Tag Archives: Toddler Milestone

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

 

Mommy Memories of Memorable Moments Mondays: How My Little Girl Has Grown!

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Quinn at One Week
Quinn at Five Months
Quinn at Two and a Half Years Old

Though I have only been a mother for a little over two and a half years, I can confirm that the rumors are true: the time from infancy through toddlerhood (and probably beyond) really does fly by. If you’re not a picture taker, I’d urge you to become one because even as a person who has a fairly sharp memory, short term and long term, I find that some moments I consider to be memorable (Who and I kidding…all of them are to me!) are not only fleeting but blurring together.

Every once and a while, my little girl will do something that conjures up one of those memorable moments. One in particular is when she squeezes her 39 inch long body into her infant to toddler rocker and will insist on keeping the pull toys on which make it even more difficult for her to fit. “I love this chair,” she exclaims. I then can’t help but think about when she was just a week old relaxing in her infant seat and how excited I was when she started reaching out for the toys in front of her and spinning them around a few months later. It was our “go-to” chair when I was grading papers, and Quinn wanted to be nearby but not necessarily held.

Of course, I love watching my little girl grow in a multitude of ways, but I also love just reminiscing and thinking about how much she has grown and how much we have grown together as mother and daughter.

All the best,

Tanya

One, Two, Three: Red Light! Green Light! Teaching My Toddler Traffic Rules

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Quinn Excited to Take Her Car for a Drive

Quinn Excited to Take Her Car for a Drive

 “Mommy, the light’s green. We go!” is what my two year old daughter excitedly informs me of as we patiently wait  at the crosswalk to continue on with our morning stroller jog. I’m amazed at how she has made the association with green meaning go and red meaning stop a few months ago, shortly before her second birthday. I started taking Quinn on stroller jogs and brisk walks when she was a little under a month old, and there is a phrase I say whenever we get to an intersection and are about to cross the street, “Look both ways, and listen for cars before we cross the street.” If we are walking down the street, I will utter the same phrase in hopes that she will retain it as she gets older and follows it when she is not in my presence.

Now that she’s getting older and bolder and willing to take even more risks, it pleases me to know that she does comprehend the importance of following some traffic rules as a pedestrian. Though I must occasionally admonish her for sneaking down the steps or scurrying up the street after I asked her to wait, I cannot help but smile when she says, “Look both ways Mommy!” “We wait. The light’s red,” or ” I hold mommy’s hand. Now, we cross the street.” For me, this is a perfect example of how children model the behaviors of adults, so I must be extra vigilant in following the traffic rules myself. Presently, Quinn’s car seat is still rear-facing, but I have a feeling that I will have a back seat driver really soon letting me know when the light is green yelling out, “The light’s green! We go now Mommy!”

All the best,

Tanya

Let’s Keep it 100 Baby Girl!

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Tanya and QuinnThere are so many associations with the number 100. It is the basis of percentages, the boiling point on the Celsius scale and the perfect score on an assignment. It also represents how many weeks my daughter has been on this earth. Being her mother has been a wonderful journey and experience, and I only hope that her 100 weeks has been a wonderful  journey for her as well. What intrigues me is that in 100 weeks she has grown, learned and mastered a series of skills that some people may not grasp in a lifetime, and for this I am grateful. Though I do occasionally find myself reaching a “boiling point” as Quinn pushes the envelope, tests the limits to see what she is capable of doing (she loves jumping off the last step on the stair case) or can get away with by saying, sometimes yelling, “no” or throwing a tantrum now and then, which have become more frequent in the past month, I love how passionate she is and admire her ability to give 100 percent at whatever she is doing, even when she’s crying and refusing to let me do her hair or refusing to eat her vegetables. Of course, my little girl is not perfect, but she is perfect for me. Within these past 100 weeks, I have grown immensely through my experiences with Quinn and thank her for helping me keep it 100!

All the best,

Tanya