At 12 months our infant - who was already walking - was changing to a different room at daycare. I assumed there was like a pre-toddler room. I wouldn't even be able to classify what this age group would be called but I assumed there was a stage between infant and toddler. There isn't.
Ava moved up to the toddler room and I panicked a little bit. They had a few new rules and I was nervous if
The kids had to wear shoes. I know other parents put little shoes on their kids because it's cute but I was not one of those parents. For one, this was back in summer and we went barefoot all the time. Two, she had just starting walking a couple weeks prior so it was unnecessary up until this point. Anyhow, we went to the store and picked out some cute sneakers together, went home to try them on, and Ava began walking like she had gum on the bottom of her feet. And walking wide-legged like she was on a horse or something. It was very funny to watch as she would take a few high-stepped, wide-legged steps towards us and then just reach towards us with her arms stretched out so she wouldn't have to go any further. But after only a few minutes she sat down and looked at us frantically while trying to undo the Velcro and get them off her feet. I couldn't imagine how this would go when she had to wear them for ten hours.
The kids had scheduled nap time. Ava has her own schedule. Our routine is there is no routine. Not to say that it varies by like ten hours...but sometimes it does vary by as much as 4 or 5 hours. Sometimes one nap. Sometimes three naps. Sometimes they last 20 minutes. Sometimes 2 hours. Sometimes they start at 10:30 in the morning. Other days not til 3pm. We go with our own flow or lack thereof. I was terrified that for two and a half hours they would force our child to lay there and not get up. My child knows no true schedule and I was sad to think of her crying for over two hours in a crib until designated nap time ended.
The kids drank out of sippy cups. My child drank a little out of a sippy but preferred a bottle. Especially before a nap. She drank only a couple ounces if she was given a sippy opposed to finishing the whole bottle. Despite my child being in the 95% for weight she would surely starve, right?! If her tears from nap time didn't drown her first.
These kids played outside. There were bees. She inherited my husbands
This toddler room was ruthless.
And yet she survived. She adjusted with ease to their schedules and activities. She grew into a toddler very shortly after entering that room. And we lost our little infant.
She has grown so much. Looking back on just the last month it astounds me how quickly she picks up on everything. So quickly that we are going to need to clean up our occasional potty mouth moments. And stop laughing when she does something disobedient and stubbornly...in her very cute way of ignoring our requests and doing her independent thing. In her way where Kyle and I look at each other and say, 'Yup she takes after us!'
In the past couple months she has starting climbing. And balancing on the arm of our couch. And balancing on her car while dancing to the music she plays. And spinning around the room until she gets dizzy and falls (just happened yesterday). Loves standing in a shopping cart like she is surfing (while I hold her hand and move at a snail's pace). And speaking a lot more including tell the dogs 'No!' like we do. And trying to copy when I say 'I love you' (can't wait to hear those words back). And trying to put socks and shoes on. Trying to brush her hair. Trying to brush her teeth. Pointing out her nose and more recently her belly. She also pokes your eyes, mouth, and ears trying to figure out what everything is. Drinking out of a real cup. Using a fork to eat her food (not consistently but she has done it all by herself on several occasions). Walking around talking on our cell phones and pushing on the phone like she is texting. Helping feed the dogs by tipping the cups of food into their bowls. And trying to climb over the gate. Helping stir food. Stacking four cans. Reading books to herself. Climbing up in chairs. Helping put away toys as well as clean dishes.
And with toddlerism brought her new attitude. The tantrums. The crying when things are taken away from her. Like taking away the toilet plunger she discovered. Or the Chapstick addiction she is developing like her mom, but instead of wearing it on her lips she is taking bites out of its cherry flavor. She has begun the pinching of my neck skin. The scratching of my cheeks. The biting of my leg. The pulling of my hair. The slapping Daddy's back. And so we also got to experience her first timeout the other day. The sitting of silence in a corner with Mommy for eternity. Or really just sixty seconds. But to Ava the last 45 seconds, after she realized we weren't playing or talking, was basically eternity.
This stage has also brought out some of my favorite moments. Like her learning to spin til she is dizzy and falling down and thinking it's hilarious. Or clapping her hands when she stacks her Legos. And clapping her hands even when those Legos aren't connected and fall apart but she still thinks it deserves an applause. So we clap, too and chuckle to ourselves. And I love the jumping on the bed and then tickling her as she cracks up in only the way that I have been able to make her laugh. Makes you feel like a million bucks. Or how she wants to be in my lap to read or sit and pat her feet on the ground. And the way she hugs me tight and holds on before we are about to get in the car, looks up at me quickly, and then buries her head back on my shoulder. And the way she gives me kisses. Then looks at me and falls towards me again for another kiss. And another til she just looks at me with a huge smile like we just had the best inside joke. And high fives on command. And she loves turning light switches on and off. And closing doors. And she loves climbing in drawers and cabinets and closets. How she run up to me and screams when I get home from work, reaching her arms up as far as they can go so I will pick her up for a hug and kiss. How if I try to get away for even a couple minutes to change clothes or go to the bathroom I will hear the little pitter patter of running feet and then a few bangs on the door as she shouts different words to get me to let her in with me. How she sees something new or fun and her face makes the 'oooooooh' face. How she hides behind our living room chairs and waits for us to say 'where is Ava?' So she can poke her head out with a huge grin and giggle. How she carries pillows down the hall to plop on top of them for nap time. And how she recently copies exactly what I'm doing at home. Like wanting a wet cloth to help me wipe down cabinets. And grabbing the broom on several occasions to sweep the floor. The way she reaches for my hand when we walk through stores. Or runs the other way so I will catch her and she can squeal once she has been caught. And when she turns into a cuddly little girl and curls to sleep on us, wakes up only to make sure we are still there, and cuddles up again to fall back to sleep.
We love this girl with all our hearts.
