I've Taken Notice...(15 month update)

Lately, I have been fascinated as I watch Hallie's personality (which, let's be honest, has been pretty evident from the beginning) continue to develop. I am amazed at all she is learning and just watch her everyday thinking that she is absorbing so much. Here are some things I have observed lately: (along with some pictures that mostly have nothing to do with anything...)

1. Hallie has some serious parental preferences, and let's just say that its not me that she prefers. :) Don't worry, I have evidence to back up my claims.

-Whenever I ask Hallie to say "mama", she always says "dada", just to spite me. Believe me, its not a matter of not knowing how to say "mama", because she does that plenty, but only if she is desperate for something and I am the only one around to get it for her.

-When Hallie wakes up in the morning, I am usually the one to get her out of her crib. Most often, she is in quite the cheery mood because she has had a good night's sleep. Without fail, I will walk into the room and her little head will pop up to look at me. The next thing that invariably happens is she will say, "dada?" and look around to find out where he is.

-Yesterday, Hallie stepped on a board game piece and hurt her foot. She starting crying and so I picked her up to comfort her. She let me hold her all right, but she also let me know that I wasn't her first choice. She wailed over and over again, "daaaadaaaaaa....daaaaddaaaaa....daaaddaaaaa." I had to work really hard not to laugh because she just sounded distraught and wanted her daddy to comfort her. (Devin was working, so was unavailable at the time).

-When Devin comes home from work or school, Hallie makes a bee-line for the door and squeals with delight upon seeing her father. She also cries when he leaves. When I leave, it is more like a cheery wave bye bye. Upon my return, she is happy, but not nearly as excited as she gets for Devin.

-We are teaching Hallie to say "I Love You." She repeats I and love (which sounds more like yuuuuh) and then she varies between repeating "you" when we say it or finishing with the all famous "dada".

Not to worry, I am pleased that Hallie likes her dad! I love that she has such a good relationship with him. He spends a lot of time with her during the day due to my work schedule and she is happy as a clam to be with him. I know that she loves me too, but I find it endearing that she is so cute with her dad.

Little Ghost Hallie. She LOVES this blanket that Devin's co-worker made for her and hauls it around the house. The other day, she walked around with it over her head like this and thought it was the most hilarious thing ever.
Hals has taken to just throwing herself on the ground occasionally and having a "rest". She'll just be walking along and the next thing you know, she is sprawled on the floor wherever she happens to be.


2) Hallie has become super independent. She has to do a lot of things herself now. That includes feeding herself most of the time. That has become a bit of a disaster at times...See the picture below for proof of that. That's not the worst of it, but she looked pretty pleased to have coated her eyebrow so well!
We went to a BYU basketball game last week and Hallie refused to sit by Devin and I. She either stood to the side and watched the game, or she sat on the bench in front of us. No lie. She would not sit by our sides without throwing a fit. That made for an awkward game. The people in front of us no doubt wondered why our toddler was sitting by herself on the bench next to them. (Don't worry, Devin had a hold of her from the back).
Just cute, playing her all time favorite game "chase me"


3) This kid has some smarts! Yes, I have evidence of this too.

-The other day, we were getting ready to leave to go somewhere. We were standing in the kitchen and I told Hallie (jokingly) to go get her coat so that we could go. Well, off she marched, into her room, opened the closet door, pulled her coat off from the hook (its a low hook), shut the closet, and marched on back to the kitchen with her coat. I was pretty darn impressed! I have no recollection of teaching her what "coat" is, but she must have heard it enough to know. Plus, she knew right where it was and followed the directions to go get it.

-When we have family prayers, we try to kneel down. Recently, I called for Hallie from our bedroom to come because we were going to have prayers. I looked out the bedroom door and saw her squatting on the rug. Later, I realized that that was her version of kneeling. She has done this almost every time since when we pray. It just must have clicked one day that "prayer" and "kneeling" go together. It's cute, I will have to get a picture.

-Another "when did she learn that?" moment occurred the other day when Hallie was jumping on the bed. Yes, Devin allows her to jump on the bed. I came into our room and saw this happening and said to Hallie, "Don't do that or you will fall and hurt your head." With one final bounce, she landed on her bum and started hitting her head over and over again. I ran and got the camera and asked her to show me her head again, which she did (the video is below). I have never deliberately taught her "head." We have worked on eyes, nose, tongue, ears, and cheeks, but never head. So it was crazy to me that she had picked that up from somewhere and knew what her head was.

I just think it is fascinating to watch her little mind work. I love the stage that she is in, although she is already getting into fit throwing too. We are in for it! I just love this little girl so much, she is such a thrill to have in our lives.

One last picture. Hallie never took a binky really well. However, she now has this doll that has a binky and I often find her sucking on the tiny, hard binky. Don't ask me!