Hadley passed her milk challenge! So many exciting things have happened since my last post. She officially was on whole milk June 23rd. That was a busy weekend. Saturday afternoon we had Great grandpa Cox's 80th birthday party where she walked to us. That started a couple days before, but she was getting further and more confident in her steps. She still isn't walking full time, but is definately getting steadier. Good thing, she's gotta be a pro by December when she is a flower girl. We kept joking that she was going to be pulled down the aisle in a wagon.
That night we had her cousin Drew's first birthday party. Technically she was to be on all milk for a week before introducing foods, but Jayne gave me the go ahead. Either she didn't think Hadley would eat it at all with her table feeding history, or knew it wouldn't amount to much because of her table food history. haha. There she actually tried some cake. We've had an uphill battle with table food. Really all she prefers is crackers and graham crackers-foods with a "crunch". I was skeptical but hopeful when we put the cake in front of her. It had been a long day and she was getting cranky. I gave her a spoon and she dipped in the the frosting and..brought it to her mouth. She then said "mmhhh". I burst in to tears. She hadn't had cake for her birthday even though I made a special cake. Any time you tried to give her table foods she would have horrible tantrums or throw it to the floor. It was such a mixture of emotions when she brought that spoon to her mouth. The exhiliration was short lived....
Not much later we were on the floor (a concrete floor) and she got mad at the party hat when I tried to hand it back to her. By this time it was after 8pm, and bed time is normally 7:30pm. She flung her hand and proceeded to throw herself down in a fit. Then came the howling. I picked her up and then noticed she had a black and blue bump, or hematoba starting. We decided to take her to Bergan's Pediatric Express. There we found out her head was fine, but she had a DOUBLE ear infection! No wonder she was crabby. She'd had a cold for several days, but really no other signs. No fever, eating well, no pulling at the ears. Since then she's had a permanent bruise because whenever she has a tantrum she throws herself down the same side every time. Funny thing is, we were at the doctor's office last week and before she had a full blown toddler tantrum she "tested" the floor with her head a couple times before fully flailing herself about.
Hadley is very independent! She prefers to walk with assistance rather than being carried so I allot extra time in the morning for walking to the van, to the daycare door, etc. She always has to be "on the go". I swear the only time she sits is when she is eating or sleeping. I've discovered when giving her table food she likes to bite off things rather than have them diced or chopped. It seems like she skipped the mashed/diced stage. Once we figured that out things have gotten better. She really likes bananas, but doesn't like touching them so she eats off mine, we feed large slices to her, or funniest of all she tries to bite them while they are on her tray. Almost like bobbing for apples. Within the last couple of days she no longer wants to eat in her high chair, so its on to the booster. She was eating snacks and breakfast at the kids' table and lunch in her high chair, but now wants to be at the table full time. About the time we started the milk challenge she tried some shredded lettuce from out enchiladas and even ate a couple green beans. In the last week she has tried chicken (not a fan yet), rice, pretzels, vanilla wafers, macarroni and cheese, tator totts, french fries, cereals.
In keeping with her independence, she likes to swing. Only, it has to be the big kids swing! She wants nothing to with a baby swing or sitting on your lap while you swing. She has to be on there with us behind her holding our hands over hers. She doesn't even like my hands over hers, but we learned that lesson the hard way. I took my eyes away a second and off she flipped. After she cried she wanted right back on. No fear! Ms. Judy was saying she was going to go buy a baby swing because she didn't have one and Hadley wanted to swing today. I told her not to bother unless she'll use it on the littlier ones because Hadley won't go for it.
Her vocabulary contiues to increase. It just amazes me how much she understands. If you ask her a question she will say "yes" or shake her head no if appropriate. If you ask her something and she doesn't know or understand she puts her hands up like "I don't know". She is also a little stinker. She figured out that if she signs "eat" that means she gets to go in the kitchen, which then means she can see the dogs out the back door if they are outside. So, now she signs eat even when she isn't hungry!! She knows though because she still signs when she wants food or milk. She's too smart for her own good. She has started "meowing" at the cats which is funny. She "shushes" the dogs when they bark and meows at the cats.
This is such an amazing age. I can see the traits we noticed early on really developing. We knew when she was really sick that she loves people and attention, is a fighter, strong willed, curious, aware, sweet, affectionate, and independent. She's always done things on her schedule which I've had to accept (most of the time). She is such an amazing little person. Her quirky little ways definatley outweigh her early onset of the terrible twos. :) I can only look forward to her teenage years. haha Grandma will probably enjoy it most. hee hee
