Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Independence

My kid wants her independence.
She doesn't like to sit still for diaper changes.
She pushes DH's hands away when he attempts to help her pierce food with her fork.
She happily tells us when she's done with her meal.
She says, "nap" when she's tired and wants to rest in bed but still occasionally fights sleep.
She protests sitting in the stroller sometimes.
Still, she's a pretty cool kid and I think a lot of it comes for DH and I focusing on developing a good relationship with her and listening to her needs.
She'll tell us when she needs a poopie diaper change and sometimes a wet diaper change. She may not sit still for the wets but I've learned she'll stay standing and I can do a vertical change.
She wants to use her fork and without assistance. It may take longer and sometimes, she'll stop and use her fingers but she's mighty proud when she gets her food in her mouth and savors the morsel.
She may not finish all her food but I'm not a force feeder. As long as she gets a daily portion of fruits, veggies, grains, protein and breastmilk, I'm happy. So when she wipes her mouth, whips off her bib and exclaims, "Up!", I let her go and in return, she wipes her seat and clips the seatbelt closed before playing.
Sometimes when she asks for a nap, all she wants is cuddling and nursing in bed. As long as she gets 13 hours a day on average, I don't freak out. We all need downtime. Now when she fights the sleep at night, that's when I whip out the Ergo and she knows I mean business, Ten minutes in the Ergo and she's out or settled. Mommy loves the Ergo.
She first protested the stroller at our local market, on the check out line, during a rainy day. She went stiff as a board. That set me back. Now, I know if I can just get her seatbelt onto her shoulder, she'll settle.