Happy Half Birthday Samantha!

That's right, somehow, Miss Samantha is halfway through her second year!  Um, how did that happen?  Or when?

She has just blossomed over the last couple of weeks.  She talks all the time and says a few 2-3 word groupings.  When she wants to.  Instead of just asking for "ick" (drink) now she'll say Juice or Milk or Water with it.  She says more words than I could begin to count. 

Samantha knows all of her body parts, says them, as well as points to them.  Head, hair, eyes, nose, cheek, chin, ear, tongue, teeth, arm, hand, leg, foot, toes, belly button, tummy and elbow.  Which really helps when she falls and gets an owie.  :)

She's in love with songs.  And she knows what ones she wants to sing and will tell you.  She can do all the movements to "Itsy Bitsy Spider", "Wheels on the Bus", and "If You're Happy And You Know It."  She also LOVES books.  Her favorites right now are the Hungry Caterpillar and her Sesame Street Bubbles book.  She likes to have them read to her over, and over and over and over and over again.

She loves to play tag and hide and seek.  She's a terrible hider.  She will just stand there and wait until you uncover her eyes and then crack up laughing.  She's a much better counter.  She'll cover her eyes, say three and then come looking for you.  Of course, you have to hide somewhere obvious because she is easily distracted.  Then again, she doesn't exactly give you a chance to hide.

Samantha loves letters and loves numbers.  I've caught her counting to 3 twice.  But that is it.  And no matter how much I prompt her to do it, she won't.  She recognizes the letters O and E.  Every other letter is a blip.  At least that is what it sounds like she is saying.  When you ask her something, she answers.  When you explain something and end with Ok?  She says ok in seriously the sweetest and cutest voice.  I must record this.  I love it.

Our little diva has no problem telling you what she wants, whether it's bringing my iPhone or iPad to me and insisting on Caooo (Cailou) or Emo (Elmo), or what cup exactly she wants to drink from.  If she doesn't get her way, it starts with a screech and ends with banging her head on anything close by.  We ignore it and it passes fairly quickly. 

She really wants to learn how to ride a bike, loves bumping into people, spins around until she is so dizzy she falls, only to stand up and do it again, knows how hysterical she is and does not have a shy bone in her body.

Samantha has started finding nail polish bottles and bringing them to me and pointing her fingers out perfectly.  She prefers them pink.  And she will sit perfectly still for you to paint every single one and even let them dry.  Of course, she won't let you touch her hands if she thinks nail clippers are near by.  She has also started trying to dress herself.  She can get one leg in and then gives up and walks around like that.  And she hates anything in her hair.  She will scream as you try to put in a rubber band and immediately rip out any bows you think are perfect.

She loves getting into everything of Kaitlyn's.  Everything.  She's pretty good with anything that doesn't leave marks.  Kaitlyn still doesn't approve.  Which usually leads to Samantha screaming as Kaitlyn removes her, her crying to me about KaKa, and then Kaitlyn wanting to play in Samantha's room. 

Samantha is finally nearly over her first sinus infection.  We're on day 9 of antibiotics.  And she is probably the only kid that stays constipated on them!  Last week we had to repeat her X-ray because of her inability to go more than once a week.  As frustrating it is for us, I can only imagine how rough it is for her.  She also has seasonal allergies, so she's on Zyrtec for now.  If she continues with the sinus infections, she'll follow in big sister's footsteps and have her tonsils removed as well.  Fingers are crossed that if we have to cross that road, we do it at a younger age.

Samantha has also started laughing at the right times when watching TV, cracks up laughing when she watches videos of herself, dances and is SOOO close to jumping, loves to walk everywhere (as long as she gets to pick where), is a great traveler, HATES sleeping anywhere but her bed, is still in a crib (though might be making the change in the next few months if she keeps getting her thighs stuck in it!), wears 12-18 month clothes, says CHEEEESE for the camera with the appropriate cheesy smile, has super adorable chunky legs, big brown eyes and light brown hair.  She begs to play outside, loves dogs and strangers and goes to anyone that will hold her.  If she's in a good mood you'll even get a hug and a kiss.  She's 18 months old and has been to Vegas a few times, Alabama, Mississippi, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, met Jennette McCurdy and Victoria Justice and won the hearts of so many.

It's hard to believe she's only been in our lives for 18 months and impossible to believe she's already that old!