Love, bubs and life on our little farm

Strawberry blonde now

My littlest one is nearly 18 months old. She has hit that stage where they grow up really quickly and leave babyhood behind.

She hops up on her little lounge next to Elka's or I see her perched up on her little chair at their little table eating away with her fork, and I just marvel at how quickly it flies by.

But I love having two kids rather than a toddler and a baby. You can do so much more - both with them and independently. I can finally feed the horses and chickens at night while they play in the front yard without screaming and tantrums. Aahh the little things that make your day better.

She couldn't be more different to Elka - right down to the fact that they eat opposite things! She is more of a loner, but does have the same stubborn independent streak. She can be quite precious and easy to upset but at the same time can be very rough and tumble. She does adore her older sister and loves to mimic her, even standing behind a tantruming Elka copying the arm folding and gesticulating which had Jase and I struggling to keep a straight face.

Her favourite toys include the dolls and strollers, and she could push her little corn popper ride on thing around for hours on the driveway. She likes to paint and draw with her sister, but isn't too fussed by books - we struggle to get her to sit still long enough for even the shortest books. She would happily spend all day outside feeding the ducks and exploring the yards. She screams and tantrums when its time to come inside as I try to wrestle her beloved little work boots off her feet. She has also started that fun stage of racing away at the shops and insisting on walking alone without holding your hand.

She is the only child I know that doesn't like swings. She screams and whines if you dare to put her on one! But she adores slippery slides instead.

She has been slow in developmental milestones in comparison to Elka (I know I shouldn't compare but what else do I have as experience!) and I do have a little bit of a worry on this occasionally. But Elka was always at the top of the curve and I have to remind myself that its still well within normal to be slower. I do stress over her language as Elka was talking at this age and Bronte is only just expanding her vocabulary past Mum/Dad/Bub etc. However she sees a speech pathologist who specialises in hearing impaired children monthly and the speechie assures me that Bronte is very advanced in her comprehension and that her language is still right on track for non-hearing impaired child. So nothing to worry about really (and I do keep telling myself that). I am pleased that she now wears her hearing aids without pulling them off - she does whinge when she sees me get them out to put in her ears, but that is because she has to sit still while I fit them!

I am not the only one that is aware that Bronte is a little less mature. Daycare have not put her up to the toddler room yet, whereas some of the younger kids have already "graduated" out of the nursery. Bronte can be a little bit touchy with change and she loves her carers in the nursery. They are slowly getting her accustomed to the new carers with hour long visits to the toddler room but its been a slow process.

So that is my Miss B - a little tricky but a little character when she trusts you. I am excited for the next few months as I know she is going to become a real little girl!