With the cooler weather last week, we finally switched out the rest of Susie’s 6-12 month clothes for 12-18 month pants and long sleeve shirts. Of course, it’s been back in the upper 80s this week, so she hasn’t gotten to wear many of the “new” clothes yet.
Susanna’s biggest development over the past month has been truly dropping her morning nap. It was a rough transition, but she will often sleep in later in the mornings as long as she doesn’t have a dirty diaper. Her one nap is generally only two hours long, but she is worn out enough to go to bed without much fuss. I am still adjusting to having to deal with her curiosity all morning without a break! In the time that it takes me to go to the bathroom, fix oatmeal, discipline a sibling, or unload the dishwasher, she can pull a game off the shelf and scatter all the pieces, sneak into the bathroom with a tea cup and go to town in the toilet, dump out the entire bin of crayons all over the family room and color a wall, or find a nonwashable marker and deface the kitchen table and her entire outfit. (Anyone have a solution for getting nonwashable [not Sharpie] marker out of varnished wood?) She can climb onto the kitchen chairs, so anything on the kitchen table is fair game (hence the art supply-related messes we’ve had of late). She can open and close the screen door by herself now, so she is in and out of the backyard all the time. I feel really worn out keeping her out of trouble. Sometimes I just go stick her in her crib for five minutes so I can clean up a particularly bad mess. But I’m hesitant to use the crib/pack n play too much, as I can see her climbing out any day now. I’d forgotten how hard it is to do full-circle discipline with an under-two year old, but as I look back at accounts of the big kids at this age (which I’ve linked below), Q is not the only naughty 18 month-old I’ve had! Also, rereading my posts around those updates reminds me that I’m always throwing up when my kids are this age. It will be interesting to find out how I handle toddlerhood when not pregnant.
On a positive note, she has learned to walk around to her side of the van and wait for me to open her side door. She can now climb into the van and up into her carseat by herself! She even tries to buckle her straps. She will generally run and grab whatever I ask her for, and she’s good at putting things in the trash (sometimes TOO good, as when I find random kids’ game pieces or duplos in the trash can!). She is very cooperative about having her diaper changed, getting dressed, and going to bed. She does well in the church nursery, and all the workers like how chatty and cheerful she is.
Her 18 month check went well this morning. Dr. Antall says she’s just a long and lean build, so he’s not concerned about her weight. He did refer her to an orthopedist to check out her pronation, and we’re actually going to see the same doctor who saw me for a foot injury this summer. She cut through her 10th tooth (a molar) this morning (I had to go in at 1:30 am to give her more tylenol), and health-wise, she’s basically in good shape!
Susanna’s stats:
Height: 32.75 ” (77%)
Weight: 21.7 lb (12%)
Head Circumference: 18.25 ” (50%)
Elizabeth at 18 months:
Height: 32.5 ” (75%)
Weight: 25 lb 9 oz (68%)
Tommy at 18 months:
Height: 32.75 ” (60%)
Weight: 29 lb 5 oz (80%)
