Miss Independent

If Sarah could say more than a few words, I'm sure her favorite phrase would be "Let me do it." Our whole routine now revolves around making sure Sarah has something she can do for herself. Whether it be walking into the apartment from the car or making sure she has a fork and spoon so she can feed herself. It's unreal how quickly she's changing. Last night she took the toothbrush out of my hand and started brushing her teeth all on her own. (Of course Daddy did help her some.)

 As time continues to fly by, my baby is acting more and more like a big kid. I know I still have a few years before she can really be considered a big kid, but still. A lot of her "baby" traits are quickly disappearing.  

• She no longer likes to be fed, so I've been working hard on making sure she has plenty of finger foods or things that can easily be speared by a fork wielding toddler. Surprisingly, this has made meals a lot easier because she's happier when she feeds herself. The only downside is the mess. But I tell ya, a mess is much easier to deal with than a toddler that refuses to eat! I mean why else did God give us bibs and bathtubs?
• We're losing the bottle! Sarah has been fed from a bottle since the very first day of her life, so I thought this process would be pretty hard. Until recently, she has flat out refused any milk being offered in a sippy cup. But I guess Grandma worked some type of magic because I decided to just go cold turkey and yank the bottle and so far so good! (Granted it's only day one...) But I really wanted to get her used to cups before the new baby comes so we don't have bottles for two!
• She's starting to fall asleep on her own a few times a week, meaning that Ryan can put her down in the crib awake and she will get to sleep without needing rocking or holding! This is a HUGE thing! Sarah has never been a strong sleeper, and any sign of progress is great! 
• She's so stable on her feet and quick too. Gone are the days of toddling and falling every few seconds. We are full out running, dancing, and spinning in circles. My girl is a crazy mover!
• For her first birthday, Sarah got a little purse in the shape of a flower. She likes to carry that with her when we go to the store or out running errands. She even puts little toys inside and you can tell she thinks she's hot stuff with it. It's pretty fricken adorable.
• She's getting her molars!!! It's about time they popped through! We have been fighting a cranky toddler for a few weeks, so I'm hoping her mood improves some now that they're in. No more toothless, gummy smiles for us ... at least until our son gets here.
• The other day at church, Sarah wasn't feeling well so we decided to bring her in the sanctuary with us rather than put her in the nursery. She fell asleep on Ryan and he held her the entire service. I was struck by how big she looked in his arms. She can't fit snuggly in our arms anymore, her legs dangle and she just looks like such a big girl. I remember how her tiny body used to fit easily into one arm.

I'm sure I could fill up books about all the changes I see in her. But the thing is, you don't always notice things until they add up to a lot of changes. Sometimes, I just find myself looking at her and wondering when my baby was replaced by this cute toddler!