19 Months - Where Did I Put That...?

I told myself that at 18 months the monthly Ingrid updates should stop because, I assumed, they would feel trivial.

After walking and talking, what's left? As it turns out, a whole lot.

Her innocence and sense of humor amaze me and she's starting to stand her ground against bedtimes and vegetables. Here are some of my favorite moments at 19 months:

• On Monday, we had edamame for dinner. Every time we released a little edamame pod from the shell, I'd say "POP" and Ingrid would quickly shovel it into her mouth. Last night, Ingrid pushed her little finger into broccoli yelling "POP" while looking at me as if to say "Remember?"
  
• Every Saturday Ingrid and I head over to our local community center for a Movement Class. Kids under the age of three run around, dance with ribbons and roll on mats to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. Ingrid is nervous and hesitant at the beginning of every class and of course at the end, asks for "More?!"
  
• Hummus used to be referred to as "Hummy." Today, she called it hummus. Our little girl is growing up.
  
• More evidence she's growing up, Ingrid ditched the crib for a big girl bed.
  
• From an early age, we used sign language with Ingrid to communicate simple, everyday things - eat, more, mom, dad, milk, hat, fish (the last two, more useful than you would think). This kit includes flash cards. Ingrid loves flash cards. Sometimes when I'm in the kitchen, she'll come racing in with a chubby handful of cards, sit her little self down and whip through them as if she's studying for a math quiz.
  
  But, cards are slippery and sometimes the couch gets the better of you and the cards: 

How many cards can I hold? 

What's cuter? A kitty cat shirt with hearts or these pigtails?

What the? Where's my other card?

Under here?

Under the pillow?

Got it. 

At 19 months, this much is true: she is smart, she can now climb up onto our bed, twirl around in circles and sign language is being replaced by joining words. As in "Hi Mama and Dada."

At 19 months, she is so cute, it makes your heart hurt.