As I look at these photos, I can’t believe how much of a little girl my little miss has become. Sometimes I still look at her and wonder where the baby went…. and there are always small little reminders that she is constantly growing, even if I can’t see it. Like how her legs are now too long to just “hang” when I carry her…. her ever budding vocabulary, full of opinions…. her insistence on independence in all things… and how it seems as if overnight she no longer fits into her little pajamas she had been wearing for months. And maybe the biggest reminder is her flourishing personality…..
When Harper was little I’d always wonder what her personality would be like… would she be shy, outspoken, fiesty… what would her interests be… more artistic, athletic, or a combination of both?? More than ever, I feel as if this past month has brought about so much of her personality, and I can’t help but love it (I mean, I can take or leave the not so pretty toddler moments….). I’ve begun to notice that while she’s full of sass + spunk at home, her “safe base,” she’s quite slow to warm when we’re out in public…. at a park she holds onto my leg for the first five minutes, testing the waters so to speak, before venturing out on her own…. and the same goes for any new “public” arena. When I worked with families with young kiddos, I always reviewed the three different types of kiddo temperament so that they could uniquely adapt their parenting to their child’s specific needs. The three types are:
1. Easy: These kiddos adapt to change very easily, without much transition. To put it very simply this kiddo is the kind that simply walks into a new environment as if they don’t have a care in the world.
2. Difficult: This kiddo has a much more difficult time adjusting to new situations, often visible with verbal + physical protests. This might be the type of kiddo who can’t be consoled when mom or dad leaves.
3. Slow to Warm: These kiddos might cling to their parent’s leg, cry a little, but within a little while are able to adapt to the new environment.
Knowing where Harper falls allows me to prepare her appropriately when changes are going to be occurring… and to provide her with the emotional support she needs to flourish in new situations.
Socialization: While I guess I just spent a lot of time chatting about socialization, we’ve been starting up all our classes this past month… dance, gymnastics, weekly mom’s group (crossing fingers for pre-school in the spring)…. we had our first dance class yesterday and Harper did anything but dance…. hahaha. All that to say, we’ve built up her “back to activities” wardrobe quite nicely over the past few week…. and since I’ve shared my “fun” adventures of shopping with Harper here on more than one occasion, I’ve grown quite accustomed to using Nordstrom’s buy online + pick up on store option where they happily bring it out to you curbside. Read, I don’t have to get out of the car with Harper in tow. Thank you thank you! With their amazing kid’s selection, Nordstrom is a one stop shop for her back to school attire. I bought her this cute set (jeans, tee, + moto jacket) because I love the excellent quality and that each piece can be mixed with other items to create completely new looks. You can easily pair the jacket over this cute stripe jumpsuit, stipe tee, or unicorn tee (seriously too cute)…. the jeans go with just about anything, but I think it would be especially cute with this bell sleeve cardigan (such a beautiful color for fall) or graphic print hoodie (such a cute saying)… and the tee would be adorable with these joggers or camo leggings.
Sleeping: We’ve had some regression in the sleep department since the move…. which is to be expected, but maybe lasting a little longer than we’d prefer (it always makes me wonder how we managed those first few sleepless months as parents….). There have been middle of the night wake-ups, difficulty going down for a nap, shorter naps (much shorter). and earlier morning wake-ups. I toyed with the idea of dropping her afternoon nap, but then she just couldn’t fully make it until bedtime… and if she did, it didn’t seem to make that much of a difference. So, we’ll see how this all plays out over the next few weeks. Saying my prayers it’s just a phase.
Eating: So here are the few words we hear as of late, ” Ewww, I don’t like…” “All done” (after three bites) or “Yuck….” All in response to foods she liked a week ago (insert emoji where girl is putting her palm in front of her face….). Then a week later, she likes the food again. I chalk it up to toddler exploration and asserting her independence… and try not to let it become a battle. I figure she knows her body, and if she’s full, she’s full (telling myself I’m encouraging “intuitive eating….”). She does seem to eat much better out of this silicone mat though….
New Favorites: Frozen. Frozen. Frozen. We listen to it in the car, on every. single. car ride. Frequent dance parties (but not when we’re at actual dance class)… coloring books, sticker books… playing out scenes in her backyard playhouse…. At least it has a beautiful message!
Wish us luck next month friends!
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(Outfit Details || Harper’s Outfit (also love this set) | Shoes | My Jacket | Jeans | Tank | Shoes (similar) | Sunglasses | Bag)
Thank you to Nordstrom for sponsoring this post.
