Our Mini Winnie: 19.5 Months Old // 6.5 Months Old

All of a sudden, Laney has been eating much more food. I'm not sure if her appetite has increased or if she just became more interested in food, but she's eating a wider variety of things (including meat), and she's finishing what we put on her tray. As her mama, it feels so gratifying to me when she has finished a big meal. I've been so worried that she wasn't eating enough, and now I feel reassured that she's getting the nutrition she needs. She still loves her fruits and vegetables, and she can't get enough string cheese. She has also gotten a lot better at using a spoon and a fork. It's still a messy meal if she feeds herself, but she has so much fun and feels like a big girl with her utensils. Worth noting: she insists on feeding herself yogurt and throws a full blown tantrum if I take her spoon and yogurt away before she's finished.

She is such a little daredevil. I was feeding Owen lunch in the high chair, and Laney climbed onto a chair to sit at the dining room table and pretend she was eating a meal like an adult. I ran to get my phone to take a picture of her, and when I came back, she was on top of the dining room table! She never ceases to surprise me. I told her to stay there and walked towards her to show her how to carefully get down, when she suddenly got down on her tummy, scooted to the edge of the table, and dropped down onto the floor. I think she thought she'd drop onto the chair seat first, so it surprised her that it was a longer fall. But she was totally fine and ran away, smiling.

She loves being thrown high into the air. Lucky for her, papa can toss her up really high!

She also loves horseback riding (sorry, Cash)

Owen is very good about going down for a nap as long as his tummy is full. I give him a 6- or 7-oz bottle before each nap, and he usually either falls right asleep or talks to himself until he falls asleep. Sometimes he cries as I leave the room, but it usually only lasts a minute or two. He'll wake up from a nap and eat some oatmeal or pureed fruits and veggies, then play for 2 hours until he's ready for another bottle and nap. At bedtime (around 7:30), he needs to be rocked to sleep. He hasn't done very well if we leave him awake in his crib at night. He isn't ready for bedtime sleep training yet, but we'll try that soon.

He's becoming much more talkative and animated. He's good about playing on his stomach for long periods of time. He's spitting up a lot less when he's on his tummy, which is great. He's also becoming more mobile. Now, not only does he roll, but he also spins around 360 degrees on his stomach and rolls in any direction he wants. If he sees a toy that he wants to play with, he has figured out how to get to it. He especially loves rolling off of his blanket onto the hardwood floor. He smacks the floor with his hands or bangs a toy on it to make a loud sound. Just banging things on the floor can keep him entertained for a long time.