The month started with her first presidential debate. This was also when she learned how to say no, and use it in context. For example, "A, let's go inside the house." A: "No" while turning to walk the other way. It is honestly so cute. The very next morning she woke up and said "No." After a long pause, she said "no" again, for no reason in particular, as if it was her morning greeting. I squeezed her tight and said "No" back and she laughed. It's interesting to me because we never use the word (we use redirection instead...so does daycare) but somehow, she still picked it up!
She stopped crying as often when I leave for work. This was best evidenced the other morning when I was backing out of the driveway and she was walking on our side yard, distracted by the neighborhood cat, Charles. Although I said bye to her, I was worried she didn't really realize that I was leaving and would burst into tears when she saw me. As I backed out of the driveway, I waved to her. She locked eyes with me and quickened her pace, as I braced myself for the guilt that follows leaving her when she is reaching her whole body toward me and bawling. But she was just blowing me kisses! A huge smile and two kisses blown in the air are what sent me off to work. Swooped up by Daddy and happily in his arms, there were no tears and it was the best start to the day.
Our first weekend of October was much busier than planned. Actually, if I had realized everything that I was going to do at the start of the weekend, I would have ran the other way.
On Friday, we walked to Tustin Tiller Days, our local carnival that we went to last year, and hope to make an annual tradition. She was too short to ride anything except the carousel with me, but had fun walking around in her free adult-sized sunglasses that were handed out for free. On Saturday morning, my husband got up early with her and I went back to sleep until 9am. This is the second weekend in a row that I have done this, and is definitely a side effect of my fertility medication. When I woke up and went out into the living room, it looked like we had been ransacked by thieves. But, she was happily playing and so I was happy. I started prepping some food and packing for our day-trip to Julian.
It was our first time there, and much farther than we were expecting. San Diego is quite a drive since there always seems to be traffic, and it was still an hour from there. My husband wanted to go to check out some property that is about to be sold for taxes, and we wanted to tag along. The streets were bustling with people and we found a nice restaurant in an old house that didn't have a wait. Sitting down to eat, I let her try some of my lemonade for the first time. One sip, and she put her fingers together and said something that sounded close to "More!" Surprised, told my husband "I think she's learned sign language." While she tapped her finger-tips together repeatedly and said "moe, moe!"
This is the same day she also started saying "Mommy." Actually, it is more like "Mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy" and I love it!
Sunday started off with her Halloween photos at 9am in Garden Grove. We haven't had much time to let her practice wearing her costume, but she still did really well wearing it and smiled for the camera, in true Baby A fashion. On the way home, we decided to stop at Disneyland for a few hours. We rode the monorail in from Downtown Disney, and went on Finding Nemo and the carousel. After nap time, Uncle Glen came for a visit and we went to the pumpkin patch at Irvine Park, before my husband joined us at Islands for an early dinner.
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| Uncle Glen! |
Daycare started teaching the kids the color of the week. I love that they have an art activity each morning, which they are now incorporating the color into before they play outside and before lunch. The first week was white and they made white ghosts out of cotton balls. Green was the next week, they made frankensteins using their hand prints.
On 10/11, I was getting her dressed for the morning. She was sitting on my lap, facing away from me when she put her arms up and gave me a backwards hug. It was the sweetest thing ever. I turned her around and she wrapped her arms around my neck even tighter. A real hug! She now gives them when prompted, though kisses are harder to come by. Sometimes my husband will ask her for a kiss and knowing he wants one, she will smile mischievously and turn to give me one. Once in awhile, she will give an unsolicited kiss, like when we are waiting in line at Disneyland and those are the best!
My husband started a new position at a different high school (same district) so for the second week of October, I started taking her to daycare and also picking her up most days. She did not cry at drop off even once, and this made me feel so good! It only requires me to leave 15 minutes earlier than I was, and I like being able to talk to her care-takers and ask about her day. Plus, picking her up is so rewarding. I search for the look on her face when she first realizes that I'm there. She often lets out a little squeal and comes running or attempts to jump.
We disassembled her crib, and put in a full-sized bed. I delayed having her sleep in there until I had washed her mattress protector and new sheets (oops, not dry enough...I guess we'll have to wait another night) because I didn't want to give up our co-sleeping! For a few months now, I had been putting her to sleep in the guest-bedroom and because transferring her now woke her up, I was sleeping in there too. And I loved it! But, the first night went really well, in part because she had more room. She slept from 7:45 pm straight through until 6 am! I woke up several times though, checking the monitor to make sure she was okay. I'm so afraid she'll get up and just roam, so I close all of the doors except for hers and ours, and then we have a child latch to keep the hall door closed; the first child-proofing we've needed.I made her a Nemo pumpkin after she fell asleep, and she was so excited when she woke up and saw him! She said "MoMo" and carried him around, pushed him in her stroller, and wiped his face clean with a wash cloth.
I also started doing some fun skill-developing activities with her each week, like the one below. There's a whole listing here, one for each week of their second year if you're interested.
Toddler game: Sew your ribbons
A fun activity for your toddler
Your 16-month-old is finding that he can do more and more with his hands and fingers these days (like scribbling, turning the pages of a book, and maybe using a spoon and fork). He'll get a kick out of this rudimentary sewing activity, which requires grasping and pulling. A paper plate and ribbons doesn't sound like much, but you'll be surprised at how much fun they can be!
Good for age: 16 months (but older and younger kids might enjoy it, too!)
Skills developed: teamwork, taking turns, fine motor skills, language
What you'll need: a paper plate, scissors, various ribbons
Cut a small hole in the center of the paper plate. Thread a ribbon a short way through the hole so that just the tip is poking out. Show your toddler how to pull the ribbon all the way through the plate. Once he gets it out, give him some enthusiastic congratulations, and start another ribbon. Describe the ribbons as you work. For example, "Let's try the purple [or long, thick, thin, green, shiny, or polka-dotted] ribbon this time."
After you've done this for a while, try tying several ribbons together to make one long ribbon, and hold the plate for him as he pulls it (he may need to walk or cruise to get the ribbon all the way out). Work on turn-taking by suggesting, "Now it's Sam's turn to hold the plate and Mommy's turn to pull," and see if he'll hold the plate for you while you pull the ribbon through.
Funny, sometimes it's the simplest things in life that are the most fun.
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| Jump! |
On October 15th, we had a 5th birthday party for a friend at the Tanaka Farms pumpkin patch. Going to this patch has become a tradition, as we went with the same group with Mom before we were married and every year since. Baby A practiced her new thing, "jumping." I put it in quotes because she really doesn't get off the ground at all. She puts both arms up and then takes a big marching-like step.
The third week in October started with a disco/glow party at Pretend City. We have a membership there, and she loves going, but I have never seen her this excited! She was running from area to area, often squealing as she ran! I love watching her explore and interact with other kids.
That week, we found out that IVF worked and I had a positive pregnancy test. It is still obviously very early, but we started imagining what life would be like with her as a big sister.
That weekend, Grandpa and Uncle Glen came for a visit again. She is having so much fun with them and will now give them a kiss and a hug. My Dad loves spinning her around like an airplane, and she loves it too. She will go up to him when they are in the back yard and ask for it by motioning with her arms. She also loves to show them things, and led my brother by the hand to her playhouse. He crawled right in there and sat with her for quite awhile.
On Sunday, my best friend Andrea and her husband made the long drive to see us. They brought so many Halloween gifts for Baby A, including a huge box filled with goodies from her Mom Jeri. Jeri is so good to Baby A, and in part does it because she was close with my Mom. They also sent things for her last Halloween, but I thought that was because it was her "first" and was not expecting it this year. After opening all the presents, we went to Irvine Park Railroad in the rain. In southern California, it doesn't usually rain for long. We were surprised that it continued sprinkling. After we went out to eat and returned home, Baby A had so much fun standing and walking in the rain on the back patio. Again, she wanted to lead us out in it to join her which we each did in turn. She also loved splashing in the puddles, and didn't want to come in.
Things I do not want to forget about this month:
- Seeing her walk around the house, arms full of multiple objects such as a doll, a stuffed animal and two remotes.
- Watching the lightning and listening to the thunder and rain at 6am on 10/24
- New words: No, Mommy, More, Mooo! (She will do this when asked what sound does a cow make?), Ruff, Baby (pronounced like she has an Italian accent: Bay-BEE), My, Nana, Uh-oh,
- New teeth: Premolar (Bottom right). So she has all of her incisors (8) and missing her canine, and then has a premolar for a total of 9 teeth.
- Calling her Nemo pumpkin "MoMo"
- Picking her up from daycare and somehow deciding that it was a good idea to let her eat her oreo which covered in frosting with a Hershy kiss attached on the way home. When we arrived at Islands, she looked like she was covered in dirt.
Food:
I started adding sauteed spinach and quinoa to her scrambled eggs in the morning, and to grilled cheese when she has it. She will eat boiled broccoli by the handful, but is still reluctant with most other vegetables, though she will eat peas, carrots and green beans.
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