Aisling is 18 months old!

Aisling turned 18 months old yesterday. We didn't mark the day with any special event. In fact, it wasn't until the end of the day, that we realized the significance of the date. That's what happens when you have more than one child - you stop marking the "month" anniversaries. You forget to write down when the child starts to crawl, take their first step, try a new food. I've tried to note down some of the big milestones in the first year of each child's life. A special baby's first year calendar helps, along with stickers for silly occasions like "first laugh", "first trip to grandparents" and the one sticker we never used - "slept through night".
But let's get back to Aisling, who at 18 months has established herself as the most vocal family member. If I get ready to leave the house without kissing her, she runs after me, shouting "Mama" while turning her face up for a kiss. When I arrive home each night, she greets me with a big smile and tries to help me take off my jacket. If she hears anyone mention the words "Time to go" she runs to the door and gets her shoes.
She insists on having her turn to speak with whomever is on the phone. "Talk, talk" she says as she reaches for the phone. (This may come in handy for the telemarketers who call.) She does not toddle - she runs. She is starting to insist on walking down the stairs instead of crawling. But the stairs to the basement - she slides down.
I've mentioned before that Aisling is the most adventurous eater. She loves nori - the roasted seaweed that's used to wrap sushi (called paper in our home). She's also discovered a liking for hummus. Of course, potato chips still top her list, and now she's discovered the hiding place for such treats! The other night, when someone mentioned "chips", she ran to the cupboard, and reached in, behind all the other obstacles, and triumphantly pulled out the half-eaten bag.
Last night, the bath water was drawn and the two older kids were splashing in the tub. Usually, Aisling is the first to race up the stairs when she hears the water running. No Aisling anywhere near the tub. Where was she? I found her downstairs, playing with Ceilidh's toys and trying on Ceilidh's sparkly princess shoes. Hilarious. When I tried to take a picture of her with the sparkly shoes, Aisling quickly looked up and grinned, with her head tilted, clearly posing for the photo.
I know my little preemie baby is getting older. She will now sit for a bed time story or two. If you ask her to find her soother/jacket/bottle, she will. She loves to drink water from daddy's water bottle. She insists on walking everywhere. When we went to the zoo on the weekend, she walked while the other two opted to ride in the chariot. She still won't sit to watch Baby Einstein, but gleefully pointed out the animals at the zoo. Even tried to chase after the peacock that was strutting around the snack bar.
Her vocabulary is slowly starting to expand. But even without words, she expresses her love with her wet kisses, her big smiles and her running hugs. After returning home from the emergency room with Devlin, I crawled into bed next to a soundly sleeping Aisling. In her sleep, she curled into me, and wrapped her arms tightly around my neck and snuggled.
Aisling - it's been an exciting 18 months, and I know this is just the beginning!