Layla's Life as a 14 month old!

I just uploaded a few pics over the last couple of months. She had her 1st birthday with the family and then she got her 1st haircut and celebrated her 2nd 4th of July!

As a 14 month old, Layla's routine looks a bit like this:

What she is eating: Her appetite has really slowed down over these last couple of months. She eats about 1 big meal per day with just mini meals at other times of the day. She is also showing signs of being a picky eater, but I am sure it is just a stage. Like any child her age she LOVES bread. A few of her other favorites are blueberries, yogurt, milk, water, & cheese. I am sure the heat has a lot to do with it, but Layla definitely meets her quota of milk each day. She loves to drink through a straw, so she has sippy cups where the straw flips up.

How she is sleeping: She gets her sleeping habits from me. She requires a lot and is cranky if she doesn't get it :) She sleeps about 12.5 hours a night. Usually from 8:30/9:00pm to about 9:30am. She then naps for about 2-2.5 hours about mid-day and then a little catnap around 4-5pm. I keep waiting for her to transition to one nap. They say it happens about 14 months, so we shall see. I am in no hurry for her it to happen! To go to sleep, she still wants her paci, along with her stuffed animals monkey and Minnie. We have limited the paci to pretty much long road trips ( when she doesn't throw it out of reach) and nap and bed time. If she is fussing any other time of the day, she is no longer satisfied by it.

How mobile is she: Layla is almost running. She does a feet shuffle that resembles running. She still has her tumbles that toddlers take. She does well stepping over things such as the door jam or up on the curb. Now that we have stairs in the house, I have really been surprised by her lack of interest in them. Occasionally, I have to tell her no or assist her up and down so that she can learn. She can almost get off the furniture without falling. She has learned to swing her feet around first but I still have to watch her closely.

Her favorite toys: She has finally taken an interest in her books. She will bring me book after book and say "up" to get in my lap and then sit there and flip through the pages with me. She likes to play with her toy that makes music when you put the ball in and any of her babies. She is also still our little dancing machine. Anytime she hears any kind of beat, she can't help to move. She even dances to the background music in stores when we are shopping. She will definitely start dance when she is 2. She still shows no interest in tv!

Words she is saying: daddy, momma, baby, Lilly (our dog), drink, up, hot, kitty, thank you, hi, bye. She hasn't learned any new signs because I have not been consistent. Still just drink, more, all done. She makes the animal noises of a dog, cat, and cow.

She is also giving kisses on the lips with her mouth open. Mostly only to her daddy. He gets them whenever he asks, I just get them when he is around because she wants to be fair. :)

She finally got her one year shots and handled them like a champ. Many prayers have been answered because Layla has been one healthy baby. The sickest she has been in her 14 months is a little runny nose that she gets every time she cuts teeth. So thankful for her health and pray that in continues. I am as equally thankful that I am able to be home full time and was able to breastfeed for the first her year. I know that these two things have contributed greatly to a healthy child. It will be interesting to see how this fall goes as I am planning a few more activities where she will have even more exposure to germs :)

Although as a mom at home I have my days where I feel like a need a day off, each day with Layla is a gift. She brings me so much joy and I thank God everyday that he chose me to be her momma. I am trying to enjoy each moment with only one child because I will never have an "only child" again!