Look out--it's toddler time!!!

Well, it has been a while since we've posted much of anything, so we thought we'd post some of Lindy's latest pictures and provide an update. I know she's growing and am sure her looks are changing, but since I am with her all day, I don't notice it as much as others probably do. One thing I know for sure is that we DEFINITELY have a toddler in the house.

Two weeks ago I noticed signs of toddlerhood fast approaching, and then last Monday it seemed like it hit all at once!!!

The first sign was concerning...EATING & DRINKING. Lindy, aka the human garbage disposal, started rejecting the baby food we previously couldn't feed to her fast enough. Apparently she prefers table food like pork tenderloin, feta cheese, and Greek olives over pureed peas and creamed spinach. Go figure??!!! So, now my challenge is to creatively present new HEALTHY foods to her and dice them up in small enough pieces for her to swallow, but big enough for her to pick up, because it seems like she wants to have more of a hand in the process. I am learning I am a bit of a control freak. I don't want to give her free reign of feeding herself because I can't stand the mess. It seems like there is going to need to be some compromise here. Concerning drinking, she can now drink from a sippy cup and she has started drinking milk instead of formula. I can't bear to give up the bottle yet in the morning or before bedtime because it is such a sweet time when she really still seems like a baby. I PROMISE I won't let it go forever.

Let's see another sign of toddlerhood...MOBILITY. Since we've been home, Lindy has demonstrated signs of frustration over lack of mobility. Yet, she didn't really seem interested in crawling. While I had seen Lindy successfully pull herself up on the couch a few weeks ago, she still seemed to struggle with it until about two weeks ago. All of a sudden it seemed like she could pull herself up with little to no effort almost everywhere. Then one day I walk in to get her from her nap to find her standing in her crib. WHAT??? Where's the baby who reaches up for me and smiles when I come in to get her??? Then the next day I went in to get her and she was sitting, which means she got herself into the sitting position. She also gave in to her stubborness and started crawling. I don't think walking will be far behind. Today when I put her down for a nap she wasn't too happy about it. I heard a thud and then a cry that sounded like a hurt cry. Then I heard some kicking, so I figured she probably had kicked kind of hard. I opened her door slightly but the cry had already stopped, so I didn't go in to look at her because I didn't want her to get mad. So, I closed the door. Then I heard some more kicking. I left to go to the grocery store and when I got home 45 minutes later, Don was making up her crib, which was now on the lowest rung. He, too, heard some kicking--AGAINST THE DOOR OF HER ROOM. I guess the thud must have been her flipping herself out of her crib. Do we have a future gymnast on our hands?

Lindy's keeping us on our toes and we are having lots of fun. She is exploring like crazy, curious about everything, and quite the social butterfly. She kisses, hugs and pats us on the back, says a few words, and makes funny faces. She is teaching us patience and that not everything will go as planned--and that's okay. Above all, she's teaching us more about love.

If you're still reading, thanks for indulging us! You've been a great audience. :o)

Until next time...

Love,
Don, Lisa, & Lindy