Rooney, 31 months

QUICK STATS

clothing size: 2T-4T

  • 3T-4T tops
  • 2T-3T bottoms

diaper size: 5
shoe size: 8-9

ROONEY, 31 MONTHS

  • Loves playing with trains and cars and cups and playdough
  • Favorite song is "All About That Bass"
  • Makes us laugh all the time
  • Loves wearing tutus, dresses and hair clips
  • Had fun at the Science Center of Iowa and Center Grove Orchard
  • Brings us so much joy

LIKES

  • Watching toy videos/reviews on YouTube
  • Puzzles
  • Role playing - asking her baby questions and then answering for it
  • Gathering a collection of her toys and taking a photo of them
  • Being outside
  • Looking for the letter R in words
  • Singing ALL. THE. TIME. ("If You're Happy and You Know It" is a new favorite)
  • Walking to the park, which I know we will really miss in a few months when it's too cold. We have several parks near us that she likes, and she has different names for them (Owen's Park, Slides Park, Swings Park).
  • Having her back rubbed after waking up in the morning

On talking: This girl talks our ears off! She is often out of breath because she is trying to tell us so much. However, when she gets around people she doesn't know, she will not say a word. We had a babysitter this month and Rooney never once spoke to her. :) She is more interactive with her friends at school now and loves meeting new friends at church (even if it doesn't seem like it in the moment...she will talk about them later). The best thing ever this month was that she started telling us that she loves us!

  • "No I don't like that wome."
  • "OK that's be fun!"
  • "These shoes are nice for me."
  • "You drop your phone mommy?" 
  • "You're getting so big mommy!"
  • "No slides park, we go swings park."
  • "There my favorite colors down there!" (pointing to the carpet at Target)
  • "Sing with me, Daddy! Sing with me, Mommy!"
  • "Watch my do!"
  • "Princess Mommy of Arendelle!"
  • "Don't eat it, Mommy! Just wait nicely."
  • "I'll take my sucker!"
  • "Let's do Caillou puzzles together!"
  • "Mommy, I like you wearing those boots."
  • "When I get old I can drive a car like a big girl."
  • "You worried about your size? You need to stop!" (maybe we listen to her favorite song too much?)
  • "Can you take a picture of me?"
  • "Nope! Nope! Nope!"
  • "Why?"
  • "I love you."

On her personality: I would describe Rooney as caring and thoughtful. She is pretty careful and takes a long time to make decisions, even when we only give her two choices. She likes to think things through. She is a rule follower for the most part, but sometimes will stick her toe over the line to test us. I love that she is into girly things like skirts and nail polish, and also that she likes to play with cars and trains. Also of note: Her pain tolerance is really remarkable.

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On eating: Rooney is a great eater. I have to admit, I love this about her. She is picky about some things (sandwiches go untouched) but overall she eats well and whatever is put before her. She went through a little growth spurt this month and kept requesting more food. Her favorite foods are:

  • Hummus
  • Bananas
  • Sunflower seed butter
  • Eggs
  • Green beans
  • Peas
  • Muffins
  • Goldfish
  • Coconut oil popcorn
  • Pancakes
  • Tacos
  • Corn dogs
  • Pizza
  • Hot dogs
  • Hamburgers
  • Ketchup
  • Donuts
  • Mac 'n' cheese
  • M&Ms

On sleep: After several (six?) months of rough sleep, her sleep is finally back on track. (Praises!) She goes to bed around 7:30 pm (on the first try!) and sleeps until at least 7:00 am. She then comes to lay with me in bed for 30-45 minutes (Eric is already up) until we need to get ready for work/school. (She goes to bed slightly later on Mondays because we have a parenting class til 8:00 pm.)

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On chores: Rooney loves to help unload the dishwasher, pick up her toys, shred newspaper for the compost, vacuum, water the trees, wash the table and move the wet laundry into the dryer. She often throws away her own dirty diapers now, too. She just really loves to help and gets so excited about it! One night we set a timer for 10 minutes to pick up our house as a family and she loved it! She started singing the clean up song and ran off to her playroom to pick up.

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On parenting: We try to give her clear boundaries and limits while still giving her choices and letting her be her own person. Sometimes it works great, but we are human and fail a lot. We are taking a parenting class to learn more about disciplinary methods and trying them out to see what works for our family. We were happy to get a couple dates in this month, too!

On potty training: She sat on the potty a handful of times this month, but we are waiting for her to be more interested, which has increased as the month went on. She is not into her little potty chair, or the big potty in her bathroom. She only wants to go on mommy and daddy's potty. We have cleaned up poop off our bathroom floor twice now. (insert cringing emoji)

On transitions: Rooney is definitely straddling the line between wanting to be a baby (pacifier, sleep sack, diapers, crib) and wanting to be a big girl. We set up a twin bed in her room, but she is still choosing to sleep in her crib. We have been firmer in the boundaries for her pacifier (it's for sleep only...not playing or riding in the car), which has gone really well. We talk a lot about how when she is 3, she will not have a pacifier anymore. I realized lately that I rarely carry her anymore! She is getting so big. Usually the first comment we hear from people is how tall she is.

On health: Rooney was healthy this month, which is always such a relief.

  • We still see the chiropractor every week.
  • She takes a bath twice a week, which is a crapshoot. Sometimes she loves it, and sometimes she hates it. Afterward, we rub her down with coconut oil.
  • Her hair is getting long and a little bit of curl to it at the ends, but still straighter than I ever imagined it would be
  • Teeth: all 20!

Looking forward to:

  • Halloween - she has a bumble bee costume
  • School pictures at daycare
  • Family walks and bike rides as the days get cooler

Rooney,

This week you turned 31 months old and I turned 31 years old. I had legit tears after your most recent bath when you asked daddy if you could brush his hair. He was sitting on the ground and you were standing there, telling him to look up and close his eyes. You told him that it wouldn't be scary or hurt. I cried because your voice is THE ABSOLUTE SWEETEST and I pictured you at age 20, just as tall as us and only having these treasured times as distant memories.

Our role as your parents continues to change. For several months after you were born, we were there to change your diapers and hold your bottles and carry you to your crib for a nap. As you became interested and able to do some of those things by yourself, we were happy to hand over those tasks. Some of those things, you are not ready to give up yet. While that is completely fine, as your parents, we are trying to encourage you to try new things and to give you the strength to do so. Being a "big girl" can be scary, but it's also fun. Whenever your'e ready.

You are my daughter, and that brings me great joy.

xoxo,
Mommy

Rooney, motherhoodkelsey williamsmonthly baby update1 Comment