Dearest Amelia,
Today you are fourteen months old. Its been a difficult month, but with many accomplishments as well.
We struggled through a virus, getting your first molar and salmonella. You’ve been back at daycare for 2 days and your nose is already starting to run. Hopefully the fall will bring on healthier times! Luckily when you are sick, you are generally only a bit clingier. Okay a lot clingier. But I don’t mind the cuddles and time I’ve gotten to hold you. I love holding my baby like a baby because I know I won’t get that often as you grow.
The benefit to all the sickness is how much more time I’ve had with you the last couple weeks. You are a sponge right now, absorbing everything around you so its really enjoyable to help you along the way. I haven’t been as good about writing everything down as it happens but right now words you say which I generally recognize - up, all done, mama, dada, down, sta (for outside), thank you (well its more like tha tha but its consistent and fairly recognizable). Its so cute you say thank you when you hand us items - probably because we’ve always thanked you for handing us items you weren’t supposed to have or we needed you to give up. Now you love to give us anything you can find and say tha tha.
You have been progressing with sign language as well - using more, thank you, hungry and sleep/nap. I’ve seen you use please and dog but these are more rare still. Its very useful when you can tell me these things, and I’m so glad they are really working hard at daycare with you. Oh I forgot your favorite! You love the ‘clean hands’ sign and then I give you a wipe and you wipe your hands - too cute.
Sleeping this month has been … interesting. It seems like 50% of the time, no problem, sleep through the night. 25% of the time there might need to be help finding your pacifier in the crib (how you lose all 3 I don’t know). Then there is the other 25% - you might need water, or milk or patting and you are hysterical. I think you’d rather be asleep but for some reason (teeth? diaper?) you aren’t. Its rough on all of us. The first few days of the salmonella illness were particularly bad as you started to really fight the diaper changes and couldn’t even be managed by one of us - it took two. Luckily other than one bad night, we’ve had about 4 - 5 good nights so I’m thinking we are through the worst from that… hopefully you go back to being the good sleeper we know you can be!
You still love your morning and evening bottles - love them. Hold them like they are your baby. Maybe a little obsessed even. So that should be fun - I vow to break it before we go back and see Dr. Hines for the 15 month appointment. We had planned to do it a couple weeks ago, but you then were sick so its been pushed back. I have to say, kind of dreading it but maybe you’ll switch no problem. We’ll see. I’m sure I will blog about it. Right now not even considering breaking the paci habit - though you mainly only have them at night/naps unless you are extremely cranky for some reason (oh, like the other 3 molars trying to come in right now - seriously how long does this take?).
You love your babies and your stuffed animals, and really any toy can substitute. You hug them and pat them and mother them before tossing them aside. There is not one toy that has stood out yet as your favorite, you still love them all for minutes at a time before moving on to another. Well let me add some context to that - balls of any kind are your favorite toy. Doesn’t matter what kind of ball, you love playing with balls and are getting pretty good at throwing them in the direction you want. Which means you are purposely throwing them under the couch because its funny - thanks for that. Hopefully we can translate your love of balls into your love of football and basketball. Daddy’s school has a big game on Saturday - say ‘Go Dawgs!’
Other fun things - you love to dance still and have added new moves. I have documented that well on this blog. We’ve been going to music class and your favorite part is getting to crawl into the middle to grab whatever the teacher has thrown out there - so far you tend to go for the drum sticks first but you do like the rattles as well. You know when I am putting on your shoes/socks that you can help by trying to give me that foot. You are starting to enjoy climbing up things and will climb up me to give me a hug, or more likely get to something you saw me stash behind me like a phone or a remote. You love the outside and pointing to everything you see. You give the best kisses (still open mouth) and you blow kisses as well. You still don’t want to walk alone more than a couple steps, but you cruise and turbo crawl with the best of them (and can walk just fine holding onto one of our hands so I think you are just too stubborn to let go).
They say it just keeps getting better, and I can truly say I am loving how fast you learn things and how much more you can interact with us. It doesn’t mean I didn’t think the baby stage was wonderful - I loved the baby stage, having my head laying against yours and that baby smell. But its also exciting to see you becoming a true toddler and developing your personality which appears to be fairly independent and strong willed. Don’t know where you get that from… ;) But you are loving and happy and friendly as well, things I hope stay with you always.
This is you trying to put the headband back on yourself.
This is you mad at me for taking away the real phone… you know its off limits! But you look so sad….
Bridge anyone? Apparently Nonni is teaching you.
I love you baby girl. I am looking forward to a great few fall months - visiting friends, going to a pumpkin patch, eating turkey at Thanksgiving and other wonderful fall and holiday events.
Love,
Momma
