Milestones & Diaper Fun

The past few weeks have been interesting during diaper changing time. For the most part, Alex understands that diaper changing doesn't have to be torture time if he is entertained (i.e. biting on his lotion bottle, ruffling around his clean diapers, biting on mommy's ankles). Diaper changing time has become more peaceful. Changing outfits, however, can still be a battle if Alex is cranky, sleepy, or hungry. His first molars are ready to come out so he has been very cranky lately.

We experienced a very interesting diaper changing time a couple of weeks ago. Let's just say that Alex is very "regular, "and he awoke from his morning nap with a potty-filled diaper...only he decided that he didn't want his diaper on anymore so the potty was everywhere...including his bumpers, sheets, shirt, hands, legs, eyebrows, and mouth...yes...I said mouth. I jumped into crisis mode, and cleaned his hands and face first with a wipey, then the rest of his body, and then I quickly undressed him and gave him a bath....FUN TIMES I TELL YOU!!!! He smiled the entire time, and I knew it was one of the moments I would never forget. For parents who know the diaper smelliness changes that occur with the transition from puree to table food, you'll understand that it was a very smelly situation!! And smells are strongly linked with memory...HA!

As we move closer to Alex's first birthday, the awesome milestones I spent the last 3 years learning about in my classes are starting to appear. Alex just took his first steps yesterday while playing with his friends Presleigh and Sydney at their house. I was so excited, and Alex has since tried to take some more steps at his Gymboree class and at home.

We are working on the transition from bottle to cup, and Alex is not having it. It is every speech pathologist's nightmare to see a child drinking from a sippy cup so I was adamant that Alex would never drink from one...until I learned that going cold turkey from a bottle to a drinking cup is going to shock a child into not drinking anything at all because of the fast and steady flow of liquid. Sippy cups are now my friend until Alex's bottles become obsolete in this house.

Oh well...I learned...and I also learned to ignore other people who will pass judgment on you for the decisions you make as a parent. My baby is healthy and happy, and he might kick and scream when I wait just 10 seconds to read "Brown Bear Brown Bear What Do You See"....but instead of seeing the screaming as a tantrum, I learn to see and appreciate his passion for reading. :-)