Easter is just around the corner and it seems that Easter eggs in a basket are very entertaining. Kaelyn had a blast inspecting each egg, handing them to me, tossing them, even twirling them on the linoleum. I think she put ONE back in the basket but mostly enjoyed tossing them out. So I replaced them. That was my job of the day! Ah the things that entertain an 11 month old! Since it's been getting nicer we've been able to go outside more. That is SO helpful. The first day we went outside Kaelyn sat by the landscaping out front and inspected each rock in it. Okay not EVERY rock, but enough that it seemed like a lot of rocks! She turned them over and over in her hands and then either handed them to me or threw them onto the sidewalk. I had to sweep them back in with my foot later, but it was worth it, she was having a blast.
We have a big swing that hangs under our deck and I've discovered at the right time of day, that swing calms Kaelyn.
I've taken to going down there not long before a nap. We swing and I sing or hum and she cuddles right against me. Maybe partly because it's still a little chilly to be out! I have to keep an eye on HER eyes to make sure they don't get TOO droopy! She just loves swinging and looking around. We do that for a bit then it's pretty easy to get her to nap. We have a baby swing that we're going to hang under the deck hopefully soon. We just need to get the right hooks. She enjoyed swinging so much at her cousin's recent birthday party I can't wait to get that up to use. I picked out a good spot to hang it under the deck that's shaded for the longest during the day. That way in the nasty summer heat/sun we can still swing and not melt...hopefully. That's the idea at least.
I'm not really sure what the specifications are for being a "toddler". A kid probably has to be over a year of age. Kaelyn is only 11 months but she toddles EVERYWHERE. Sometimes she even almost runs. Mostly when she's naked before getting her pjs on at night! :) She picked up the walking thing fast and went from taking just a few steps on her own at a time to walking clear across a room. Now if you TRY to help her walk she just pushes your hand away. I can do it myself mama!! With this new mobility has come an increased curiosity for the world around her. Now she can get TO the cabinets. And get them open! And explore! For the most part I let her. But I drew the line when she tried to toss some crystal stem glasses of my grandmother's to the floor. Boy, she does NOT like when I don't let her do what she wants! But come on...crystal?! I don't think so sweetie!!
I put a cabinet lock on the cabinet under the sink where I keep the soaps etc. Kaelyn was messing with it briefly one day and all the sudden she turned around and had it in her hand. Look what I did mama! I couldn't believe it! I can't even get that thing off without a struggle, how did she do it?! Is nothing safe anymore? Yeah, not really!
Stair climbing is a huge pastime. She likes to climb and toss things off so I have some noisy items on the stairs that she can throw and make a good sound when they hit the tile at the bottom. Course, then I have to retrieve it, while keeping a hand on her which can sometimes get complicated. She climbs like a mountain lion. But when she wants to go down she just turns around and dives. Therefore no climbing adventures are allowed alone, that's for sure! She'll have to learn a better technique someday! And she's so interested in the stairs that she keeps taking off when we put away laundry. She used to be entertained by helping me empty the basket. Though she still doesn't fold the clothes for me! :) Now, though, she's like, whatever mama, I'm outta here! And off she runs. So I have to close her in our bedroom with me or I have to continuously chase her and bring her back to the room, away from the stairs. It took me a couple of laundry episodes to realize, oh, I could just close the door and not have to chase her every 2 seconds! Duh!
Kaelyn is doing pretty well on weaning. She nurses three times a day now, first thing in the morning, around 2, and right before bed. I'm starting to think about how to get rid of the 2pm feeding. She still seems to genuinely need it at this point but soon I'd like to substitute another food, I'm just not sure what to try. She eats her baby food at mealtimes and some cheerio type things for snacks after naps so I'm trying to think if there's something else she can have. It would be way easier if she ate real people food but we're still limited to baby pureed things and things that melt easily in her mouth. Everything else I try she'll take one bit of and then push it away. What do you do.
Overnights are getting a little better. My husband has been going in when she wakes up in the middle of the night. I only go in if it's 5am or later. He's usually able to calm her pretty quickly with some patting. Recently there was a 2 1/2 hour scream session in the middle of the night which I'm blaming on teething, but for the most part it's working out well. She knows she can't eat with him and may as well just go back to sleep! I actually slept 8 hours straight last night! And couldn't go back to sleep at 5am! So I got up and got a bunch done before Kaelyn woke for the day. It was kinda nice!!!
Part of me can't believe she's 11 months old already but there are some days when I'm like, it's only been 11 months?! :) I'm sure all moms feel that way! For the most part she's a great kid and for EVERY part, I love her.
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