16 months.

I normally write Linna's monthly updates closer to her "month birthday", but I'm a little behind with this one. Linna is already 16 1/2 months old!

First time in the snow with her Papa!

This month, Linna started walking EVERYWHERE! Crawling is SO last month;) She's really on the move and we can't get enough of the way she picks up her feet when she walks. It's almost like she's marching. For the last couple weeks, Linna has been really quiet. Up until then, she was a little chatter-box and was starting to say all sorts of new words. I think she took the last couple weeks to absorb all the new words she's been hearing, because she's back to being a chatter-box. She's saying so many new words, but her current favorites are "Elmo" and "Owl". She LOVES owls and points them out whenever she sees them!

Linna is also really into Barney and Elmo right now. She will still watch Super Why, but she really watches the same episode of Sesame Street ("Maria the Cowgirl") and Barney over and over again. Therefor, I find myself constantly singing the songs from the shows... woof! Linna loves putting hats, or really anything for that matter, on her head and feet. Linna's favorite foods right now are oatmeal, yogurt, mango, eggs, Kashi Breakfast Bars, and anything sweet. She is slowly losing interest in her fruit/veggie packs, but I'm hoping it's just a phase. Linna also drinks about 6-8 oz. (sometimes more, sometimes less) of whole organic milk each day. She eats almost anything, but there's meals that she chooses to skip if she's not hungry. I completely over worrying about her eating every meal. I've learned that if she's hungry, she will eat. If not, she'll eat when she's hungry:) Kids are unpredictable, and we've also learned this with Linna's sleeping routine.

Painting.

16-month mullet. Pigtails daily are a must!

Since she was very little, Linna has been sleeping 12 hours at night, plus two 1.5 to 2-hour naps every day. This month, I started noticing that she was having a hard time going to bed and/or staying asleep if she did her two naps a day. So, we attempted doing one LONG nap each day. However, when we do ONE nap a day (around noon), she is still exhausted by 10:30 a.m., and by 4 p.m. she is a nightmare! So, instead of freaking out about it, we've decided to let her take two naps a day when we know we won't be home until 8 p.m. or later, and one nap a day when we put her to bed by 7 p.m. So far, this has really been working for all of us! I have realized that when Linna has sleep "issues", it's just a phase. She is still a good sleeper and I'm going to get as much sleep out of her as I can, before she's "over" her naps.

AJ, "So Serious" Linna, and I at a Twin Cities Bump
Club event in December. Photo taken by SMHerrick Photography.

"Potty talk" with MeMaw.

Linna hates being in the car, and we have to listen to kid's songs when we're driving (something I never thought I'd do). She seems to only get irritated in the car when it's just me and her. I've resorted to giving her her pacifier (or "Wa") in the car. She only gets it when she sleeps, and now in the car. I've also noticed that Linna is getting a little "too" attached to me. Even though I'm a stay-at-home mom, we are around other kids and adults every day! She WILL let us drop her off with anyone, so we don't have an issue with "stranger anxiety". However, if I am in the room when we're with family or friends, she is all about being by her Mama. I do my best to stay out of sight when we're around other people, so she has a chance to hang out with her family and friends. But, if she's tired, she is attached to my hip! Linna also points at me a lot and says, "Mama", just to confirm that I am still there. I love her little voice:)

Getting so BIG!

Looking forward to spending Christmas and New Years with our family! Happy Holidays to all of you:)