16 months old!

On Thanksgiving Day, Mary Clare will be 16 months old. That sounds so old to me - she is turning into a little girl right before our eyes. I don't have alot of photos to post this week (just this one of her loading the dishwasher with some of her toys). But, I thought you might enjoy hearing about some of her new accomplishments. She can now wash her hands in the sink while standing on a step stool. And she has definitely learned the meaning of "No" -- she now points at the television while shaking her head (in anticipation of my answer). She talks all the time, although we only understand a little bit of what she says. Especially popular are sounds - Mary Clare does a very good imitation of a cat meowing, a dog barking, the sound of sirens (due to our location near the police and fire stations), and even thunder. Lately, I have been very congested so now she does a good impression of "Mommy Blowing her Nose". On the physical side of developments, she can walk up the steps and go down the slide all by herself, attempt to put on her own shoes, and wash herself in the bath tub. She has also made up a new favorite game -- I sit at one end of our long hallway and our cat Lou stays at the other end. I will throw Lou a catnip mouse, which he chases, and then when he is done with the mouse, Mary Clare will go find the mouse and bring it to me to throw again. Thankfully, both Lou and Mary Clare seem to have similar attention spans for this fun so it only lasts about 15 minutes at a time.

We hope everyone has a safe, peaceful and happy Thanksgiving!!