13-14 month updates

I'm so behind on Cara's monthly posts that I'm almost tempted to just give up. But I want to chronicle these months and achievements, so I'm going to lump 13-14 together and try to do better with subsequent months. These will be significantly streamlined from previous months from before she was 12 months, even though she's growing by leaps and bounds every day!

I continue to be so amazed by how much she picks up and learns so quickly. I call them "tricks", but they're really developmental bursts and milestones to be proud of. Since she turned 12 months, almost overnight, it seemed like she's a little person and not a baby. It helped when she started walking, but she's most definitely a toddler and not a baby anymore.

So I'm going to categorize her growth in bullet points and share a copious amount of pictures from the last 2 months.

Stats:currently 25lbs 8oz and almost 30" long. We've been to the doctor several times for ear infections, so she was closer to 22 lbs at 13 months.

• In one week, she gained 2 lbs! Went from 23-5 on a Tuesday to 25-6 on the following Monday. Holy moly! 
• I don't have percentiles, but she has always been in the 50-70 range. I imagine she's getting to be big for her age, though. Her belly is definitely all toddler!

Milestones:

• walking and running everywhere, getting very adept at walking on different surfaces and in shoes or socks or bare feet
• climbing onto anything with a level--chairs, low tables, fireplace benches, couches. Thankfully, she can usually get back down safely, but we still watch her just in case!
• talking and signing up a storm
• signs more, all done, milk, sleepy, I don't know (put her elbows on her hips and her arms out)
• says mama, dada, Po (doh), dog (dah), milk (bu-no idea where she got that), bye bye, Buck (buh), book (booh), almost says love you and thank you and almost TOUCHDOWN (ta da, and throws her arms up like a touch down)
• follows one- or two-step directions (go get the ___, bring me the ___, go get ___ and take it to ___)
• knows her body parts: head, hair, eyes, nose, mouth, ears, fingers, toes, knee
• got her 5th ear infection this year, so she is scheduled for tubes the week of Thanksgiving. Mama is dreading it, but I know it will help make her better. Ear infections are awful and have awful side effects (fussiness, fever, antibiotic diaper rash), so I'm ready to leave that behind.

Personality:

She. Is. Hilarious. She picks up on so many things we do, even subconsciously, that it blows my mind. She's always laughing at something or doing a funny trick.

• LOVES to read. I think if we took away all her toys and just gave her board books, she'd be happy. I need recommendations of the best toddler books for Christmas! She'll pick up a book and hold it over her head while walking toward you, then back up into your lap so you can read it to her. Heart-melting.
• likes to "sing" (la la la la la)
• loves it when you sneeze for real or as a joke. Cracks up when she sneezes too.
• loves wide open spaces to run and walk. We went to a birthday party at a gym, and she had a blast playing on the floor and trampoline and other items. The movement is freeing for her!
• asks for Po first thing in the morning. Her first words out of the crib are for him, and she looks for him when we rock to wake up. Loves puppies too.
• would drink 40 oz of milk a day if I would let her. She's my girl for sure in that aspect.
• LOVES to make faces and then crack herself up. She learned the duck face from us, and couldn't make it for more than a second before she'd giggle again. We were in stitches!

Sleep:

• transitioned to one nap a day, but sometimes still 2 if our schedule is wonky
• sleeps from 7:30 p.m.-7 a.m.
• naps from about 12-2 or 12:30-2. It's not a super long nap, but she is OK with it usually
• doesn't like to sleep in the car, but she will tucker out in the carseat if it's a long trip or has been a long day
• When can I start giving her a lovie or stuffed animal to sleep with in her bed? She currently has an empty bed still, and I'm just wondering when we can change that.

Clothes:

• size 4 diapers
• size 18 month clothes
• footie jammies in 18m seem to fit her perfectly, so I wonder if she'll size up before she's 18 months old?
• some 18m clothes are a little loose, some are a little snug or short. Quite the conundrum
• size 4.5 shoe, and has been for at least 2 months. I have 1 pair of size 5 that she can wear with socks, but 4.5 fit the best. So far, a pair of silver, pink and brown soft-soled shoes have been all we have needed!

Food:

• eats breakfast (fruit and carb--waffle, biscuit, cereal, muffin, etc) at 8:30 + 5 oz milk
• eats lunch (veggie, protein, finger foods) at 11:30 + 5 oz milk
• snack (goldfish, graham crackers, fruit, Ritz) at 2:30 + water
• 5 oz milk at 5-5:30
• dinner (pasta, veggie, chicken, fruit) at 6:30 + 5 oz milk
• She LOVES chicken and lots of fruit. Pears are her favorites and bananas too. I usually feed her a small portion of what we have for dinner and serve her a veggie or extra fruit serving if it's not built in.
• I found a great pin on Pinterest about meals for toddlers that I really want to start doing for her. I just feel like I'm not giving her enough options to introduce her to a variety of foods.
• She's a great eater and hasn't really turned her nose up at anything, she just seems to prefer other foods better.

Likes:

• pets
• reading
• going upside down while sitting on your lap
• saying "ooooh!"
• mimicking
• singing/babbling
• milk!
• getting into mischief and then shake her head "no" like she knows what she's doing
• Fisher Price iPhone apps and games
• puzzles

Dislikes:

• riding in her carseat--I think she gets bored facing back and doesn't like being tied up
• teething
• brushing her teeth--she giggles a little bit, but wrenches her head away, especially for the top set
• when Daddy tries to take her from Mommy to do anything--she has definite attachment issues
• diaper changes--wiggly octopus is an accurate description
• waiting to eat or drink anything--she wants it NOW!

Most challenging:

• managing ear infections and teething
• I don't like to see her in pain from anything, and these culprits make that happen
• making the decision to get tubes--scary and uncertain, but necessary. It was the quintessential parenting decision. Your child needs something that will be unpleasant but necessary. You have to decide to weigh the risks and benefits and make the best decision for them by consulting each other and your trusted doctors. I know it's a very common, low-risk procedure, but still still surgical and scary. I'm ready for it, and the subsequent ear infections, to be gone.

Looking forward to:

• 15 months--several friends have told me it's the best age with language explosion, developments and general fun
• tubes being done and over
• Thanksgiving break with family
• the holidays in general--Cara won't completely understand Santa or Christmas, etc., but it's going to be fun to show her more than she knew about last year