17 months (and 5 days)

Because Evie's 17 month-iversary was on Christmas Eve, I'm just getting around to posting this now.  17 months doesn't feel like much of a milestone with 18 months being right around the corner and all, but she has changed so much since 16 months.

Christmas 2010 at my parent's house

The biggest change has been in language ability.  We've had a language explosion at our house!!  She is repeating so many words now (M and I have really had to clean up our language...well we're trying at least), and she understand so much of what we are saying.  As a language teacher, it's amazing for me to watch language acquisition as it happens from birth, but I'm a dork like that.  ;)

At 17 months:

• Evie has added many new words including cow, good (when you ask her how she's doing), no way, yes, banana (sounds like bah-nah), car, bath, and there are so many more!  She's going to be a jabbering fool just like her mom any day now. 
• Tantrums are becoming a bit of an issue.  I feel like we are handling them pretty well mostly by ignoring/distracting her.  They haven't lasted very long.  We still haven't had a major blow up in public.  ::fingers crossed::
• Evie can find her tummy if you ask her, but she points to her eye/ear/head when you ask her where her nose is.  I always laugh when she does this, so I'm probably encouraging her.  I'm sure she'll figure it out eventually.  
• Evie has her second Christmas, but this one was much more fun.  She did a pretty good job of opening presents and she handled the crazy schedule and extra people really well.  We are going to M's family Christmas this weekend, so hopefully that goes as well as my family's did last weekend.

Hanging out with Grandpa!

• She has been sleeping very well at night for the past few weeks.  A cold threw us off right after Thanksgiving, but I'm hoping that we've gotten past that.
• She understands so much of what we say.  It amazes me!!!  She even walked to her room on her own earlier today when I asked if she was ready for her nap.  Of course, she fell asleep in my arms and woke up screaming as soon as she hit the mattress, but I was impressed that she went to her room like that!  (Focus on the positives, right!?!?!!?!?!)
• Evie's favorite game is "scaring" people.  She covers her face, then quickly uncovers it and says "Boo!"  I scream like she scared me to death and we laugh and laugh.  She really like playing that game with her aunts, uncles and grandparents at Christmas.  

Christmas 2011 at my aunt and uncle's house