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Monday, February 28, 2011

18 Months ... A Year and a Half ... Whoa!

My baby toddler is a year and a half old.  What?! 

Mungee is a little firecracker.  She's always going, going, going!  I've given up trying to keep track of how many words she says.  It's probably well over 200.  She repeats anything and everything.  She's like a little parrot.  She gets concepts too.  She tells us she's scared when she hears a loud startling noise.  She holds up her bowl and says "Empty" when she's out of Cheerios.

Some of the funny mispronunciations Mungee uses are "strawbellies" for strawberries and "mo-mote" for remote (control).  She finally says "phone" instead of "some", and will put it up to her ear and very clearly and articulately say "Hullo".

She can count to ten, then we say 11, 12, 13 and she says "14!"  Honestly, I have no idea how she learned that number.  She thinks everything is the color green and that all animals are named Luna (the original name of our cat).

I'm still breastfeeding, though I would be relieved happy if I was able to wean soon.  I feel like Mungee is so dependent on nursing before naps and nighttime, that I am nervous about trying to wean her.  I know I am taking the easy road, as far as using nursing to get her to sleep, but she's got to give up the boob eventually.  (Right?)  Any tips? P.S. She can't drink cow's milk, she gets hives.  We've tried soymilk, but she only takes a few sips and the rest goes to waste.

She has gotten very proficient at walking, and is experimenting with running.  She also likes to dance and "jump", though she doesn't leave the ground at this point.  I always try to get her to jump on the trampoline at MyGym, but I don't think she gets it yet.

We'll probably enroll her in school this fall.  She will just make the age cutoff (2 years old before September 1), so she'll be in the same class as her best friend (the daughter of my best friend).

She's still taking two naps a day for the most part, but we will have to cut back to one once she begins school, as they require the students to be able to stay awake until 12 pm.  I'm not really in a hurry to cut her off from that morning nap because that's usually the time when I take a shower and get dressed!

Bedtime is around 7 pm.  We went through a major sleeping-through-the-night setback, but I'm crossing my fingers and toes that it's over now.  If Mungee wakes up early (between 5:30-6:30), I'll usually nurse her and then put her back in her crib so her Pa and I can get some extra sleep.

Mungee has had 12 teeth for a while now and has just recently begun cutting all.four.canine.teeth.  The first to come through was the top left, followed by the top right.  I think I noticed the bottom right peeking through her gums today.  Are we done with teething for a while, or will those dreaded two year molars be agonizing her soon?

Mungee's favorite TV show is Yo Gabba Gabba, but she still prefers to read books.  She has words and phrases memorized and it's so much fun to read a few words and then have her fill in the next ones.  She doesn't even need to see the book, all she needs to hear are the words.

With her increasing sense of independence, Mungee has taken to throwing tantrums when she doesn't get her way.  I mostly stop her from doing something out of safety concerns (things like leaving the driveway and walking into the street).  She'll go limp and slither to the ground and cry, or if I try to pick her up, she raises her arms straight up and I think she tries to dislocate her shoulders so she can slip out of my grasp.  Or she'll just scream.  I typically try to ignore the screaming because I don't want her to enjoy the attention from it and continue.

Eventually I will upload the most recent pictures I've taken and add them to this post.  Or just write a new one :)

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Friday, February 4, 2011

Ch...ch...ch...Changes!

Last night before I went to bed, I checked my email one last time like I always do.  I was excited to see an email from a colleague at my previous job - the job I left to become a stay-at-home mom to Mungee.  She wanted to let me know that a temporary, 20-hour a week position was open and they wanted to consider me for the job. It took all I had not to wake up Mungee's Pa to tell him about it.  I knew he would be thrilled that I was enthusiastic about this opportunity - I'm sure he's been feeling the stress and pressure of trying to support our family with his income alone.

I immediately emailed my old boss to get the ball rolling.  The first thing I need to do is dust off and update my resume!  I don't think it's even updated with my experience from the job I left, but who knows?  Maybe once I dig around my computer to find the file I'll be surprised.

The position will only last for two to three months, but I'm okay with that.  I think it's the perfect way for me to ease back into the workforce.  Becoming a stay-at-home mom was quite an adjustment.  It took me at least a year (and some Zoloft) to feel normal again.  Tiptoeing back into a career seems like it will be better for me than jumping back into things with both feet first and my eyes closed.  I'm hesitant about jumping into the swimming pool - this is really no different.

One concern at this point is childcare for Mungee.  From what I gather about the position, there's a chance I may have the opportunity to work at home, however, if it is office-based, I'll need to figure out who will watch Mungee.  My mom said she may be able to arrange something, but she is a petsitter and that keeps her pretty busy throughout the day.  She said if necessary, she'd take Mungee petsitting with her, but I don't know how comfortable I am with that.  In Mungee's almost 18 months, the only two people who have ever driven her around are me and her Pa.  Is it silly to be nervous about entrusting her to someone else's driving? 

If you stayed at home for an extended period of time, then went back to work, how was the transition for you?
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