The one thing I have tried to do when it comes to Beanie is to just let things happen organically and not force anything. And I am happy to say that my nonchalant attitude is paying off.
Let me caveat that by saying that being the control freak that I am, it is VERY hard to just "let it be", but I keep seeing that things fall into place when the time is right.
Case in point: Beanie is now eating solids. If you recall she was eating baby food for the longest time, and while I was trying to get her to try solids as is the right thing to do, I figured she would do it when ready.
And guess what? She is ready....
She now eats pancakes, toast, pita brad, mac n cheese, pasta, broccoli, zucchini, peaches, pears, etc quite happily. Even mashed potatoes which I tried several times and she gagged, last Friday she ate it with both hands --could not eat it fast enough.
On Saturday, I gave Beanie her first taste of eggs. Knowing how paranoid I am, I had the phone by my side and a dose of Benadryl poured out in case of some adverse reaction. There was none, and Beanie enjoyed it. I only gave her a teaspoon the first day. But the next day she enjoyed scrambled egg and toast for breakfast.
That afternoon we went to G.ap to use my coupon and rewards dollars. We did fabulous and walked way with 9 items after paying $2.01! Yay!!!
We had so much fun in G.ap. I took my umbrella stroller out for the first time and as soon as we got to the store Beanie wanted to get out. Normally she wants to be held which is hard since she is getting really heavy now. But this time she decided to walk around the store.
Boy, did she walk?!!
She was like a loon! Scurryng around touching all the clothes on the hangers saying "I like that!", "I like that!"in her baby speak. It was so cute!!
Just a day before I was telling my Mom that Beanie was not showing interest in walking by herself when we were outdoors. Well, she proved us wrong! She walked all over the store, including the guys and women's section with
my Mom following her. Everyone was amused since there is nothing cuter than one year old's walking since the are so tiny!
She was so excited with her independence. Just thinking about it from her perspective -- for months she was this baby unable to walk or move and saw things that she could not touch or reach without help, and now she has this power within her. It is so magical and exciting. No wonder kids this age are just scurrying around!
It also made me realize that everything happens in its own time...
....just like she self weaned off her two naps a day to just one nap
...weaned off her night bottle
...and is now sleeping good chunks of hours through the night.
So the key here is just breathe and let it be....
It sounds like things are going to well! :-)
ReplyDeleteYes, it's hard not to compare what they are doing to what other kids are doing. Baby Girl was the same way...one day she was crawling and just cruising and the next day she was up and on her way everywhere. We are still trying to figure out how to get rid of the night and morning bottles as she is really not ready to give them up. I'm so glad that Beanie is setting her own pace. It is amazing how they figure things out on their own. And I wish I knew the secret to getting her to eat mashed potatoes. My Baby Girl puts them in her mouth and immediately spits them out! LOL
ReplyDeleteShe is growing up fast!
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing, isn't it? I've felt the same way, worrying that Seamus will never reach a certain milestone because he shows absolutely no inclination toward it and then one day it's like I've woken up to a totally new baby with a new set of skills. :)
ReplyDeleteVery wise...I wish I had learned this as soon as you did.
ReplyDeleteI am very much a "let it be" parent, too. It's working beautifully for us, too.
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