Dan and Elaine .NET

Alright….We officially have a toddler. This month has hit both extremes since Hailey learned she can regularly exercise her will and show you how much she loves you.

Hailey chose to start walking on a regular basis on her first birthday and she’s getting steadier and steadier. She prefers walking when she has her hands full–which is most of the time–and crawling when her hands are free. We get a kick out of it when she is walking with a big rubber ball and bumps into something, only to be bounced backward. She’s not fazed at all.
Toys and books have become all the more interesting this month. This is the first time we’ve seen Hailey pick up and page through (or chew on) books on her own. Her favorite toys are those with doors. She loves putting things away and taking them out over and over and over. So she is still good at playing on her own.
We’ve got a good little eater on our hands. This one devours grilled chicken and grapes. We’re still not quite sure about dairy. Hailey drinks soy milk and can eat some cheese, but any more seems to cause her skin and stomach some issues. We’ve been trying to get away from nursing but we can’t seem to get away from the bedtime and morning (and unfortunately middle-of-the-night) routine.
Sleeping has been tough this month. Between birthday excitement, a stomach bug, and who know what else, she has been up one to three times a night again. It’s been a tough adjustment to only one nap at day care, but I think we are doing better now when we let her sleep after work for a bit and give her an extra sippy of milk. Keep your fingers crossed for this tired baby and mama!
Tantrums are now part of Hailey’s repertoire. Early this month she would throw her body and head back and scream at any action that wasn’t of her own will: getting the car seat, getting in the high chair, having something taken away, getting put down when she wanted to be held, etc. She got to spend a lot of time in the Pack ‘n’ Play crying it out. We are happy she seems to have learned that’s not ok, at least for now.
Hugs and kisses are her favorite now. I love it when she grabs my face in both hands so she can plant a big sloppy one on my lips. So sweet, especially when I’m picking her up from day care. She hugs everyone, including her favorite furry friend Eddie.
This kid is constantly talking now. She is inventing her own dialect, but we’d say she has at least a few words down: hi, bye, and mine. Sometimes we think she knows “mama” and “dada” but it’s not very consistent. “Mine” is her favorite. It means she has something or she wants something and it can apply to absolutely anything. And even though everything is “mine,” Hailey is happy to share. She loves passing toys and food back and forth.