TATUM LEILANI MADRID: 17 MONTHS OLD

 

Same open space -- such a big girl toddler.

The month of August flew by so quickly (much like every month prior)! With family vacation before the start of the school year, weekend trips, and fun in the sun -- just like that, our girl is one month closer to being a 1.5-year-old. It's hard to believe that she's been a one-year-old for five months already. Infancy has been a distant memory for a while now... but there is something about that 18-month-old milestone that absolutely commemorates toddlerhood life. We absolutely love every minute. Well, almost every minute ;) 

Feeding:  Feeding is hit or miss -- much like last month. She eats like a bird during certain meals and I've just found peace in the fact that I know she's eating and she'll tell us if she's hungry. It's insane how we once had a toddler that enjoyed SO much food and now she's growing and going through inevitable phases that come with continued plate dumping, small morsel consumption, and a love (already) for sweets and ice cream! I'm not a total fan of sharing ice cream with our girl but weekend soft serve calls for some sharing, for sure.

Sleep: My last post was a lie! I haven't thought about converting the bed, like actually doing it for probably a month. I'm taking Tatum's lead... and her lead shows she's fine just where she is. She is our last baby and I'm really not in any rush to get her out of my bed for naps or bedtime. Mostly because now that the older two are back in school -- car naps are a go! She's been sleeping in the car for close to two hours every single day.I don't love it but it does work well with our schedule and that means mama isn't nursing or entertaining anyone in the backseat for nearly two hours. She's still golden for nighttime hours and her normal time is shifting back to a 7-7 schedule, as often as we can! 

Milestones: Our girl can say "I love you" clearly, football, go Broncos, and she will point to various parts of the body when asked. Her level of communication continues to just skyrocket and I appreciate her comprehension SO very much. Toddler meltdowns have emerged for the second week in a row and while they aren't my fav, they are a part of proper development. When Tatum wants something, she will point, pull, say your name -- whatever she has to do to get your attention AND to get you to do what she wants. 

 
Things You Like:  DANCING. Our child loves to move and groove to the sound of Disney's Encanto soundtrack. She's quite hilarious, actually. She conveys the emotion the character brings to each song and it's so beyond her years at this point -- I love the drama! She loves getting into anything and everything that is unsafe  -- also not our fav and really quite scary but also, normal.  Stuffed animals and her big brother's toys have made it back on the radar.. and also, shoes! She loves putting on her shoes but also taking our shoes out of the closet for us to put on our own feet.

She's been so full of personality lately and I just absolutely love experiencing everything Tatum!