Amelia is 22 Months Old

Sweet Amelia,

 

You are such a BIG girl, and you have grown so much in the last two months!  (I missed your 21 month update, so this will serve as two updates in one.)  Your little personality is blossoming more and more everyday, and you are a sweet, silly, bull in a China shop, stubborn, feisty thang!  You think you are four years old just like your sister.

 

First and foremost, you LOVE school, and love is not a strong enough adjective for that thought.  You now attend school five days a week from 9am-Noon.  I had to break down and send you because you were having NO part of being left behind on Tuesday and Thursday mornings when I dropped Madeline off in the carpool.  You literally screamed the whole way to school when we didn't bring your school bag with us.  You screamed when Madeline got out of the car in the mornings.  You screamed all the way to the gym.  You pouted the entire time I was working out, and then you screamed until we picked Madeline up from school.  There was no way I was doing errands with a screaming almost 2 year old, so "the in-between time" was killing me.  Oh, and just in case I didn't know just how mad you were, you screamed the entire 20 minute ride home AFTER we had your sister in the car.  After three non-school days for you of this nonsense, I got over MY idea that you were too little for a five day per week program, texted your Daddy that I was going to talk to Mrs. Becky ASAP about sending you five days, and enrolled you as quickly as I could.  Your happiness (and my sanity) are well worth the nominal difference in tuition fees.  Now, that you are a full fledged five day per week preschooler, you are happy as a clam.  You happily say good-bye to Madeline, blow her a smooch, and off you go with your teacher!  It's pretty darn cute watching you walk up to your teacher, give her a hug, and a high five each day!

 

 

Sweet Girl,

You are really turning into a girly girl - you adore shoes, purses, necklaces, hairbows, bracelets, baby dolls, Barbies, playing dress up, "talking" on anything that resembles a phone, and wearing Mommy's shoes JUST like your big sister, but you are a messier, clumsier version of Madeline.  You will sport ten necklaces and two purses, but you will fall down trying to walk around in my high heels.  It's pretty doggone cute.  You love to play outside and run around.  You watch Madeline dance and do ballet moves, and you do your own rendition of those moves.  You don't mind getting dirty and messy, but if it's too much or makes you the slightest bit uncomfortable, then you want to be cleaned up.  You are quick to tell me you have a dirty diaper, and you walk to the cabinet for the diapers and wipes.  You love to take walks and ride on your bicycle or ride in the wagon.  You have so much fun on the swingset and going down the slide is your favorite part.  You are fearless, so your nervous nelly Mommy can't relax while your climbing all over the swingset. 

 

 

Eating with you is a little frustrating right now.  Although you love to eat and enjoy most foods I put in front of you, you have become super picky depending on your disposition at that moment.  One second you devour something, and the next you act like it's the nastiest thing on the planet.  Your plate looks like a buffet with a little of what we're eating plus any other fruits, yogurt, or veggies that I think will strike your fancy.  I do draw the line and make a normal plate for you with a few extras on the side, and if you refuse all of that, then tough luck kiddo.  You refuse any help with your utensils, so you can become quite the disaster by the end of the meal.  Although practice makes perfect, and your fork usage is quite good and your spoon usage is a work in progress.  Your hunger bell goes off and there's no patience when it comes to preparation.  I have learned to cook, cut, and do all sorts of things with you on my hip because when you are hungry, you want to "EAT! EAT!"  You enjoy going out to eat, and you will try almost anything.  As long as we have some coloring supplies, you do really well in a restaurant.
   

 

You continue to be a fantastic sleeper (when nothing is ailing you, of course!).  You love naptime and will sleep for 2-3 hours each day, and you are ready for bed at night.  Sometimes, you ask for bathtime because you are ready to hit the hay.  You enjoy our ritual of story time before naps and bed, and after 3 board books, you are done.  You get in your crib, and it's lights out.  Rarely do you cry, talk, fuss, or bounce around before going to sleep.  Your four canine teeth have finally come through, and your sleep was quite touch and go for several weeks.  Teething really disrupts your sleep, and a sleep deprived Amelia is not amusing for any of us.
   

 

Amelia,

You are a goofy little thing.  You love to be a ham and make us laugh.  You crack yourself up which always gets my funny bone.  Peek-a-boo is still a fun game for you.  Out of nowhere you will hide your face, shout "Boo!", and giggle.  Repeat over and over.  You love to be tickled and chase your sister around.  You enjoy making a splashy bath with lots of bubbles.  You are also a wiggle worm - you never stop moving.  You still have temper tantrums when you don't get your way, but those have started to go away.  You don't like to be scolded even though you seem to test the boundaries quite often, so you should be used to a stern scolding by now.  You've become very huggy and snuggly lately, and we do not mind one bit indulging your requests for a "hu".  You also ham it up for the camera.  You automatically say, "Cheeeeeeese!" when we get the camera out.

 

Your speech has improved drastically since you've started school.  You have more interest in verbalizing to us now that you have been forced to do so in school.  Your speech is still garbled, but your words are starting to sound more like the actual words you are trying to say.  It's becoming easier and easier to figure out what you are trying to say.  Your tongue issue continues to prevent certain sounds due to lack of range of motion, so there is a physical issue we will be dealing with once you turn two.  Your comprehension seems to have skyrocketed as well.  You can do multiple simple tasks when we ask you to do them.  You also respond well to a scolding and consequence - you have seemed to pick up on the cause-effect relationship of your actions.  When we ask you a question, you also seem to truly understand us because your answers seem to be more than "NO!"  You actually try to make your opinion known.  Slowly, but surely, our communication with you is improving and becoming less frustrating for everyone.

  

 

Amelia,

You complete our little family of four, and we adore every ounce of you!

Twenty Months Old

This little turkey is almost TWO years old! 

Amelia, you have simmered down since your last post.  Our consistency in discipline is starting to pay off for us because you are not nearly as temper tantrum prone.  Don't get me wrong, you still test your boundaries being an almost two year old, and you still swat, lay out like you are going to kick and scream, shout "NO!", and get livid but not as frequently.  Unfortunately, throwing toys when you are mad has entered our world, but as with everything, Daddy and I remain consistent in our discipline.  This too shall pass.  Oh sweet girl, you understand so much, but you can communicate so little.  You've gotten better, BUT I'm really the only one who understands everything.  Surgery and speech therapy is in our very near future.  And, that's okay.  I've enrolled you in a three day per week preschool program, and we hope that your communication will be forced to improve until your second birthday when we can get your tongue fixed and therapy arranged.  We are excited for you to be able to spread your wings at preschool and gain some independence from Mommy and Big Sister.  You do so well on your own, but you rarely have time to be YOU!  I'm excited for this school year and to see you blossom in your own element!

You love to color, read books (finally!!!), draw on the Etch-a-Sketch, play with the Little People, build with blocks, and play in the toy kitchen.  You have started to mimic taking care of babies, so you feed your baby, try to give her a paci, and carry her on your hip.  It's way too cute.  You've also started to mimic us by chatting on the phone, pointing your finger as if you are issuing a command, and "telling stories".  You gave up the bottle with no problems, and you replaced your bottle time before naps and bedtimes with stories.  You LOVE stories.  You always ask for "mo" when story time is over.  You literally run to the rocker when it's time for naps and bedtimes because you love being read to, and I love that alone time with you, sweet girl.  You still have your paci, and we aren't dealing with that anytime soon.  You've attached to another lovey, so you now need two loveys and your paci at sleep time.  You still sleep like a rock star - 7 PM until about 7 AM with about 45 minutes to an hour of "me time" in the crib after you wake up.  Your naps are about 1.5 hours to 2 hours long, so I cannot complain!

Amelia, I have no doubt that you will be a "girly girl" with some rough and tumble mixed into the "What Makes Amelia" formula - you are all about accessories, shoes, purses, wearing a bow, playing Barbies, but something tells me that there is more to you than all that girlishness.  You like to rough house, get dirty & sweaty, climb, be outside, run, and squeal.  You love to use your fork, spoon, and napkin at mealtime, but at the same time you will dump an entire cup of water on yourself and think nothing of it.  However, the slightest crumb on your shirt will drive you nuts.

Amelia, you are just like the other three people in this house - You LOVE Good Mood Food - Arby's.  You can spot an Arby's a mile away, and you will shout, "EAT!" everytime you see one!  You will mow down a Junior Roast beef, bun and all, in a hot second, and then ask for more.  You like the curly fries, but you prefer the sandwich.  You ARE your Daddy's child in the food department.  You like a meal, not a snack, and you like a meat being involved in your meal.  Chicken, green beans, carrots, applesauce, yogurt, raisins, fruit snacks, Cheetos, Goldfish, Milk, Icy Cold Water, any type of fresh fruit, and any kind of cereal are your favorite foods.  You love to eat cereal like a "big girl" - cereal in a bowl with milk and a spoon.  Believe it or not, Raisin Bran Crunch is your favorite with Fruit Loops being a close second.  Ranch dressing is a must at dinnertime.  You dip anything into it, and if it's not on your plate, you ask for "Dip, pease!"

Amelia, you add a zest to our lives!  We ADORE & LOVE you to pieces!

19 Months Old

Amelia Bedelia, 

You are 19 months old!  Can we say TERRIBLE TWOS!?  Holy cow - you have shown your strong-willed, stubborn, independent, & feisty side this month.  Wow! 

"NO!" is your absolute favorite word and purposely being defiant is your favorite activity.  You swat when Mommy corrects your behavior.  You yank and sometimes pull out your sister's hair when you want her toy.  You yell, kick, scream, and bang the walls with your fist when you don't get your way.  You are a HOT MESS right now.  You are maddening, and you, my sweet, are giving this Mommy a run for her money.  However, unfortunately for you, your Mommy taught fifth grade for ten years, and as a result, your Mommy has thick skin.  Your Mommy is THE.MOST.STUBBORN. woman on the planet and will remain true to her beliefs, rules, & consequences every.single.time without fail.  Your Mommy will take a John Rosemond tip and modify it for your age in a skinny second.  Your Mommy picks a worthy battle, sticks to her guns, and always wins.  Your Mommy has been down this road before with big sister, so this too shall pass.  Ultimately, your Mommy loves you and will love you through this lovely stage even if it requires more frequent visits to the hairdresser for highlights. :)

Just look at those eyes..."I dare you to tell me "NO", Mommy."

Now, that I have outed your terrible two-ness in the opening of your post, you are an adorably funny child.  The ladies at the gym call you "Trouble", and it suits you perfectly.  You actually answer to the name "Trouble", silly girl.  You are a gem for them.  They've never seen those traits I described above.  You are into everything, and you wreck anything in your way.  You are rough and tumble, AND you are sweet and cuddly.  You love to make a mess, and you are proud of your mess.  You love music, and you love to dance.  You love to color, and your favorite part about coloring is dumping all the crayons onto the floor.  You love to run, play chase, be tickled, and you have the best belly laugh around.  You love to eat, and you make it known when you are ready to eat by shouting, "EAT!" or "Snack!" over and over loudly.  You are the messiest and fastest eater, but you eat like a champ.  Table manners is a high priority around here.  Your favorites include grilled chicken, green beans, carrots, oranges/any fruits, egg & cheese omelets, Nutella sandwiches, anything in the chip aisle, Arby's roast beef and curly fries, and anything chocolaty.  You are the thirstiest child - you love milk and ice water.  Every now and again, you'll take to lemonade, but you are a milk and water girl at heart.

To say that you ADORE your big sister is an understatement.  You cannot get enough of her.  You get VERY upset when she has to leave the room to potty.  You chase her down at the gym when I pick you up as if I were going to forget Madeline goes with us too.  You destroy whatever she is playing with even when you are not trying to be a bull in a china shop.  Sometimes you wreck her castles on purpose, and sometimes you are just trying to play too.  As hard as Madeline tries, she cannot get as furious as she should with you.  Madeline, bless her heart, just says, "Amelia, let's try to put it back together."  Whatever Madeline does, you want to do also.  While it's frustrating day-to-day, it gives me hope that some of those milestones will come easier for you because you want to do those things such as drink out of a regular cup, put on your own shoes, etc.  You are all about being independent and doing everything by yourself - walking down the stairs, putting on clothes & shoes, brushing teeth, eating & using a napkin, climbing into the car & your carseat, and the list goes on and on.  This trait will serve you well in the future, and my Dad reminded me that while this is aggravating in the moment, her independence will work in her favor as she gets older.

This wipe incident took place as I was cleaning up dinner dishes.  I was gone for 5-10 minutes, and the entire pack was everywhere in no time.

This big sister adores you too.  She cleans up your mess most of the time because she's the peacekeeper.  Madeline sees your tantrums and doesn't want you to get in trouble, so if she can pick up a mess such as 5 zillion wipes being strewn about, she will.  Madeline is your little Mama, and although there is quite a bit of bickering daily over purses, high heels, and jewels, at the end of the day, there is some serious love between my little girls.

Madeline picked up every wipe she could see before I returned.  She was so proud of herself for cleaning up Amelia's mess.

Amelia, you nap like a champ, and you sleep hard each night.  You love your little lovey and your paci.  You get awfully p-oed at me when I make you put your "stuff" in your bed each morning and after naps.  You've gotten into your Bitty Baby doll, Sophie, this month.  You love to carry around your baby.  You love to pat your baby, and you like your baby with you all the time.  You love to play on the 3rd floor playroom in the kitchen, and you are obsessed with dress up shoes.  You wander around the playroom in those dress up shoes, carrying Sophie, and talking on the bunch of bananas like you are talking to somebody on the phone.  It's hilarious!  You've gotten into TV a little bit this month.  You love Sesame Street and any show with lots of music or dancing.

Amelia, your vocabulary has bursted this month although the general population doesn't understand you at all.  Poor thing.  Most of your words are garbled, and your comprehension far outweighs your expression.  It's frustrating to all of us, especially you.  You are extremely polite with your "please", "thank you", & "bless you".  You understand manners, but you get so frustrated when someone doesn't understand your needs, so manners fly out the window quickly which then turns into some sort of tantrum experience.  You have many words, but you don't say many short phrases yet.  You are a charmer these days.  You wave hello at anyone, but you know who takes care of you.  You cling quickly to me, specific familiar ladies at the gym, our sitter, your Daddy, and your Grandma if you are in an uncomfortable situation.  Speaking of Grandma, you adore your Grandma.  I think you know Grandma = chocolate treats, so you will will go the door, look out the window, and say "Grandma" over and over even when we are not expecting Grandma to visit.  You and your sister have a special little thing with your Grandma, and it's very sweet. 

Hooray for 19 Months Old!  Amelia, you are something else, but you are near and dear to our hearts, you crazy thing!

Amelia is 18 Months Old

Sweet Amelia is 18 Months Old, and she is just turning into such a big girl.  She also thinks she is going on four years old.  Lots and lots of monkey see, monkey do in our household right now.  I'm not going to lie, it's a little frustrating at times when she wants to do what Madeline is doing.  Sometimes, she just can't do what Big Sister is doing, but there absolutely NO reasoning with Miss Amelia.  Unfortunately, this has amped up the temper tantrum factor in our house, and that's a real bummer.

Amelia is really starting to talk more and more.  She has many words in her vocabulary that she uses regularly and properly.  There is also a lot of jibberish that comes out of her mouth.  Unfortunately, Amelia has what I call a "tight tongue" (the frenulum that connects her tongue to the bottom of her mouth is really tight), and her tongue does not have full range of motion.  As a result her speech has definitely been affected.  Many of her words are garbled, so the general population doesn't always understand what she is saying.  So, it's looking like a surgery is in our future in order to correct this problem and not have further speech issues in our future.  Yikes. 

Amelia continues to be our eater and sleeper.  This girl LOVES mealtime, and although she has her picky moments, she generally eats what is given to her.  She has been clued into snacks and chocolate, so those foods are welcomed at any time!  She loves milk and icy cold water, and she could take or leave juice, lemonade, kool-aid, etc.  Amelia loves her bed, naps, and bedtime.  She continues to be a great sleeper (unless she is sick), and her post sleeping playtime in her bed has increased dramatically.  It's nice to have a few extra minutes to in the morning or afternoon when she wakes up to finish whatever it is that I am doing.  Amelia loves her paci and lovey, and she's fully aware that those items remain in her bed.  There have been many days that she pitches a fit when we leave them behind, but as a general rule, I don't let those things tag along throughout the day - just one of my Mama quirks that she has to learn to live with unfortunately.

Amelia has really blossomed socially.  She loves other children, being outside, and going to the gym nursery.  Her stranger danger has calmed down, and that's nice.  I notice her waving to many more people now, and she is all smiles when people approach her.  Big improvement.  Don't get me wrong, she's still can be pretty clingy and on my hip a lot, but it's gotten a lot better.  Amelia loves to play with Madeline, color, play in the sandbox, swing on the swing set, play chase, and slide down the slide.  She just loves to be able to roam around freely and be noisy.  She can squeal with the best of them, and she can give the biggest belly laugh.  One of her most recent favorite activities is playing in bigger shoes.  Wonder where she got that idea?  She's also really into bracelets, necklaces, and purses.  Again, lots of monkey see, monkey do.

(I might add here that I totally missed her 17 month old post, but I can summarize Amelia's 17th month up with just a few unpleasant words - double ear infection, chest infection with wheezing, breathing treatments, antibiotics, no sleep, and general crankiness.  Poor baby had a rough month.)

Amelia Bedelia,


You are our bull in a china shop mowing down whatever is in your path.  You are our spunky girl that can be giggly and happy one second & mad as a hornet the next second.  You are our little stubborn, feisty thing when you don't get your way.  You are our child with scrapes, bumps, and bruises.  You are our child that needs to be checked on if you are too quiet.  You are our child that is constantly blurting out, "UH-OH!" because you have created an "uh-oh" situation.  But most of all, you are our lovable, sweet, silly, noisy, clumsy, hilarious little girl who gives hugs, kisses, and big toothy smiles all the time!  You keep us on our toes with your antics and stretch my patience to levels I never knew existed, but you fit our little family so perfectly.  We love you to pieces.

Amelia - 16 Months

Our Amelia is 16 months old, and while we didn't get our "formal" photo shoot, I snapped these few pictures of her one day after turning 16 months old in her brand new chair to match Madeline's.  This little girl LOVES furniture her size....up, down, up, down, repeat over and over.

Amelia is a full fledged biped, and it's wonderful!  She wants to walk everywhere!  She can mostly keep up with Madeline, and her frustration level is down now that she can get to where she wants to go rather quickly.  She's pretty good on the steps, and she's becoming more proficient coming down the steps.  She wants to use the handrail just like Big Sister, so she gets super agitated that her arms don't go up that high.  Amelia finally got her OWN pair of Stride Rite kicks this month, and to say that she LOVES her new sandals is probably the biggest understatement of the year.  She loves to put them on, and then stand with her arms up in the air while shouting, "Ta-da!"

 Amelia continues to be a HOT MESS.  I dress her up in all of Madeline's little prissy outfits with a bow and all, but within 20 minutes, she's a sticky, snotty, bow-throwin' disaster.  She's a feisty thing.  Whew.  She wants what she wants STAT, and if she could speak in sentences, she would no doubt say something along the lines of, "like this needed to be taken care of yesterday, Mom!"   The terrible two's have risen...Madeline went through a similar terrible two preview, and this one has given me a not so exciting preview.  Hardheaded, loud, and stubborn would describe our little Amelia Bedelia to a tee.

 Amelia is so silly and funny!  She loves to rough house, laugh, dance, and be wild.  She squeals at the top of her lungs, dances to any music, and adores being outdoors.  She loves her bike rides, swinging on the swing set, playing in the sandbox, and roaming through the yard.  If we're not outside outside, the screened in porch is the next favorite spot for this little one.  Daddy just may have his little hunter/outdoorsy girl after all. 

Amelia's language development has come a very long way in a month.  She now says:  Madeline, Mama, Dada, down, up, night-night, uh-oh, thank you, no thank you, off, no, bless you, ta-da, and shoe.  Most of her words have to do with making sure we know her needs.  She's not super interested in pointing to things and knowing what they are.  She's more interested in knowing how to get out of her chair after a meal, removing her bib, & communicating basic needs to us.  We have a lot of frustration in our house right now due to Amelia not being able to say what it is she's trying to say.  We're working very hard using words right now.  Amelia has pretty much figured out how to use her fork and spoon at mealtime...messy but she can do it.  She wants to be big like Big Sister, so she's trying like crazy to do all the big girl things.  Amelia is rough and tumble, but my girl loves her accessories.  Just like Madeline, she'll turn anything into a bracelet, and she loves wearing sunglasses and necklaces.  It's funny to watch her accessorize herself with random stuff around the house.

Amelia keeps us on our toes, and we love her to pieces.  Our family definitely has some character with this little turkey in it!  Here's to another great month, sweet Amelia!

15 Months

Sweet Amelia, you are 15 months old, and my goodness, you are a HOT mess! We love you, your spunk, and your attitude, but we have our hands FULL with you! Everything you do is 150% --- sickness, health, play, laughter, & squeals!

Amelia has had quite a 15th month --- walking, teeth, and trying so very hard to communicate! Amelia continues to be a MESS! She's darling, but oh.my.goodness! She's into everything, and she can throw a tantrum like nobody's business! It appears that I have a very strong willed, opinionated little lady on my hands. Her teeth have been a total nightmare. Once again, in true Amelia fashion, she went from having just a few teeth to an almost full set in a month's time. I think the doctor said, "OH, my goodness, when did all of these teeth show up? She only has 4 more until 2 year molars!" Yep, that's how Amelia rolls -- all or nothing! :)

Amelia is showing us her very girly side, thanks to Big Sister! She has the "Stewart knack" to turn literally anything into a bracelet, and she has a definite affinity for Barbies, jewels, and doll babies, but having Madeline as your Big Sister pretty much guarantees some serious girly exposure to the world. Amelia loves to wear shoes, and she especially loves anyone else's shoes. Wonder where she learned that concept?Amelia ADORES her big sister, Madeline, and although she doesn't call Madeline anything yet, she gives the biggest smiles, giggles, and kisses to sweet Madeline. Madeline almost always reciprocates the love. It's a super sweet little relationship in the works. Amelia knows how to "work" Madeline, but Madeline can most certainly pull "I'm the Big Sister" rank when necessary. It's pretty funny to watch them "work out" their differences.

Amelia communicates well, but not really using actual speech. It's tricky for sure. She understands very well, but she can't always make her stance known! She actually says "thank you", "mama", "dada", and some garbled speech for "baby". She most definitely has the patented "NO!" head shake down & waves "hi" and "bye-bye", and she has really started to love the idea of blowing kisses! Unfortunately, she's a little behind in her speech, but we notice that she's just not as interested in knowing how to say words. Ironically, she loves books, but she's not actually interested in what the books say or what any of the animals are or what they say in the touchy books. It's a change from our little bookworm, Madeline, for sure. On a cuteness note, Amelia sees any animal, and she automatically "roars" because that what ALL animals do in her mind. So funny to watch her point at an innocent little bird and make this ferocious "roar" sound.

However, Amelia is far more aggressive when it comes to figuring things out. She wants to walk, run, and play to keep up with Madeline. She wants to use a toothbrush and eat with a spoon & fork like Madeline. She wants to climb, walk steps, run through the grass, ride bikes, and swing like Madeline. She wants to wear glasses like her Daddy - around her neck. She tosses her bow off every 2 seconds and forget shoes that have actual purpose!

Amelia is my eater. She LOVES food and mealtime. Her favorites have been green beans, carrots, applesauce, yogurt, any meat, any starch, strawberries, Granny Smith apples, eggs, cheese, any bad-for-you-snack, icy cold water, and milk. She also loves a Nutella sandwich or a peanut butter sandwich. When we are at a restaurant, of course, she eats her weight in french fries, but most likely, she'll eat her chicken or meat first. Her 15 month stats are what Madeline was at 18 months:

Amelia's 15 Month Stats:

weight - 24 lbs. 4 oz. (76%)

height - 31 inches (71%)

head - 45 cm (28%)

Amelia generally has an awesome schedule --- waking around 7-7:30 AM, napping about 1-4 PM, and bedtime no later than 7 PM. She requires nothing at bedtime & naptime! When she's ready for bed, she's ready. All she wants is her lovey and paci and her bed! She loves bathtime, but when she's had enough, she tries to climb out, and that's that. Amelia is very cut and dry when it comes to her routine, and there is no doubt what she wants at "key" times during the day.

Amelia may not say much, but she imitates like crazy. She "talks" on the phone, and she copies whatever Madeline is doing. It's hilarious! She so badly wants to do all the things big sister does like talk on the phone:Cheese for the camera:

Wear styling glasses:and wear glasses around her neck like Daddy!Amelia Claire, you are a MESS, but we adore you and all of your antics! Lots of smooches to you!

Amelia -- 14 Months

Whew, weee, Miss Amelia! Fourteen months and going strong! We went from the best month ever to another awful month at the snap of a finger. I'm blaming teeth for all of these adjectives that describe your most recent month: grumpy, not sleeping well, loss of appetite, drooly, snotty, blow out stanky diapers, fussy, clingy, and horrible diaper rash. However, her little self presented FIVE more teeth (THREE were molars!) over the course of the month, so who can blame her for being so miserable? I have to say: Bless ALL of our hearts! :)

On the upside, Miss Amelia has decided that walking is AWESOME! She doesn't walk alone yet nor has she even taken by herself steps yet, but making laps around the house behind the baby stroller is pretty much the only activity she wanted to do everyday! She loves it and has this hilarious grin on her face the entire time. Anytime she sees the stroller she goes after it and literally walks until she can barely stand anymore. She cruises easily on both carpet and hardwood floors, and she's even figured out how to get out of "jams". But it is pretty funny that when she gets herself stuck, she stands there shouting out, "UH-OH!!!" over and over. Climbing steps is pretty awesome too!

While I'm bragging, I'll go ahead and note another word in her vocabulary, "Thank you!" She loves to pass something back and forth over and over. Each time you hand her the object, she says "Thank you!" (garbled, of course, but it's the same "word" each time), and when she hands you the object, she expects a thank you in return. I have a love-hate relationship with this new game. It provides great entertainment at restaurants while we wait for food, but when I'm trying to grocery shop it definitely impedes my concentration. She doesn't say "hi" or "bye-bye" or even "mama" or "dada", but she gets that arm waving when someone greets her or says "bye bye" to her. All very cute stuff for such a grumpy month. Her actual "speaking" is not really developed, but I only have Madeline as a comparison, and well, Madeline is and always has been a clear, verbal little gal. Not to mention, when your big sister can talk FOR you, who needs talking?!

Amelia's favorite food items this month were milk and icy cold water. She may have lost her appetite for food, but she was hydrated! I guess last month she ate enough for two months since she was pretty much on food strike all of January. Poor baby!

All in all, a rough month for everyone, but we expect great things once all her teeth make their debut! Sweet baby girl, you've had a rough month, but we are seeing you through all these uncomfortable milestones, and your happy days are coming, I promise! We love you Amelia Bedelia!

Sidenote: Dearest Amelia, Please forgive your Mama for missing the "monthly sign picture". Sometimes, it just doesn't happen. We LOVE you to bits and pieces!!! I promise we take pictures of you -- they are just more candid than posed with "the sign". Love, Mommy

13 Months

Amelia celebrated her 13 month-day, and she has had the BEST month! It's been a big month as far as milestones are concerned. She has been happy, playful, and fun!
Her disposition has been so sweet this past month. She loves to sit on the floor and dump out her blocks and put them back in the bucket & repeat over and over. She loves to collect the little people and make little piles all over the place. She has really shown in an interest in board books especially the touch and feel ones. Her attention really only allows for one book reading, but she loves to flip the pages, rub the textures, and point out the different pictures. Amelia seems to be showing interest in what things are by pointing and making a silly high pitched noise. Slowly, but surely, she's realizing there's more to this world than acid reflux, snotty noses, not feeling well, and ear infections! :) Amelia loves music, and that's an understatement of the year. I am not a TV person, but I love to keep music playing around the house and in the car, and she loves it. (Thank goodness for Pandora on my phone!) Amelia hears the music and immediately starts dancing. She car dances, and if I wasn't driving, I would video her. I find myself adjusting my rear view mirror so I can see the road and her. Super cuteness! Bath time is also a favorite time of day for her. She loves to splash, play with the foam letters, and make the letters and fish squeak against the tub.

Amelia celebrated her 13 month by saying her very first word, "UH-OH!" So the "dropsy uh-oh" game has been the semi-annoying trait of the month. I don't mind the dropsy uh-oh game when we're playing, but it's super aggravating in the grocery cart, in the car while I'm driving, or while she's eating! However, my favorite "uh-oh" moments are in the bathtub because she drops all the bath toys out of the tub, and she stands up on the edge looking over repeating "uh-oh" in this distressed tone over and over. Amelia is not walking, but she's walking behind baby strollers very well especially on the carpeted areas. She's started to let go of the furniture she's holding onto, and she can stand for a few seconds, maybe a minute or so, on her own. She LOVES to hold our fingers and make walking laps. I have also noticed a few "climbing" moments throwing a leg up in the toy bin or trying to throw a leg up on the tub's edge. I really hope she loses interest in that climbing thing. However, she has lost interest in the steps, so I guess she accepted her gated access fate.

Her appetite is insane these days...she's an eating machine! Her most recent favorites are blueberry bagels, blueberries, egg & cheese omelet, and Nutella sandwiches. Amelia finally mastered the sippy cup, so she's a milk drinking machine too. She loves milk and really doesn't care for juice, so milk it is. Really icy cold water is also very yummy to her. Her mealtime habits are improving as well. I have been diligently working on her "all done sign" which has evolved into pulling at her bib. While she's still throwing her food on the floor, we're consistently scolding her for this, so it's starting to sink in that's it's a big no ma'am!
Amelia continues to be a great sleeper going down for the night between 6:30-7 PM and waking about 6-7 AM. She's napping pretty well in the afternoons going down about 1:30-2 PM until about 3-4 PM. Just like Madeline, she LOVES her bed, so she'll play in her crib after waking in the mornings or waking in the afternoon for about 45 minutes, sometimes an hour. I love to listen over the monitor talking and giggling. Amelia loves to roll around, "talk", and play with her lovey. Big milestone for Amelia (and Mommy since it's my go to trick): I stopped carrying the lovey and paci with me during the day, and she's addicted to both! It's been a tiny bit hairy at times, but I'm holding my ground on this one. No lovey and paci outside the bed. So she has to get all her paci and lovey time in her bed, and it's gone well overall. I have forced her to drop her morning nap, and she's handling it very well. She's not nearly as fussy and crabby in the mornings while we are out and about. I have also cold turkey dropped the morning bottle, so I think she got thirsty enough to figure out the sippy cup as a result. Like I said, lots of little milestones were accomplished this month.

Amelia only takes medicine for acid reflux, and I'm starting to skip the morning dose to see how she does. Her doctor and I would like for her to be all done with the medicine by 18 months, so I'm dropping the morning dose as a trial for now. So far it seems okay especially since she no longer drinks an 8 ounce bottle of milk in the mornings. We're keeping the evening dose, since she still takes a bottle at nap and before bedtime. Hopefully this will also be a smooth transition for her.

Amelia is really beginning to blossom and show her little personality. While she's not as precocious & happy-go-lucky as Madeline, she very much reminds me of Madeline as a baby. She's silly, giggly, squealy, and very sweet. Amelia can be quite clingy, and she definitely is a Mama's girl. We adore our little Amelia Bedelia and continue to look forward to watching her grow and learn as she becomes a full-fledged toddler!

Eleven Months Old on 11-11-11

Amelia is just one month shy of her FIRST BIRTHDAY! Wow, we've come so far this last month! This picture depicts Amelia to a tee --- happy, silly, standing, big toothy grin, and pulling up anytime & anywhere!
It's no secret that Amelia has had a rough first year with her medical problems and adjusting to being the tag-along little sister, but over the course of this last month, she seems to finally be happy and healthy! Her reflux almost seems non-existent these days, and her ears have been clean since her nine month well visit. We are down to one medicine per day for her reflux!Hallelujah!

Amelia's little personality is blossoming more and more. She loves music and has quite a few little dance moves. She will bust out her moves if she hears a catchy tune in the car, at home, while eating, while shopping, or just about anywhere. It's very cute, and she inspires Madeline's inner ballerina to come out too. She's finally starting to "chat" now that she can actually hear since her ears aren't an issue anymore. I believe she's a little delayed in her babbling, but I'm just relieved that she's finally starting to put out sounds & squeals. However, I also believe that her big sister is so animated and chatty ALL.THE.TIME, Amelia will sit back and watch in awe of what's going on around her.

Amelia has her two bottom teeth, one of her top teeth, and her other top tooth is beginning to poke through the gum. Her lack of teeth doesn't stop her from eating like a little chow-hound. She self feeds eating everything from waffles to green beans to carrots to Goldfish to just about anything I put out there for her. Amelia loves yogurt and applesauce, so she lets me feed her with a spoon. Otherwise, she wants to eat all by herself. Just recently, she's grasped the concept of drinking from a sippy cup even though her mad love for her bottle still exists. She adjusted to whole milk with no problems. Woo hooo, no more costly formula! Currently, Amelia still takes a bottle mid-morning, before her nap, and before bedtime, and honestly, I'm fine with that until after the holidays.

Amelia claps and waves regularly, and she's very proud of herself when she gets a reaction from others. She has yet to figure out that her legs will walk and cruise, but she pulls up all the time. She has taken a few little tiny steps when the chair she's holding onto scoots forward a little bit. Once it clicks, she'll be off and running after her big sister!

Amelia continues to be a good sleeper. When we are home, she takes a great morning nap, an afternoon nap, and hits the sack for good between 6-7 PM. Unfortunately, teething issues have interrupted her sleep lately, but for the most part, she's sleeping well these days. She's incredibly attached to her lovey and paci, but I've implemented the "leave it in your bed" rule now that she seems more comfortable with our day-to-day routine. Even though she still needs her morning nap, she's doing much better with not having one. Amelia has also learned to play in her bed when she wakes up. She used to cry and carry on wanting out immediately, but I guess we finally wore her down! Listening to her on the monitor squealing, rolling around, and playing makes our mornings much more pleasant.

Amelia still thinks her big sister, Madeline, is the most fabulous person in our family. Amelia's face literally lights up when Madeline enters the room. In the following picture, Madeline walked into the room, and you can see the pure delight in Amelia's sweet face. Their relationship is definitely going to be a strong one. They play so well together, and they appear to forgive quickly when one wrongs the other.

As Amelia grows, she continues to look more and more like Madeline.

Amelia does this hilarious "wink", and I was able to catch it on camera (below). She will randomly wink at you, and it's super cute. Amelia keeps us laughing with her winks, smiles, giggles, and silliness. She especially loves bathtime, and the girl can create quite a wave pool with her splashing not to mention royal water mess in the bathroom post tidal wave pool.

We are just so thankful that Amelia seems to be happy and healthy now. It's been a long time coming, and I feel like we've arrived! It's been a rough start to her little life, but we made it!

Amelia's favorite place to play in the house is by the front door. She loves looking out the windows, and for some reason, she loves crawling back and forth on the rug. Hours of entertainment!

Amelia showing off her dance moves!

Amelia, we are so excited that you are so happy these days, and we are so blessed to have you in our family! We love you bunches!