Veronica: Approaching 19 Months

Veronica is rapidly closing in on the 19-month-old mark. So Dad thought it would be time for an update on what she's like to have around.

First, Veronica likes shoes. Bigger shoes. She'll take a pair of Mom or Dad's shoes, put her feet in them and trudge around. That might explain why her older sisters sometimes have a hard time finding their shoes when it's time to get dressed in the morning.

Veronica learned to say "yum yum" around the time the Easter treats were being passed around this past Sunday. She's also good about tugging on your pants or shirt and leading you to the refrigerator or sink when she needs a drink.

She knows lots of animal sounds, particularly if you ask her things like, "Veronica, what does the cow say?" She also has a piercing scream that Dad refers to as "the worst sound in the world." If she's not happy about something, she'll unleash that scream (more often than not in the Suburban).

At nearly 19 months old, she is down to a single nap a day. The night-night bottle of milk is long gone and she is on the verge of being able to crawl out of her crib. If she doesn't get her way with her sisters, she's likely to pinch them or scratch them. She is certainly not afraid to pick a fight and has been known to bowl over Olivia.

As she has gotten older, her reputation as a "destructor" has only increased. She can wipe out a clean room in a matter of seconds. She also tags along with her older sisters whenever possible. That fearless attitude carries over to her enjoyment of being held upside down.

As far as talking goes, she can say most of her sisters' names: "Emmy," "Lo-Lo," "Julia" (which sounds just like everyone else says it) but she has trouble with "Olivia" and her own name.