Oh my friends I have been having such a bad case of mama guilt! Feeling like I’m not doing enough with Tuesday just “being” with her and going about our day to day. I feel like she (and other babies we know her age) is going through this crazy development period. Everyday I see that she knows more and tries more things. Today she took her first steps from one thing (baby gate) to another (high chair) with out any prompting. Usually we’re baiting her with something. But she did it just to get from one place to another, because it’s a very short (three step) distance and she figured it would be faster than getting down and crawling. I almost can’t believe she can figure it out. But of course I think she’s the smartest… oh wait no I don’t. I think she’s the most darling perfect little thing, but I have been comparing her to other babies which I shouldn’t do, but I think it’s just a natural thing. Especially when it’s your first baby and you just don’t know what comes next.
You probably realize that I read lots of blogs and have many friends with babies the same age. Well it seemed to me that so many mamas were doing all kinds of “projects” with their babies. I could not figure out how this was possible since Tuesday puts everything into her mouth and her fine motor skills are so fantastic this includes grabbing ants racing across our floor (I swear we’re clean) and stuffing them in her mouth! But when I saw Carmen painted with her little Chloe I could stand it no more and decided I must try a project with my Sparkle Pants. You may have seen the photo of the day. It did not go as planned.
“Haha, you want me to do what mom?” Note – yes she has paint in her mouth. Carmen I didn’t see that you had responded to me; tempura paint = genius. I used a water based supposedly non toxic acrylic. Not my hard core Goldens or anything, but still I was on her like white on rice and I still couldn’t keep it out of her mouth (note to others – it did not come off this onsie).
The whole thing lasted about five minutes and really she didn’t do anything. I had to put her hand on the canvas. I felt like an abject failure! Let me reiterate – she only wanted it in her mouth! (I know Bj, “that’s what she said.”).
Once I took a step back, and after her first year check up showed she was indeed normal, I realized I have to just roll with the day. If we never get anything done then we never get anything done. That doesn’t mean we’re not DOING things, like watching the cars go by, clapping, playing with Lee Lee, pushing a shopping cart and bouncing while I pack order. It is easy to say I’m going to let go, then to actually let go…
I tried it again with water a few days later. She loved the water, but didn’t “get” the painting thing.
You know what? That’s ok. We’ll keep trying. If my baby doesn’t like art it won’t kill me (I tell myself). Speaking of creating the room is nearly complete. I did pick out knobs (see the dalies), and just can not stand to show you the room if it isn’t totally done. They come on Friday, so look for a post on the craft den this weekend(ish).
Celebrating crafts, kids and the everyday through photographs.
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At one Tuesday is:
-Babbling like crazy and doing this cute talking thing. She has a few "words" besides mama. She calls her Papa "bob bob" and sort of says hi and bye. Also finally learned to squeal and it is cute.
-Non vocal communication is through the roof. She leans her head on her shoulder for sleep/night night and also love. When you ask her if she loves something she cuddles it next to her. She waves for hello/goodbye and when you say, "good job" she starts clapping. Starting to shake her head for no (especially at meal times).
-Eating a lot and will try most anything. This must have spurred on her amazing weight gain – almost a pound in a month bringing her year end weight to 16 pounds 1 ounce and her height to 28 1/4 inches. I was 16 pounds 5 ounces and 28 3/4 inches at a year, I can't believe with a dad as tall as Bj she is smaller than I was.
-Wearing a size 9 months mostly. I just put away a bunch of 3-6 months stuff, even though she can easily wear it with extenders for height. Mostly because oh my goodness she's been wearing that stuff forever! Her pants are mostly size 12 month, but rolled up (giant cloth diaper booty). Her shoes are still the smallest size which is crazy because I don't think they are really meant for walking, but she doesn't fit into the bigger shoes we have ready for her.
-Still nurses a lot, but will no longer nurse to sleep. I know this is just developmental, but I really can't believe it. One day I knew she was tired so I nursed her and she finished nursing, looked up at me and yawned. This led to…
-Naps in the crib. Including crazy long (over an hour and we have even had a few two hour naps) ones.
-Papa is her favorite to put her to sleep. He can always do it, problem is he is not always available (working during the day).
-Cruising around everything, barely needs to hold onto anything to pull herself up. Taking tentative steps. This started around the new year, but she still only does a few at a time.
-No longer wants to poop on the potty. I'm not sure why, but for the last week or so when I go to get her in the morning she has a soiled diaper. This is so annoying and I'm not really sure what to do about it (wake her up in the morning instead of letting her play in her crib for a while?
-Back to sleeping. Our schedule is running late right now. I don't mind it so much because I like sleeping in, but we do need to work on it a bit so that one of the nap times isn't so late. I'm sure I'll continue to nurse her at least once in the middle of the night, but if she wakes more than that she really doesn't need to nurse and I only let her when we are too tired to bounce her like she likes (walk around the room with a bouncy step and pat her back).
-Still puts EVERYTHING in her mouth. From the tiniest little speck to the spines of her books. I understand why (four teeth and counting), but it is a bit frustrating. I feel like I can't "do" things with her, like projects (a whole post on this coming). I can't leave her alone with books. One moment she is flipping through them the next she is munching on pieces of the board she's managed to get off.
-So sociable. Really loves being out, going for walks. Seeing people and looking at things. I love the way she looks at something quizzically, then looks at me for an explanation.
-Has developed so much in the last week I can't even wrap my head around what she will be like at two.
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First let me say that after coming out of the fog of sickness and realizing what has happened in Haiti I feel such sadness. It seems impossible to blog about the wonderful celebration of my darling daughter's first birthday without mentioning some way to support families that are grieving so much right now. We have decided to give to Doctor's Without Borders, but there are many other aid organizations accepting donations as well. Please give what you can.
The little party with no real planning kind of turned into a last minute mama push to finish all the little details I suddenly felt were necessary.
Greeting our guests was this little thing I whipped up the night (or early morning actually) before the party. I had wanted to go with a alphabet theme, I don't know why I always come up with themes for things in my mind as I never stick to them anyway.
Also extremely last minute ("Hey thanks for coming early Sciarrino, get sewing!") was this felt garland based of the one over on purl bee. I have this up still, and never want to take it down so hopefully I'll get some better pictures of it soon.
I put Sciarrino's man Ethan to work as well. Since this is an awkward shaped gift we decided not to wrap it but have it waiting for Miss Sparkle Pants when she came down.
Nice job Ethan! You may recognize this as a major re-gift. I bought it at an estate sale for my god-daughter a few years ago. It was loved and given back to me. We did buy some new people for it. Tuesday and the other babies loved playing with it and all of the other goodies she got.
While we do love everything (so much so I'm going to do another post on the wonderful handmade things she got) it is a bit overwhelming around her after this bash plus Christmas. This weekend we are going to work on a toy plan.
Of course I couldn't bare to give Tutu any store bought sugary treats. So in my obsessive state I had Bj make homemade teething biscuits (her favorite) plus yam based frosting (oh and he also made all the appetizers, and Sciarrino made the cookies so really I was more of a coordinator). I used a natural food coloring and some safe sprinkles to decorate them and served it all on a plate with organic whip cream around it.
(can you see her sparkly pants?!?! I didn't get a good picture of these crazy silver leggings)
Mmm she loves it! She wore her hat most of the day.
other side:
Just a copy really of the one I made V. When I run out of this making memories paper from six years ago I'll be sad.
While I was at the flower making I made extras and threw them on the table. When it's one AM I start to get all kinds of great ideas.
Of course the best part is celebrating with wonderful family and friends. Big thanks to my wonderful step-dad for taking lots of extra pictures! Oh and I made her shirt too, totally last minute so it might only be worn this once (sharpies do not equal fabric markers FYI). I looked at a tutorial that I can't find a the link to (then of course did not follow any of the directions).
Is there any interested in a first year baby wrap up post? Things we used, did, books we read etc? I want to do one for my pregnant friends anyway, but if there is a lot of interest I'd be happy to take questions and compile it all extra nicely 🙂
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