16 Months

New kicks

Alyssa is 16 months old! We cannot believe how quickly she has mastered walking. Like with all of her motor skills, she quickly learns how to do them well. Teta and Jiddu even bought her new Nike tennis shoes to commemorate this big milestone. She is practicing walking in them and in her sandals, which she wore when she walked outside for the first time around our house.

At her 15 month appointment, her measurements were all in the 50th - 75th percentiles.
She weighed 22 lbs, 10 oz and was 30.75 inches tall with a head circumference of 46.4 inches. When the doctor showed us her graphs, we quickly noticed that her measurements are starting to "level off." Her weight gains are less noticeable, and her height and weight are in proportion to one another. Some of her old pants fit better now that she is thinner, but she is still wearing 18 month clothing and size 4 diapers.

Her teeth on both sides of the bottom middle teeth came in (the left one came in first, which seems to be the trend). She likes to pretend to bite Mommy when I feed her and laughs when I say ouch. She is getting better at feeding herself and uses her right hand predominantly to hold the utensils. She prefers to use a fork, but it is easier for her to handle a spoon (even with her pinky finger up); and she loves to eat yogurt and applesauce all by herself. If she gets food on her hands, though, she gets distracted and wants it wiped off before she will continue eating. She is always very neat (like her Mommy).

Spoonful of...

Alyssa went on her first true shopping trip since it was the first time she was able to walk around the mall. She loved shopping for clothes in Gymboree and for toys in Toys R Us. She even rode a couple of the tricycles in the store and loved to look at the clothes on the hangers at her level.

Test ride

Alyssa recently learned how to kick a ball and to knock. She uses her right hand (closed in a fist) to tap on a door. She also holds her her arms up and opens and closes her hands when she wants someone to carry her. She even waves her arm around when she knows something is hot or when something is "smelly," such as the garbage, a dirty diaper, or stinky feet :) She always laughs when you pretend to smell her feet or socks. She also waves her arm around when she sees a fly. She thinks it is hilarious when we swat at flies with the fly swatter, and she will hit her hand on the ground to imitate the sound.


Here is what we have been up to the past month:

We were in Cleveland for a week to attend a wedding and left after Labor Day weekend. Alyssa and I went with Teta and Great Aunt Rosy to listen to music at Legacy Village and to go shopping. We visited Great Grandma and Great Grandpa and saw Sarah and Christopher the next day too. Sarah was so kind to Alyssa and shared all of her toys with her. Alyssa loved playing with her cousin and her "big girl" toys.

One night, Teta and Jiddu babysat Alyssa while Shereif and I went to Hilarities with my brothers and some friends. It was one of the few nights we have gone out, and we stayed out until 1am! We had so much fun listening to the comedians perform. The next day, Alyssa and Mommy went raspberry picking and out to lunch with the Kost and Sidoti girls. Teta and Jiddu babysat Alyssa yet again that night while we went to cousin Mike's wedding rehearsal. After the rehearsal, we went out to eat downtown. Shereif had joked earlier in the day that he made dinner reservations for our Anniversary that night, but he hoped that I didn't mind that other people would be there to celebrate with us. So, we celebrated our 4th wedding Anniversary downtown without Alyssa. But, the next two days were spent with all of our families as we celebrated our niece Mia's baptism and witnessed Mike and Kristina get married.

All of the girls

We went to Church on Saturday for Mia's baptism, which was held before Mass. After her baptism, we spent a few hours at Teta Samia and Giddu's house before the guests arrived for lunch. It was our first time meeting our beautiful niece, and Alyssa loved looking at her "bebe" cousin. We ate a delicious meal and spent time with the Danials. Mia is such a good-natured baby, and we cannot wait for Alyssa and she to see each other and to play again soon.

The Danial brothers and their little girls

The next day, Shereif left early in the morning to get ready for Mike's wedding since he was a groomsman. Alyssa, Teta, and I attended the ceremony at St. Maron's Church. I was asked to record the ceremony so I had to handle a camcorder and a toddler at the same time, which was overwhelming. But, Alyssa did great and loved seeing the balloons that the guests released into the sky after the wedding. The entire family went to the reception, and Alyssa enjoyed listening to all of the Arabic music. It was her first time dancing at a wedding, and she was even able to walk on the dance floor! We stayed late into the night, and Alyssa fell asleep in her stroller as Mommy and Daddy danced some more.

At the reception
(Disclaimer: Alyssa was eating appetizers with Jiddu and Teta while this picture was taken)

After we returned to NC, Shereif and I had dentist appointments. They were uneventful except for the fact that Shereif had told me that the dentist would probably ask him if he was grinding his teeth. I was confused, but he said that he noticed that he grinds his teeth when he is around Alyssa because he thinks she is so adorable. Sure enough, the dentist asked Shereif and laughed when he told her the reason for it. I felt special after my cleaning and exam because the receptionist recognized me from the commercial I was in for the dentist's office. I have yet to see it, and I even asked when it would be on; but, I have not been able to catch it.

We went to the park and rode the Carousel again. We also rode the train for the first time, and Alyssa finally had a chance to go on the swings for the first time ever. She was leery of the swings, but she loved being able to finally walk around the park. She also enjoyed riding the train since there was a nice breeze on such a hot day.

Swing high, swing low

Park Picture

The David family visited us mid-month for a few days. After their visit, Teta Samia and Giddu Azmy visited us for a few days too (post to follow). Daddy left a day before they did to go to Columbus for work. Alyssa and Mommy watched our friend's cat Pepper while the Fergusons were at the beach and Daddy was away. Alyssa likes to look at all pets, but she never gets too close.

Likes
Walking outside with Daddy to get the mail: Alyssa loves to walk outside to help get the mail
Shopping and playing with all the clothes and toys that she is now able to reach
Her new tennis shoes
Eating by herself
Water fountains: Alyssa loves looking at the water fountain at the front of our development. We take walks to it, and she always points and says "wawa."
THE BEACH

Dislikes
Not being able to get food on her fork
Sitting in the stroller because she wants to walk around