Life with a Toddler

I've said it before and I'll say it again - my baby is gone.

A full blown toddler has replaced her. Don't get me wrong - I love the toddler just as much as the former baby...it's just different! Everyone tells you how different it will be when they are into everything, but there's nothing you can do to prepare for it when it finally hits.

We are more than just surviving this new phase - we are enjoying it!  There are down sides and plus sides...just like any stage of life, but we are making the most of this one that we are in.

Here are some of the plus sides:

• She is much more portable (doesn't need as much stuff, can be entertained fairly easily)
• She is more mobile and independent (it's great to be able to set her down to open a door and not worry about her falling off a ledge or something)
• She gets cuter by the minute (so cute it hurts)
• She can communicate a little better (it is very clear when she wants more, or if she wants something different)
• She can entertain herself for small intervals of time (can't wait to work on extending this!)

Here are some of the down sides:

• Now that she can communicate, she has an opinion about many things (She is vocal about this and it sometimes includes screeching)
• More mobility means she wants independence in things she can actually do yet (she loves stairs, but has no idea how to go down them without potentially breaking her arm)
• She gets into mischief (my bedroom lamp is plugged into the powerstrip. She learned how to turn the powerstrip off. While I was putting away laundry tonight she turned off the lamp 6-10 times.)

With all that being shared, I love everything about her - even the challenging toddler parts. And I am well aware that we haven't even hit 2 yet. Mostly we roll with the punches. I let her roam and get into trouble and sometimes I let her learn the lesson the hard way and don't protect her from it. Even if it means some extra cries or some extra clean up along the way. We improvise when we need to. I have definitely needed to buy a spare paci at target (and opened it immediately) because someone wanted to roam the aisles in target independently (can you blame her?) and became very agitated when I forced her to stay in the stroller.

I am shocked with how much she gets more and more like a little kid. More hair, more personality, more teeth - you name it! She is a joy to all she meets and even more so to us!