It seems that in the last 2 weeks to a month our girls have really started to change! I don't know if I like it too much - I want them to stay my little babies forever! But at the same time it is very exciting to watch these changes happen, they amaze me every day.
As Natalie approaches her first birthday I see less and less of my sweet baby and more and more of a happy-go-lucky toddler. In the last month she has begun to say bye-bye, given up baby food, play peek-a-bo by hiding her own face, mastered the walker (but won't let go yet), and gone from 3 bottles a day to 2. She is also pushing me to allow her to drop her morning nap, but I am not sure I'm quite ready for that! In the next 2 weeks we will get rid of the bottle all together along with formula. I am especially excited for this change so that we don't have bottles to bring with us everywhere and I don't have to mix formula anymore! I'm sure they'll be more changes in the next 2 weeks as well, who knows she might decide that her legs can hold her on their own and start to walk around! (I'm not holding my breath though, seeing as Bella didn't walk until 14 months)
Bella seems to really be changing, almost daily. I look at her now and I don't see a toddler, I see a little girl. She looks older and acts older. So much so that the other day when she was acting up I said "How old are you?" and when she replied, "2 mommy" I realized I couldn't follow it up with "You need to act your age" because - she was! In the last 2 weeks she has learned to count to 10 (although you need to remind her that you start with 1 not 2, and she has to do it w/her eyes closed b/c she thinks you only count when playing hide and seek), learned the letter B - really well, she knows its sound and lots of words that start with B, and so much else! Her vocabulary seems to be increasing at an extremely fast pace. I can't even tell you how many times I look at her and think - when did you learn that word?
Along with the milestones and growth Bella is also going through another one of what I call her "testing phases." This is where she seems to try to push the limit with everything. Test me, and Anthony, to see if we're really going to do what we said we would. It gets very tiring. The worst part about it is now she's started talking back. Telling us no when we ask her to do something. The other day I was trying to get her to do something and she pointed her finger at me and said, "Don't ever do that again Mommy!" I had to send her to time out quickly before I lost control of my laughter. In the last 2 weeks we've had many talks about respect and how we speak to our parents and others. Hopefully one of these days it is going to sink into her head. It is funny because I realize alot of what she is saying is her repeating to others (or to me) what I tell her when she's in trouble. She tells me all the time she wants to be older and wants to be a mommy - so this is her way of doing that, I guess. I'm trying to remember when I need her to do something to say, "Isabella would you please ................." Instead of "Isabella go and ...................." in hopes that she'll start mirroring that.
I was at a play group last week when a new mother said something about how hard infancy was -and we can all agree that with the 24/7 care it is very hard and exhausting - but another girl replied that while infancy was hard, it only gets harder as they get older. Harder because now it isn't the sleep deprivation that is wearing you out (unless you have a new infant and an older child!) it is parenting itself, teaching your children, having to be a constant good example and the worry or messing up. Thankfully children are very forgiving and when we do mess up if we'll just recognize, apologize and change they'll move on like nothing happened. I am finding with an almost 3 year old that I have to think about and calculate every thing I do or say because she is most certainly watching and apt to repeat exactly as I do. Just like the song says, "Do as I'm doing, follow, follow me." I've got to be sure that what I'm doing is good - so that what she does will be too.
Have a great week.
Jen
3 comments:
It does sound like they are both really growing up! I love to watch Kathryn grow and see her learn. I am amazed at how she picks up on things every day. I love your updates every week!
Kids are a lot of work at any age, but a lot of fun too. I had to laugh out loud when I read what Bella said to you! How do you keep a straight face at those moments? They are growing up so fast - both our little babies are becoming toddlers fast! Pretty soon, you'll have two little girls sassing you - watch out!
It's amazing how quickly your kids grow. I feel like Spencer was just born yesterday and now he's 2 1/2 months! It's true, kids are definately a challenge at whatever age they are. Although I have to say that Janelle at three hasn't exactly been the easiest year for us. (In fact, it's definately been the hardest so far!) It's so fun when they start to talk back and boss you around. Janelle has probably spent half the year in time out! She's so strong willed! (Okay, maybe not THAT long.) But it's definately made me appreciate my sweet little infant all the more. Also, we're starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel. In 3 months Janelle will be 4 and she's starting to figure out the respect thing, slowly but surely. My only advice is patience, patience, patience! (Definately my weakest link!)
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