Twenty Months
Heidi is twenty months old and suddenly seems very much like a little girl and very little like a baby. In my head, she's the baby and we just brought her home. But, no -- she's definitely closing in on two years!
She is suffering some major stranger and separation anxiety. She screams if I leave the room, screams if a strange adult walks in between us, screams when I drop her off with Jackie. The last few weeks have been really hard on her as we get the house ready to sell. I've been managing an endless parade of brokers, inspectors, appraisers, and contractors and their presence in the house is pure torture for Heidi. Hopefully she will find our week of being trapped together in the van very reassuring.
I try to cut her some slack because she is otherwise quite easygoing. Our mornings together are very pleasant and she's eager to be happy. She also started saying please and thank you, which is unbelievably cute in a small toddler. If I hand her something, she says, "Kank you, Mom" in the most sincere little voice. She also says, "Sorry, Mom" when she spills something. Actually, she is probably the most polite of all the kids right now! Her other best trait is willingness to hang out in bed. The other day she woke up from her nap early but Karl and I were just about to sit down with a notary and a stack of house documents. We left Heidi in bed, awake, for over an hour and she just relaxed quietly. No books or toys in there or anything. What a kid!
Her language skills are taking off and she regularly uses three- and four-word phrases. Like a good toddler, the most frequently used phrases are "Heidi do it!" and "NO [sibling], MY [noun]!" Her cutest trick is lifting her shirt and saying, "Belly. KISS IT!"
I taught her to go down the stairs backwards on her belly -- the first time I've successfully gotten a toddler to do it! -- and then she promptly learned to do the stairs upright. Now she's pretty stable going both up and down as long as she has a railing. It's still a little nerve-wracking for me.
She loves all the foods, but her favorite is Mexican. The other day we walked by our favorite taco place on the way to the doctor's office and she yelled, "QUESO! Mommy, queso!" at the top of her lungs. Who was I to deny her? She and I are really going to miss District Taco.
Though she generally doesn't like to be naked (weirdo), she does love to strip off her diaper before bed, and wildly twirl around while squealing, "NAKED BABY!"
She loves babies right now. I hope this lasts for several more months! We had lunch with my friend and her newborn a few weeks ago and Heidi wanted to pat the baby the whole time. When she and I returned to the same restaurant last week, she was annoyed that the baby was not there again.
Big changes coming up for this little one. I'm curious to see how she handles everything. Though she has a hard time with transitions, she is generally content as long as her people are around -- and she's going to have a LOT of people around!
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| Big girl (with great hair) |
She is suffering some major stranger and separation anxiety. She screams if I leave the room, screams if a strange adult walks in between us, screams when I drop her off with Jackie. The last few weeks have been really hard on her as we get the house ready to sell. I've been managing an endless parade of brokers, inspectors, appraisers, and contractors and their presence in the house is pure torture for Heidi. Hopefully she will find our week of being trapped together in the van very reassuring.
I try to cut her some slack because she is otherwise quite easygoing. Our mornings together are very pleasant and she's eager to be happy. She also started saying please and thank you, which is unbelievably cute in a small toddler. If I hand her something, she says, "Kank you, Mom" in the most sincere little voice. She also says, "Sorry, Mom" when she spills something. Actually, she is probably the most polite of all the kids right now! Her other best trait is willingness to hang out in bed. The other day she woke up from her nap early but Karl and I were just about to sit down with a notary and a stack of house documents. We left Heidi in bed, awake, for over an hour and she just relaxed quietly. No books or toys in there or anything. What a kid!
Her language skills are taking off and she regularly uses three- and four-word phrases. Like a good toddler, the most frequently used phrases are "Heidi do it!" and "NO [sibling], MY [noun]!" Her cutest trick is lifting her shirt and saying, "Belly. KISS IT!"
I taught her to go down the stairs backwards on her belly -- the first time I've successfully gotten a toddler to do it! -- and then she promptly learned to do the stairs upright. Now she's pretty stable going both up and down as long as she has a railing. It's still a little nerve-wracking for me.
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| Are you watching me jump off this step? |
She loves all the foods, but her favorite is Mexican. The other day we walked by our favorite taco place on the way to the doctor's office and she yelled, "QUESO! Mommy, queso!" at the top of her lungs. Who was I to deny her? She and I are really going to miss District Taco.
Though she generally doesn't like to be naked (weirdo), she does love to strip off her diaper before bed, and wildly twirl around while squealing, "NAKED BABY!"
She loves babies right now. I hope this lasts for several more months! We had lunch with my friend and her newborn a few weeks ago and Heidi wanted to pat the baby the whole time. When she and I returned to the same restaurant last week, she was annoyed that the baby was not there again.
Big changes coming up for this little one. I'm curious to see how she handles everything. Though she has a hard time with transitions, she is generally content as long as her people are around -- and she's going to have a LOT of people around!
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