Hellobee

Here we are already at the 19 month mark.  As Leo on Little Einsteins (of which I have become a frequent watcher these days) always says, “I cannot believe it!”

We had to delay Baby Checkers’ 18 month check-up to 19 months because she has been sick since early December.  14 days of diarrhea, then roseola, a bilateral ear infection, and a yeast infection.  Tis the season, but the poor kid has been through the wringer.  I am happy to report she is healthy (today)!  Her 18 (19) month stats are 88th percentile for height (33 inches) and 50th percentile for weight (23.2 lbs.).

Waiting at the doctor’s office with my little ham

At this point in time, I have lost track of a number of things.

I do not know her word count.  When our pediatrician asked how many words she can say, I guessed 50, but the truth is I lost count after 25.  I do know she learns a new word just about every other day, and tries to repeat whatever we say.

I do not know how many teeth she has.  A bunch of front ones, and at least one molar fully in with a few others cutting through.

I do not know how much she drinks during the day.  I used to meticulously keep track of the exact number of ounces she was drinking (or not drinking) during the day, and coax her to drink more if she did not reach a magic number.  Now, I just know she drinks “enough.”

I would like to think this is a sign I am easing into motherhood and I have finally put my constant first-time-mom worries to rest.  Or perhaps it means I have just become too exhausted to keep track.

One thing she has become more fascinated with these days is diaper changes.  Usually just before or after she has a dirty diaper, she tries to change Pooh Bear’s diaper.  Here is part of her diaper change setup (minus the diaper):

She and Pooh Bear are BFFs.  Everything she does, Pooh Bear must also do.

Sleep:  We finally made the 2-to-1 nap transition!  I know Mrs. Bee just recently posted about this, and I had been dreading the transition for quite some time.  I was afraid keeping her up longer would result in an extra cranky baby in the mornings, selfishly I liked having two “breaks” in the day, and I was not sure how well she would sleep.  She was already taking one nap on Sundays since we attend church during her usual first nap time, so the transition has been very smooth.  She seems to be sleeping even better during the day (anywhere from 3 – 3.5 hours) and I have noticed she is able to fall asleep a tad earlier for bedtime.

Making faces in zebra PJs before bedtime

Personality:  As she grows, she continues to become more interactive and playful.  She loves to mimic, sing songs, and play.  She loves to make you laugh, and she laughs at herself quite easily.  On the flip side, if she sees someone crying or in pain, she immediately makes a sad face and shows concern.  She loves people.  To say she is a happy baby is an understatement.

Screen time:  In the last month, we began to let Baby Checkers watch television.  I understand screen time can be a bit of a hot button with some moms, but we do allow a little screen time (iPad/iPhone educational apps and some television) at the beginning and end of each day.  I know they say to wait until children are 2 years old, but I threw in the towel during Baby Checkers’ marathon month of sickness.  There was only so much I could do to comfort her, and Little Einsteins brought a little bit of relief and joy to my girl’s face.  So I gave in.

Getting her dose of Little Einsteins

It has been a chaotic month of travel, holiday gatherings, sickness, ER visits, and sleep deprivation but we made it!  I hope to have a grade A health report at 20 months.