Slanted: Ellen at 18 and 19-Months-Old

I was planning to post about Ellen at 18 months, but here she is 19 months already.

Things to know about Ellen:

1. Everything she does is adorable. Examples include, running to the rug and throwing herself face down with her bottom popped up in the air for family prayer; suddenly announcing, "Kisses!" and then giving very, very nice kisses; growing curls that go wild in the humidity; walking through the market holding onto her daddy's finger.

2. She sticks everything she can up her nose. She sneezed yesterday and out came a sticker.

3. So far, she's very compliant. When I ask her to come in from playing, she just comes. When it's time to clean up, she helps. If I set her down next to the car and ask her to stay while I get a bag out of the trunk, she stays put.

4. She talks a lot. At 18 months, she started making tiny sentences. I'm super tickled when my kids can tell me things. Last week I asked her where her cracker had gone, and Ellen answered, "Throw it down."

5. She's great at independent play and has inner resources. (Hallelujah!)

6. She can sit and read books for ages.

7. She calls herself Edabee, her baby nickname. I've been having her repeat her whole name (first middle last) after me and she's really good at it, but when I say her given first name, instead of repeating, she answers, "Edabee."

8. Her favorite thing is playing in water. We have a water table outside and she can amuse herself there for hours.