Anya update: 13 1/2 months
Anya turned 13 months old on November 14th.
Click the extended post for the update and photo album.
Click to launch the photo album.
But first check out this video of Anya meowing.
Anya is 13 1/2 months old.
At her last checkup a month ago, she weighed 20 lbs 4 oz and I forget how tall she is. She’s getting her ninth tooth- a molar and it hasn’t been fun. Her sleep’s been interrupted – at night and during the day.
She’s standing a lot and walking more but she falls a lot. Over thepast few weeks she has definitely gotten more confident and independentabout walking. Yesterday at the playground, she walked away from metowards the jungle gym about 10 steps. She looks like a zombie!
She’s really into her baby dolls- she has 3 of varying sizes – andloves putting them to bed and kissing and hugging them. She alsokisses us. When she kisses, she has been pursing her lips andsometimes makes smacking noises. She also throws kisses. She gives hugs and it’s the best feeling in the world to have those little arms wrap around my neck.
She only says dada (all the time!) and mama (but only when she’supset or hungry). She can also meow and bark and baa (though theysound more like "boowwww" and "mmmm-mmmm" and "boowww"). Her signingvocabulary is much larger. (I highly recommend the Signing Times DVD set.)
Yes, she is still nursing and no, I have no plans to wean her anytime soon.
She eats lots more solids now and absolutely no more baby food. She won’t take anything by spoon except Stonyfield Farms baby yogurt (it’s organic, full fat, and comes in small portions). Her favorite foods are Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies (like Goldfish but organic), string cheese, beef, bites of apple, pasta and sugar snap peas. She drinks a little bit of cow’s milk in a sippy cup but isn’t crazy about it. I tried soy milk but she’s not that excited about it either. I’m not worried. As long as she continues to nurse, she doesn’t need any cow’s milk. Later on, as long as she eats other foods with calcium, she’ll be fine if she still doesn’t like it. She pretty much eats everything we eat (except nuts and seafood). We try to buy organic when we can for our food but make a concerted effort to give her only organic food. (It really helps having a great natural supermarket literally a block away. We’re excited that a Trader Joe’s is opening sort of near by and I am crossing my fingers Whole Foods comes to my area soon! There are a few in Manhattan but not near us.)
Her favorite song is Old MacDonald. When she’s upset, it’s the onlything that will calm her down. Old MacDonald
She loves taking things in and out of containers, including thedirty laundry in her laundry bin. She’s getting into cabinets so wehad to put the child-proof locks on things which is annoying for us,but what can you do? She loves rearranging the wooden alphabet magnets
Sleep-wise, she goes to bed in her crib (by nursing) by 8 pm mostnights and wakes up a few times but we’ve been letting her cry it out(a popular but controversial sleep training technique). Lastnight she woke up crying at 4 and then at 5:30 but we left her in thecrib. Then she woke up at 7. She typically wakes up at 5 or 6 and then I bring her into bed. I’m still not getting the sleep I need- I am perpetually sleepy and in need of a nap.
With a punim* like this, though, I don’t mind.
Responses to reader comments:
-The wardobe is from Ikea (and Josh painted it) but it looks like it’s discontinued. It’s kind of similar to this.
-Both her brown and floral coats are from H&M. We bought the floral one in the spring and the brown tweed one about a month ago. She is wearing it with a handknit merino hooded cardigan from She’s Crafty. I was heartbroken when my babysitter accidentally washed and felted it. (It now fits her teddy bear.) I am considering shelling out for another one because we loved it so much. We also have their vintage pixie hat and Anya’s already grown out of two pairs of booties.
-We tried Elizabeth Pantley’s The No Cry Sleep Solution
-We were co-sleeping for half the night. She’d sleep from 8-2 and then I’d bring her into bed but I don’t sleep well with her in bed because she nurses every hour or more frequently.
-Though we both studied French in high school, and I took two years each of Latin and Spanish, we don’t speak other languages fluently. That’s a good idea to have a foreign language as background noise. My dad is from Argentina and is fluent in Spanish so I should have speak to her. I wish I had grown up speaking Spanish.
-These photos were taken with Josh’s camera, a Nikon D70
*punim is Yiddish for face.
Tags: Anya
- Posted on Nov 28, 06 at 7:30PM
- Permalink
- 58 Comments
November 28th, 2006 at 7:49 pm
my little girl never slept through the night…. i finally realized us all sleeping together is what we all needed. at around anya’s age i would put her down at 8 and she would wake up and i would bring her in bed with us… finally i stopped struggling. she is two now and we are a happy family each night… no cries at bedtime… no wakings and if she does i am right there and she reaches for my face and we fall back to sleep. she goes right down for her nap 3 hours a day because sleep is not a big deal…. i know it is different for every family… but cosleeping is such a wonderful experience! i plan on doing it with all my children….
November 28th, 2006 at 7:50 pm
You seriously have one the the most beautiful children I’ve ever seen, but I’m sure you recognize that. I’m very impressed with how developed Anya is; I’ve seen many parents try and fail at sign language with babies, so major kudos on that. I have an 11 month old niece and a 3 year old nephew, and thanks to the crappy parents they have, both are incredibly underdeveloped. This may sound odd, but you seem like the kind of Mom I’d like to be!
November 28th, 2006 at 7:56 pm
Keep up the great job of nursing. We made it to 14 months and only stopped because he is allergic to wheat and milk.
November 28th, 2006 at 8:18 pm
Thank you for sharing, what a beautiful little girl!
November 28th, 2006 at 8:20 pm
She is absolutely beautiful.
November 28th, 2006 at 8:20 pm
WOW…she’s adorable!! She seems to have gotten so big since the last update! Those eyes and that hair=GORGEOUS! The little kissy faces are so sweet.
November 28th, 2006 at 8:22 pm
How cute she is! It is a nice age. She is a truly beautiful girl! Danielle, you and Josh are truly blessed, but I am sure you know.
November 28th, 2006 at 8:37 pm
Danielle,
I completely agree, what a gorgeous little pumim she has indeed. I can’t get over how much she looks like my little one Poppy who turned 1 just over a week ago. Even the way you described the walking is the same – like a little zombie!!!
She’s an angel and I love the cute expressions that she pulls, please don’t stop at this one – have more beautiful babies to share with the world!!!
November 28th, 2006 at 8:55 pm
OMG, Danielle, she is too cute!!
November 28th, 2006 at 8:57 pm
Oh my god I love this child, and I love her double-breasted coat. I hope neither of those things are too weird for me to say.
also, babies playing with/talking about babies = hilarious.
November 28th, 2006 at 9:00 pm
Danielle, your daughter is gorgeous. What a lovely update – you can just hear how proud and loving you are as a parent. Good for you. And great on the nursing thing. It is funny how, when it is so good for your baby, and for you, that people constantly want to know when you plan to stop doing it!
November 28th, 2006 at 9:34 pm
She is such a beautiful (and photogenic) baby!
November 28th, 2006 at 9:41 pm
Anya is precious, and I love watching her grow. She seems like such a happy baby!
I hope you don’t mind me asking – but what camera do you use? Your pictures are beautiful!!
November 28th, 2006 at 9:46 pm
She is the most adorable celebrity baby around – I love reading her updates! She is ripe to learn many languages besides sign language – do you or your husband speak any other languages with her? I am a french teacher and I can tell you that even having a foreign language as background noise on TV or CD would be really beneficial for her now. Also, my mom says that I was 15 months old before I walked, so kudos to her for making the effort so soon!
November 28th, 2006 at 9:47 pm
Danielle, Anya is so cute and growing up so fast! I bet she is a joy. Have fun!
November 28th, 2006 at 9:49 pm
she’s adorable danielle, and growing up so fast! I bet she’s just a joy. have fun!
November 28th, 2006 at 9:52 pm
Please consider The No Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantley, it’s so much gentler. I know your a well-informed Mama and you know the controversy surrounding CIO but the thought makes me cringe I just can’t not help. CIO can be very damaging, no matter how old the child is, to their self esteem and health. A great read on it: http://www.mothering.com/sections/experts/hunt-archive.html#cry-it-out
November 28th, 2006 at 10:14 pm
Anya is so adorable! I love the black and white picture!
November 28th, 2006 at 10:16 pm
I jut had a few questions for you,Danielle. I was curious where you had bought Anya’s armoire and brown jacket?
Thanks for your time.
Maggie
November 28th, 2006 at 10:20 pm
She’s just gorgeous! You are so lucky!
November 28th, 2006 at 10:53 pm
Absolutely adorable! My daughter just turned 15 months, and this is by far my favorite stage so far. They are such happy, social little monkeys! Learning new things everyday, it’s incredible. Sounds like she’s thriving, a content intelligent little princess. And kudos to you for still continuing to nurse. It’s definately not for everyone(I weaned at 1 year)but definately deserves a congrats to those who choose to do so.
November 28th, 2006 at 11:40 pm
She’s beautiful.
November 28th, 2006 at 11:57 pm
Anya is such a doll, just beautiful!!!! And kudo’s to you for sticking with bf~ing, it’s worth it!
November 29th, 2006 at 12:11 am
Little Anya is one of the cutest babies i’ve ever seen!!ADORABLE!!!And your pictures are always so nice..what camera do you use to take them????
November 29th, 2006 at 1:06 am
Oh! She is so, so, so, so, SO beautiful. You guys must be SO proud!
Thank you for “sharing” her moments with us, I really enjoy reading these updates!
November 29th, 2006 at 1:17 am
She’s growing into such a beauty!!!
I think it’s great that you’re still nursing:-)
Have you tried goat milk ? It has more protein than cow milk and is easier on the digestion.
And good for you with organic! I am organic all the way with the dairy as all pesticide residues, hormonones and antibiotics are supposedly stored in the fat. In any case it tastes better!
Enjoy your baby girl and thank you for sharing her world! It brings back lovely memories for me. My youngest is 4 going on 35!:-)! and I remember almost everything she did in her first year as if it were last year.
November 29th, 2006 at 2:13 am
Gorgeous little girl.. she has beautiful eyes! Celebrity-babies.com is my favourite website!
November 29th, 2006 at 3:41 am
Anya’s beau-ti-ful! And so are you Danielle, make sure you get your sleep – a baby needs happy parents most of all!
November 29th, 2006 at 4:20 am
Anya is ADORABLE she’s really changed so much watching her grow up on the website- She’s all about those BIG BLUE EYES – Seems like KIDS are so much more advanced today earlier than they were when I had my 2 sons 26 & 24 yrs. ago She’s totally PRECIOUS! Loved the MEOW VIDEO how’d you get it onto the site – can anybody do that with their own video’s? kt72555@yahoo.com
November 29th, 2006 at 7:04 am
Danielle she is so beautiful!! Just so you know the Stonyfield yougurt has a LOT of sugar. Equal to a tablespoon of sugar. There is a reason kids love it so much!! I was suprised too!!
November 29th, 2006 at 7:27 am
Anya is gorgeous. Can’t believe she already knows what cat says
My 13 month old twins still use their books to chew on and rip all flash cards out of my hands the moment they see them.
I did Ferber method with them when they were 6 months and they have been sleeping 12 hours a night since then. We weren’t happy about doing it, but with 2 babies waking up all hours of the night, it was hard on everyone.
November 29th, 2006 at 8:41 am
SHE IS ADORABLE! hang in there my little one will be 2 on Saturday and she still wakes up. Up until October it was every 2 hrs and my doctor said to keep up the feedings as she is an active little one and she only weighed 21 pounds. She is now waking up every 4 hrs which is better but I am the walking dead during the day with headachs and red eyes. The doctors respons: Be happy this is your second child not your first or you may have never had her. He is right seriously questioning a 3rd. But I’m told there is a light at the end. Lucky me my 5 year old slept through the night from 2 weeks on.
signed, Sleep deprived in T.O
November 29th, 2006 at 9:15 am
Danielle-what a gorgeous little pumpkin you have! She is a beauty! The last picture is my favorite. Good job Mommy!
November 29th, 2006 at 9:23 am
I love Anya. I really do. She’s just the most beautiful thing, and those are wonderful shots. They look professionally done.I need to find me that camera.
And she’s just a little ham when the camera’s within her vicinity, it seems like. Love the photos, Danielle. ☻♥
November 29th, 2006 at 9:32 am
Anya’s about the same age as my twins, so I love reading the updates to see if we’re on the same page. My girls are 20 lbs even and 22lbs 8 oz.
I’m having a similar problem with the nightwaking this week and think it might be a the molars.
November 29th, 2006 at 10:02 am
that little pumpkin!!!!
now if we only got the info of that stroller – we could lug them around unsafely together
v
November 29th, 2006 at 10:11 am
Danielle, do not feel bad about letting Anya cry it out at night. I was a horrible sleeper as an infant/child, and whenever I made the slightest cry, my mother would come rushing in with a bottle to rock and feed me to sleep. As a result, I didn’t sleep through the night on my own until I was six or seven years old. Instead, I would wake up during the night and run into my mom’s room to either climb into bed with her, drag out of bed to come into my room, or stand by my parents’ bed as they slept. My mother completely regrets giving into my every cry, and I agree with the idea that if babies’ every whims are catered to, they will never be self-sufficient. I also applaud you for putting your needs in check as opposed to not doing so and feeling like a “bad parent.” If you need more sleep, by all means get it!
And to echo everyone else, Anya is gorgeous. She has wonderful eyes, and so much hair! I love when you put it up in a high pigtail like Pebbles-so cute!
November 29th, 2006 at 10:52 am
Danielle,
Anya is beautiful! I have been babysiting almost all my life and I found that children love having a tupperware cabinet that the can open and close, empty and clean up. I have found that children love these more then toys sometimes!
What a great child! And my niece nursed until 2 3/4 when she told her mom “just one more time” and she was done and she is a well adjusted happy child!
November 29th, 2006 at 11:19 am
She is gorgeous! Congrats on sticking with breastfeeding. My son is 26 months, and we’re still breastfeeding. I’m almost ready to wean, but he has other ideas
November 29th, 2006 at 11:52 am
Anya is just adorable! Love hearing how she is getting on.
November 29th, 2006 at 1:17 pm
The little girl I watch is almost 2 and still wakes up in the middle of the night. She goes to sleep fine but every night wakes up and she’s brought into her parents bed – a big NO NO! She’s only waking up bc she knows as soon as she whimpers she’s getting into her mommy and daddy’s bed to snuggle. I told them that this is only going to lead to her wanting to be there all the time. My cousin slept with her mom and dad until she was 7 and cried whenever they’d make her go to her own room. I always say that there is no reason why a child can’t be comforted at night but I always say it’s better to just enter the room without saying a word and patting them on the back. By talking to them only stimulates them to want to get out. I know I’m not a mom but have been caring for kids for 12 years (as well as overnight). Some people got to do whatever works for them. There really are no real answers. Experts or no expert every parent must do what they feel is right by their child.
November 29th, 2006 at 2:43 pm
anya is adorable and looks like a happy child! my daugther is almost exactly one year older than her…. again….as i said she did not sleep through the night until 1 1/2 at least…. their little teeth bothering them or maybe they just need us. i could never let her cry….. jay gordon has a neat interview with noah wylie sp? and this wife on co sleeping, nursing etc…. give it a listen! i did not nurse my little one that long…. but what helped was getting to a point where she could fall asleep on her own, in between us. for so long i rocked her or bounced her to sleep…. a little cry out or crying without tears at naptime i could handle but i cannot and do not think they should be left alone screaming…. my mom never let me cry and i slept with them and well i am a well adjusted happy 31 year old mom myself.
November 29th, 2006 at 3:06 pm
hey danielle.. i’m from croatia and i loooove your blog… i have it in my favourites sections, first thing to check out when i start surfing.. i think your baby is beautiful.. i have a friend named anya, although in croatia it is spelled Anja and it’s pronounced ah-nha.. lots of hugs and kisses…
November 29th, 2006 at 3:14 pm
Anya is absolutely gorgeous…such a cutie pie!!! And those eyes are so pretty
Thanks for all the updates, Danielle. They’re so much fun to read, and I love seeing the pictures.
November 29th, 2006 at 5:50 pm
Very cute!
When did you notice Anya start signing back at you? We’ve just started with our son and he’s 7 months.
November 29th, 2006 at 6:36 pm
You dress her so cute!
Also, about letting her cry it out, I personally think that that is the only way that a parent can stay sane! (unless you get very lucky and get a baby who sleeps very well).
I have noticed that it seems like people say that letting kids cry it out say that it lowers their self esteem, makes them feel unloved, etc., but it just doesn’t seem to actually happen that way. Most people I know (I babysit TONS of families), let their kids cry sometimes, and their kids always turn out healthy and happy.
November 29th, 2006 at 8:07 pm
I think it is marvelous how you catalogue her growth! I love the picture of her in the chair donning the pout and dishelved hair ….a definite cover for Baby Vogue.
November 29th, 2006 at 8:23 pm
I commented on this post already, but to add to what Joy was saying about entering the room silently, I used to frequently babysit a one-and-a-half year old boy who would take three hour afternoon naps but wake up about an hour into it and cry. The first time I sat for him, I tried letting him cry it out, but after a half hour of persistant crying, I called his dad to see what could be done. He suggested going into his room to rub his back. So as soon as I hung up, I went upstairs, lay down next to him, and began massaging his back while shushing him. It worked like a charm-he stopped crying immediately and was asleep within 5 minutes.
This may or may not work for you, Danielle, but maybe some other parents/nannies/sitters would find it helpful. Every kid is different.
November 29th, 2006 at 10:21 pm
she’s a doll. breastfeeding a long time helps build a stronger bond but you’re ruining it with cry it out. if you want her to sleep through the night ween her don’t let her cry. weening helps them sleep.
my daughter woke up 4x a night for 26 months until i weaned her. i was a martyr and didn’t know it. as soon as i weened ehr she slept through the night. she’s 4 now and still cosleeps sometimes.
my son loves his crib and slept 5 hours at a time from the time he was born and slept throught the night at 2 months. he is easy. now he wakes up 1x or 2 sometimes with the teeth and daddy often rocks him back to sleep. why don’t you take alternate nights with your partner rather than teaching your child she can’t count on you.
what if she was crying b/c something was wrong and when you came in she was hurt or worse yet not breathing?
also kids are different and require different care.
think twice before you use old-fashioned methods that distance children from their parents. if sleep is important to you—ween ween ween. she’s old enough.
November 29th, 2006 at 10:47 pm
Danielle,
Crying it out is not for everybody and neither is Elizabeth Pantley’s technique. I, too, tried her technique with failed results. I just wanted to let you know that Anya will be a bright, confident, loved girl “in spite” of you using the CIO method. I started letting my son CIO at 10 months and he is sleeping through the night (for 12 hours STRAIGHT). He goes down to bed w/o a fight now and wakes up with the biggest smile. CIO will not affect your child’s self esteem or health. My son (and I – I was told by my mother that she let me CIO – me and all my siblings) are well adjusted and happy. And most importantly, EXCELLENT sleepers!
Let’s not be guilted into doing things other than what we feel is right for our families! Anya is beautiful – it’s amazing to watch them grow, isn’t it?
November 29th, 2006 at 11:31 pm
Thank you for taking the time to share your beautiful daughter with us. She is a true precious thing and you are truly blessed!
By the way, good for you for not weaning her yet. To tell you the truth, I hate to admit it– but I still haven’t weaned my son and he is 22 months old! Maybe by the time she is his age, you will draw the line, hahaha. He is SUCH a fighter though, won’t take no for an answer. And he co-sleeps and still will not sleep thru the night!
Well, you are such a wonderful proud Mommy, keep on posting on her new adventures! =)
November 30th, 2006 at 2:08 am
Anya is sooo beautiful! She really could be a child model! She seems to have a natural affinity for the camera!
November 30th, 2006 at 9:40 pm
What a lovely little girl! She is darling!
November 30th, 2006 at 10:55 pm
Another ignorant question from a non-parent: why no nuts or seafood? Nuts I assume because of the possibility of choking, but is seafood bad for babies?
Note from Danielle: They are foods that tend to be highly allergic. It is thought that by postponing those foods till baby is 2 or 3, you decrease the likelihood of an allergy. My lactation consultant also believes you should wait till 2 to give dairy but I don’t agree.
December 1st, 2006 at 7:29 am
Danielle,
Wow! As a new mom (2.5 month old baby), I really appreciate the updates of Anya. I have read book after book about babies, but find it so helpful to have a real example with parents who seem to have similar views to ours. Please keep it up, and know you are doing a fantastic job.
Anya truly has a “shayna punim”.
December 1st, 2006 at 7:43 am
Oh my god, she’s beautiful. she’s definetely much cuter than most of the celebrity babies I’ve seen pictures of. I think Anya is becoming a bit of a celebrity baby herself. I wish you all the best, your daughter is adorable!!!
December 1st, 2006 at 10:59 am
Thanks Danielle.
December 1st, 2006 at 12:02 pm
Danielle, the photographs you take look so great! Do you mind if I ask what type of camera you use? Thanks.