Amy Jane- 10 Months
I'd just like to start by saying that poor Amy Jane's entire lifespan has coincided with the existence of this awful pandemic, so every month that passes marks not only all the joy of having her with us but also brings feelings of, "Holy cow, how in the world is this still going on?" regarding all things Covid. Sooo... it's a bit of a mixed bag. But of course we are more grateful than ever that she's been around in all this madness. It's been the perfect medicine (no, baby smiles are not actual medicine, lest I get flagged by the fact checkers for saying so. But aren't they??)
Here we go!
Weight/Length: She's right over 15 pounds and about honestly I'm not sure how many inches because I normally write that down in my phone but I didn't and it's on the chart thing from her last appointment but I am too lazy to get up and find it. (That sentence was so boring I nearly fell asleep typing it.) Her weight gain was a big concern for several months but she's finally back on track as of her last checkup so I'm greatly relieved (and greatly ready to be done nursing, but don't tell her I said that).
Nicknames: Sissy, Sisert, Toodles, Sweet Potato, and Bean. Always. (Also we have a variety of cheers and chants and songs that we insert her name into like the normal people we are.)
Sleep: She's still sleeping really well... not quite as long as she used to but I'll take what we are getting! She's not a great napper but I kind of expected that since Alice wasn't either.
Eating: She's still nursing 4-5 times a day (which I'd like to cut down soon but didn't feel comfortable doing until we got her weight back on track). She's eating ALLL the solids we give her including any table food she is lucky enough to receive (that totally sounds like we're feeding a puppy). She recently "chewed" (with her little gummy toothless gums) several small Chick-fil-A fries and had a wonderful time doing so. I'd like her to get better at picking food up and feeding herself so we'll be doing a few more little finger foods here soon.
Clothing: This poor child. She is all over the place in sizes. She's long, so pants that fit in the wait are like capris on her, but if we get the length right the waist is usually falling down! Six month things are getting too small, a lot of 9 month stuff is big, but 6-9 is working pretty well! It all just depends on the brand... I have bought her a few pairs of 6-12 month leggings from Old Navy that fit great but the 6-9 month jeans I just got her from Target are enormous. She's just so petite!
Mood: She's so happy!! She's always been a good baby but I'd say there's been a definite switch in the last couple months and she's more content than she was before. She is less sensitive (I think) and also really happy to be mobile and "involved" in what her sister is doing and able to move around and get her own toys and that kind of thing. She really is easy to have around!
Loves: Playing with (chewing on) her toys
Flipping through books
Eating
Bath time
Riding in the stroller (she can be buckled in instead of riding in her car seat now and she's obsessed)
Seeing her daddy
Waving/clapping
"Chasing" Alice (I face her outward and run toward Alice growling and they both think it's the funniest thing in the world
Doesn't Love: the car (still!)
Being wet (who would?)
Keeping her bows on
Being ignored/left alone for too long (same, girl)
When Alice steals her toys
Wearing socks
What I Want to Remember/Milestones: Oh, so many! We got to see family at Christmas and of course passing her around as the baby of the cousins is so fun. She is pulling up on everything and is super grabby. Also, a climber. (Heaven help me.) She started waving and clapping, continues to do the worm instead of crawl on all fours most of the time, and loves trying new foods!
What I'm Looking Forward To: Honestly, I'm having a hard believing that we're this close to her birthday. I know that's a cliche, but I think the fact that she's so little and also the absolutely bizarreness of the passage of time this past year have combined to make it incomprehensible to me. Anyway, I have settled on a theme for her party (whatever that looks like) and since her birthday is exactly two months away I'm trying to get a jumpstart on the plans. Other than that, I'm just looking forward to her continuing to grow and develop and amaze people with her giant eyes! =)
Me: I'm okay! It's a weird time of year for me because I simultaneously want to plan and dream and make all the goal lists and have an existential nervous breakdown about the state of my life and career (hahaha) but ultimately, underneath all that angst, I am feeling pretty secure in the knowledge that in this season of life I am just going to have to hunker down and be a mom of little kids and that's okay. It's more than okay! I was just thinking tonight that even though I do need to find a job eventually, the thought of going back to work and answering to someone after over 6 years of not doing that is crazy. I mean, my current bosses can be demanding but at least they can't reach the remote, you know? I can just keep rolling along, reading excessively and sharing books and writing here and there, but my girls are my focus right now and I'm making peace with that. (That sounds terrible. You know what I mean. Or maybe you think I'm an awful mother. Perhaps you're not wrong. But I think I'm fine.)
I'm planning on writing some more words soon about my word of the year and its many iterations (don't you love coming up with a word that can mean so many things?) but until then I will be sneakily throwing out (into the trash or into my mouth? I'll never tell) the last remnants of Alice's holiday candy one handful at a time. Sshhh.