Thanksgiving & New Teeth

It has been a long time since I posted. We have been really busy and lots of stuff has happened. You have adjusted well finally to sleeping in the toddler bed. It took awhile because you liked the new freedom of being able to get out of the bed on your own. And because you knew how to open the doors in the house already, it was really easy for you to go wherever you wanted. We fixed that by putting a baby gate in front of your bedroom door. That worked for about 3 days, before you decided to hop over it and crash down on the other side. So finally, we decided to tie a 40 pound dumbbell to your doorknob. That worked pretty well! I think you got the idea that when I lay you down in your bed and give you your blankie and binkie, that it is easier just to go to sleep. But that wasn't before quit a few nights of mommy sleeping on the floor of your room with you.

You have regressed with the potty training. I was a little inconsistent with taking you for a little while because of my schedule. And now you don't want anything to do with the potty. We are going to try to start going more often now.

We moved into our new house in Rocklin a couple of weeks ago now. You are adjusting a lot better than daddy and I.

You are also cutting all four of your canine teeth. The top ones came in about a week ago, and now the bottom ones are starting too. You definitely have been a little bit crankier than usual. And you are constantly chewing one everything and tugging at your ears. I can tell that you are uncomfortable. I wish I could do more to help you, but the only thing that seems to help is the teething tablets.

Finally, yesterday was Thanksgiving. It was nice to see the family. We stopped by Grammy & Grandpa Vanderzanden's house. Not everyone was there yet, but we were able to see Great Nana and Auntie Debbie. We had to leave early to go down to the Bright Thanksgiving. This year we ate at Great Nani & Bompa's house. We even got to see Auntie Val, Uncle Steve, Stephanie and Scott. You were a handful though! You ran back and forth around the house and I had to keep chasing you down so you didn't break anything. Then when dinner was over and the dishes were being washed, you decided to take all the silverware out of the dishwasher and put them in the old metal truck. At least it kept you busy for a little while, and it was super cute.

Love Always,
Mommy

Our Little Adventurer

We have always known that you were a little adventurist. You were always the baby that would climb up bookshelves or jump into the baby pool (or water table). In fact, you were climbing up and down your highchair and our bed before you could even walk. I guess you take after your Daddy in that respect. About a month ago you were waking up from a nap and I was watching you on the video monitor. When all of a sudden you started to climb out of your crib. I ran into your room and found you sitting on the top rail of the crib. I figured that once you do something once, you usually repeat it the next time you get. But you didn't. I have not noticed you even attempt it again, until last weekend when we were at the cabin. I was trying to put you to bed in the pack-n-play, but you were not very happy about it. Luckily, we brought the baby monitor with us because I barely made it down the stairs to check the monitor and you were climbing over the side of the pack-n-play. I ran back up the stairs because I thought you were going to fall, and you were hanging off the side. Needless to say, you got to sleep in bed with us for the rest of the trip.

Now that we have been back home, you hadn't tried it again, until the day before yesterday. In the last day, you figured out to successfully (and silently) climb out of your crib. The first time you did it was after your nap. You woke up and were not crying, so we were going to give you a couple of minutes to wake up. Then I heard the side of the crib knocking. I looked over and you weren't in the crib. We couldn't believe it.

Then, yesterday morning when you woke up you did it again. I was already awake and heard you rolling around on the monitor. I wanted to watch and see if I could catch you in the act...and I did! You barely woke up, and you immediately swung your leg over the side of the crib and silently climbed down onto your rocking chair. You then promptly walked over to your bedroom door, opened it, and walked out of your room like a big girl. So I guess its time to convert your crib into a toddler bed.

Love always,
Mommy

Potty Time

I started the slow process of potty training about a month ago. We started out by teaching you the sign for potty, then taking you to sit on your potty once a day. At first you sat on the potty with your clothes on. But I just recently started taking your diaper off when you sit on the potty. At this age, its really hard to keep you in one place for more than two seconds. So while you sit on the potty, you read your Elmo Potty book. You really like it. It is one of those books with sound buttons, which is pretty much the only thing you do with the book.

Anyway, today you were starting to go potty in your diaper (which is really obvious because you crouch down and start grunting). So I quickly said "Let's go potty", and you ran to the bathroom with me. I took off your diaper and sat you on the potty. You already had gone a little in your diaper, but you sat down anyway. Then after a little waiting...you did it! You went #2 in the potty for the first time. I don't think you really understood what I was cheering about, but I think you started to get it when you saw the poop in the potty. YAY, great job Lexi! I'm very proud of you.

Love Always,
Mommy

Molars...

So I was right...you have had the redness on your chin for what seems like 3 months straight. As soon as it looks like its getting better, your finger nails get a little too long and you scratch it like crazy and it bleeds and scabs up. Last week I found out for sure why you were drooling so much to cause the chin problem...MOLARS! Last Tuesday both of the 1 year molars on the right side of you mouth broke through the skin. Then two days later, the other two on the left side broke through. You were getting all 4 molars at once! Yikes, no wonder you were so cranky and drooly and didn't want to sleep by yourself.

Cranky & Drooling...Must be Teething

You have been very cranky and drooling everywhere for nearly a month now. You have been drooling so much that you flared up your eczema on your chin again and it looks like you took a header off the counter or something. This can only mean one thing...you are teething again! And sure enough, I looked in your mouth last Thursday, and you got your fourth tooth on the bottom row (8th total). I also think you are getting 3 molars right now too. I have been trying to feel back there when I brush your teeth, but its kind of hard to tell with you constantly biting me. But I think I feel 3 bumps in the back.

At your doctor appointment today, I asked the doctor to check your molars. He said that there were two on your left side that were ready to pop out, and one on the right that is a little slower. Also, you gained about 3.5 ounces last months. So you are still growing better.

And finally, just like I thought. It only took about 2 days of walking before you were sprinting across the room. And now I have to chase you all over the house. Dang, you're fast!

Love Always,
Mommy

You Did It!!!

You finally did it. Two days after we went to the physical therapy class, you decided it was time to walk. I was doing the dishes before dinner, and since you like to sit on the door of the dishwasher and splash in the water daddy was in charge of keeping you occupied while I finished the dishes. He was having you walk with him, when he let go of you...and you started walking. You took 6 whole steps and then fell on your butt and said "ut-ooohhhh". Then you got up and took 6 more steps. It only took 14 and a half months, but we are so proud of you!

Love Always,
Mommy

Get Me Movin'

We just got back from a physical therapy class called "Get Me Moving". I have been worried recently that you still aren't walking, and now all the kids that are 3 months younger than you are. Well, this class was pretty much a big waste of time. There were 9 month old triplets that were just learning how to sit up and two other 14 month olds that weren't even crawling or pulling themselves up yet. You were crawling circles around these kids. I guess that I am glad that we went because I got to see how great you are actually doing. The physical therapist was convinced that you are fully capable of walking, but just deciding not to walk. She also said that when kids are developing quickly in other areas (like verbally), they tend to develop slower in gross motor skills. But once they feel like they have mastered the one that they were most interested in, they tend to catch up quickly in the other. I think this is totally the case with you. You have said about 8 words by now and are constantly babbling something. You also know a few signs, which leads to verbal skills. So, I have a feeling that you are going to be a Chatty Cathy when you get older.

I definitely think it has a lot to do with how stubborn you are too. I guess you get that from me. And the temper tantrums have started full force now too. There has been at least two times now that we took something away from you and you threw a huge fit (with real tears and screaming/kicking legs). I hope that doesn't go on for too long.

Love Always,
Mommy