Life with Nia: 13 Months

I posted about Nia on Monday without realizing she was 13 months old - this past month has flown by! I'll keep up with the monthly updates so here goes:

Looking like a diva

I feel like time has collapsed since Nia turned 1. She is SO energetic and a lot of fun! She's super affectionate giving kisses and hugs freely - we love it, but are nervous about her being too open with strangers. The biggest challenge for me is getting her weaned. We're going abroad for Christmas, and Mr. Love Bird and I are in agreement that it might be a good idea to wait until after Christmas to wean to make the trip easier. We'll see. . . 

Here's the official update:

• Toddler's Weight: We confirmed at her 1 year appointment that she's 19lbs 6oz. So lightweight which still makes her a breeze to wear around NYC!

• Toddler's Height: She's officially 30." Again, long and lean continues to be the trend.

• What size of clothing does toddler wear? In between 12 months and 18 months; why isn't there an in between size? She has such long legs but isn't quite thick enough to fill out the 18 months clothing. Oh well!

• Any milestones toddler reached during the month:  
• Nia can spin in a circle; she loves making herself dizzy!
• She's even better at repeating after us. For example, she leaked poo on the floor and I exclaimed, "Ewwww gross!" and she repeated it with the same tone!
• Nia is trying to count to 10 (thanks Sesame Street)
• She can say her name when you ask her: "NEEEE-ah!"
• She can point to all her body parts when asked

• Special outings toddler had during the month: We visited the Natural History Museum with my BFF Van. She has a good time:

• What are your thoughts about the past month? Even though she's a "toddler" she's still very much a baby. She likes to be cuddled and hugged a lot. Nursing continues to make me think of her as a baby still. When she looks up at me while nursing I still see her as she was placed on my chest when she was born. I know I'm going to see her newborn face when I look at her for the rest of her life! Now I know how my parents feel!

• What was toddler's routine? Putting Nia to sleep is a breeze! We are so thankful for that. The routine of reading a Bible story is new now that she's 1 and she goes and gets her Bible on her own (love that!). Having her lovie by her side is still important. She goes to bed by 8 and wakes up 1x in the night (usually around 1:30 or 4a.m.) then sleeps until 5:30a.m. Naps are usually around 10/11a.m. and sometimes (if I'm lucky!) again at 3 or 4p.m.

• Reflect about the highlights of the month: 
•  Definitely getting "big girl shoes!" As soon as I put her new sneakers on her she took off running. It was adorable. Here she is at the playground (Mr. Love Bird said she looks 5 here): 

• Nia also got her passport! Woo hoo! Her picture cracks me up (she looks like an orphan):

"For $1 a day you can feed a hungry child . . ."

• Did any big changes occur? 
•  Like last month she's still cutting her back teeth. I can see pointy tips coming through her gums, and I can tell it's very painful. She's a good sport about it and gets delirious at times but not too fussy. I give her things to chew on but she still prefers her hands. 

• She is getting better at feeding herself, and we've introduced cow's milk although most of it goes down the drain. We've mixed in Ovaltine though and tried a myriad of toddler cups but I've found she'll drink most of it if I give her a little glass:

• What are toddler's favorites - toy, food, person, etc...  
• Of course she's most attached to "Baba" her bear, but I've been introducing her to some of the toys she received for her birthday. So far these are her favorites:

Hide and Squeak Eggs

Fisher Price Build 'n Carry Birthday

Not sure what she was doing here! (Excuse Mr. Love Bird's massive leg in the shot)

• Her favorite foods are fruits and veggies: specifically apples, green beans, carrots, berries, watermelon and bananas. I would love to get her to eat more protein but for now only chicken is tolerated.

It's been a fun month!