A 2 year old with some new firsts

Last week, was the first time I was away from Baby Bear for an extended amount of time and today was a day of a more new firsts for Baby Bear. We started the morning with Baby Bear riding forward facing for the first time in her car seat.

Many people move their child around after they turn 1, but the American Academy of Pediatrics have revised their recommendations and state that toddlers should stay rear-facing until the age of 2. The research really suggests that it is safer to keep your toddler rear-facing. We decided to follow those recommendations. We probably could have kept her rear-facing for a little longer based on the car seat's weight requirements and since Baby Bear wouldn't have known otherwise.

We decided that it was a good time to move her around. At first she was confused and curious about the new position of her car seat and when I put her in and she looked forward, she was all smiles. I think she likes the change.



The second first of the day occurred before bedtime. Baby Bear did not have a night time bottle, instead she had her milk in a cup like she does during the day. 20 months ago, I was worried about Baby Bear taking a bottle, she had gone on bottle strike and as I got ready to go to work, I wondered if she would take a bottle. All went well even though she never took a bottle from me, but when mama was away she took a bottle from whoever was caring for her. At 22 months, breastfeeding came to an end. It took time to transition her to a cup even though she would drink everything but milk from a cup. Baby Bear needed to be weaned slowly, that is just her way. So we slowly weaned her off the bottle. We went from having 4 bottles a day to 1 bottle, just in the evening before bedtime. She still often asks for a bottle during the day. Tonight, we went without a bottle and Baby Bear didn't even ask for her bottle. She did great. I hope it goes just as smoothly tomorrow. My Baby Bear is growing up. I guess the next transition is to start potty training, then she really won't be a baby anymore. No matter what she will always be my baby girl, my Baby Bear.

Counting to 7!

Baby Bear counts to 7, just days before her 2nd birthday. She skips 2 in the video, but she still counts pretty well. I am not quite sure where she learned it because I haven't been the best at teaching her.

Hanging with daddy on the porch

Some pictures I found on our camera card from a couple of weeks ago, just hanging out on a beautiful day.

I absolutely love this picture. My two favorite people in the whole wide world.







Baby Bear just loves to run.

Daddy's beautiful girl

Papa Bear and Baby Bear are back to having their regular dates. Saturday Papa Bear and Baby Bear went on a date to Lake Elsinore to see some boats race. They love spending time together. Papa Bear captured a few beautiful pictures of my girl.

18 months

On Friday Baby Bear turned 18 months! I can't believe that she is 1 and a half years now. Everyday she is more and more awesome. She is pretty amazing. She is talking up a storm. We may not always understand what she is trying to say but she is definitely has a lot to say. She has conversations with "baby" (aka Pooh Bear) and "reads" out loud often. Today, she looked at one of her alphabet books and said "A is for apple" and sure enough she was on the page where it read A is for apple! I can't believe how quickly she picks everything up.

Yesterday, we went to the pediatrician because it turns out she had pinkeye. We don't have a regular check up at the 18 month mark. At her appointment her stats: 19 lbs, 10 oz and 29.5 inches tall. I was sure she hit the 20 lb mark by now. But alas, she is just a little peanut. She has indeed grown since we last saw the pediatrician in September but I had thought she had grown much more. The pediatrician was not worried and so I am not worried about her being in the 4th percentile. She is developing just fine and she is growing and that is what matters.

She loves to dance, especially with all her babies (Pooh Bear, Elmo, and other stuffed animals).
She creatively uses toys as chairs and step stools.
She is starting to speak in two-word sentences.
She runs.
She loves to take your hand and bring you places.
She loves to sport a big smile.
She loves music.
She loves to talk.
She loves to look at pictures and videos of herself.
She loves to read toy catalogs.

Baby Bear's hair is getting longer and is often in her eye, so we finally attempted to pull a little pony tail together.



I love this kid!!

Little Miss Manners

Baby Bear had some manners! We have been teaching her to say "thank you" and "please." We know it would probably take some time so might as well start early. Yesterday, she started saying "thank you." She may not know exactly when to say it, but that is a start.

Baby Bear is a big talker. She has so many words and many signs. It is great that she is better able to communicate. Sometimes she says "no" when don't want her too, but at least she is communicating. She often understands when I ask her simple questions, it really helps to find out what she wants. So far her running list of words:

• mama (although I have been called dada)
  
• dada (and Papa Bear has been called mama)
  
• papa (for Grandpa Bear)
• no
  
• nana (for banana, although she says it other times and I am not sure what she means yet)
• milk
• eat
• more
  
• stop
• thank you
• what's that
• bye
• hi
• baby
  
• chasss (for Chase Monster Cat)
• jack (for Jack the dog - Grandma Bear's dog)

In addition, she knows quite a few signs:

• more
• milk
• eat
• sleep
• baby (she actually does a modified version that she made up on her own. For weeks, we were wondering what she was doing with her hands, until finally she verbally put the word with it)
• all done
• bath
  

Baby Bear wants to use the spoon her way

The last couple of days, Baby Bear has really been interested in using a spoon all by herself. During breakfast time she wants some of my yogurt and so I have been sharing with her. She loves it. Of course, we had tried baby yogurt months ago and she wanted nothing to do with it, so I stopped buying the baby yogurt because it kept going to waste. So now that she likes it I am off to get her some of her own yogurt. (she doesn't need the fat free version like her mama.)

She doesn't really want me to spoon feed her the yogurt either; instead she wants to use her own spoon and not a baby spoon, she wants a real spoon. She also does not want me to help her put the yogurt on the spoon, she wants to scoop the yogurt out all by herself. Actually it is more like dipping the spoon in and putting the spoon in her mouth the wrong way. Nevertheless, Baby Bear is feeding herself and using her own spoon. Wow, my baby girl is really growing up and becoming so independent. It is all great an exciting but a little sad, since I do miss my little baby. She really is a toddler. Sigh.

Our little walker

Baby Bear is getting better and better at walking. She is still a little wobbly, but look at her go.

How old are you?

We have a walker

Baby Bear has officially take a couple of steps. Just days before her first birthday and we have a walker!! I can't believe it. She is not consistently walking but she can definitely stand up and take a few steps. It is a matter of time before she is running!!!!

More teeth?!

Baby Bear has FOUR more teeth popping up. I just looked in her mouth and saw the tips of 3 on top on 1 on the bottom. She already has 8 teeth. So it looks like she will be sporting 12 teeth by her first birthday. Pretty crazy!

I can clap my hands

Baby Bear can clap her hands and blow kisses. It is just so amazing to see her learn and do new and wonderful things.

11 months

I am a little behind but here are some pictures of my 11 month old. Less than a month and I will have a one year old. I can't believe how quickly this year has gone.

New milestones:

• loves to clap her hands, especially when others are clapping their hands.
• she will clap her hands on command (if she is in the mood)
  
• blows kisses (sans the hands). It is really quite cute.
• she loves to smile and talk.
  
• she is better at eating. she is still not a huge fan of purees rather prefers finger foods.
  

Look who's 11 months old.



See I can clap my hands.



Big Smile!

10 months

Looks who's 10 months old. Just 2 months from her first birthday! That is just so crazy.

Baby Bear's milestones:

• she loves to cruise around (she is pretty fast), she cruises around the couch and baby gate.
  
• she loves to stand.
• she can get down from the standing position.
• she can walk with help.
• she crawls even faster than she used too (especially when she sees Chase Monster Cat).
• kisses.
• turns the pages of her books during bedtime story time.
• not really a milestone, but she has more hair!!
  

She is just learning to use her push to walk toy (Thank you Delaney for the Christmas gift, Baby Bear loves it!!)



Those month stickers don't stay on Baby Bear's shirts for too long. Once she notices them, she just wants to eat it. Just one more month sticker and then this Baby Bear will be a one year old. Yikes!!

On the move

Baby Bear is on the move. Look at her go.



Time to put up the baby gate!! That mission was accomplished over the weekend.

9 months old

Baby Bear is 9 months, that is 3/4 of a year. It is pretty amazing. She just learned to stand and crawl in the matter of the last few days. It is a whole new world now that she is mobile.

Her milestones:

• clap her hands
• wave hello and goodbye
• sit on her own
• says "dada" and "mama"
• stands on her own
• gets into the seated position on her own
• crawls
  

Baby Bear is very interested in everything and checks everything out. Well, her 9 months sticker was on her shirt for less than a few seconds before she decided to check it out. I couldn't get any pictures with the sticker on.



But it is all good, since she is so cute.



And she is on the go...

She stands!

Baby Bear started standing on her own on Monday. She no longer looks like a little baby anymore, she is becoming a big girl who can stands.



She turned 9 months yesterday. I will post her 9 months pictures soon.

A new milestone: the good, the bad, the funny

The Good: Baby Bear met a new milestone. She learned to get into the seated position from laying day by herself today. She is very close to crawling as well, she is getting up on her knees and she has been able to move a few steps (or crawls) forward. Yikes, our Baby Bear is mobile!

The Bad: When we put her in her crib to go down for a nap, she starts crying and gets into the seated position. Consequently, she had the most difficult time take a nap today. So Papa Bear and I finally had to take Baby Bear for a drive so that she could nap in the car. We drove around for an hour and half so that she could finally nap this afternoon.

More Bad: When we put Baby Bear down to sleep tonight, instead of rolling over and going to sleep, she got up into the seated position and cried. She was going down to sleep so well since we sleep trained. It was great! But tonight, we had regressed and had to do the Ferber Method again. After about 30 minutes, she finally fell asleep. Papa Bear went to check on her after a while and make sure she was sleeping okay. She was okay and asleep, BUT

The Funny: She fell asleep in the seated position with her face down. It was hilarious. Papa Bear called me into the room to help get her in a more comfortable position without waking her. Baby Bear is going to have to learn how to lay down from the seated position.

Baby Bear's first word

MAMA!!!

I love it. She said it a couple of time yesterday and it just melts my heart. I love my Baby Bear!

More teeth = crappy sleep

Baby Bear has two more teeth. They are the top "fang" teeth. It is funny since I thought she would get her top middle teeth before the fang ones. They have just broken the surface, which explains why she has been an awful sleeper at night. Poor thing has probably been in some pain. I hope she sleeps better soon, because I am one tired Mama Bear!