Amelia is 3 years old!

There are so many milestones that happen during the first year of life, but even though the “firsts” have slowed down it’s still amazing how much can change in a year!

Since Amelia’s last birthday, she’s grown in so many ways: she’s talking, moving, and thinking so much more like a big kid! It’s been really fun to see her making connections, inventing new ways to play, and communicating more and more with us. And during the past year, she’s gone through big changes like becoming a big sister and potty training; she’s handled it all so well and just wants the reassurance of extra snuggles when she’s overwhelmed. Of course there are plenty of meltdowns and power struggles, and sometimes her shyness gets the best of her in social situations, but Amelia’s sweet personality shines through. I am so lucky to be her mama every day.

Happy birthday, Amelia!

Three Years Old

Likes: singing nursery rhymes, yoga on YouTube (along with The Wiggles and Blippi), going to preschool 2x/week, going out to eat (especially if it involves chips and salsa), reading stories, snuggles with her cozy blankets, her baby brother

Dislikes: trying new foods (especially vegetables), getting dirty, meeting new people, public toilets

Size: about 24 lb, 33 inches tall, 2T clothing

Doing: speaking in full sentences (still working on articulation), counting to 20, identifying letters and sounds, lots of pretend play (doctor, taking care of baby dolls, cooking in her kitchen, building LEGO towers, etc.), giving lots of hugs and kisses to her baby brother

Amelia-isms:

“I do it!”

“No, I’m baby Amelia.” (If she doesn’t feel like being a big girl)

“Let’s go see Mama and Jon” as soon as she wakes up every day

“I so excited!” (Usually regarding something like putting on her favorite shoes)

“That’s so cute!” every time she puts a new color of paint on her paintbrush

“Just a little tiny bit funny” in response to me telling her it wasn’t funny that I dropped something on my foot

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And now for the fun part: photos! Of course I’ve taken a million over the past year but here are a few recent favorites:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy 3 years, Amelia!

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And a recap of the last three years:

One Month

Likes: nursing, sleeping on anybody’s chest, peeking one eye open, rootin’ and tootin’

Dislikes: not being held, sleeping by herself

Size: 10 lbs, 20 in long; newborn diapers and clothes

Doing: opening her eyes, looking at faces, nursing every hour

Firsts: smile, sink bath, two pediatrician visits, stroller walk in the neighborhood, bottle, visit to the voting polls, babysitters (Grandmom and Grandpop), photo shoot, Halloween

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Two Months

Likes: bath time, butterfly rattle, crinkly sounds, snuggling in Daddy’s armpit, nursing to sleep, fans

Dislikes: waiting to eat, tummy time after 5 minutes

Size: 11 lb 1 oz, 22 in long, size 1 diapers, 0-3 months clothing

Doing: lifts head during tummy time, tracks toys with eyes, kicking, smiling, cooing, nursing every 1-2 hours

Firsts: Thanksgiving, met Santa, bath in the big tub, Dickens of a Christmas fair, hip ultrasound

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Three Months

Likes: splashing in the bath tub, waking up and smiling in the morning, neighborhood walks (the faster and bumpier the better), napping in her swing, Sophie the Giraffe, kicking on her music mat

Dislikes: falling asleep, when diaper changes take too long, getting bored, belly pains

Size: size 1 diapers, 3-6 months clothing

Doing: discovering her hands and feet, kicking, “standing,” holding up head, still nursing every 1-2 hours

Firsts: Christmas, meeting extended family in MS, library visit, road trips to MS and AL, putting hands in mouth, snow, sitting up supported by the bumbo seat

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Four Months

Likes: bouncing (especially on your knees or airplane lift off), putting everything in her mouth, crinkly paper, teething toys, sitting on someone’s lap during dinner, walks in the stroller, sucking on a washcloth at bathtime, going on errands in the front-facing carrier

Dislikes: tummy time, not being able to get a toy into her mouth, teething

Size: 13 lb, size 1 diapers, 3-6 month clothing

Doing: rolling from back to side, reaching for toys, bringing toys to her mouth, laughing (sometimes), holding head up during tummy time, standing/squatting while supported, nursing every 2-3 hours

Firsts: roll from back to side, laugh, Super Bowl, front-facing carrier, visit with family friends in Auburn, visit with Great Aunt Joanne

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Five Months

Likes: belly kisses, big family gatherings, her feet (and putting them in her mouth), animals (especially cats and dogs), eating rice cereal, bouncing, crinkly paper, bathtime

Dislikes: tummy time, not being able to get a toy into her mouth, teething

Size: 13.5 lb, size 2 diapers, 3-6 month clothing

Doing: fake coughing, chuckling (no belly laugh yet), grasping toys/rattles in one or both hands, putting her feet in her mouth, napping in crib (transitioned from swing), nursing every 3 hours

Firsts: Valentine’s Day, solid food (rice cereal), playground bucket swing, discovered her feet, roll from front to back, practice drinking from a cup, non-family babysitter (Ms Cherelle during Grandma Dot’s funeral service)

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Six Months

Likes: belly kisses, trying new foods, grabbing faces, crinkly paper, bathtime, sitting or standing up, undivided attention

Dislikes: tummy time when she’s tired, getting frustrated

Size: 14.5 lb, size 2 diapers, 3-6 month clothing

Doing: sitting unassisted, baby-led weaning, sucking on fingers (and toes!), picking up toys (raking and pinching), laughing, rolling over from front to back and back to front, getting distracted and/or multitasking while nursing (sucking on her thumb or cooing), nursing every 3-4 hours

Firsts: sitting up, baby-led weaning (so far she’s tried: sweet potatoes, bananas, bread, cantaloupe, limes, grapefruit, steamed carrots, broccoli, spaghetti, teething biscuits)

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Seven Months

Likes: aquariums, belly kisses, baby led weaning, grabbing faces, crinkly paper, bathtime, sitting or standing up

Dislikes: diaper changes that take too long, tummy time, getting frustrated

Size: 15.5 lb, size 3 diapers, 6-9 month clothing

Doing: cutting her first tooth, sleep training (today marks Day 3), sitting unassisted (& in the bath tub), baby-led weaning, jumping/bouncing, sucking on fingers (and toes!), passing toys from one hand to the other, laughing, rolling over both ways, nursing every 3-4 hours

Firsts: Easter, Franklin farmers market (and car show!), Market Street Festival, cutting her first tooth (so close!), splashing in the bath tub, reaching for mama or daddy, blowing raspberries, trying lots of food (pickles were a hit)

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8 Months

Likes: Squishing food before eating it, splashing in water – in the tub, in the baby pool, in a big pool, watching big kids run around, being bounced or thrown in the air, singing songs

Dislikes: diaper changes, being cleaned after meals, being strapped into the car seat, being left out of a meal, teething

Size: about 17 lb, size 3 diapers, 6-9 month clothing

Doing: trying to crawl (rocking back and forth on all fours), pulling up from sitting to standing, sleeping through the night, nursing every 3-4 hours

Firsts: Two teeth!, swimming in the neighborhood pool, attending a wedding, Mother’s Day, sleep training, meet Great Aunt Judy and cousin Jo, meet the Music City MQG ladies, drink water from a sippy cup

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Likes: playing peekaboo, babbling, turning the pages of a book, sitting up in the stroller to see better, people watching, eating just about anything you put in front of her (hits this month: peaches, prunes, ice cream), aquariums, teething jewelry, watching the cats

Dislikes: teething, constipation, being cleaned after meals, being strapped into the car seat

Size: about 17 lb, size 3 diapers, 6-9 month clothing

Doing: babbling (and saying dada!), trying to crawl (lunging forward from a sitting position, rolling to get to her destination), sitting up from the tummy position, pulling up from sitting to standing, sleeping through the night (until the last couple weeks when a big sleep regression hit), nursing every 3-4 hours

Firsts: initiating peekaboo games, says “dada” (and sometimes “mama”), sitting up from laying down position, third tooth, Father’s Day, transition out of swaddle, sitting in high chair at restaurants, “play” guitar, meeting family from Georgia, Independence Day

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Likes: dancing to music, being tickled, following the cats (and getting into the cat food), splashing in water, sitting in someone’s lap reading books, feeding herself (especially Puffs, blueberries, peanut butter on toast, scrambled eggs), propping one foot up on the high chair tray while she eats

Dislikes: being cleaned after meals, being strapped into the car seat, when her parents want to sleep past 6:30 AM

Size: about 16 lb, size 3 diapers, 9 month/some 12 month clothing

Doing: crawling everywhere, waving, saying “dada,” trying to say “Cat,” pulling up from sitting to standing unassisted, sleeping on her stomach through the night (still in our bedroom), nursing every 3-4 hours

Firsts: crawling!, fourth tooth, self-feeding with spoon, waving, Story Time at the Library, Music Together class, Williamson County Fair, Hot Air Balloon Festival, Trivia Night

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Likes: being chased while she crawls away, finding bits of fluff on the floor to put in her mouth, inspecting a new item by turning it over and over in her hands, when someone mimics the burp/toot/sneeze that she just emitted, peekaboo, following the cats (and getting into the cat food), picking a book to read (especially if it has peekaboo flaps; current favorites: Little Red Barn by Ginger Swift, Peek a Baby by Karen Katz, and Moo, Baa, La La La by Sandra Boynton), feeding herself (especially Puffs, blueberries, and scrambled eggs), propping one foot up on the high chair tray while she eats

Dislikes: being sick, feeling overtired but refusing to nap, being cleaned after meals, being strapped into the car seat

Size: about 16.5 lb, size 3 diapers, 9-12 month clothing

Doing: crawling everywhere, waving, making more sounds like mama/baba/lala, trying to say “cat” and “dog,” pulling up from sitting to standing unassisted, sleeping on her stomach through the night (still in our bedroom), nursing about 4x/day

Firsts: clapping, “snapping” her fingers, total solar eclipse, sleeping in pack n play (in new nursery for naps and at least most of the night during travel, meeting Great Aunt Linda and Great Uncle Ronnie, Labor Day, sick visit to the doctor

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Likes: watching music videos on Youtube, singing and dancing, feeding herself (latest favorites: nilla wafers, puree pouches, scrambled eggs, yogurt), splashing in the water, Storytime at the library, petting animals, clapping followed by everyone in the room clapping too

Dislikes: having to sleep while we have visitors, taking a “toy” (like a power cord) away, long car rides

Size: about 17 lb, 26 inches tall, size 3 diapers, 12 month clothing

Doing: standing up, cruising/taking steps with a walker, crawling everywhere, waving, nursing about 4x/day

Firsts: steps with a walker, visit to Broadway in Nashville, watching Sesame Street, sitting in the stroller without the car seat attachment, Fall craft

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18 Months Old

Likes: riding in (and pushing) her red car, holding my hand and walking everywhere (while pointing out and stopping to examine everything interesting), playing outside (especially in her play house), pretend play (putting dolls to bed and giving them medicine, or driving her car), watching YouTube videos (too much), eating fruit and cheese, playing peekaboo in her tent

Dislikes: diaper changes, getting buckled into the carseat, any form of vegetables, getting frustrated by something she can’t do

Size: 18.5 lbs, 28 in long; size 5 diapers, 12-18 month clothing

Doing: walking (tentatively), saying 15-20 words, sleeping through the night 7:30-7:30, one nap

Firsts: independent steps, birthday parties for play date friends, pretend play, going down slides at the playground, using plate and utensils at meal time

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Two Years Old

Likes: singing and dancing, eating snacks all day long, story time at the library (the songs more than the actual story), cats and dogs, painting and coloring, swinging at the park, the color yellow, watching Youtbue videos, riding in the wagon or little red car, doing everything “again!” including listening to the same song over and over again during car rides

Dislikes: vegetables, getting frustrated and throwing fits

Size: about 20 lb, 30 inches tall, size 4 diapers, 18-24 month clothing

Doing: observing/helping with household tasks, repeating all kinds of words, putting together 2-word phrases, counting to 10, identifying colors (yellow is her favorite!), running everywhere, trying to jump, feeding herself with utensils three meals a day (plus two snacks)

Firsts: sleeping in a toddler bed, Mother’s Day Out 2x/week, new cat

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Two and a Half Years Old

Likes: singing (current favorites to sing along to: Moana soundtrack and anything Wiggles), dancing (her signature move: the snake), music class and playing on the playground at preschool 2x/week, snacking all day long, helping with everything, accessorizing, pushing her stuffed animals in a stroller around the neighborhood, jumping on the trampolines at the gym, reading stories (now she likes to “read” to baby brother too – current favorites are Time for Bed by Mem Fox, lift-the-flap books and anything starring Elmo)

Dislikes: vegetables, meeting new people, transitioning to a new activity (even if she wants to do it!)

Size: about 24 lb, 32 inches tall, size 4 diapers, 24 mo/2T clothing

Doing: repeating everything, putting together sentences, starting to use pronouns, counting to 10 (any higher and she just repeats “nine ten” over and over), singing the alphabet and identifying letters, kicking and throwing balls, climbing on everything

Instead of Firsts, I’m excited to introduce a new category –

Amelia-isms:

“Thank you welcome Mama.” Always the whole phrase!

“Please, Mama, please” when she wants me to stop whatever I’m doing and follow her.

When asked to help clean up: “No I’ll watch.” And then observing Sam clean up her mess: “Good job, Dada.”

“Ah-na-na” is how she pronounces Amelia

“Squish” when poking belly buttons (her favorite belly button is Mama’s)

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