Brailie

She is getting bigger and smarter.  I realized that when Allie was this exact same age I took her with me to New York City to see Steven.  Brailie seems much younger than Allie did at the same age.  And yet everyday I realize how smart she is getting.  She is a follower right now but soon she is going to stand up to her older sister and tell her just who is going to be boss (and I can't wait).  She loves to give hugs and kisses and can do those upon request.  She loves Grandpa and can say grandpa and as we are turning into the driveway at Greg's parents she will scream, "ganpa, ganpa."  She says "choo choo" everytime (and I mean everytime) she hears the train and if you don't acknowledge that she is saying it, she won't stop until you do.  She can climb on everything.  She now sits in this booster seat at the table instead of in her high chair.  She loves to eat with a fork and off of a plate and does good on somedays and not good on others.  Dessert-well it is just easier to eat with her hands.  She loves food.  Her favorites are: cheese, crackers, chips (which she calls pips), pickles, apples, pineapple and cantaloupe, beans, hot dogs and bread.  She can finish the phrases in a few of her favorite books.  If I am reading to her and grab the wrong book she will push it away, shake her head and say, "noooooooo."  She is too long to fit on the change table any more.  She likes to spin in circles (I wonder who taught her that) and dance with me.  She loves Sarah and Carlie Swalberg.  She loves to be outside and can walk down the stairs while holding my hand.  She loves to see puppy dogs and notices all kinds of things.  She can point out cows, dogs and horses.  She can tell you what a chicken, duck and cow all say.  Some of her other words are: cracker, cheese, shoes, toes, teeth (to brush her teethe which she likes), bubbles, please (when she wants something and you aren't going to give it to her she will hold out her hands and say, "pease, pease, pease."), juice, gankie (blanket) and ginkie (binkie), and sis.  She can pretty much tell us most of the time what it is she is wanting through pointing, walking us to the thing or her words. 
When someone asks me how old she is I say, "I don't know" as in I don't know how many months she is.  Time is just flying by and she is just catching on so quickly who has time to keep track of how many months she is.  I know she will be 18 months at the end of April so I guess that means she is almost 17 months now.  She is beautiful and sweet and loving and patient (most of the time) with her older sister.  She is such a blessing-one that I realize more and more each day.