The Baby

Autum is exploding with personality lately.  She's hit that stage where she really wants to communicate...various sounds come from behind that pacifier (that we are working to remove) that sound like words.

Words I hear the most are:
 "snack?"
"ooowwweeee!!"
"No!" (crosses her arms over her chest and turns her body away from you)
"outside"
"shoes"
"Eeeewwwweeeee! PU!" (and plugs her nose and waves her hands)
"Hot!" (again waves her hands)
"Shhhh!" (and holds her little finger over her mouth to shush you)


Most recently I heard this..."help"  "help"  "help"...and it took me a minute to realize she was saying it, and another minute for me to figure out where she was at, and finally another minute as to why she was hollering it.  I walked into her room to find her dangling from her toy box lid, arms and legs flailing in the air.  She was hooked by the back of her shorts...I had no idea she knew that word and how to use it appropriately.  Good thing!

So many things Autum does remind me of Leah at this age.  Ornery, yet innocent.  Still cute and squishy.  Unable to talk back and argue.  And learning things at a rapid rate.  But what else I notice is how her being the 'baby' of the family effects her behavior and thinking. 

Girl can hit a 4-octave high screech that makes your blood curdle in 0 seconds flat if someone lays their hands on something she wants or is playing with...and it's highly effective at getting attention.

Girl can remove anyone from my lap during story time, no matter how big they are.  She'll lay her head on my chest, reach her arms over her head and just fall forward, wiggling her way between my body and whoever is sitting on my lap...and she'll just lay there until the previous seat owner gets angry and moves.  And for some reason I let her...

Girl can smack anyone with anything and not get in trouble...guess we consider it self-defense. Who knows?

Girl knows what she wants, when she wants it.  And you better serve it up NOW!

Girl can pick up a ball and glove and know what to do with it.  Or a microphone, racket, bat, pom pons, etc.  She's been to a few games, practices, events...

Girl can mooch food off anybody, anywhere..

Girl can draw the attention of a full room in one movement.

Girl can make my dad or Jerad's dad turn to mush by sweetly whispering "pa-paa"  "paa--pa"

Girl can do something obviously naughty and everyone just laughs...

But this girl is also the lover of the family.  She's the little "mama."  She's always making sure everyone is taken care of.  She'll fetch Blake his drink.  She'll give him his pacifier at night before bed.  She'll grab a blankie for herself and one for him.  She squeals in delight and runs to give Leah a hug every morning when she wakes up.  She won't lay a hand on Blake, even if he hits or pushes her.  (she waits until later to get in a cheap shot) 

So many dynamics make up who this little girl is and will be, but for now I just want her to stay the baby because she is growing up WAY too fast already. 

I'll be curious to learn how adding Blake to the family will affect his and her personalities later on in life.  As he was the baby of his biological family too...