Madelyn's 17th Month

This could be Miss. M's last month as my only little one - (insert sad mama face).

She is turning into quite a little fashionista, running into her bedroom when she knows I'm picking out her clothes for the day and can't wait to get dressed in the morning. After she's dressed, she runs straight to the mirror so she can check herself out. She also knows that no outfit is complete without a great pair of shoes.

Madelyn is loving music this month and will turn her cd player on in her room during the day. She has also pulled out some instruments she's had for awhile and loves playing with them. The Easter bunny brought her some shaker eggs and she loves playing with those as well.

She is obsessed, and I mean Ob.Sessed. with putting things in baskets and boxes. We still have all the Easter eggs out because she likes to put them in her basket and walk around the house with it. She is definitely working on those fine motor skills. She has been this way since she was about 10 months old.

Being outside - loves it. I can't get her to draw with crayons or markers on paper but give the girl a box of sidewalk chalk and she will draw for at least 30 minutes. She loves the uneven ground of our yard and likes trying out little steps. Most walking is done at a run now.

Nick taught her what an elephant says this month, complete with throwing your arm up in the air like a trunk.

There was some more teething going on this month and she came into our bed a couple times. Once, she decided it was playtime when she got in our bed. I looked at her and said "you either lay down and go to sleep or you are going back in your crib". Miss. Smartypants laid down instantly and didn't make a peep until morning. She has also started leaving her pacifiers close to the edge of her crib and I will catch her throughout the day becoming ninja baby and swiping them out of her crib to suck them. Big no no in our house. She doesn't fight me when I make her put them back in her crib so I think it's just a game for her.

Also, the other day she actually walked into the kitchen and said "ni ni" (night night) and then went into her room. I didn't get in there fast enough to put her in her crib so she started crying and came back into the kitchen. The second she was in her crib, she was a happy camper and asleep within minutes.