Maya at 18 months: A portrait

This was a post we prepared when Maya turned 18 months but did not post... so here goes... a bit over two months late. 

At 18 months, Maya has turned into a little girl. Physically, she has grown a lot and is better able to climb and run. Mentally, she has started talking in earnest and understands almost everything we say (in English and French). She is still a very determined little one, still very bubbly and smiley and very very loud when unhappy with a situation (mostly not getting her way). She is still easily distracted and calmed. 

At 18 months Maya CAN:

•  Use over 40 recognizable words: main, pied, bouche, oui, non, chien, chat, lait, quececa, quicesa, livre (iii), fatiguée, Daddy, Maman, GG,  Grandpa, hi, bye bye, more, fini, Mamie, Papy, Atticus (and dadicus for badicus), calin, cassé, caché, dix, aie, marcher, encore (quancor), s'il te plait, petit, bebe, tata, grand, vite, voila, merci, thank you, ciao ciao, je t'aime maman, tête, puppy  (Tati), chapeau (but very hard to understand), tout doux, coucou, assoir (tassoir), piscine, telephone (tatiti), quatre, bisou, banane, lapin;
• Say a few phrases (some were mentioned above): qu'est ce que c'est ca ("quececa"), qui c'est ca? ("quiceca"), je t'aime maman, petit Tata, Bebe Tata, Grand Tata (Tata being her doudou rabbit), tout doux, Maya fatiguée, encore banane, s'il te plait;
• Repeat words: Maya will often repeat words you say; in addition to the words above which she uses often she has also said many more words like balle, bosse, trou and many more though they are not part of her usual vocabulary;
• Use her signs:  eat, more, all done (even though says fini a lot), banana (for yellow and the fruit and other fruit), book, apple, orange, big, walk, up, baby, dog, mouse, water, kiss (bisou), flower
• Sleep through the night every night - Maya was always a great sleeper and remains a great sleeper;
• Climb up and down small steps on her own without holding on;
• Climb up and down bigger steps on two feet while holding on to a railing; 
• Hold her breath under water and kick over from one of us to the other; and
• Cute things: me sad "je t'aime mama" and big hug and kiss, and next time I made a sad face she gave me a big hug.

At 18 months Maya DISLIKES

• Being in the stroller when she wants to walk (which is most of the time);
• Being ignored when she wants attention;
• Not getting what she wants (whether it is an object or to do an action); and
• Changing her diaper.

At 18 months Maya LIKES

• Music and songs - listening to cds but also when I sing to her;
• Her brother - her face still lights up when he gets home from school and gives her a kiss;
• Singing her tunes (jingle bells, a vous dirais je maman, aller Maya, Baby Tata (to the tune of Das Kleine Krokodile);
• Water and water play whether in a pool, a bath, a water table, a puddle - she just loves the water;
• Books that have music or beats (the French sound books, dum ditty dum, such as and books without text that you explain to her (the seasons books)
• Diaper free time; and
• Her maman and being with her maman.