15 months

Happy 15-month birthday, Miss Ella! You have changed from the world's most impossibly easy baby into a demanding, screetching, wiggly toddler. You have opinions about everything and let us know clearly when things are not meeting your expectations.

You say, "Dada!" whenever you heard the front gate close. You love to "roar" at Rand and try your best to play with his trains. You love food, but if we dare try to break up your cheese into tiny pieces, you toss it on the floor because you want the WHOLE piece of cheese.

You have twelve teeth and are getting four more. You are either a breeze to put down for a nap or you fight for an hour -- there is no in-between. You want to run everywhere and don't like riding in the shopping cart. Yesterday you figured out how to go down the slide at the park by yourself, and you were absolutely giddy.

You love wearing shoes and brushing your teeth. You love picking up rocks and pushing around your toy shopping cart. You love snuggling on my lap with Rand while we read stories. You love taking baths and playing in the hose outside. We love you, sweetie.