goes down the biggest slide she can get to at the park and loves to climb and jump off of anything she can find. Given her parents' personalities this does not surprise me, though we may up the amount of money we put in the flexible spending account next year in anticipation of urgent care visits :) So far, so good on that front.

We could not ask for a better little lady. Love you to the moon and back doots!