A Snapshot of Mia

We had a nice weekend with our gal, who turned 18 months old on Saturday. We see lots of signs that she is growing up.
Mia is much more interested in her baby doll. She puts the baby in her toy shopping cart and visibly frets because the seat doesn't secure the baby adequately. She looks worried that the baby will fall out of the seat (which actually is quite likely given the inadequate design of the cart) and after many failed attempts to secure the doll, she looks to me for help.
She is now more likely to keep her hair bows in place, and if they fall out, she sometimes brings the bow to us to put back in.
She has a definite defiant streak. The biggest expression of that is that she has taken to throwing things when she is frustrated or finished with them. Puzzle pieces, blocks, food... you name it. Even Sarah, who has the patience of a saint, is getting a bit exasperated.
Mia has been showing many signs of a stronger attachment. She wants to be picked up a lot. She reaches her arms up and says "uh PUH", kind of like "up" said backwards. When we carry her, she holds on a lot tighter and sometimes she pats us on the shoulder. She likes it when we lightly stroke her back. She doesn't initiate it, but when I say, "Do you want me to stroke your back?" she smiles and says, "baaagh". (We've got to work on that "k" sound.) She gives lots more kisses.
Mia's language comprehension is progressing rapidly. We're constantly surprised at how many words she understands. This is best judged when you say things to her when she isn't looking at you, so there are no non-verbal signals to pick up. Today as we walked across the church parking lot, she was holding daddy's hand. She was looking down at the ground. I said, "Can you hold mommy's hand, too?" I had said it without thinking, and Jeff and I were really stunned when her little hand immediately popped up!
Mia loves opening and shutting the kitchen cabinet doors. They have those latches on them that allow them to open about 2-3 inches, and boy can she make a racket. Now that she has her own kitchen (conveniently located next to our kitchen table, where I can keep an eye on her while cooking), I can tell her, "Mia, go play with the cabinets in your kitchen." She usually does.
Mia's newest feat is finding specific books on her bookshelf. She has easily 60 books on the bookshelf in the playroom. She has a few heavy favorites, including Dear Zoo and more recently Hippos Go Berserk. If we ask her to get one of her favorites, she searches the shelf in earnest until she finds it.
Mia plays alone more often, and it is fun to watch her. I wish I knew what thoughts are going through her head- I can't wait until she can talk. For now we're just enjoying seeing her do something new every day.