Sadie at 18 months

My little Sadie Jane somehow is 18 months old today. It is honestly hard to believe. In my mind's eye she is still my tiny sweet baby. Where did this big adorable girl come from?? Over the last month, especially, she has seemed to grow so much.

She doesn't say much yet, her only words are 'mama', 'da' (dad), and 'bah' (bye). But she very enthusiastically waves goodbye as she says it which is super cute. She does this to say goodnight too which is very endearing. She has tried to blow kisses but hasn't been too successful yet. Mostly just blowing air out of her mouth at this point. She also has a very firm but bouncy nod and head shake that she does to signify yes and no. I have failed miserably is teaching sign language this time around so all this girl knows is 'all done'. I got her to do 'more' and 'please' one day recently but she hasn't repeated those yet. The mental commitment to constantly use signs just wasn't there for me this time. Which is too bad. 

                           

She is getting ever more steady and fast in her running. That girl can get around fast. I really have to keep my eye on her when we are out. She is a good climber, but has developed a slight fear of going down slides recently, which is a phase I actually do remember the other girls going through. So it is nice when Abby is with us at the park because she will take Sadie down with her which Sadie does like. 

She loves stroller rides and does not care for being carried around in the Ergo. I think she likes the better view she can get sitting in her stroller. 

Sadie likes typical toddler things: balls, knocking down towers of blocks, pulling things from her sisters and running away, emptying things (tissue boxes, my wallet, diaper bag, or anything that can possibly be emptied). She loves to play in the sand and can happily sit and fill a sand bucket up for a long time. 

She loves brushing teeth and is frequently found carrying around pilfered toothbrushes in her mouth that she takes from the bathroom counter when certain sisters are careless about putting toothbrushes far enough back. She will also snatch a toothbrush out of Abby or Rua's mouth mid-brushing and run away with it. 

                                              

She loves to go outside and will excitedly run to find her shoes and bring them to me when she realizes it is time to go. She will also bring everyone else's shoes to them as well. Her helpfulness extends to throwing away her nighttime diaper in the morning (we cloth diaper during the day and she doesn't take care of those yet), and taking her clothes to the laundry hamper. She is also a very helpful cleaner if there is anything that needs to go inside of something. Because, of course, that becomes play for her and not necessarily cleaning, but I'll take it.

She has been a tough sleeper, much like her sisters were, but she is finally starting to improve. I night-weaned her a few months ago, but she still continued to wake up multiple times a night. I would simply need to go in and briefly pat her back and she'd be asleep but she just kept waking up. She is finally down to 1-2 times per night and they typically occur at the very end of the night, usually after 3 or 4am. I can't wait for a fully complete full nights sleep for me. Is that really too much to ask at 18 months old??!! But I remind myself that I didn't even start to night wean Rua until about this age so at least we are further along this time. 

Sadie has a big appetite but is more selective, I feel, than Abby or Rua. She is very stubborn about food she doesn't want and we have yet to break her of throwing unwanted food off her plate. Favorites include oatmeal, yogurt, melon, cheese, bread.

                                               

Sadie loves her sisters and gets so excited when they wake up in the morning. She always wakes up first, usually right at 6am and has to deal with a very tired mom for a while. But then she hears the bedroom door open and she squeals in delight and runs to greet whoever it is. Same for when Dad come home from work. He often comments that Sadie is the only one happy to see him, which is of course not true, she is just the most demonstrative.

But we all love and crave those Sadie loves and cuddles. She is so sweet and my heart is bursting with love for her. I can't imagine how we ever did not have her with us. 

Letter to Sadie - 10 months

Dearest Sadie,

I feel like I say this every month, but this has been a great month for you! Such a happy baby these days. 

                                                 

One big thing for you this month was figuring out how to pull yourself up on furniture. You are quite the pro at this now. It's fun to watch you stand at your sisters play table, which is a prefect height for you, like you are playing right along with them. You also like to stand when you are in bed and not wanting to be there. 

                                                

Bedtime, one thing we've been trying to work on. Like all my babies, you do not want to be put in the crib awake. But you are also to the point where you won't nurse and quickly fall asleep. And I don't want to be sitting and holding you forever each night. So I am trying to get you to go to sleep on your own. But I don't like to leave you crying so I am sitting next to your bed, rubbing your back. It's getting better but still takes a while some nights. We'll get there!

We moved you into your sisters' room finally. It is nice to have my room back in the evenings again! You usually (ok, always) end up in our room at some point during the night, but at least the beginning of the night is nice.

                          

You are a little babbler and it is so fun to hear you talk to yourself. And you eat up all the attention we give you.

You have gotten much better about letting other people hold you and also better about being set down while I do something. I have finally been able to get a full work out in at our weekly mom exercise group! This is all part of your calmer temperament. Thank you!

                                                 

You love to eat. Your favorite foods right now: watermelon, cheese, and really, most fruits. You have definitely developed your pincer grasp so cherrios are another fav too. You haven't been interested in water yet so need to work a little more on getting you trying a little in a cup.

                                                  

                                                  

                                       

But you love to play in water! Except the cold beach water that is. You just sit and splash splash splash!

                                                  

                                                  

Love you, my Sadie-girl!

Love always,

Your Mamma

Letter to Sadie - 9 months

Dearest Sadie

9 months! This feels like a big one - you've now been alive and growing as long as you were inside of me and growing. These last 9 months sure feel like they have gone a lot faster, and overall, have been much more enjoyable than those when I was pregnant with you.

                                          

Your biggest accomplishment this month? You are crawling!! You were getting close for a while, and then one day, you just did it. You crawled across the room. You sure love your newfound independence and I love to see you happy and exploring too. Until you start finding things and putting them into your mouth... 

                          

You are getting closer to pulling yourself up to stand. Not quite all the way there but getting close.

You have sure started exploring your surroundings more, of course with your crawling, but even aside from that. You are able to be happier on your own and look around and take things in. You enjoy your baths now. You love sitting and playing at the beach. (you get sooo incredibly sandy!) You can sit and play with toys for a little while. Its great.

                          

                                            

You enjoyed sitting in a swing at the playground for the first time. And that was maybe because Rua was sitting across from you. You thought that was pretty awesome.

                                               

Your hair is looking like it might turn out different that the blond of your sisters. Theirs had already turned blond by this point but your hair is still darker with what looks like maybe some reddish tint to it??!! Fingers crossed. I'd love to have one of you cuties look at least slightly like me!

Well my darling, I love you so much. I love the time I get to spend with you, getting to know you. You are such a sweetheart.

Love,

Your Mamma

  

Letter to Sadie, 8 months

Dearest Sadie,

What a great month you have had! My happy baby really has emerged and I love it. You are so calm and happy and playful. So are so curious about the world that has opened up to your with your increased mobility. Toys, sand and the beach, grass...anything within your reach that you can grab and or put in your mouth. Your sitting has gotten so stable this month and you are oh so close to crawling! You can go from sitting to hands and knees and back to sitting. 

On other big change is that all of a sudden you like water! It was seriously overnight. One day you were screaming as we gave you your bath and the next you were splashing and playing!! So you love bath time now which is sooo nice. Your sisters like to squeeze in there with you now.

You broke your first tooth this month as well. It is just starting to come through, on your bottom gum. I haven't caught a glimpse of it yet because you sure don't like me poking around in there but Abby says she has seen it. And I have sure felt it with my finger.

You love to watch your sisters play and laugh and laugh at them. Here is a video of you laughing as Abby slides down the slide at the park, over and over and over. 

Things have been going so well that I even broke out the cloth diaper stash which has been in boxes since Rua was 9 months old. Dad thinks I'm crazy but I've been missing doing cloth and I feel in such a better place mentally and emotionally to handle to it again. So I think it is a really positive indicator for how much better things are going.

As always, sweet Sadie, I love you so much. 

Love, 

Your Mamma

Letter to Sadie - 7 months

April 24, 2017

Dearest Sadie,

You are 7 months old my little girl! It has been a big month for you. The most exciting accomplishment is that you are sitting up!! I have been eagerly anticipating this milestone and it is so nice to be able to set you down on your own with some toys for a few minutes. You are much happier with the world from this new viewpoint and that makes me happier too. And my arms are a little less tired.

This month you also got your first taste of food. We started about 6 1/2 months offering you food. The first were bananas and sweet potato. You have not seemed interested at all. This surprised me since you are always putting toys and things into your mouth, but food? Nope, hardly at all. You could care less at this point. We are following the Baby Led Weaning method where we offer you soft finger foods and let you feed yourself so we'll see how long it is before you actually want to try the feeding yourself part.

Your sleep has slightly improved. The nights aren't as awful as last month, but you still wake up several times every night. The doctor told me that you aren't teething yet so we either need to let you cry or just live with it. I guess we'll be living with it for now. You go back to sleep much quicker each time which is good, helps me to feel like less of a zombie during the day. Your naps are pretty regular now. Two naps a day, occasionally three if the second is short. This has made planning our days much easier. I especially like that I can plan a workout for during the first one which helps me get through the rest of our day much easier.

                                 

You have started babbling more, making lots of cute noises. We are seeing more smiles and hearing more laughs as well. Life is just getting so much happier for you. 

                          

                          

Your sisters adore you as always. We adore you too. 

Love your Mamma

Letter to Sadie - 6 months

Dearest Sadie,

6 months old! That’s half a year! How is it that you’ve been with us that long. You still seem to me to be my little newborn but in reality you are getting so big and learning so much. This has been a good month, definitely your happiest so far. We finally got you laughing more which is great! Abby can really get you going and she loves how you laugh at her.

And those sisters. They sure love you.

And sometimes, they smother you.

You are starting to make other noises. Your new favorite is to blow bubbles with your lips. You do this constantly.

You are more interested in your toys and will hold them for a little bit before letting go and throwing them down. You especially like this fabric taggy ball that you can get your fingers into on the ribbon tags. And everything goes in your mouth, and you want to chew on it all.

You definitely seem to be teething but no signs of any teeth yet.

Your day time sleep is getting more regular with 2 or 3 naps every day, with the times more consistent. Which is so nice for trying to plan things. But then you decide to completely throw off your nighttime sleep this last week which has affected this nice schedule we had going.

Those nights though. Oh dear, you’ve exhausted your mom. The last several nights you have been waking up repeatedly all night long, some nights it’s been hourly. Before this awful change you had already increased your waking from one long stretch (usually 6 hours) and then 2-3 more times each night, to every two hours. Nighttime sleep has sure gotten harder.

You don’t seem to be too close to sitting up on your own yet, but hopefully we’ll be seeing that in the next month. You still love standing up on our legs holding our hands.

You absolutely prefer to be held all the time. You don’t really care for being in the wrap or ergo carrier unless you are tired and ready for a nap. I often end up with the ergo hanging down around my waist and you on my hip in my arms.

Overall, it's sure starting to get fun with you! This is one of my favorite ages so I'm looking forward to the next few months. Love you my girl!

Love,
Your Mamma

And some more cute Sadie faces

Letter to Sadie, 5 months

(Didn't get a great picture this time, forgot to take one until right before bed and you weren't feeling too happy by that point!)

Dearest Sadie,

You've definitely been a much happier baby this month which has made everything better. Lots more smiles and finally some laughs! You are especially happy when we first go to get you after you wake up. You also seem more interested by your sisters and will smile and laugh at them. They love this. They also still love to hold you and play with you on the floor. I usually have to restrain them a little because their loving can be a bit smothering.

You are getting better at rolling, both from back to tummy and tummy to back. You like to stretch your legs and stand up on our laps. You still much prefer always to be held but you are tolerating a little bit more floor time. I was able to put you down on your blanket for maybe 5 minutes during class at church before you got fussy and that was just amazing! But you still mostly want to be held. We have a exercise group we do once a week with some other moms and all the other babies sit so calmly in their strollers or car seats but you, my dear little one, unless I am lucky to get you asleep and down in your car seat, there is no way that you will sit by yourself that long. Still, every week we try.

Speaking of car seats, you still hate yours. Short drives have gotten better, a portion of the time you stay relatively calm with your pacifier and sometimes you  don't even need it! But mostly you still cry. Abby has the job to 'help Sadie' but she usually gives up after a few minutes.

You are more vocal these days, lots of gurgles and coos. Lots of bubble blowing and 'spitting' as Dad calls it.

You got sick this month, with bronchiolitis, which was definitely rough. We had a Friday evening trip to urgent care for both you and Rua for breathing problems.

Sleep has gotten better and worse. You are more predictable in your naps during the day and staying awake for longer intervals, closer to two hours at a time. But wakings at night have increased to about every two hours. Gone is your 5-6 hour stretch. Which does not help in getting your mamma more rested.

This has been a good month Sadie! I love you so much and am grateful to call you mine.

Love, Your Mamma