14 months

I’ve been so thankful for these monthly recaps, even in their tardiness. They’ve provided a resource for me to go back and see where Cutter was at this stage, and a constant memento of the seemingly trivial milestones that I find myself forgetting on a day to day basis. I’m glad for the presence of mind to stop and record as much as I can while it is still fresh. I am glad I’ve stuck with them even when I’ve missed a month here or there.

You know, like this time around.

The past two months held a lot for our little girl. She had the misfortune of her first emergency room visit; a difficulty breathing that gave both her father and I a terrifying jolt as we raced her to the ER. By the time we arrived she had developed another fever of 105 (this girl certainly goes all out with her sicknesses) and was shaking uncontrollably. A diagnosis of bronchiolitis and a cocktail prescription of amoxicillin and an inhaler were our door prizes for the evening. She carried on as if nothing had ever happened. 

KIDS.

She also celebrated her second Easter, though her first that she could actively participate in the festivities. I have yet to do a post on our Easter. She was a precious doll, and engaged in both egg hunts that we did with ease. Putting things in baskets is one of her favorite past times. She had her second trip to the Philadelphia Zoo, though again, the first that she could actively participate. Watching her grow has been such a joy and I am blown away by her calm and free-spirited nature. She is so very opposite of me (pray for our future!) and it’s been a breath of fresh air to catch myself reveling in her joy. 

Her stats at 14 months:

12 teeth; 4 molars
Size 3 diapers, 5 at night
Size 18 month clothes; only fits in some 12 month still
Size 4 shoes

Milk/bottles

Prior to sleeping through the night, some nights she would drink upwards of 20 ounces of milk AT NIGHT alone. It was ridiculous. I was giving her the bottles because I knew that she would go back to sleep if she ate, but that meant she wasn’t eating much during the day. It was a cycle that I knew we had to break. She has been down to a bottle at wake-up and bedtime for about a month or so now. During the day I offer her a Sippy of milk with lunch and throughout the afternoon. Otherwise, she has water in her Camelbak (I love that water bottle perhaps more than I should) and happily drinks at her leisure. 

Eating

She is not a big breakfast eater and I have had to get creative in what I offer her. Not being a breakfast eater myself I find it hard to come up with options for the kids for breakfast. I’ve never been big on eggs or meat or even cereal quite frankly, but I know with the kids it’s important for them to get something more than just fruit in the morning. She eats a snack mid-morning (lately it is raisins or yogurt-covered raisins; she definitely eats in phases) and then lunch around 11:30. Both kids usually eat the same lunch; some combination of yogurt, string cheese, whatever fresh fruit we have, peas or broccoli (her personal favorite), a cracker or bread of some sort, and milk. Cutter gets 2 prunes a day at lunch, that’s about the only deviation in their menus. After she wakes up from her nap, she has her Sippy of milk and a snack (maybe graham crackers, pretzels, applesauce, or raisins again). Dinner is whatever we are eating plus fruit and some pickles. She loves pickles. 

Sleeping

I am sure this will jinx it but she finally slept through the night again over the weekend – and wait for it – has continued to do so every night since then! This is nothing short of amazing for my own personal sanity. I was just telling a friend last week that I was about to call in reinforcements and instigate Crying It Out Boot Camp. She must have heard me and decided to bypass the initiation completely.

She had not been sleeping through the night since about 7 months. At times it was just a 9:30 or 10:00 wake-up for a bottle, then at its worst she was waking up every 2 hours to eat. It was insane. I readily admit I went against all of my own advice for the sake of simplicity, but now if she does wake I let her cry and work herself back to sleep. It has only happened twice. Since sleeping through the night she has started to wake earlier for the day, which I am quite okay with. That means her day starts between 6 and 6:30, and Cutter is usually up between 6:30 and 7. She has dropped her morning nap in the process which has opened up worlds of opportunities for our mornings! I had forgotten the freedom of an entire morning out of the house. Lunch is around 11:30 and then she is ready for nap between 12:30 and 1. She will usually sleep until 3:30 or 4. Bedtime is with Cutter at 7 pm.

Talking/Development

She has really started expressing her personality these days. She is quite particular about her wants and desires. She uses the signs for ‘all done’ but is not as fluid with ‘thank you’ and ‘please.’ I have found myself getting frustrated that she doesn’t verbalize her needs yet, but realize it is way too early for her to do that. Having a three year-old who verbalizes every single thought in his mind, I’m used to the constant chatter and direct questioning. It’s a reminder to me that she is still so little, even though I constantly think of her as an older little girl due to her exacted independence. She has been walking since 10 months, feeding herself, and playing by herself (happily and well I might add) so much so that I tend to age her, to my detriment as well as hers. I forget that she is a baby and let my frustrations get to me at times. Poor girl just needs to be held and rocked sometimes!

She has started to clap her hands when we start singing “Patty Cake” and in general, will clap and dance when any music starts playing. She is a happy, happy girl. She’s beginning to understand body parts and for heaven’s sake the girl understands every word that comes out of my mouth. Her ability to process is spot on and she will bring me whatever toy that I ask her to, especially her favorite; Mickey Mouse books – of the small hands variety. Otherwise, her favorite toys at this stage remain cars, Legos, blocks, baskets, and puzzles. I’ve been encouraged by her recent move towards books and she will now sit in my lap for at least a few pages of a book being read to her before she is on the move again. Her dolls typically spend their days in their carriage, unless of course Cutter has a use for them in his imaginative elaborations of the day.

She is a kisser and a hugger, which I love, love, love! Along with Cutter, the two of them express more excitement when Daddy comes home than you would think physically possible. Screams of “Daddy” and “Dada” fill the room coupled with outstretched arms, and running legs. I only get a little jealous of the attention he receives on his homecoming. 

The weather has afforded us much more time out of doors, and so we’ve begun the exploration of the property. So far she loves the swing, the bikes, the slide, the dirt, the balls, the wagon; she has a high disdain for chalk and sand. I’m really looking forward to this summer as she and Cutter have both begun to engage each other in play more frequently now. He has taken to pulling her around in the wagon which just warms my heart. I’m grateful for his loving spirit towards her, and grateful for the space for them to be able to play with each other so well outside. 

Again I say, we should have given her two middle names as well. This girl is such a joy.