A Year and a Half

My how the time does fly! 18 months have come and gone in the life of Martha Claire Peel. As you can tell from the photo above, she continues to thrive and enjoy every minute! We're going to blink and she'll be steering the canoe down a river, not simply wanting to play with it on the ground.
I marked a new spot for her on the wall growth chart and she is considerably taller than the 12 month spot. I'm not sure on her weight or length at 18 months because we are avoiding the doctor for a bit longer right now - she is extremely afraid of the doctor at the moment and I feel no need to press the issue until she starts preschool this fall. I think she is around 21lbs. She is finally wearing mostly 18 month clothing, still about 6 months behind, though she appears to be growing rapidly.
She is starting to repeat more words and babble incessantly, which is adorable when it's not whiny. Her favorite things to say are, Oh man! Oh buddy! Oh baby! Oh no! She is still in love with all things Dr. Seuss and loves to point to the word "BUMP" and say it over and over in the Cat in the Hat. Her favorite thing continues to be playing outside, and her favorite indoor activity is coloring.
She is definitely in the 18 month phase - clinging to mommy, being leery of strangers, testing boundaries, etc. The tantrums that were going on a few months ago have disappeared for the time being - I'm sure they'll show up again in these next few years. She doesn't do much to get into trouble, but when she's particularly whiny or difficult, so far the only method of discipline I've needed is to ask her if she needs a minute in her crib. Usually she says no, sometimes mommy has to put her there anyway. It's been doing the trick so far.
She's being a great big sister. People have asked if she's been jealous and I have to say I really haven't seen signs of it. Sometimes she is frustrated for having to wait for things (usually because mommy is nursing Evie), but she has done pretty well with understanding that what's Evie's is Evie's and what's Claire's is Claire's. She is good with Evie - always wants to help, which sometimes means that she shoves a paci in Evie's mouth unexpectedly or wipes Evie's face a little too vigorously. I've seen her do a few little things that show a mild hositility when she thinks I'm not looking - raising a foot to step on Evie or "patting" her head a little to forcefully. These are quickly interrupted by a minute in the crib and are really few and far between.
Mostly, life is good here. A little frantic at times, but good. And Claire continues to blossom into a beautiful little girl as she rapidly grows toward being two years old...