The personality is really shining and we’re starting to see who Emelia is as a little kid versus a squishy baby. She had her first dentist appointment in September which I couldn’t go to and had to send Chris in my place. Apparently, she did really well and got a toothbrush and a little bear as a toy. She was so proud coming into my office to show me.
We started daycare and it’s going better than I was anticipating. She’s warmed up quickly and while it was a rough transition especially at the end of the day coming home while we make supper, she really seems to enjoy it.
She does cry when we leave her at daycare and also bursts into tears when I pick her up. I know she’s doing great because they send me photos of her throughout the day and she has a lot of fun. I think she is still just adjusting and gets overwhelmed when she sees me.
The kids are interacting a lot more lately with each other which is so fun to watch. It’s really nice taking them to a park and letting them run around playing with each other.
Nicknames: Meals, Mealie, MJ, Jane
Weight: 25 lbs (28th percentile)
Length: 34 inches (77th percentile)
Diaper size: 4
Shoe/clothing size: 5/2T
Teeth: All except her 2-year molars
Eating
Still continues to be particular about her meals. Of course at daycare, they report she is a great eater that loves to finish her meals. Her pediatrician said this is pretty common, that there’s peer pressure during mealtimes, so the kids eat. But at home, it’s rare she finishes her dinners. Breakfasts usually go well, since she likes cereal, mini muffins, scrambled eggs (and now hard-boiled!), pancakes, french toast, and yogurt with berries. Lunches at home are usually mac and cheese or a PB & J. She won’t eat lunch meat (Honestly I’m not sure how she’s going to eat when we have to pack her lunch most days once she gets into Olivia’s school) and while she does like chicken nuggets, she won’t always eat them. But she does enjoy her some sweet and sour sauce. Even tacos are no longer a thing. She’ll eat the sour cream and cheese and munch on a tortilla shell. It’s actually really depressing? Is there a point in living if you don’t like tacos?
But she’s been practicing with an open cup more and is doing pretty good though she usually ends up spilling some whether accidental or on purpose. She loves her whole milk and is nursing a ton when she’s at home with me. Insert annoyed face. I love her. But she nurses like a newborn. I can’t sit down on the couch without her inviting herself up.
Sleeping
It’s going OK? More or less? She’ll go in spurts where she sleeps all night for a bit, but lately, she’s up once a night to nurse and possibly twice on some nights, though at least she goes to bed OK. Still going to bed pretty early at 7am and sleeps to about 7 or so the next morning. On daycare days, it NEVER fails, and she always makes me wake her up.
She loves sleeping with her stuffed monkey and her oversized muslin blanket which was supposed to stay at daycare during the week, but she somehow got really attached to both of them and now carries them around everywhere at all times.
Her naps have been pretty good. I was surprised how fast she got into the routine at daycare at napping with the other kids on a cot. She’s good at home and still likes to nurse before she goes down, but she rarely falls asleep on me.
Milestones
This baby is getting around. She’s fast and is constantly falling from trying to overcompensate, and of course, there’s a part of me that’s concerned she has lingering PT issues and weakness.
She loves stacking blocks, coloring and painting, and has been enjoying being around the other kids at daycare even though she can’t really talk with them.
She does good in new places but is definitely shy and more reserved in the beginning. It just takes her some time to warm up. She’s really blossomed since starting daycare a month ago and I think it’s going to be so good for her to be around other people. She’s definitely my COVID baby and it’s hard to tell if her personality is related to COVID and staying home so much, or if it’s a part of her.
Oh, and she loves to point out body parts, especially when her sister asks her. She can point to all the main ones now: hair, eyes, nose, mouth, hands, feet, belly, knees. She’s not independently walking up and down the stairs, but my bad for not really encouraging it too much. She still does a lot of sliding but likes to walk up the stairs herself.
Communication
She’s really supposed to be around 50 words, and she’s not anywhere near that. Right now she says:
- Mama
- Dada
- Buh buh (Bye bye)
- But-ter (Butterfly
- Ada! (All done)
- Mon (Monkey)
- Grrrr (like a lion)
- barks like a dog
We ended up getting a referral to speech therapy to get ahead on this. But she understands a ton. She points and grunts like a caveman and we can usually understand what she needs. She seems happy and not frustrated with her communication, so that’s good at least. But we’ll go through with the referral to Help Me Grow and see what they say.
Activities
We aren’t doing much outside of daycare. I wanted to do an ECFE class, but can only do them one day a week and thought that may be too much to deal with. I miss it though. Mainly we take walks outside and she loves walking with us. No longer being in her stroller. That’s for babies. She’s all about walking with us as we push an empty stroller never mind that it now takes us three times as long to get anywhere.
And she loves the park. It’s fun watching her play with her sister and go down the slides. She loves climbing and is quite the daredevil.
She also likes to read, but they have to be engaging to hold her attention. She really likes her Pop it books and flap books.
Health
What can I say? Since she’s started daycare she pretty much has a runny nose, congested cough, and throw in a fever every few weeks. It. Sucks. I’m trying to look at it as building her immune system, but yeah, it’s a bit rough.
Likes
Throwing balls, playing at the park, eating breakfast, bathtime, walking, playing with Toby, going outside, the cozy coupe, Doc McStuffins, her sister, Gigi, coming into my office when I’m trying to work, nursing, playing with her sister’s toys, and playing with her babies.
Dislikes
When she can’t have something she wants, not being able to nurse 19 hours a day, and not being allowed out of her stroller during walks.
Birthday
Birthdays are very overwhelming when you’re two, particularly if you celebrate right after a day of daycare.
So there were very few photos taken from her birthday celebration, but we did have my parents over for a BBQ in the back yard and opened up some presents.
See more of Emelia’s monthly updates here.