15 months

Here I am, finally getting around to the 15 month update, just in time for 16 months next week.  Life is busy, I guess.  But it is good.

Malaikah is a delight.  As she gets older, her personality is beginning to come out -- strong willed and independent for sure -- and she is just so fun to be with.  I really love watching her move from thing to thing throughout the day.  She was given a rocking musical lamb for her birthday in September and she LOVES it.  In the last month or so she has really figured it out: climbing on, rocking, and playing the music.  She spends a lot of each day there.  She seems brave, rocking furiously, standing up on the back, etc.  She continues to love books, her various toys, climbing stairs, and Kyalo.  In the last couple of months she has really loved brushing teeth, and if she sees one of us brushing ours, will run to the bathroom pointing to the shelf where the toothbrushes are.  I can often convince her to do things if I promise she can brush her teeth. (Not above bribery).  A new development this month is that she throws things all the time.  Especially from the top of the stairs.  I'm hoping that by summer we can train her to be Kyalo's personal pitcher.

We had a doctor's appointment earlier this month, the first since her 12 month.  She's doing well. Her doctor was very pleased.  She's growing, healthy, walking, etc.  With the exception of having zero words, is right on track.  I'm guessing she's going to be like Kyalo - one day just break out in full paragraphs. Even though she has no words, it is evident that she completely understands us.  We can ask her 'where is your water?' and off she'll trot to find it. Or, we'll ask her to bring us something, and she will.  So fun!

28 1/2 inches tall (roughly third percentile.  She'll be small but mighty!)

21 pounds 12 ounces - don't know the percentage, but she did gain a pound and a half in 3 months!  

A week before the doctor's appointment, Dexter noticed that two upper molars were coming in.  At the appointment, I noticed the two bottom molars were coming it.  It was such a surprise - she had no behavior change, no extra drooling, etc.  I guess she's tough!  She has about 12 or so teeth now which is still surprising to me.

Malaikah is a champion sleeper - bedtime is about 6:30 every night, and that's a dream.  I'm going to do my best to keep it at that until she leaves for college.  She might wake once to nurse (we're down to just before bed, and maybe once in the night) but then will sleep until 6:30 or 7.  12 hours?  Yes, I'll take it.  She seems to be giving up the morning nap, so we're still in that tricky transition time of figuring out the best time for one nap.  But she will usually sleep 1 1/2 -2 hours which is also pretty great.  

2015 was a great year for both Malaikah and Kyalo (I can't believe how much he seems to have grown up this year!) and can only hope and pray that 2016 is just as good, or better.

Happy New Year!

14 months

Last week Malaikah turned 14 months.  She is a full time walker now and I love watching her plod around the house, arms raised up for balance.  She has short little legs and a big round belly so it is really quite comical.  Another tooth popped in, and I'm happy to report that it didn't seem to bother her too much.  Still no words, just a lot of grunting and pointing.  She does understand me, though, so I know she's learning things.  It can be hard not having her speak, but I actually don't mind it too much.

There's our smile-y girl on the 14 month day.  She actually sat still enough for me to grab a quick photo.  A miracle!

Here's what we've been up to:

A trip to a nearby park and bike path last month allowed us to get outside and enjoy a beautiful fall day. Malaikah was able to swing for the first time in a long time and LOVED it.  After I took her out of it she walked back to it and sat under it.  Living in hope. That yellow vest was Kyalo's (and a hand-me-down from a friend) and one of my favorite things he wore.  Do you remember THIS?  That is still probably one of my all-time favorite days.  Kyalo and a stick!  He still loves them.  Anyway, it is fun to see her in something that he wore.

This year we kind of got into Halloween.  It helps to have costumes to borrow, or handed down.  And fun for Kyalo and Dexter to carve a Storm Trooper pumpkin.  Kyalo picked it out (he's totally obsessed with Star Wars right now since so many of his friends are) and was quite pleased with how it all turned out.

The day before Halloween someone asked Kyalo what he was going to be.  He told her, 'a Tyrannosaurus  Rex with really sharp teeth.'  I haven't the slightest idea where he came up with that, and had no plans on how to make it happen. Until that moment I didn't think he would even do a costume!  Thankfully a friend had a costume of her son's that she lent and Kyalo was thrilled.

loved it so much that he even wore it for breakfast the next day

 Oscar the Owl (they share a birthday!) and Malaikah at a little town Halloween event.

Storm Trooper ready to go

 all finished!

checking out his handiwork

I loved seeing Malaikah in that butterfly costume.  Wonder what we'll do next year!

Malaikah loves to read, and will often look at books a long time pointing at pictures. Lately she's started bringing me books to read and will sit in my lap kicking her legs and grinning. The other day I said, "let's go to your room and read X book" when we went into her room she grabbed that book.  I just re-read Kyalo's 14 month post and that's what he did around 14 months.  Fun!

books are always strewn about the house

She still loves to eat, but I'm seeing that she really favors carbs: bread, crackers, potato, pasta, cereal. Give her a vegetable and it ends up on the floor.  We're working on that.  She knows where the crackers are kept and is not shy about letting it be known when she wants one.

I've started a little mom's group for some friends from church.  We all have little babies so we have a lot to talk about.  Here they all are at a recent Story Time at Library.  Please note, Malaikah who is the biggest is the one sitting in the Bumbo.  She loves it!

Zadie, Malaikah, Greyson, Weston

pals

And she still absolutely adores Kyalo.  He makes her laugh like no other.  We're in a trickier phase right now because she's mobile and can get to his toys/things and destroy them so it isn't always smooth sailing.  Sharing is hard work!  But when they play well together it is the sweetest thing.  He loves nothing more than to make her laugh.

He's recently learned how to hop, I guess, and does it all the time now.  I love watching her, at the end, trying to do it too.  In time sweet girl, in time.

She still nurses a couple of times a day.  It is strange that it isn't around the clock like it was with Kyalo, but I don't mind.  I'm glad for the times she still does, and I love when she snuggles in with me after...otherwise, she's too busy exploring to bother snuggling.  

I can't wait to see what the next month brings.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

13 months

This month went by so quickly that on the 10th it wasn't until I was in bed, and the day was done, that it even occurred to me that Malaikah was now the grand age of 13 months.

It has been a good, busy month.  The weather has been spectacular so we've been getting out a lot. Kyalo's in school three days a week, and we're getting into a good routine of life.

Malaikah continues to be an easy, and easy-going baby.  She eats like a champ, sleeps well -- although lately the morning nap is hit or miss -- loves music and dancing, loves to brush her teeth, and is constantly on the move, climbing, crawling, and now even walking all over the place.

She is so much on the move that these 13 month pics were pretty hard to get.

I love seeing her curled up like this - and with her thumb in her mouth.  precious.

So the biggest milestone of this month is that she went from standing independently, to taking a few steps, to actually walking.  Technically the full walking started after turning 13 months, but just by a few days.  

first steps!

a walk in the park

10.14.2015

and life is changed forever

On the 10th we were on the coast doing a small hike.  I'll talk more about that later, but I wanted to share a couple of pictures from that day.

first time having Kyalo hold Malaikah for a picture.  #fail

Camden Hills 10.10.2015

her face!

Aside from trying to enjoy the fall weather we've just been doing life as usual. . . 

 enjoying time in the yard with all the balls

 impromptu drum session

enjoying chili

she climbed up the chair and then onto the arm there. If the chair was a little closer she might have made it to the top of the table!  Help me.

I much prefer her to climb into the chair to look at books.

this musical rocking lamb was a birthday gift from the Kims and Malaikah LOVES it.  She can climb onto it, and will spend a lot of time chatting with it, playing the music and dancing:

girl's got moves!

And another video of her dancing...this time to the YMCA video.

One big change in the last month or so is how little she actually nurses.  It isn't too surprising given how much she loves food, but it is surprising considering I was nursing Kyalo constantly until he was two!  She really just nurses once in the middle of the night, and then first thing when she wakes up.  A good day might have one or two other very quick sessions, but that's pretty rare.  This actually makes me kind of sad.  I hope we can keep this up until she turns two, but I just don't know...

Like Kyalo, though, she doesn't have any words yet. (He didn't have words till about 18 months)  I *think* she says Mama, but it isn't ever very consistent.  She does wave, and blow kisses before bed, and seems to understand everything.  I'm not too worried. . .yet.

All in all, life is good.

twelve months

When I was pregnant with Malaikah, my mom told me how she felt like I had had 'a perfect first year' of life.  My brother was in preschool a couple days each week, and things just went along swimmingly for me.  Of course, I said to her, if I had a perfect first year it was all down hill from there!  With the exception of a 24-hour bug in August (her first fever! :/ ) I would say that Malaikah, too, had a perfect first year.  I hope that her years only improve!

This month saw quite a few developments:  two more teeth peeked through (total of six!), she started climbing stairs, and even a little chair in her room, at 12 months she was standing for 4-5 seconds unassisted - and now she's working VERY hard on walking but just can't quite execute it.   Malaikah continues to eat everything around her - this Quinoa Black Bean Mango Salad was a big hit (!?), corn, watermelon, apples, grapes, whatever.  I love it because it means if we go out/to a friend's house, I'm confident she'll eat something.  It also means I have to have snacks on hand always. When I open the fridge or cabinet door, she'll start scooting around, clapping, and screaming.  Basically, give this girl food allllllll the time.  She's not nursing all that much any more. It felt like Kyalo was nursing 24/7 for two years, so this is a welcome relief, but at the same time, is a little bitter sweet.  I miss the snuggle times with her!  I do hope to continue nursing as long as possible - it is special and helps to keep her healthy.

Other things: L O V E S to brush her teeth, loves reading, has started 'dancing' to music.  Has no discernible words yet. No 'Mama' or 'Dada' or 'Papa'.  Mostly she just points to everything and says something that sounds sort of like 'issh'  She does have a lot of grunting and general gesturing so I can sort of figure out what she's trying to say.

On her birthday I *had* to get a few more pictures - this time in a Kenya T-Shirt.  

future ballerina?

happy - and drool-y

At her 12-month doctor's visit she was weighed and measured and poked and prodded.  Three shots and a finger prick seemed a little excessive, but she handled it reasonably well.  

27 3/4 inches tall {7.75 percentile}

20 lbs 6 oz {60th percentile - let's be honest, we all thought she'd have gained more weight, given the amount she eats!}

People continually comment about how easy going or content she seems.  She is definitely a happy baby.  Kyalo & Papa are her favorite people.  

her happy spot

foraging

I'm not sure where most of the Cheerios end up - her tummy or the floor

At 45 seconds this video is a little long, but I love her determination here.

It has really been a wonderful year.  I love how every day seems to bring new changes and developments.  I really think she'll be walking soon - and then life will really change!  Here's hoping the second year is just as good as the first!  

a birthday celebration

On Thursday, Malaikah turned one.  Since Dexter has Wednesdays off, my parents and Judy & Neil from Owls Head came up for a small birthday celebration.  I'm no party planner, so we just had a little BBQ in the backyard.  It was fairly low-key and simple -- and even still, exhausting :) -- but it was just right to make the day feel special for everyone.

The party didn't get started until mid afternoon, and Malaikah was a little unsure of things when she woke up from her nap.

Brace yourself for a lot of pictures!

that scowl!  She did, eventually, warm up.

A friend of mine has a son who was born on the same day as Malaikah (so, they're obviously betrothed), and I shamelessly stole her creative birthday picture ideas.  They got a bunch of balloons and went to a big field with letters that spelled O N E.  Instead of a field, though, we just did our back yard.  Nothing makes you want to spruce up your backyard more than seeing it in pictures, that's for sure!  

At first, she wasn't so sure about the balloons. I think they even frightened her a bit.  She did warm up to them. And now, whenever she sees them she smiles and laughs.  

 the weeds, falling down saw horses, and the cinder block really add an element of charm to the pic ;)

best picture of the day!

we couldn't convince Kyalo to join us

Pictures over, it was time to move onto dessert.  I made a chocolate zucchini cupcake recipe (using dark cocoa and coconut oil) to serve as the 'smash cake' idea.  We stripped her down, threw her in her high chair, gave a pathetic rendering of 'Happy Birthday' and then let her have the cupcake.  She just looked at it for a bit, wondering what she was supposed to do.  Dexter had to help her by dabbing her finger in the frosting and putting it in her mouth.  After that, it didn't take much encouragement.

victory!!!

There will be another, usual, monthly post coming up, but I wanted to get these pictures up before too much time slipped away.  It was a great day, filled with love and laughter.  We look forward to the year -- and all the changes -- ahead!