She is also working on her two-year molars. I know what you are thinking - not another post about how crappy teething is. Well. let me just say that these are the worst. She has been working on them since mid-August and last night was the first time we saw and felt ONE of them. So, now we have 17 down and three to go.
This period of toddlerhood is a lot of fun, tiring and challenging. As my pediatrician put it, now that she has a lot of the basics down, our job now is to civilize her. And that is a tall task. And while we take it seriously, we also know that meltdowns will still happen, and will continue for a while. But things are improving as our communication improves - we can understand what she says and what she wants and we are helping her learn to deal with her frustration in other ways besides squealing and screaming.
Here are her stats. She has been alive for a little over a year and half. Which means in another year and half, she will be three. WHOA!
Weight: 31 pounds (100th percentile)
Height: 35 inches (100th percentile)
Next appointment: Her next scheduled appointment will be when she is two. She will likely have a few sick visits before that, but hopefully not many. And hopefully not many for ear infections now that she has tubes! For those of you who have kids who are just starting daycare for the first time or have only been there for a few weeks - you need to prepare yourself for what you are facing this winter. Not only will your little one catch a few colds (honestly, it seems like they just keep runny noses all winter) but he or she will bring it home to you. Your immune system will take a HUGE beating. Hopefully you will not end up with a skull fracture and concussion thanks to the stomach bug that your kid gives you. But start taking a supplement now. Seriously. Chris and I are taking a Vitamin C supplement on top of our daily vitamin. I don't want Susan to get sick, but I also can't imagine trying to keep up with her this winter (as compared to last winter when her biggest skill was sitting up and crawling) feeling like crap.
Teeth: 17. See above.
Clothing Size: 2T with some 3T leggings depending on the brand. She has long legs! I was worried that some of the stuff would be too big (because it looks so big off the rack) but I was wrong. Everything fits fine with a little room to grow over the winter.
Shoe Size: Still size 7! For fall and winter, she will be rocking Keds, Jumping Jacks by Perfection (doeways for those of you who know) and Nina Mary Jane's for church with white tights.
Sleeping: Well she is back to waking up anywhere from 5:15 to 6:30 depending on how bad her mouth hurts. I do hope all of your children are better teethers then mine. But just know that if they aren't, I will be here to listen, allow venting and to promise that it will eventually end even though it doesn't feel like it.
Diaper Size: We are finishing out these last few size 5s and then switching to size 6. FYI they don't really make them much bigger than that (they do but only a few stores have them), so potty training is looming in our future. It is kind of like this thing that I pretend isn't going to happen but is definitely going to. And Susan is definitely interested in the potty ("pot pot"). A few weeks ago, she was doing her business and she looked up at us and said "Poop." We managed not to burst out laughing but we did smile really big and giggle and say "Yes, you are pooping." Now she does it every time she poops, which is typically every morning after breakfast. And she follows me into the "pot pot" occasionally and is very interested by what is going on. But she still isn't ready. And this is one thing I don't want to rush. We have heard horror stories and I want this to be a pleasant experience. And also, I know I am going to need Chris around to help with this. So we probably won't seriously start until next April or May when the busy sports season is over. But I am glad she is interested and isn't afraid of the toilet. She also may be a little confused - she goes out every morning with Oscar and Chris to take Oscar to "TT." I am pretty sure she now thinks the leash is called "TT" or that you only "TT" outside. Hopefully not!
Favorite Toys: Little people barn, books, and tea set.
Likes: She has favorites and now can request the things she loves. She can request certain books and songs. Currently, she loves Row Row, the Name Game song, and the Oscar song, which is Bingo but with Oscar instead (handy). She also loves to point out her body parts and the body parts of others. If you don't show her your "be" (belly button), she might throw a fit. She also likes to take her shoes off and to put the back on. She will occasionally accept help with this task.
Dislikes: Now that we can understand her better, she doesn't like it when we can't understand her. She used to have a little more patience with us, but now that we can understand her better, those occasions when we can't understand her as she points and repeats the same word (Susan word not human word) over and over piss her off. I mean she is very clearly saying something, she repeats it over and over, and try as we might, we just can't figure it out. She likes to be on the move and doesn't like it when we have to slow her down.
Milestones: Biting? Is that a milestone? Man, it sucks. I won't spend a lot of time on this. We are still dealing with it. Usually one or two incidents a day. Not everyday. None today. But two on Friday. It's frustrating because we are working with her and so are her teachers. And she will get it. She understands - she has a "Teeth are not for biting book" and when we get to the page where the little boy bites the girl, she points and says " Ow." And she isn't just targeting one child (thanks goodness, otherwise we might be dealing with early toddler bullying). It is teething-related. And it's not necessarily aggressive or behavioral, i.e., she isn't doing it when someone won't give her a toy. It could be attention. Our pediatrician was awesome - apparently she went through this with her child. The hardest part is knowing that there is no overnight fix. It will take a few months.
So to combat, we have been working on manners. Her favorite word, as most toddlers', is "Mine." We have been working on "Please" and "Thank you." She has "Thank you" down. She says it almost every time we give her something. "Please" is harder. But she is getting there and is even saying it for stuff she really wants. Which is coming a long way from the early days when we asked her to say "please" and she looked at me sweetly and said "Mine." Baby steps.
It's hard to believe how much she has changed since July. I can't wait to see what happens this month!
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| 18 Months and Swinging Away! |
