Tag Archives: Preschooler Milestone

Along for the Ride: Another Milestone Boost for My Little Girl!

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“It’s perfect!” my daughter says as she smiles sitting with her elbows on the armrests of her new booster car seat. Just a couple of years ago, we had to replace her first car seat as her legs grew longer, and about a month ago, we found ourselves in the same position again as we struggled to snap the three point harness on Quinn’s car seat. Being in the 95th percentile for her height, my four year old is reaching certain milestones ahead of schedule and refuses to slow down. She was so excited to get her booster seat and asked, “Can I be in charge of unbuckling myself when we get to our destination, Mommy?” I told her, “Sure, you can.”

As much as I love seeing her grow and know it is imminent, there are times when I feel like we’re in the fast lane, and I’m just along for the ride asking her to slow down just a little. I want to enjoy the sights and sounds along the way. I want to take in the scenery and commit it to memory. Yes, at the end of the day, it may just be a booster seat, but it represents change, growth and time, and while I am certainly not the driver at all times, I am grateful to be a passenger in the vehicle of my daughter’s life.

All the best,

Tanya

Mommy’s Monday Moments: Growth Off the Charts for My Little Girl

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“How tall am I now, Mommy?” my daughter inquired. Even though we measure Quinn occasionally throughout the year, as part of her birthday, we write it down on her chart so that she can see how much she’s grown, so a couple of weeks ago when she turned four, she was excited to get measured. “So I was 30 inches when I was one, and now I’m 43 inches tall at four?” she asked. “That’s correct, Quinn,” I informed her.

She was so impressed with how much she’s grown and even asked, “How come I didn’t grow as much from when I was three like I did when I was two or one?” Interestingly, in the past year I’ve observed her grow in her ability to articulate how she’s feeling and what she wants, to ask questions and get the answers she’s looking for and just an overall increase in her cognitive development. Actually, her doctor said she’s the height of the average five and a half year old.

As Quinn, her dad and I  saw how much she’s grown just by looking at the lines on the height chart, I think were all amazed at how far she is come and are excited to see how much she will continue to grow. My baby is growing up so much in such a short period of time. It’s moments like these when I utter that cliché phrase, “Where did the time go?”

All the best,

Tanya

The Metamorphosis of My Little Girl: From Baby to Toddler and Now Preschooler

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2017-01-29-16-44-56Who hasn’t heard the phrase, “Change can happen in an instant” or some variation of this statement? This is definitely true when I observe my little girl who will be four in three short months. A couple of weeks ago, she got her face painted as a butterfly at her cousin’s birthday party, and I thought to myself, “Wow, mommy’s little caterpillar is becoming a beautiful butterfly!” She’s grown so much in such a short duration of time, and I absolutely treasure the moments we have together and the opportunity to watch her spread her wings.

It’s somewhat bittersweet because as much as I look forward to the day when she’s able to fly with little to no assistance from me, I’m going to miss her wanting me to help her and guide her on her many destinations. But I am absolutely blessed to be able to observe her beautiful metamorphosis from newborn to baby to toddler and now preschooler. Here’s to the many more beautiful transitions she has yet to experience…well that we have yet to experience.

All the best,

Tanya

 

Food for Thought: Thank You for Trying Something New, Little Girl!

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2017-01-23 17.39.10.jpg“No thank you!” is usually the response I get when I offer my three old food she’s never had before or  just believes is yucky, which is just about everything. With her being in preschool for the past four months, it’s been a struggle to find a lunch she will eagerly eat. Almost always, her lunch box comes back with half eaten or barely touched meals. I often remind her about how just a year and a half ago she was open to eating all kinds of foods, but as her independence and voice has increased, her willingness to try new foods has diminished. While I know this is the plight of many parents, I think my daughter just might be changing her tune when it comes to trying new foods.

This Saturday, we had a dinner date with my sister and niece and ordered some wings as an appetizer. Initially, Quinn had no interest in trying the food and even handed me her little saucer and said, “No thank you, Mommy. I don’t want any.” Since I know she is a finicky eater, I did not plead with her to try one. But then, on her own, she said, “Mommy, I want to try a piece of celery!” I was astonished and responded with a smile on my face, “Sure, you can try a piece.” As I suspected, she didn’t like it so much, but I was proud that she took a bite. Then shortly thereafter she asked to try a piece of the carrot and said she liked it. We all were surprised.

Figuring that this was an anomaly but not wanting to let this newfound interest in trying new foods go to waste, I prepared salmon for dinner today, and I am proud to report that she actually ate it and said she liked it. I know it took me years to try new foods, all the way up to adulthood, so I’m hoping to break that cycle with my daughter and continue to introduce her to healthy and yummy foods.

All the best,

Tanya