Siena is 21 Months!

Joe snapped pics of our big 21 month old during out Saturday morning ritual, the farmer's market and goofing around at UCI.  

She wasn't feeling too chipper at first...

But free samples and gorgeous zinnias cheered her up! 

 Sisi is curious about other kids, but still not very "social."  She's very much in her own world. 

Lunch time!  

This photo reminds me of a paparazzi picture.  Katie and Suri?  haha

All done!  Time to conk out in the car.  

Siena at a Glance:

• October was a month of verbal explosion.  Suddenly Sisi is saying a ton of new words and has a knack for mimicking sounds (sirens, beeps, choo choos, etc.)  
• New words, some more intelligible than others:  potato, pumpkin, watermelon, "I'm gonna get you", sip, soup, meat, apple, shoes, sit, read, treat, blocks, turtle, tickle tickle, lullabye, chips
• She also mimics what we do- the other day I saw her slowly picking up a stick with two hands while huffing and puffing (aka dead lifts a'la daddy!) and pushing her lawnmower all over the house (aka vacuuming.like mama)  
• I've been baking with Sisi often (too often!  Darn you Autumnal paleo pastries!)  She counts with me as I crack one, two, three eggs, watches in wonder as I pour the fluffy almond flour. And of course, taste tests the maple syrup for me.  By age 3 I want her to be able to bake an entire cake all by herself (like French kids!) 
• We've been dealing with some biting and scratching issues.  My strategy is to hold down her hands and very firmly say  "I will NOT let you bite/scratch me"  while doing my big owl eyes.  This seems to get the point across without adding more drama to the sitch.  She usually turns to hit the closest inadamate object (such as a book or her ducky) while saying "oww oww oww!" It's interesting to watch her test boundaries and find acceptable outlets for her anger. It can also be disturbing seeing your sweet little toddler be such a meanie. This article by Janet Lansbury is helping me to cope with and understand Sisi's seemingly bizarre outbursts.  
• Fortunately, the tantrums are dying down significantly.  It's been a pretty good month in that department!  
• She still believes if she closes her eyes, no one else can see her!  I caught her reaching for a chocolate bar at the grocery store while closing her eyes and smiling mischievously.  
• Personality-wise, she is still somewhat quiet and serious, but often whispers to herself and chuckles.  She thinks she's pretty funny.  She's very observant and cautious.  Super independent- she bumbles around the house and backyard all day long and reads in her crib for at least an hour a day.   I imagine she'll be creative, calm and reflective, with a quiet and witty sense of humor, just like her daddy. We shall see!