October/20 months Update

Another busy month has gone by and been filled with lots of fun.  We had a blast as a family taking Alethea to West Farm Corn Maze.  It was a nice fall activity that we were able to enjoy together.  She actually really loved going through the maze, loved the petting area (not so much to touch, but to look), enjoyed the huge sand pile, relaxed on the hayride, and enjoyed navigating the hay maze they made for little ones her size.  It was nice to have so many fall themed activities that she could actually participate in this year.

Posing with Daddy

And Mommy

Cheesin' it

Walking with Daddy

Climbing on the animal gate (it was empty)

We also had fun at our friends Harvest party.  Alethea loved being around all the people and especially loved their two dogs (that were bigger than her) and running around with them in the back yard.  She was in and out all night long and having a blast.  We even had a chance to carve a pumpkin tag team style between Ben and I and it actually turned out quite well.

Our Pumpkin

The last weekend of the month we made a trip up to Columbia with Ben while he had his grad class Saturday afternoon.  Alethea napped on the way there and then we had fun shopping and playing at the mall while Daddy had his class.  Afterwards we had the pleasure of meeting my cousin Gaggie and her husband Jerald for dinner.  The food and conversation were fabulous.  If you have never had a pimento cheese burger that needs to be added to your to-do list because they are delish.  Unfortunately Alethea came down with a fever (that would last for several days and turn into a rash of Roseola) and so she didn’t really get to visit much because she was asleep in my lap almost the entire meal.  She ended up puny, but overall we had fun with family.

Playing at the mall

Passed out at dinner

            I decided that I really enjoy all the fall themed activities.  We really didn’t get involved in Halloween this year because we didn’t want to spend money on costumes and especially on candy that we really don’t want any of us to be eating anyway.  Alethea and I did, however, enjoy getting her dressed in her pumpkin sweat suit from Mamaw and going over to spend some time with her buddy, Elise down the street.  They were both the cutest little pumpkins!

Enjoying coloring on Halloween

And Halloween stickers!

All smiles

In her pumpkin sweatsuit from Mamaw and Papaw

            This month has been insanely busy for Ben.  I am really quite honestly surprised we saw him at all with how much he had going on between work and grad school.  Alethea and I have been cherishing every moment we are able to spend with him.  He has had project after project for school that requires longer hours in the evening after work and work has been a bit hectic making him stay later than he would like of late.  Alethea and I have been making the best of it though.  I have still been cooking up a storm and really enjoying trying new recipes and incorporating the goodies we get in our CSA bag each week.  Thankfully, many nights Ben has been able to join us for dinner, even if just for a brief time, so he has been able to enjoy the goodies too.  I have also been continuing to run and I honestly believe that combined with healthy eating has been a lot of what has kept my sanity of late when spending so much time with a 20 month old. 

Like father like daughter

Loving some Daddy time

She loves to read with Daddy

Lasagna Skillet

Homemade Mini Pizzas

Jalapeno Popper Chicken

Homemade Pumpkin Puree and Homemade Arugula Pesto

            Now for the fun stuff about Alethea.  She turned 20 months this month.  I can’t believe how old she is getting so quickly.  She is going to be 2 before we know it!  This month was a bit lopsided on growth because she went up in height as usual, but down in weight…not so sure what to think of that yet.  She is now 35.5 inches tall (almost 3 feet!) and only weighs 26lbs (9.6 oz less than last month!).  I keep waiting for the month that the height slows down, but I guess this month wasn’t it, lol.

My big girl loves her babies

            The biggest change this month has been an explosion in language in the last 2 weeks of the month.  She has started repeating most everything we say and using language in her every day communication so much more. I am so thankful for this variety as opposed to her favorite sound she used to make for everything.  She is by no means speaking in full sentences, but she is saying a lot more since words, occasionally pairs.  Two new words for her have been “ree” for read and “booh” for book which are no surprise considering just how much she is obsessed with reading.  She says “maoo” for mouse, “moo” for moon, and “pee-pee” for just what it sounds like though she only wants to say it about Mommy and daddy and not actually use the potty herself.  She also says “wee-wee” for shooweee like I say when she has a stinky diaper and she says “bah-puh” for diaper and will actually lay down on the ground saying it if she wants it changed (regardless of if it actually needs it, lol).   She also says “chee” for cheese, “na-nah” for night night.  She has also finally started to say “beh-bee” for baby which has been super fun for her to finally grasp since she loves babies so much and she even recognizes that she is a baby.  One of her new favorites in “ti-tuh” for stickers which she absolutely loves of late, she says “ga-ga” for Mommy and Daddy’s glasses, “wa-wa” for water, and “boo-Boo” for anything that she thinks hurts (including moles and pimples, lol).  She also says “jah-ka” for jacket and loves to find hers and Mommy’s jackets when it is time to put them on to go outside.  I am sure that I could go on and on about her new language development because I am just that excited about it and I know I am forgetting some of her new words, but I am so glad she is finally taking an interest in expanding her vocabulary for sure!

Her new favorite way to carry baby, lol

            She continues to absolutely adore reading.  We hear “ree” and “booh” hundreds of times a day and she is always bringing books over and plopping in our laps to have us read to her.  She even sits down on the couch or in her reading corner to enjoy some quiet reading by herself.  I almost wonder if her love for books is linked to the new language development in some way.  Some of her faves are “Good Night Moon”, “My Personal Penguin” by Sandra Boynton, “Baby Einstein’s First Words” (and any other picture/word book that we point out all the things in), and “But Not The Hippopotamus” by Sandra Boynton.  We love most all the Sandra Boynton books we have, but as longs as it’s a book (or even a magazine sometimes) she is pleased.  When we read “Good Night Moon”, she points out the mouse and says “maoo” on every page and she finds the moon and says “moo” too.

My little computer genius

            Her bedtime routine was completely turned upside down this month in order to wean from nursing.  We were both ready for nursing to be over, especially in the last week since she was nursing for about a minute on each side.  Thankfully that made for an easy transition, even if it was a total bedtime change.  She nursed for the last time on 10/20/12 so we made it 20 months nursing…not to shabby.  One necessity at bedtime is that she has to give Mommy, Daddy, and both Basil and Apollo kisses before she can go to bed.  We have also begun putting more of a focus on praying with her before bed and she will willingly fold her hands and pray with us most days before bed.  Her last hour before bed starting at 7pm now consists of a bath, naked time running around (often chasing the dogs), getting pjs on, reading several books, prayers, Mommy singing to her, and then night-night time.  She has really taken well to it and not skipped a beat with her sleep at all.  Her current sleep schedule is usually in bed by 8pm (asleep by 815/830pm), she gets up between 7:30 and 8am (though I am writing this at 8:15am and she is still sleeping today), and then she naps from about 1:15/1:30pm until 3/3:30pm.  Thankfully we have been blessed with a good sleeper over all.

            Her eating habits, as could probably be assumed by her lack of weight gain, have really been lousy this month.  She is really random, not necessarily picky, but just doesn’t seem interested at times no matter what is offered.  Thankfully, though, she is finally asking to eat by either pointing to her mouth or saying “eeee” so I know she isn’t starving.  She never used to do this so this is a huge step for her, though I feel like she is ending up snacking a lot more and eating less well at meals.  I know part of it is probably attributed to the fact that she is working on 4 canines (one poked in on the 29^th) and she also ended up with Roseola which caused a fever the last 4 days of the month.  But I guess she will eat when she is hungry and this phase will pass in due time.

Blackberry jam and homemade bread...yum!

            She also has really taken a liking to being my little helper.  She loves to put things away in the kitchen, throw trash out, put laundry in the washer/dryer, clean up toys, and more.  I am hoping this only gets better and more useful. J   It is so fun to see how drawn she is to being involved in whatever I am doing, though it can be a bit frustrating when I am trying to be efficient and actually get things done, lol.

            It seems like she is learning more and more each day.  She doesn’t say numbers correct (expect the number 2). but makes sounds with the same intonation as me every time we count to three when she gets out of the bath.  Her knowledge of animals is also amazing!  She can identify so many animals as well as the sounds of those we know the sounds for.  To name a few newer ones, she knows: deer, mouse, camel, butterfly, ladybug, dolphin, shark, turtle, sea horse, crab, and frog (she says “bee-bit” for ribbit).  She is also able, and loves to point to her body parts and then the same ones on Mommy and Daddy, and sometimes the puppies which gets interesting, lol.  One fun things is that she has also started to recognize what is hers, Mommy’s and Daddy’s and she says “ma-ma” for all of Mommy’s things, “da-da” for all of Daddy’s things and has now started to try to say her own name, however, I don’t’ know that I can even spell the version she says of her own name.  Let’s just say it has a lot of “L” sounds, lol!   And one last tidbit is that she loves to crank of the stereo and listen to music, which isn’t always our favorite thing because she isn’t supposed to touch the stereo and can crank it up at inopportune times as a result.

Painting with the letter "O" for October

            As always, I could go on and on about how much Alethea continues to amaze us and share all the fun little cute things she does, but I will stop for now.  October has been a fabulous month despite the business and occasionally stressful times.  I don’t always like how I respond to Alethea in that stress, but I like to think I am getting better over time.  Though we loved October, I am looking forward to a more relaxing month of November with Ben on teaching break and a short break from school over Thanksgiving. (Though with the house being up on the market next month….we will see how relaxing that ends up, lol.)