Harlow is 17 months, approaching forty, and as stubborn and finicky as ever. Want to know what she is up to lately? You are in a luck! I made a list.
1. Harlow is auditioning for the Baby Olympics.
Just like Harlow rolled over, crawled and walked super early, she's still crossing off physical milestones like she's in some kind of contest. Not only did she walk face first down a flight of stairs unassisted the other day, she also threw herself out of her crib yesterday morning.
If you are in a restaurant and Harlow throws her fork on the floor, it might be a ruse so she can climb up onto the table while you bend down to retrieve it. TRUE STORY.
Her latest feat? Stealing Mazzy's scooter. Apparently, the most advanced milestone is shunning walking altogether. (Video coming soon.)
2. Harlow is just as obsessed with Frozen as her sister.
Every time I pick up a phone or open up my laptop, Harlow screams "DOH!!!!!" "DOH!!!!!" "DOH!!!!!" For awhile, I thought "DOH" was her word for phone, but then I finally realized "DOH!!!!" is Harlow speak for "Let it GOOOOOO!!!!" My laptop and my phone being the handy devices that play her favorite song and video.
Every time the song is played, Harlow prances around the living room, spreading her arms while she "sings" in grand Elsa fashion. But that's not all. Harlow is also a big fan of "Do You Want to Build a Snowman". She starts making the clock ticking sound a full three seconds before it arrives in the song and although Harlow only speaks a few garbled words, she sings, "Okay, bye…." clear as day.
Harlow is keenly aware that Anna is the favorite in this house. Mazzy will be playing with her Frozen figurines and Harlow will want to play too. Mazzy always try to give her Hans, like Harlow won't know the difference. But Harlow is not stupid. She screams and throws Hans so dramatically to the ground, you'd think Hans was an evil prince who betrayed her best friend and tried to murder her sister. Oh wait.
3. It's a good thing Harlow is Jewish because she would get thrown out of church.
Harlow is a ball of energy and has always had a hard time sitting still. It took until recently for her to relax in my lap and let me read her a book. I keep the books short or else she gets antsy. She has very specific preferences and will only tolerate two books— "It looks like Spilt Milk" and "No Two Alike".
"It Looks Like Spilt Milk" is about clouds and every sentence is basically same— "Sometimes it looks like a rabbit, but it's not a rabbit. Sometimes it looks like an ice cream cone, but it's not an ice cream cone. Sometimes it looks like an angel, but it's not an angel…" etc.
The premise of "No Two Alike" is that everything from birds to feathers to nests to anything found in nature, is not exactly alike. "No two birds are alike. Almost, almost, but not quite."
If you notice, both books are entirely based around negative sentences— "… but it's not an ice cream cone", "…but not quite". Harlow has taken to responding to every sentence with the words "Uh-uh". She says it passionately, very closely following the line and with a definitive head shake— like she is emphatically agreeing with the sentiment. Like— "That's right! We are not alike!"
It reminds me of a congregation saying "Amen" during a sermon. Except she'd be the lone dissenter in the back questioning the whole charade.
4. Harlow calls pizza "pee-pah".
It's the cutest thing I've ever heard. That's all I have to say about that.
5. Harlow's Boo is a king size Hello Kitty Blanket.
Last Hanukah, Grammy gave Mazzy a huge Hello Kitty blanket. We could use this blanket to cover our entire apartment building if we wanted— it's that big. It's also ridiculously soft and Harlow loves rolling around in it like a dog in a shag carpet.
Once when Harlow was having a particularly bad tantrum, I couldn't find anything that would calm her down and then thought of the blanket. I folded it into a large square, laid it on the floor and then put Harlow on top of it lying on her back. She calmed down immediately and my little ball of energy stayed there quietly for the next twenty minutes. Since then, the Hello Kitty blanket has become my go-to solution whenever Harlow is having a bad moment.
6. Harlow wants ALL THE PACIFIERS.
We got Mazzy to give up her pacifier at 18 months, but I predict Harlow is going to be a lot harder. Especially since Harlow is not content to suck on one pacifier, she wants numerous back-ups on her person at all times. Basically, if she sees a pacifier, she wants to hold it, regardless of whether she is sucking or holding other pacifiers. Typically, while at home, she is carrying three at once. One in her mouth and one in each hand. Then she sucks on one until it loses its flavor (I assume it's similar to gum) and switches to another.
7. Harlow is on a milk protest.
Remember when I was trying to switch Harlow from a bottle to a cup? It was rough but finally, Harlow started drinking milk from a sippy. Often, she even preferred to drink straight from a grown-up cup unassisted. It was pretty impressive. Then I went away to Hawaii and not pointing fingers (GRAMMY!!!), someone let her drink milk from a bottle again. When I came back, Harlow revolted big time. She has not touched milk in two weeks and in an effort to appease the beast, we gave her a bottle full of water.
Now, she's obsessed with carrying her water bottle at all times (I think she's afraid she'll never get it back if she gives it up) and has to juggle it along with her three pacifiers. It's really tough to steal Mazzy's Anna figurine while carrying three pacifiers and a bottle, so inevitably she drops one causing her to have a massive tantrum that can only be stopped by wrapping her in an enormous Hello Kitty blanket.
Yes, she is also clutching a banana.
Please tell me this sounds like your kid.
I have a little boy who is only a couple of weeks younger than Harlow and who is also a second child to a 4 year old brother. They sound very similar! Mine isn’t so much of a daredevil as Harlow, but he has quickly become obsessed with Frozen music as well as all his brothers toys. We can no longer try to “swap” toys just to keep him happy, he knows which one he is after for sure. He is also a cute little Jewish boy who can’t sit still for anything like his older brother could at this age.
She sounds like a little challenge to mom, but frankly, I love strong willed children as I have one of my own. (So, yes, I have one similar to Harlow). They keep things interesting, don’t they? I can’t get over how beautiful your girls are. Stunning.
Xander walked around with his binkies until he was about 20 months. He would usually carry three or four around at a time and always tried to suck on two at once. I thought it would be a nightmare getting him off of them, so I didn’t even try. Then he started getting sick ALL the time, so I just stopped sending them to school with him because, lets face it, those things are germ factories. He didn’t even notice! What the heck? Anyway, he doesn’t care about them now except at night, which I really could care less about.
You should give “Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive The Bus” a try… it’s another negative response book. She’d probably love it! Also, I used to babysit a little girl who was the same way about pacifiers – she kept a stash of them in bed so she could switch all night too. It was a rough transition to get rid of them. In other news, Harlow just gets more beautiful every day.
This is great! My daughter is the same age, but being the first child, she’s not quite up to olympic status. She does, however, worship her pacifier – I’m terrified to get rid of it, I think she’ll revolt.
Also, it seems that you just can’t win when it comes to food & drinks. My daughter would rather never eat again and ONLY drink milk. Just milk and a few select carbs – no bananas for this kid!
Your Harlow makes me smile! 🙂
I love hearing all the Harlow stories because she is SO much like our second. She totally cracks me up.
Harlow sounds like a awesome kid with a personality sooo big!! I love her word for pizza… my son used to say “zoo-knee-knee” instead of zucchini my heart melted every time I heard it!
She sounds like Maggie from the Simpsons, strong and smart… a future Charlie’Angels, maybe??. .. I laughed with the water-bottle situation and I know it’s hard because you are her mum and all but I think she’s amazing!!!!… I love Harlow.
What type of sippy do you use? We had a difficult time with our now 14 month old until we used nuk. It has a soft nipple a lot like a bottle and we never looked back! 🙂
Swear, sounds like my kid!!! Truley is obsessed with paci’s and things in her mouth (wet washcloth, straw sippy, etc.) and things on her head! She also just fell out of her crib! She’s a daredevil and getting hurt does not phase her! Truley is also 17 months!
I absolutely love the photo of her and the pacifiers. She’s adorable. When the paci fairy came to our house to take our daughter’s pacifiers the world almost ended. We went 3 nights with pretty much a few minutes of sleep. It was like she was going through withdrawal and we were in change of the rehab center. She saw one a few weeks ago and immediately put it in her mouth. The fear I felt at that moment… I snagged that thing up so fast! Harlow probably knows her days with the pacifier are numbered. 🙂
My 5yo tries to pull the wool over my 2yo’s eyes all the time! My 2yo will look at him like “really?!”. It’s hilarious!
Almost 21 month old son … I think he might be Harlow’s soul mate. He is a dare devil, loves nothing more than to sit on top of the table – any table, anywhere, no chairs for my little man! We endured 3 days of milk-in-the-bottle weaning HELL a couple of months ago, only to have ME (stupid, stupid ME!) slip-up and accidentally put milk into his water bottle one morning (I was sick and hopped up on cold/flu meds) – luckily we’ve got him back to water in bottle except for the one bottle of milk when he first wakes up. We’re actually down to just one bottle in the house – and when he bites through its nipple, he will be forced to say “sayonara” to that phase of his life. Mwah ha ha ha haaa. While not obsessed with Frozen, he will scream “CA! CA!” at the tv (any tv, anywhere) to express his desire to watch “Cars 2” (not the original Cars, but Cars 2 – this caused mass confusion when grandparents babysat and believed his screams of “CA!” and pointing at the TV meant “Cars” – his older 2 siblings cleared up the confusion and all was well for the duration of the movie…then they tried to do something else…). His vocabulary is not all that advanced, but the communication strategy of point, scream, put object in mommy’s hands, cry and sit in front of what he wants does a pretty good job of getting his message across – but the words “All done now!” are clear as a bell. If only his siblings would stop speaking FOR him…
Sarah is Harlow’s age and has the same I WANT ALL THE PACIFIERS! stage. one in her mouth, one in each hand, and then she likes to sleep with 2 under her back and/or stomach. I think she has them hidden around the house because we don’t bring them out of the crib, yet she seems to always have one in her mouth when we turn around. It is impressive. She’s like a squirrel.
The pacifiers remind me of my little brother. He would also be obsessed and walk around with three at all times. Problem was, he once tripped on a (small) flight of stairs. Rather than drop his pacifiers and save himself, he held on and ended up breaking his arm!
Could have written this same post (minus the hello kitty blanket) about my 17-month-old. Drama, independent, and a climber and a jumper. While getting her sister ready for preschool this morning she opened the fridge, ate a garlic clove like an apple and then moved on to my husbands birthday cake. I still like to think of her as my baby, but she clearly has other plans & has started potty training herself. No joke, takes her clothes off! Always fun though, I love this age.
Yes! This is a lot like my 2 year old. Be careful when she starts jumping off things! My son started at 18 months, and he just assumed I was always there to catch him when he took flying leaps (with no prior notice). And we have massive tantrums over things like…. gravity…. not having three arms to carry everything he wants…. and other physical properties that I cannot control….
I’m really cracking up from this, Harlow sounds like my kinda lady. My 15 month old son is the same exact way with his pacifiers, he must be holding two at old times.
I love that her favorite books feature “not” and “not quite.”
When Jack was young, the two books he made me read over and over (and over) were Uh Oh Bunny and No NO Bunny – both of which were about a bunny who did the wrong thing…
They were cautionary tales and I’m sure Jack loved that someone ELSE was getting in trouble.
I should have known then.
In fact, I probably did.
I have her twin. She’s now 26 months, but that’s immaterial. They are the SAME KID. Right down to the heart stopping physical milestones, the frozen obsession, the multiple pacifiers, complete with switching, and the adorable language.
This is hilarious! Harlow is such a cutie. Her antics sound a bit like my 20 month old boy. Kids are so funny. I wish I could have her Hello Kitty blanket!
It sure does! Lidia is also 17 months old.
Our children are very similar! My daughter is obsessed wih her pacifier (ba baige she calls it). I just took a very similar picture of her holding like 5 pacifiers at a time. She found the stash and she was so happy. She rarely sits down only to sleep. Rolled over at like 2 weeks I knew I was in trouble. I just love pictures of harlow she looks like if you had a cloud over her head it would say Yes I am the shit & what are you looking at hahaha
I saw a little girl at an amusement park carrying around an old, holey, plastic zip-lock bag filled to the top with binkies! (And one in her mouth!) My 2 yr old usually has about 3 at any given moment. Cute!
My McKenzie had a binky bucket that she gathered her pacifiers in. No less than 6 at any time. She carried 2 – 4 in addition to the one in her mouth. Until she figured out how to cram 3 in her mouth. Her big sister was exactly the same. For both I made the 2nd birthday the cutoff date and they lost the binkies. Mckenzie’s was just a couple weeks ago. Happy birthday sweetie! Now hand over your security blanket!
Oh.. and ive been reading your blog for over 1 year now and it makes my day everytime. Your famiky is beautiful and I love how you can put the frustrations of motherhood/parenting in such a fun ligjt that it reminds me that this is supposwd to be a happy trip we are on! Tja k you for what you do!
You just described my daughter to a T! Thankful there are other little firecrackers just like our Aspen!
I thought we had gotten rid of all the binkies in the house until my four year old found one yesterday and brought it to me. Grrrrr. I have ni idea where that one was hiding!
I remember my two year old cousin walking around with a pacifier in each hand. My mom changed his world when she taught him to put them in his pockets.
Oh my goodness I can relate to the pacifiers. My eldest had one in the mouth and one in each hand. And this would have to continue into the night as she slept. So she would lose one from her hand at least once a night, causing me to be sliding under a crib on my belly around the room searching madly as I ran my hand along the floor looking for the stray pacifier. I finally got smart and kept a stash of them on my dresser for those emergencies. She also named her pacifier “Ba-Bee” and it would be said with the emphasis on the BA and a very long BEEEE as she looked for one or said with great enthusiasm when found.
Also pizza was ‘Pee-hut”. Pretty much because she thought all pizza came from Pizza Hut.
For the record she is 28 now, and I still call pizza “Pee-Hut”
This is completely awesome. I wish I knew Harlow personally.
A book suggestion for you since you must be so sick of the other two: Any of the Mo Willems “Pigeon” books. Harlow will love telling the pigeon “NO” on every page. My kids LOVED these books when they were Harlow’s age and liked shaking their heads and saying “uh-uh” to everything.
“Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus” is a particular favorite, especially when I make the pigeon’s voice sound extra whiny when he really, really begs to drive the bus.
Just noticed an earlier commenter, Alison, recommended the same book!
OMG! This is so funny, but is my 17 month old daughter to a tee. So glad to see others experiencing the same thing 🙂
I thought you were referring to Jean Harlow, the movie actress.
Ha! Yes, this is my life. Maybe you should consider getting Harlow a bigger purse, that way she can fit all her pacifiers along with the bottle of water in it? I’m sure she’d love it. 😉
PS-why can’t I leave a comment when I read your blog on my phone??
My oldest will sit still for hours to hear books, but only if he can suck his thumb and either hold your ear or play with your hair. At least some day you can throw the passy away….I can’t cut his thumb off and he’s already 3.
LOVE this list! So very much. The pacifier picture is just pure gorgeousness — that child!
My daughter is now 9, but she used to love her pacifier. She was down to only being allowed one at a time. She also liked to try to “share” her pacifier with you, then pull it away. Needless to say, the sitters had a Great Dane, the trick didn’t work with him and he ate her pacifier. I put away all the pacifiers at home that night and told her Budda (the dog) came and ate them all. She never cried a bit. If you asked her where her pacifier was she would say,”Budda’s belly!”, and laugh and laugh and laugh. We loved that silly old dog. RIP Budda
Every time I see Harlow, (she’s adorable!) I think of this vintage doll.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/41257438@N06/5691813183/
Is it wrong that this made me laugh? 🙂
I love this post and her personality! Toddlers are so hilarious. Never empty handed… it’s a good thing Harlow has a purse 🙂
I bet her “Ok, bye” is adorable.
You shouldn’t give her a binkie and you should breastfeed. How sad.
I breastfed for almost a year, thank you. And I will get rid of the pacifier when we are ready. You should look at your choices. Being a horrible person must make your life very hard.
My 17mo loves “Don’t Let The Pigeon Stay Up Late” and her DAH. (Also know as a pacifier)
She also has Harlow’s Hello Kitty blanket. It is requested at meal time for some reason.
Malisa sings “Wheels on The Bus” 24/7. At bedtime, at the playground, when I am changing her diaper, when she’s in the stroller, early morning playtime, (in the bathroom while I am getting ready) at breakfast, when my sister brings her 9mo over, and just about everywhere else.