Isabel has turned into the loveliest toddler. She has acquired quirks and habits that make her so very charming and sweet. We find ourselves the parents that (pre-Isabel) used to be worthy of our eye-rolls, as we are quite sure that she is the finest little creature that ever existed. (Feel free to eye-roll at us. We are too in love to care.) That is not to say she doesn't show hints of the child that will one day make us pull out our hair and scream, but for now we can smile and laugh thinking about that day (which will be far from funny when it arrives, but ignorance is bliss.) For instance, she refused to get out of her new car the night she got it. I opened the door to take her out, and she shut the door on me and looked at me like, "What are you going to do about it?" And I had a flash forward of her in fifteen years...
Izzie's communication has developed rapidly, both verbal and nonverbal. She knows the signs for "more" and "all done" (this is an adapted version of what it's supposed to be, but it suits her). She now does the sign for "more" and points at what she wants more of (snacks in the cupboard, milk in the fridge, etc.). And if you give her more of something she does not want (aka, vegetables) when she very clearly wanted more crackers, she will shake her head, point at what she does want, and point at her tray. "No, Mom. You've got it all wrong. Not more carrots. More crackers. Put them right here." We are working on the sign for "please", but it frustrates her. I think she wonders why in the world she needs to add "please" when "more" communicates exactly what she wants. We'll continue to work on it...
Isabel says quite a few words now. Of course "Mommy" and "Daddy" have been around for awhile, but the list continues: ball, book (buh), more (moh), puppy (pawpaw), milk, grandpa (bampa), hi (hi-eeeee), bye, bottle, baby, and wow (accompanied by shocked eyes and open mouth) are the major ones I can think of now. She still has long and dramatic conversations with anything that will listen, but we have yet to figure out what she's actually saying. I caught her lecturing our dogs one afternoon as they stared at her in confusion.
Izzie is in love with books (which makes me the happiest Mommy!). She will read anything--as evidenced by the afternoons she has spent at Auntie Brittany's house snuggled in a bean bag chair, casually flipping through Callie's chapter books (who needs pictures, right?). Iz will grab anything with print on it and sit and "read" through it. She often reads aloud to herself, but prefers a comfy lap to sit in. This is one of her most endearing habits of late. If there is a warm body in the room and she has a book in her hand, she will just start backing up. She looks first to make sure you are there, and then once she starts moving she doesn't look back. She keeps going until she hits something (hopefully your lap) and then sits. Sometimes she has ended up in interesting places as a result. It's impossible not to sit and read with her, no matter what you're doing, because it's so sweet. Once she backed into my shins and then sat on my feet (I was standing), but continued to sit and read to herself. How could I not scoop her up?
Isabel's favorite books to read are "Grover's First Day of School" and "The Monster at the End of the Book". She will hunt through her piles of books until she finds them. This please me to no end, as I have loved Grover and Sesame Street for so long. And whether you believe me or not, I have not shown preferential treatment towards these books--it's Izzie that has made her choice. She hasn't even watched Sesame Street, although we do have a talking Super Grover doll (thanks, Shelley) that she has loved for a long time, so perhaps that has something to do with it.
Izzie plays by herself quite often now. One night, while I thought she was playing and talking to herself at her kitchen, I found her in her bedroom in the dark, unfolding all of her laundry. She was having so much innocent fun that I couldn't stop her. If the worst thing I ever have to do is re-fold laundry, I'll be a lucky Mommy. When I went back to find her a few minutes later, she was snuggled into the pile of clothes flipping through a book. Duh.
I could clearly go on forever about this little lovely and her kisses and hugs and cuddles, but you get the idea. We love watching her grow into her own little person.
