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Your Toddler‘s New Year
Author: Melanie Denney
Can you believe that it's a brand new year already? It seemed only moments ago when we were marveling over just how incredibly tiny our infants were. Now look at us, with fondness in our happy tears we are left wondering where all the I-used-to-hold-you-with-two-hands days go. Your house is going to be messy, your days are going to be crazy, and you're going to love every single minute of it because there's nothing sweeter than watching your toddler making brilliant discoveries.
The Perpetual Ball of Energy
After eight months or so, your baby is on the move, move, move! No more cuddling your dear one all day because once he figures out that he can army crawl to the nearest sofa, pull himself up, walk alongside the furniture line, and then take a few steps on his own, he's busily on his way to becoming a full-time walking, little toddler.
Busy Little Hands
Those five little fingers used to wrap around just one of ours; and they used to be so content that way. Now they're pinching the tiniest particles the vacuum left behind, grabbing everything, twisting door knobs, and dumping out cylinders of oatmeal. If it's laying out within reach of your little one, you can bet it will be used as a noise maker, a hammer, a chew toy, may get scribbled on, be thrown, or hidden somewhere so good you won't be able to find it for ages.
Little Chatter Box
You can bid farewell to the cooing, and say hello to the babbling. It'll start out with a simple head shake or nod when you ask a question. Then simple words like mama, dad, no, and uh oh become the constant jibber gabber. By the time the little I-can-use-seven-words sweetheart turns two, she'll be chatting up a storm; so sit back, listen, and enjoy all those toddler-isms.
Using the Thinker
Your toddler is becoming quite the little problem solver, which is really good because now she can help you find your car keys that she hid. Also, she now realizes that a cup isn't a just a hammer, it's to drink out of too! This year, she will be constantly exploring and experimenting to see how things actually work.
Little One's Sociology
Maybe you'll notice that sometimes your little one is really outgoing around strangers, other times he'll be really shy. Maybe he'll cry when being left; it all just varies. Be careful what you say around those big little ears too, for they hear and attempt to repeat everything. You'll have fun with your little one as he pretends that he's an Air Bender or as he plays the air guitar.
No matter how much we miss their tiny days, we have to admit that watching our toddlers reach a new milestone is pretty exciting.
