TODDLER!

We have officially entered toddlerdom, where mealtime is a battle, independence is constantly being exerted and authority is challenged. FUN! Really, though, it is. Newborn babies and infants are cool and all, but toddlers are where it's at, I'm convinced. Obviously, I wish squish would stay small and YES, I love breastfeeding and I miss the days of wrapping her up in a blankie and letting her sleep in my arms. Those days are over. hah! We recently made the trek out to Vancouver and Victoria to visit family and friends and in the absence of Autumn's crib,  I was reminded of our entry into toddlerdom. Going to bed with mom is fun and a luxury for the squish (who got the boot out of our room around 6 months) so obviously, going to sleep is not an option when we can play peek-a-boo, jump on the mattress, whisper in mommy's ear, sing songs, etc. She makes it difficult to be firm, but I feel like this is the toddler m.o...They're so darn cute, they can get away with it. But it's important to be firm, reel them in when you can and do your best to not let them walk all over you. To be fair though, bed time has its own set of challenges in our own house. I've really cut down on nursing and Autumn is not impressed. Our new bedtime routine doesn't have a nursing session at all and she can get a bit moany when she notices. Last night, she called my name for 30 minutes after I put her to bed. It's heartbreaking but this is where I have to remind myself of the toddler m.o. and stay strong...AGH!

Mealtime is where I really have to exercise self control. Thanks yoga, for teaching me how to breathe. Food gets thrown, food is refused. I have to remind myself that she won't let herself starve and she'll eat when she's hungry. Both Teddy and my mom have said that she's displaying very typical toddler behaviour and will start to eat like herself again the next time she has a little growth spurt. I was relieved to hear from my pal Cait that she struggles with the same stuff at meal time and was happy to hear that I'm not the only mom out there who wants to shriek when my child refuses to eat. Normal, normal, normal. It's funny how we strive to be different and yet normalcy/uniformity in our babies is what really makes us happy and feel confident. haha ;)

The highlights of having a toddler are these:

1. Squish is putting together sentences: "more raisins please, mommy" came to me from the living room the other day while I was tidying up the kitchen. I didn't even know she could say "raisins". WHO KNEW?!

2. She wants to help with EVERYTHING. "HAUTUMN HOLP!" I've been giving her little tasks like: wipe the table for as long as you can or stir this little bowl of puffed millet until mommy is done the dishes or I think your bath toys need to be washed, let's pop those guys in the sink...She loves to think she's helping. Little doll.

3. She's super into crafting like her mama. She wants to colour, paint, mould and put stickers on everything. I love seeing her creative little self come out. So cool.

4. She knows everything. I'm sure this will be really irritating when she becomes a teenager but right now it's awesome. She's constantly identifying everything she knows. She's got shapes down, pretty much...She even knows "star" and "moon" but we're working on colours. Currently, everything is blue. Oh, and there are two of everything. 

5. She is starting to express love. She wants to hug, and snuggle and she signs "I love you". She gets sad when her daddy goes to work and insists on standing at the window yelling "BYYYYYYEEEEEEE" until the car is out of her sight. <3

There are a million more reasons, but I can hear her awake in her room so I should post some pictures and sign off.

Love, mama squirrel xo