Penny Jane: Sixteen Months Old

Twenty-something pounds and almost 33 inches tall.  Wearing size 12 or 18 month clothes, and a size 5 shoe.  We've got ourselves a full-on toddler.

We are in a time of watching closely that little fingers don't slam themselves in doorways 
and little foreheads don't bump themselves on faucets 
and little hands don't pull heavy things off the counter tops onto soft little heads.

First time we saw her blood (ever) was on Thanksgiving day when she busted her frenulum (the little thing that attaches your lip to your gums) on a set of doggy-stairs leading up to a bed at my parents' house.  Yes, the kind you buy from Skymall catalogue.  I thought we were going to have to go to urgent care and get her some stitches, but my uncle (an E.R. physician) had a look at it and said it would heal itself (it has).  Also in the mouth, she has cut what I think are some upper molars in the back of her mouth, and has been sleeping horribly, some nights waking at both 11:30pm and 3 or 4am.  I'm thinking growth spurt too?  Whatever it is, mama and daddy ain't thrilled about it and are looking forward to it being over.

She gives out hugs and kisses on request and it's utterly adorable.  She tells the dogs what to do in their own little secret code, and calls them over by smacking her lips, just like mom and dad do.  Her love affair with Apollo (the golden one) grows stronger every day and I wince at the thought of how she is going to feel as an emotional pre-teen when the dogs pass away.  Why do parents think about these things?

She goes all the way up to the top of the playground, and down the big swirly slide all by herself, signing "more" with her hands when she gets to the bottom every time.

Semi-regular vocabulary (said with a special Penny accent):  Ball, Mama, Daddy, "Here You Go," "Go Go," Doggie, Up, Seat, Leslie, Wow!, Oh!, More, Socks, Papa, Nana, Hat, Hot, Happy, "Whooooaa!"

Her recent thing has been nodding her head "yes" to prety-much any question she is asked, and with the utmost enthusiasm.  We try not to manipulate it for our own amusement, but it can get pretty funny. It amazes me how well she comprehends questions and commands, despite her limited ability to speak herself.  She also shakes her head "no" on the rare occasion when she definitely do NOT want something.  I.e. "Penny, should we change your diaper?"

Daddy and I often call her "Pay-Goo" which is a phonetic shortening of "Penny Goose."  She also gets called "Boosey" a lot or "Booses." -- both short for "baby goose."   I actually sternly called her "Penelope Jane Griffin" for the first time (and surely not the last) during a discipline moment, and then I laughed at myself… as though she would understand the significance of being called her full name.

Her dance moves are my favorite. Her little mullet hairs in the back are my favorite.  She's my favorite.