Thirteen Months Old
Pearl's thirteenth month has been a pleasant one. We've settled in to our new home pretty well, Pearl is sleeping well, nursing well, eating well, playing well!
We had a well baby visit yesterday and I think I found a pediatrician at the clinic I actually like! She didn't say a word about our choice not to vaccinate Pearl at this point, at least. We learned that Pearl weighs a hair over twenty pounds and is thirty inches tall. I asked about her pigeon-toedness and the pediatrician watched her walk away from and towards her and said that it wasn't anything to worry about yet, but that we should come in to reevaluate it at eighteen months. Pearl explored the waiting room and played with the nurse and laughed at the doctor and was calm while being poked and prodded, so it was a good doctor's visit.
Pearl has never been a cuddly baby and that has made me a little wistful at times. She never liked being carried in pouch slings, or being held horizontally at all. She didn't like being rocked, she preferred to be bounced to sleep. She didn't like hugs, didn't like being restrained like that. She's always wanted to be watching and playing and doing - not sitting and snuggling! Even nursing has been pretty businesslike throughout her life, excepting the fact that she seems to think it's an arena for practicing whatever skill she's currently working on. But, that all is something that has changed this month! She will come to me and her Daddy for hugs, laying her head on our shoulder and relaxing there. She's more content to sit on my lap, and - this is a first since the very first few weeks - she just feel asleep while I was holding her one day! I was sitting here at the computer and she was fussy so I lifted her to my lap and continued reading. After a few minutes I felt something on my arm and look down and it was drool; she had dozed off! She has also let me rock her to sleep when she doesn't get there by nursing or car ride. So I am enjoying this new, more affectionate Pearl.
She is less clingy this month than last but has begun toddling over to me for reassurance from time to time, grabbing onto my pants and wedging herself between my legs.
She is doing a lot of imitating - she'll stand at the computer and move the mouse around, watching the screen. She loves to brush her teeth and will brush her hair, which is adorable when she does it with her own little comb and very amusing when she attempts to do it with the gigantic round brush I use to blow dry my hair. She blows when Daddy blows bubbles, and she's learned to pour water into the mill on her water table.
Pearl has learned to say Daddy and says it in the sweetest tone. I even got called Daddy, how humiliating. She'll also say, "Hi, Daddy!" or "Hi, kitty!" with prompting. The other night, I think she said "kitty" in her sleep.
She can bend over and pick things up off the floor then return to standing, which I've read is a milestone. She can stand up all by herself but usually she still crawls over to something to pull herself up on.
She loves playing chasing games with me. I'll run scream from her and hide, then scream some more and run when she finds me. Sometimes I fall over and let her get me, she loves that. Sometimes I jump out and say "Boo!" and she shrieks in delighted terror. Sometimes I chase her, fingers extended for tickling. It's lots of fun and I get exhausted before she tires of it!
Pearl is getting to a stage where I am having to try to teach her limits and I guess she's learning some but I feel like I have no idea what I'm doing. She will look at me when she's doing something I've tried to get her not to do in the past, like bang the lamp against the wall. Sometimes redirecting her works but she can be very single-minded.
I can't believe another month has gone by. The days are too short for the most part, full to bursting with Pearl's laugh and meals cooked and time spent blowing bubbles on the lawn and laundry hung on the line, her intent face as she explores a new toy and acrobatic milkies and holding her hand as we walk through the house, time alone as she naps and delight when she wakes and stretches and grins, going to the library and the store and the park and seeing her reach her arms out to Daddy when he comes home from work and the three of us snuggled together in bed at the end of the too, too short day.
We had a well baby visit yesterday and I think I found a pediatrician at the clinic I actually like! She didn't say a word about our choice not to vaccinate Pearl at this point, at least. We learned that Pearl weighs a hair over twenty pounds and is thirty inches tall. I asked about her pigeon-toedness and the pediatrician watched her walk away from and towards her and said that it wasn't anything to worry about yet, but that we should come in to reevaluate it at eighteen months. Pearl explored the waiting room and played with the nurse and laughed at the doctor and was calm while being poked and prodded, so it was a good doctor's visit.
Pearl has never been a cuddly baby and that has made me a little wistful at times. She never liked being carried in pouch slings, or being held horizontally at all. She didn't like being rocked, she preferred to be bounced to sleep. She didn't like hugs, didn't like being restrained like that. She's always wanted to be watching and playing and doing - not sitting and snuggling! Even nursing has been pretty businesslike throughout her life, excepting the fact that she seems to think it's an arena for practicing whatever skill she's currently working on. But, that all is something that has changed this month! She will come to me and her Daddy for hugs, laying her head on our shoulder and relaxing there. She's more content to sit on my lap, and - this is a first since the very first few weeks - she just feel asleep while I was holding her one day! I was sitting here at the computer and she was fussy so I lifted her to my lap and continued reading. After a few minutes I felt something on my arm and look down and it was drool; she had dozed off! She has also let me rock her to sleep when she doesn't get there by nursing or car ride. So I am enjoying this new, more affectionate Pearl.
She is less clingy this month than last but has begun toddling over to me for reassurance from time to time, grabbing onto my pants and wedging herself between my legs.
She is doing a lot of imitating - she'll stand at the computer and move the mouse around, watching the screen. She loves to brush her teeth and will brush her hair, which is adorable when she does it with her own little comb and very amusing when she attempts to do it with the gigantic round brush I use to blow dry my hair. She blows when Daddy blows bubbles, and she's learned to pour water into the mill on her water table.
Pearl has learned to say Daddy and says it in the sweetest tone. I even got called Daddy, how humiliating. She'll also say, "Hi, Daddy!" or "Hi, kitty!" with prompting. The other night, I think she said "kitty" in her sleep.
She can bend over and pick things up off the floor then return to standing, which I've read is a milestone. She can stand up all by herself but usually she still crawls over to something to pull herself up on.
She loves playing chasing games with me. I'll run scream from her and hide, then scream some more and run when she finds me. Sometimes I fall over and let her get me, she loves that. Sometimes I jump out and say "Boo!" and she shrieks in delighted terror. Sometimes I chase her, fingers extended for tickling. It's lots of fun and I get exhausted before she tires of it!
Pearl is getting to a stage where I am having to try to teach her limits and I guess she's learning some but I feel like I have no idea what I'm doing. She will look at me when she's doing something I've tried to get her not to do in the past, like bang the lamp against the wall. Sometimes redirecting her works but she can be very single-minded.
I can't believe another month has gone by. The days are too short for the most part, full to bursting with Pearl's laugh and meals cooked and time spent blowing bubbles on the lawn and laundry hung on the line, her intent face as she explores a new toy and acrobatic milkies and holding her hand as we walk through the house, time alone as she naps and delight when she wakes and stretches and grins, going to the library and the store and the park and seeing her reach her arms out to Daddy when he comes home from work and the three of us snuggled together in bed at the end of the too, too short day.
Labels: Month by Month, Pertaining to Pearl, Photographs
posted by fuzzypeach | 7:05 AM
6 Comments:
"I even got called Daddy, how humiliating."
I don't know why, but that totally cracked me up!!
Nice to hear all these wonderful Pearl updates. She is a darlin'!
Yet another beautiful post. I love reading your blog. It is so peaceful.
This was awesome. I agree w/Sarahgrace, so peaceful but I couldn't help feeling like such an almost failure. I've been so stressed and just kind of in a bad place that I feel like I'm missing out on so much of this goodness. But I'm very happy for you guys :)
Aw, don't feel bad - this is a good happy month after a few not-as-great ones... about the only annoying/frustrating thing she's doing is trying to steal the mouse&keyboard... And of course the last few nights haven't been as restful so it's coming back around since I said something about it, of course;)
Pearl is such a cutie! I have to say I was thrilled to hear that she is getting more cuddly. At 11 months, M is -- and always has been -- the anti-cuddle baby, but your post gives me hope that she might deign to give me a hug every once in a while. Eventually ...
aww, such a sweetie girl
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