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20 Memories From My 20th Month Since Going Dad

Craziness abound! This girl has seriously taken off this month and left us with plenty of memories. Some good , some bad, some extremely frustrating, and some, well, a little gross.

I’ll spare you the small talk since there are 20 memories to go over, so let’s get right to it.

1. Our couch is your new playground and you get very upset when you’re not able to lift yourself up on the cushions. But you’re determination proves that you can get up there and bounce all over as you please. If only we can get you to stop chewing the cushions with your green smoothie mouth.

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2. You had a busy morning and afternoon with Mommy and me one day and ended up falling asleep during lunchtime. It was right before nap time, but you just couldn’t wait for that sleep!

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3. When Mommy or Daddy drops a piece of food or ice cube or, anything really, you act as our personal narrator by saying “Uh-oh”. It’s cute, but honestly, some days it drives me crazy when I’m in a rush. Don’t worry, still love you lots!

4. “Uh-oh” isn’t the only thing you’re saying, you are getting to complete sentences too! It’s not exactly clear, but you love hiding things you have and saying “Where did it go?” Even when you don’t have anything, you use the sentence after we flush your poop down the toilet.

5. On the topic of toilets and talking, “Bye-bye” is yet another thing you’ve started saying…a lot. When you don’t ask “Where did it go?” when your poop gets flushed, you wave and say “Bye-bye”. It’s cute, of course, but sometimes you get a little too close to the toilet.

6. Bananas have been a favorite of yours for a while, especially with NuttZo, but this month you took eating the fruit into your own hands; literally.

7. Like most toddlers and probably kids in general, your willingness to eat changes with each new bite we offer or food we put in front of you. But Mommy and me have found that reading a book out loud opens the gates (i.e. your mouth) each and every time. As a result, we’ve honed our tongue twister skills with Dr. Suess’ “Fox in Socks”.

8. You had popcorn for the first time and instantly loved it. After munching down on the air-popped goodness, you were hooked on the crunch and demanded more. Now if only you can understand it doesn’t all have to go in your mouth at once…..

9. Another “first” for the month was putting your hair in a ponytail. I have yet to try, but Mommy made use of your wacky hair the best she could. I still think you look like a samurai, which isn’t such a bad thing.

Avery's 1st Ponytail

10. What is a bad thing is your new attitude that appears on a daily basis where we are locked in a standoff. We spend a cumulative amount of at least an hour a day with me asking you pick something up and you either just staring at me with a blank face or running away crying. Mommy and me are both stubborn, which means a lot of standing and waiting. It’s exhausting, but you usually come around and clap for yourself. Then we give you a hug afterward.

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11. One day, while working out, Mommy asked you to do high knees with her and you immediately got right to it! Since then, you’ll stop whatever craziness you are up to just for high knees if we ask you to.

12. Before you and Mommy even begin, you have caught on to when she’s getting ready for a workout. She’ll come home from work, change into workout clothes, and as she’s putting on socks, you instinctively know to go get her workout shoes for her. No asking required!

13. Reading books is quickly becoming one of your favorite things to do. With or without Mommy and Daddy, you’ll go through several books while simultaneously testing the limits of gravity on the couch. That’s what I call action reading for sure!

14. This Fourth of July was technically your 2nd, but we don’t count the first since you weren’t too aware of your surroundings yet. Eager to let you witness your official first fireworks, we drove up the road from our neighborhood to let you watch the city’s firework show. They were kind of far, but still very visible. Regardless, you didn’t seem too impressed…

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15. I think to get us back for keeping you up late and then waking you up early for our 4th of July 5k, you decided to make spending the night at G-Ma’s a living hell. Three hours of non-stop screaming and rolling around definitely got us back! Next year, you can call the shots!

16. Despite the torturous night, you woke up at G-Ma’s all chipper and chatty. It took several cups of coffee before we became functional as human-beings, but seeing you have fun with G-Ma made it all worthwhile.

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17.The same can’t be said for Uncle Preston though, he still has some kid holding practice to do. Maybe then you’ll both bond a little better.

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18. I think what would help is if you both farted together. Lately, you will crack up when you hear a fart or if you fart. Sometimes I don’t even hear a toot, but will hear you randomly laugh followed by the resulting smell, and then it all makes sense.

19. To go along with your samurai ponytail, you are working on becoming a true ninja with karate kicks. Right now you need something to hold on to for leverage, but it’s only a matter of time before you’re kicking things off the bookshelf. Wait till I show you the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles now that you understand what you’re seeing!

20. Another short sentence you say multiple times a day is “All done.” You don’t quite understand its meaning since you say it while eating and then proceed to eat more, but in time, you’ll get it. For example, this was my last memory for the month, so now I’m all done!

With all of her stool, chair, cabinet, and couch climbing, I’m sure next month’s memories will have a few bumps and bruises to mention. I’m also sure there’ll be plenty more full sentences and lots of karate kicking action to share too. Oh, and we just encountered the first “No”. Kelley and I tried to play it off like nothing was said, but…..it’s coming!

Do you have any memories of your kids to share at this time? No matter the age, I’d love to see what you’re experiencing right now. Hopefully all good or at least laughable sometime in the future.

10 Tips to Get Your Toddler to Eat….Maybe

Feeding Avery has never an easy task, and I assume that’s how it goes for any toddler. Unless it involves some of my healthy homemade bread or anything with NuttZo, feeding her is never a simple ordeal.

Each day brings a new attitude, so we’re never sure what we’ll get when we lift her out of the crib. As the day progresses, we usually go through all of the moods listed on a mood ring, some that aren’t, and by the end, we’re all on high alert for the next change. If you are or were a parent to a toddler (or baby or any kid probably), you’re probably nodding in agreement to at least part of this. If not, what’s your secret?

When first feeding her solids, we went the Baby-Led Weaning route and although difficult at first still, she’s actually really good at grabbing her food and feeding herself. But when it comes to things that need utensils, that’s still a work in progress.

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She does try, but most times it goes on the floor, her lap, our lap, on the cat (seriously), or just all over the highchair tray.

There is still plenty of time to go in this wishy-washy eating stage, but so far, we have 10 tried and true tips to get our little girl to eat with us. Don’t get me wrong, some days not even these will do the trick, but 8.45 times out of 10, one of them will work.

  1. Classic airplane – Yeah, it still works. She doesn’t even know what a plane is yet, but just making loud sounds and moving the spoon all around (tip – don’t do this with soup) takes their attention off the food and sometimes they’ll just open their mouth. Use that time to get a bite in!
  2. Let them hold the lid – If you have a container like a Tupperware that their food is in, rinse off the lid and let them hold it while feeding. Tell them they need to keep it safe since it covers the food and maybe they’ll buy into it. Or just have something to play with as they allow the fork/spoon to feed them.
  3. Watch out for the flies! – Avery is quite the fly catcher and loves clapping her hands in the air any time I mention the pests. This is usually good for one or two bites, but if I say she needs to finish her food before the flies get it, sometimes she gives in and that’s a win.
  4. Give them their own utensil – Preferably a spoon since a fork can get a little pokey (Going Mom and I both know), and a knife because, toddler. Having their own utensil is empowering, and they love having “control”. Or, again, something to play with. But this does allow you to at least try and teach them how to use a utensil. It worked for us before…. 

     

  5. Don’t offer, just do – Yes, this could be bad and result in spilled food as they quickly turn their head and shake their arms in refusal, but it can also work. I have found that when asked if she wants to take a bite, she usually shakes her head, but if we just bring the food to her mouth in silence, she’s more apt to take the bite.
  6. Read a book – This has been our go-to option during dinner every night lately. Kelley offers her food, she shakes her head and turns away, I open a Dr. Suess book to read a few lines and the magic gate (i.e. her mouth) opens. It has worked every time so far. Not sure how or why, but give it a try. Hey, I rhymed!
  7. Use sturdy produce to produce results – Something like an orange or small winter squash that can withstand toddler abuse (to a degree) keeps their attention off the task at hand, eating, and on the cool food in front of them. As they explore the food, take each chance you get to feed them. Plus, you can teach them about the food they are playing with and/or throwing on the floor.
  8. Wait for a yawn – Okay, so this one is not highly recommended, but I admit to doing it before and it works. Use it as a last resort and only on very soft food or liquids so the don’t choke. As they yawn, just sneak that spoon in there!
  9. Screen time – Again, not the best option as we have yet to really introduce her to watching TV, but she loves looking at the screen on our computer or phone. On those days you just don’t feel like dealing with a fussy eater, pull out your phone, turn on the TV, or bust out the computer and play something kid-friendly on YouTube or the like. I feel guilty for admitting it, but this works and it’s just so hard to quit!
  10. Make good food – Duh, make sure the food you’re giving them tastes good. I am by no means saying give them sugary and/or fatty processed food, but don’t expect them to take to that kim-chi right away. My wife has told me simple is better when I cook her dinner, and that approach works well for both of my girls. That, and adding goat cheese seems to work. Please, just keep it healthy too. It’s vital to how your kid grows!

Hopefully you’ll find at least one of these helpful. You can combine a few to increase your food-to-mouth chances too. Let them have their own spoon with an orange to play with as you read a book out loud. Yeah, it doesn’t make for a glamorous meal, but it can be fun and hey, they eat! Sometimes….

Have you developed any tricks to get your little one to eat?

Which one of the above tips will you try first?

19 Memories From My 19th Month Since Going Dad

Ugh, it’s this time again already? Stop growing, Avery, not all of us want to get older! Plenty of memories being made daily in our home, and we’re loving every second of it!

Who am I kidding? That’s a quasi-lie, and I bet any parent knows what I mean. That poop in the morning that filled the entire diaper to where no white cloth was exposed? Yeah, we didn’t love that. Crying about something and we have no idea what for….nope, could do without that too.

Such is toddler-hood I suppose, so we’re making the most of it. I’ll cut right to the chase and get started with my list of memories this month, number 19….ay de mi! <—-Thank you, Spanish teacher in high school, for saying this 100 times/day.

1. Mommy and I have been waiting for you to actually get into books and sit all the way through as we read to you. Now, you’ll sit for not just one, but you’ll go and get another after we are done….and then another, and another, and well, we read to you a lot.

2. Your infatuation with lights has been around for a while, and now you’re a pro at turning them off and on too. Of course, the touch light in your room is the coolest because it requires no switches and you can reach it yourself.

3. Also, as seen in your video above, you no longer need us to read to you as you obviously know how to get into a good book by yourself.

4. At our neighbor’s, you decided to sit and play right in the water run-off where you had your first experience with a water gun. You weren’t sure what exactly to do with it, but really hated having to leave it there when we left. Don’t worry, we’ll be getting our own soon enough. 🙂

5. I think you dancing has come up in my previous memories posts, but you continue to amuse us with your expanding skills. Pecking like a chicken and spinning are some of your new moves. Must be from your mom. 😉

6. At another neighbor’s house, we stopped while walking one day and you kinda played catch with your peer, Tanner. His Daddy is a huge baseball fan and I expect you guys will play catch a lot more as you get older. You got a few good throws in too!

7. Since I have 19 of these things, I’m bringing up your dance moves again. While your motor skills have increased, your coordination still has some catching up to do. No worry, you take it all in “stride” quite well.

8. You have grown fond of having a spoon during meal times, but rarely ever use it to eat. Instead, Mommy and me still mostly feed you with our utensils, or you grab food right off of them. And of course, goat cheese is pretty much a daily thing we know you’ll eat.

9. We went to Nana and Papa’s house for a fun little cookout where you kept your cousins Taylor and Ashlee busy playing. You also brought back your demon face in full force which made it difficult to get a good pic with you and Nana.

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10. While there, you got to see your aunt Lindsay and even put away the demon for a real smile. I think she appreciated your kindness.

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11. This past month, we finally took down the baby prison play area in the living room which gave all of us more freedom and less obstacles to step over. It’s amazing how much bigger our home feels when not filled with gates.

12. With our new space, I thought it would be worth trying to make a couch fort just like I used to do as a kid. Turns out, I need to work on my fort building skills and she might need to be just a little bit older. Or destruction is just her way of saying “Your fort sucks, Dad!”.

13. As I said before, you love sitting down with us to read a book, and you walking backwards to sit down in my lap has become one of my favorite times. Instant stress relief!

14. Before the Texas heat hit us, I took advantage of the cooler weather for a few babywearing walks with you. It had been awhile since I last walked with you in our Onya, but to see you running up to me with a smile when I get it out is priceless. I will never forget these times, sweetie.

15. Now that the heat is here, so are the flies…inside our house. They have me swatting at the air constantly, and you’ve caught on. Now you will point at bug flying and say “fly” and then clap your hands just like I do when trying to kill the pests. You do this at dinner in your high chair and anywhere in or out of the house. It’s cute and hopefully you’ll be a great little helper soon.

16. Swimming has quickly turned into a fun activity for you and we’ve already gone more than last year alone. That’s not saying much, but I know we’ll be there a lot this summer, just throwing you in the air (maybe too high) and kicking your legs to make big splashes.

17. This month we celebrated getting rid of your baby bottles! You weren’t too keen about it the first day, but quickly caught on to the “big kid” leak-proof sippy cups. You made sure to savor every last sip of your last time to use the bottle though.

Milk Life, Feeding America, #MilkDrive

18. With the introduction of your new cups, I now have another person to make a daily green smoothie for. I wasn’t sure how you’d take to them when I gave a few sips, but you quickly signed for more and I knew it was time. Now you down one with Mommy at night and I save extra for you to have in the morning. I’m not sure, but I think they make you a little happy.

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19. And finally, to end this month’s list of memories, it’s apparent you are a growing girl. No longer is anything safe on our kitchen counter as you can reach up to the edges quite well. We have to be careful it’s nothing dangerous on the end, but it is sometimes nice when you can get your own drink. Not so much when you try to put it back and it spills though.

If it wasn’t for Instagram, I may not be able to remember these memories, hence why I have so many pictures from my account. I’ll have to keep the Insta-pics going for next month’s 20 or my old 31 year old brain will have trouble thinking on its own.

After 24 months, I will have to find a new way to capture my monthly memories, maybe with a top 3, but until then, I’ll be back next month on the 15th to share my top 20.

What memories do you have of your kids from the past month?