The Twelfth Month

Here we are - the end of the road.

So dramatic, right? 

Ok, so maybe not the end of the WHOLE road but at least the first part. We now say "goodbye" to BABY Kaitlin and say "Hello!" to TODDLER Kaitlin. Yikes.

 The twelfth month brought lots of exciting things including visiting friends/grandparents, her eighth tooth, walking and "running" (walking really fast), swimming pools and splash table fun. It also brought tears (new babysitter!), bumps and bruises. We had lots of skipped naps and our first visit to the zoo. And at the end of it all we celebrated with a birthday, some cake and a baptism (as well as my first Mother's Day). It was a busy month indeed!

Kaitlin learned how to stand up on her own this month (not holding onto anything) and it greatly improved her walking skills. She walks, walk, walks all day long - around the house, around the yard, around the playground and loves every minute of it. She still falls a lot but she quickly gets back up and is on her way. She has also started "running", which is usually just her walking really fast (and usually falling at the end because she isn't that steady) especially when you chase her. She absolutely loves being chased and playing peek-a-boo, I think she likes being surprised and the anticipation of it all.

She has also become quite the water baby. She loves being in her baby pool and playing with her splash table. Her newest "game" to play involves moving all of her toys from the pool to the splash table and then back again. Grammie bought her a whole bunch of outside balls to play with as well and she loves to carry them around and "throw" them. She loves being outside, pushing or riding her tricycle around (ie, having me push her around), playing in her pool, going for walks and playing on the playground. The more time we can spend outside with her the better. Unfortunately it is starting to get pretty hot down here so we have to get in a lot of our outdoor play in the morning before the sun and heat get to be too intense for her. I'm starting to dread the upcoming summer, when temperatures will be into the 100's, with a small and very energetic toddler at home. 

We had our first visit to the zoo, and while I don't think she completely understood it I think she had a good time. She really liked the giraffes and the flamingos, I think because they were the easiest for her to notice. Other times when I pointed out animals to look at she would look past them or be distracted by something else and not even be paying attention. We might have to hold off on the zoo for a little while longer before she get's more out of it, which is fine because it wouldn't be fun to go to in the summer heat anyway. 

Kaitlin had a great first year check up at the doctor and she said that she is doing very, very well. She was impressed with all of the walking and general busyness, and said her weight (18lbs and 11oz) and overall growth was right on track. Our pediatrician heavily suggested that we stop using the bottle as close to her first birthday as possible, as it is easier to take a bottle away from a one year old than it is a two year old. I introduced whole milk to Kaitlin a couple of weeks before she turned one. At first she wouldn't drink it at all and then she would drink a little bit if it was watered down. We finished the rest of the formula we had and then within the first week after her birthday we took away the bottle. The first night was rough, she still needs that "meal" before bed to sleep through the night, and the first straw cup with milk that I offered her she hated and refused to drink from. I ended up caving and putting the milk in a bottle, which she drank without a problem. The next night it was back to a strawcup with milk before bed, this time using a different cup. Much to my surprise (and anxiety - we had a great bedtime routine why rock the boat?!) she drank all of her milk without any problems! And since then it has been smooth sailing. We even graduated to whole milk (no added water) a couple of days later and now she LOVES drinking milk.

Kaitlin now eats about five meals a day, all of it solid food with milk and water to drink. She gets a cup of milk in the morning when she first wakes up and has breakfast soon after. Around 9-10am (depending on when she is up from her nap) she has a snack, usually fruit and cheerios, and then has lunch around 1130-12 and a cup of milk. One more snack around 3pm and then dinner at 5-530, followed by a cup of milk before bed. She is eating SO much more solid food than she was one month ago. I was really worried that she was drinking too much formula and not eating enough solids, but I didn't know how to "break" her from the bottle routine. Turns out, all you have to do is NOT give it to her. Sometimes the answer is so simple that you don't even think of it. One month ago she used to easily take 5 bottles a day, and would gladly drink more if I let her. I first took away the "snack" bottles and started replacing them with a solid food snack. It took a couple of times for her to get the idea but then she happily gobbled up some food. As most things baby related I was stressing way too much about how to handle a transition and Kaitlin handled it just fine. She is starting to become picky about what food she eats though, which is a change from when we first started solids. She definitely has her favorites and isn't afraid to let you know when she doesn't like something on her plate.

I can't believe how much our little girl has grown this past year. She went from being so tiny and helpless and completely dependent on us, to energetic and fiercely independent and her own little person in just twelve months. Of course, she still needs us for most everything, but she likes and tries to do so much stuff on her own. She is smart, strong willed and determined. She has quite the sense of humor and never fails to make us laugh all day every day. It absolutely amazing me how much she understands and comprehends. I still can't believe that this little person knows exactly what I mean when I say, "Time to eat, go to your high chair" or "Can you please give this toy to Daddy?" And watching her figure out obstacles and puzzles is equally inspiring and exciting. It really makes you realize that they really do watch and absorb every little thing that you do (and we are starting to also realize that we need to start curbing our bad behaviors around her!) This past year has, without a doubt, been the best, happiest and also most challenging year of my life. I can't wait to see what the next year brings!

Watch Me Grow - Week Forty Six (and a half)

Apparently running late with these posts is the new normal...but at this point I'm just glad I remember to do them at all :)

It seems like ages ago now but week 46 brought Kaitlin her first Easter (since she technically turns a new week on Saturdays). Last week we also started swim lessons again. We took some time off as they were falling right in the middle of her morning nap (and we all know how sacred naps are around here). I was able to find another class at a different time and we started classes last week. On the plus side she didn't cry at all, which is a big improvement from the last time we were in lessons. On the negative side she didn't really do much of anything. I think it will take her a few classes to remember everything she learned previously - kicking, splashing, etc. One thing she do during her swim lesson was  get a bloody lip! Oops...that may have been a little bit my fault...

The drool monster is back and I can see her seventh tooth starting to push through. It's still sitting below the surface so irritability and drooliness are the name of the game. And Kaitlin continues to LOVE to throw herself backwards and bend backwards whenever she can. Daddy can flip her in the air and throw her on the bed a hundred times and she would never get sick of it. I, of course, have multiple heart attacks during that time...but as long as she's having fun... :)

Watch Me Grow - Twenty Eight Weeks

This little munchkin is getting ready for Christmas - are you??

If you're a regular around here you know that Kaitlin has been scooting, rolling and turning in circles for a few weeks now. She really wants to be mobile and she is super close to getting there. One day last week while we were playing she managed to lift her whole torso off the ground. It looked like she did one big, girlie push-up and then collapsed in a heap on the floor (kind of like me after I do one girlie push-up, heh). Later that day, when I was going to get her from her nap, I found her on her hands and knees in her crib! She has only managed to do each of those things a few more times since then, but I can tell she's getting stronger and starting to figure out that this is a step in the right direction. She is also super close to being able to push herself up to sitting from laying on the ground. Maybe I'll get her some baby dumb bells to work out those biceps - because once they are strong enough there won't be any stopping her!

In the mean time she continues to roll around constantly. She can now sit up by herself for longer periods of time. I am not using the Boppy to support her that much anymore. She has learned that if she falls over that it doesn't really hurt, provided she's on the carpet and not on the hardwood floor. That doesn't stop her from looking slightly nervous and startled when she does tip over, but she is pretty quick to recover (especially if we make a lot of noise like it is a good thing).

And finally - we had a swimming break through! We had her fourth lesson on Saturday and, even after a two week hiatus, she didn't hate it! She only fussed a few times - which was easily remedied by giving her a pool toy - and only cried after Brian dunked her under water a couple of times (rightfully so). We were shocked at how far she had come and even the teacher was giving us silent thumbs up (so we didn't jinx it). She's well on her way to becoming a little fish!

The Sixth Month

*warning - this is a long one!*

I'm pretty sure I said this last month, but the sixth month has been one of the most exciting months yet. Not only has Kaitlin grown and developed so much over the last 30 days (31? I don't know) but it has also been a very busy month - we had family in town, she celebrated her first Halloween, started swimming lessons, got her first tooth and started solid food!

Over the last month she has become even more of a woman on the move. She is scooting and rolling and turning in circles like a champion. She is still lunging for everything in sight and wants to touch/grab/chew on anything and everything. This month she got her first TWO teeth (both bottom teeth have arrived) and we got to learn about the joys of teething. I think she lucked out pretty well with the teething thing. We had a few days of disrupted naps, definitely some irritated gums and an urgent need to chew/gum on anything wet and/or cold. But other than that she handled it pretty well, especially considering she had two teeth coming in at the same time.

In addition to moving around the floors like a wild woman, Kaitlin also learned how to sit up on her own. I still use the Boppy to help balance her but she is geting better and stronger at sitting on her own every day. She started off staying upright for a few seconds and can now sit for a few minutes on her own at a time. If she wasn't constantly trying to reach for something she could probably sit for a bit longer, but that would be too boring. I started putting her in her high chair at the beginning of the month to get her used to it because by the end of the month we were going to start solid food! We started off with some oatmeal baby cereal and it was a rousing success. She made a few funny faces and pushed the majority out of her mouth the first time around but overall she seems to really like it! Actually, what she seems to love is chewing on the spoon. But if it helps encourage eating and she gets excited about it then I am all for it!

We also had Kaitlin start swim lessons this month. Although they haven't been too successful - most of the time is spent with her crying and mom/dad trying to distract her - I think she will love being in the pool eventually. We got her a new bathtub that allows her to sit in the water and splash around. I'm hoping that helps get her used to being in deeper water. Of course her little ducky tub is a lot different from the giant community pool, but hopefully it will help a little.

Our little pumpkin loved Halloween. I hosted a Halloween party with all of her (my) friends and she had a grand old time. She didn't even seem to mind being in costume, she was too busy watching all the other babies and playing with her toys. We took her to a pumpkin patch (she was not impressed) which rounded out our fall activities and started to gear up for Thanksgiving. It was a super busy and very exciting month, and to say I learned a lot would be an understatement.

A few (more) things I have learned...

Look Up
Kaitlin has always been very inquisitive about the world around her. From the day she was born she was constantly looking around, taking it all in and trying to figure out everything that was going on around her. Now that she is a bit older and can filter out more of the "stuff" that is going on, she can hone in her concentration to things that really interest her. One of her favorite things to do lately is look up. She is always looking at the ceiling when I carry her around - although what, specifically, she is looking at I'm not sure. Whenever we go outside she always, always stares at the trees and their leaves. You will very rarely find her outside with her head down. Sometimes I think she must be getting a neck ache with all the looking up that she is doing but she perseveres. Often times she is staring at something so intently that it causes me to look up to see what she's looking at. I've seen some beautiful sights this way - birds on a wire, leaves rustling in the wind, beautiful fluffy clouds - and I am thankful that she has caused me to pause, look up and observe these everyday, yet special scenes, that I might otherwise miss.

It only gets more expensive
Everyone always says that having children is expensive. But, at first, I didn't really believe them. As Kaitlin gets older I am finally starting to understand. Now that she is on formula and starting solids her food budget has increased (not hard considering it used to be free). As diapers get bigger so does their price tag. Clothes are the same way. And toys...don't forget the toys. In the beginning there is very little that babies need and what they do need you will have probably received as a baby shower gift. But after the first few months the well dries up and this little, smiling, stinky bundle of joy starts to make a dent in your bank account. And it only gets more expensive as they get bigger. Soccer teams, rollerskating parties (umm, do kids still do that?), prom dresses - I can hear my bank account screaming as we speak. Now - finally - I understand why my parents were always on me about getting a college scholarship ;)

Babies are strong

Sure, they may look cute and innocent - but babies are freakin' strong! Kaitlins little legs kick with all their might and I am always surprised at how strong they are. I can't see a six pack but her abs must be made of steal. She is constantly trying to sit up when she's in a reclined position. I started pulling her up to sitting from laying down and now when she sees my thumbs she automatically grabs on and starts to pull herself up. I barely have to help her. And man, does she have a good grip. Your hair is only safe when securely tucked away in a tight ponytail, and even then it's not a guarantee. Your ears, eyes and nose aren't safe either. I'd guard your cheeks and chin too, just to be safe.

I will always think she is the best/brightest/smartest...

I think every mom/dad/parent/grandparent must think - at one time or another - that their child is gifted. Just think about all of the new things that baby learns in the first year of their life. When is the last time you have seen someone learn so much in such little time? Especially during the middle of their first year, they are mastering so many amazing tasks and learning new things every day. Personally, I don't really know much about when babies are supposed to learn what. I know rough timelines of when certain milestones are supposed to be achieved, but the time frame is usually so wide and varied that it isn't really much help. The phrase "every baby develops at their own speed" gets thrown around a lot and for good reason - it's true. I am continually amazed at what Kaitlin learns and accomplishes on a daily basis. I am almost always certain that she is ahead of the curve, mastering things many babies her age aren't learning yet. Sometimes I am right, sometimes I am wrong - but I don't really care. In my eyes she will always be the best, brightest, most talented, funniest, sweetest, intelligent baby/child/person I  have ever known. It's hard not to compare your baby to someone else's, just as it is difficult not to compare your pregnancy to someone else's. But in the end it doesn't really matter what Johnny, Jack and Jane are doing. What matters is what your baby is doing at that moment and how proud of them you are. Just rolled over for the first time? Shout it from the rooftops! Found her fingers/toes/fist for the first time? Blast the news out on facebook/twitter/newest-social-media-too-cool-for-me. I hope I never get over the excitement of my child(ren) learning and accomplishing new things - big and small.