Amelia turned one a few weeks ago! I will post about her party soon, but this post is about what she's up to right now and how much she's grown in the last month. It's crazy (and if I'm being honest, a bit of a relief) that I won't be doing her monthly posts anymore. That first year of her life is done already. So fast, yet so slow.
We went to the doctor this week (two weeks late, as always) and learned that Amelia weighs 18 lbs 10 oz (29%) and 2' 4.5'' (22%) and her weight to height ratio is just under 50%. To put it in perspective, in the last three months she's jumped up on her weight by 13% (in a healthy way of course) and slowed down on her growth in length by about 25%. Josie was 22 lbs and 30 inches tall and I can't find Audrey's stats but I think she was just about the same weight and height as Amelia is now.
Teething has been a bear lately, with her getting two molars in and at least one more working it's way down and through any day now. When it's the worst, she wants to nurse (a lot) and be held. She wants to eat but doesn't want what she has to eat. It's a hard struggle for this one year old. She used to be such an amazing eater. Now, she spends more time playing with it, throwing it on the floor, and screaming for whatever else she wants but can't communicate. It's reeeeal fun. She took to drinking milk like a pro and downs her whole glass in under five minutes, but then she won't always eat what has been put in front of her. I refuse to play the "feed her only what she wants" game at this point because it'll only encourage her to be ridiculously picky. If she doesn't eat what we are eating, she gets some cheese and more milk or water. She gained enough weight the last few months so I'm not too worried. Usually, it's a phase anyway!
Mobility. So fascinating to watch her in this area. So far, she's still not walking, but man can she cruise once she's holding on to something. I really tried to get her to let go and only hold onto my hand with one hand and she's gotten pretty good at that. She still has a lot of work to do with her balance, but you can see the progress all the time. She finally full out crawls (happened about two weeks before her birthday) and as always, it's adorable. Any time a baby crawls around, exploring, it is just the cutest thing, right? She's so very happy now that she can make her way around the house freely.
In an effort to not drive myself crazy, our house is only somewhat baby proofed. Most of the outlets have plugs, the stairway is gated off (more to keep the older two from destroying the playroom at will than anything) and sometimes I make a point to close the toilet lids. Our cleaning supplies have been on a shelf out of kids' reach since we moved in. Other than that, I've worked a lot with the older girls to remind her not to put things in her mouth. We don't keep small things or toys out (I try to pick up everything as I notice it instead of letting it be like we did before we had little babies) and the girls know that each small toy has a home and to put the toys in their homes. Generally, it's been fairly easy to keep her out of trouble. Oh, and I'm encouraging hubby to secure our larger furniture to the wall (her dresser, bookshelves, etc). She's free to roam around the main level with her sisters so it gives me piece of mind when I know she won't be crushed. Logical, I know.
The coolest part with Miss Millie is that she is understanding us more and more. I can tell her to shut the cabinet door and she'll do it. I ask her to stop doing something and she can look at me, look back at what she's doing, and stop. The crazy part is 75% of the time she really will listen and even obey. Cool, right? I am always surprised when she actually follows through and does whatever it is I'm asking. She's barely one and can't talk yet! Yet she knows to shut a door or put the toys in the basket.
She signs "all done" and sometimes claps, which also means "more" in her world. I cannot get her to do "milk" but that's okay because lately it means nursing but soon it will mean drink in general since we are phasing out of nursing. That is confusing enough for me let alone for her... so I don't push that one. She love loves loves to help me clap my hands and the other day purposely entertained me by slapping her thighs before making a sly face, over and over again. It was admittedly hilarious, so I can see why she did it a hundred times. To really bring out the laughs, she plays hide and seek with all of us multiple times a day. Sometimes she just turns her head, sometimes she hides behind a wall, sometimes she lifts up her blanket over her head. There are a bunch of variations and they are all entertaining. She's really a true entertainer. She also busts a move when she hears a good beat. It's an elusive dance that only lasts three seconds at the most, so you have to watch carefully if you want to see it.
Mostly, she sleeps from 7:00 pm to 6:00 am. She still wakes up earlier most days but will often go back to sleep with the help of a diaper change or a pacifier find. She takes a solid two naps unless we aren't home in the morning, and once in a while she still squeezes in a quick half hour nap around 4:30. I thought briefly that we were done with the first and last one, but nope, it was just a weird day or two where she was too silly to sleep (and as always we all paid for it later that day). She still likes to be snuggie wrapped in her blanket, and so really fast at hopping out of her wrapped blanket to standing position the minute she is done sleeping (or thinks she's done before she's actually begun). Also, her wake up call is screaming, so there's that. She's not the happiest upon waking.
This month is the first month that she has truly played with her sisters. They've played...at her... in the past, but now they give her princesses, make room for her, play games centered around her (age appropriate for her) and purposely seek her out to play. Josie is much better about not dragging her around so I can leave the two of them to play in the big girls' room while I get something small done. This is one of the reasons it's easier having more than one kid. When it was just Josie, nobody else could distract her or entertain her so it was left to me to try to squeeze in housework and meal prep and do that at the same time. Now, I set her up with a few toys, a sister or two, and check in often and she's as happy as can be. It's a huge blessing and I'm thankful for it.
Her report card from nursery and the gym is glowing as always. Both places have pointed out how crazy easy she has been to watch and how she is hardly phased at all when other kids take something from her or trip over her. She's turned into the typical third child with her demeanor around a lot of people. Whew! I was hoping this would happen and it did. She's full of personality but much easier to be around.
What else? There is so much more. She's seriously full of life, full of personality, and full of specific characteristics that are unique just to her. I find myself thinking about summer with a one year old and can't hardly wait. The world is so fascinating and new and exciting to her and once again I'll get to experience it through a toddler's eyes. This time, I also get to share this with two sisters who delight in her just as much (I know, I mentioned this in another post, but it's worth pointing out again). Last summer, I witnessed a set of sisters that were about the same ages as what my girls will be this summer. The bigger two led the little one around happily and helped her when she needed it while also teaching her how to play. It was the sweetest thing, watching as I held my little tiny immobile baby and I cannot wait for it to be my girls this year (outside! in the sun! and water!).
She's a delight. We love her. She's one! Now, we have a 4 1/2 year old, a 3 year old, and a 1 year old. How is this possible?? Slow down, time!
No comments:
Post a Comment