I ask this all the time, but it rings true each time, where does the time go? Our baby girl’s almost two… TWO! Let’s talk about what she’s been up to now that she’s 22 months old!
I invite you to read Four Months with a Baby, The Second Half of Valkyrie’s First Year, and Life With a 16 Month Old to recap Valkyrie’s growth along with us!
This Gal Can Talk
My goodness, can my daughter talk (laughs)! I love it. She was speaking baby gibberish over a year ago and now she’s starting to make more sense. She’s putting the puzzle pieces together and really trying to communicate verbally. While she still uses sign language every so often, she’ll use words along with it. For instance, in my blog, Life With a 16 Month Old, I described Valkyrie signing “more orange.” Now she clearly states that she wants to eat an orange.
Ever since Valkyrie’s birth, I’d describe just about everything, from what I was doing, eating, reading, and more. Sure, it helped with the silence… (laughs) but I think it helped in other ways too. Valkyrie acknowledges what I’m saying and tries to copy. Not to mention, she understands what I’m describing so she can do it herself.
When we’re out with other kids, like the library, Valkyrie will try to engage in conversations or playtime. She typically gives others a high five or fist bump as she gets comfortable. Then, she’ll give something (probably one of her top love languages), such as a toy. She’s the cutest!
Does she talk back? In her own, very funny, way (laughs). If you know Valkyrie firsthand, then you know how silly she can be. If Valkyrie’s doing something that she shouldn’t be, I start counting and I give her several seconds to stop doing that something. Now that Valkyrie knows how to count, she counts with me! How can I stand my ground when she beats me to number 2 (laughs)! Other times, she’ll do well and complain in her own language with some English, then totally forget.
A Wealth of Knowledge
Valkyrie surprises me with how quickly she learns. She’s memorized her shapes, numbers (1-10), colors, animals (as well as their sounds… and it’s so cute!) and she’s well on her way with the alphabet. It’s amazing to see the wealth of knowledge she has and her desire to keep learning. She truly enjoys learning.
A little over a year ago, I put together a binder with velcro dots so that Valkyrie can stick the little cards onto the poster and learn as she goes. I think that was really helpful with her memorization. It also made the activity fun because she could match the card to the correct spot. If she didn’t get it right, which happened the first few times, she found fun in it! She’d ask herself, “This one? No,” and she’d laugh about it! Then, she’d eventually find the right one. The binder taught her more than just the subject itself. It was about trying things herself, finding answers, accepting failure, and trying again. TIP: This is a great tool to bring with you on trips so your kiddo doesn’t get bored.
I also made posters and hung them up on the wall near her play area. We’d review them from time to time and whenever she wanted to, she could take it off the wall and review it again. I used the velcro dots to attach it to the wall. This made it easier for Valkyrie. In addition, I made flashcards and brought them everywhere with us. I’d make sounds to keep it exciting and it actually helped Valkyrie’s memorization. For example, a flashcard is “lightning,” and I’d typically say, “pew pew pew,” while poking her. She finds it so funny and knows what to expect once we get to that card!
Now, Valkyrie has another busy book! This one was gifted by my sisters recently. This is her favorite as of late and I actually love it as well. We complete the activities together with the dry erase markers. Throughout the day, Valkyrie will bring me a piece of a page and tell me the name of it like, “Bear. Roar!” Too cute.
My partner’s cousin and daughter gifted us with magnetic alphabet letters and shapes. I enjoy these and I think Valkyrie does too. It’s an engaging activity that she can take part in, but more, lead. Not to mention, she can visibly see and touch the object. It’s not like the flashcards in her binders where they’re either cut into squares or rectangles. They’re exactly the shape they’re supposed to be.
V’s Emotional Intelligence
Valkyrie has been interested in emotions for several months now. I’d find her making faces and trying to describe herself. She’d read (reread… laughs) a book about emotions and I’d role play. I’d further explain emotions and how to handle them, such as anger. I’d say, “If we’re feeling mad or frustrated, we should take three big deep breaths,” then we’d practice taking three deep breaths. So, whenever she’s feeling upset or frustrated, I remind her to take deep breaths as we count to three.
My daughter accidentally hit me in the eye with something. While my reaction was not what I thought it’d be, Valkyrie’s response took me by surprise. I started crying because my eye was hurting. That’s what my body’s natural response was, so I couldn’t help it. I was quiet, trying to take it in, and Valkyrie looked at me. She didn’t say anything. Then, she started crying too!
I think Valkyrie felt bad about the accident. I stopped crying and quickly told her that it was okay, that I was okay. She said, “Sorry, mommy. Mommy okay?” It stuck with me. She understood what she’d done, apologized and asked if I was okay. I explained to her that it was only an accident and I appreciated her for saying sorry, as well as for asking me if I was okay.
Valkyrie had a great response and a rather mature one. She knew what she did was wrong, even though it was accidental, and apologized. My daughter could understand what had happened. Several minutes later, she continued to ask if I was okay. Valkyrie remembered the incident. I thought that showed part of her character. She’d always been aware of others, but we were able to verbally communicate this time around. Proud mama moment.
Recap
This phase of our lives is crazy to experience, especially looking back at the past recaps and photos/videos. She’s grown so much since the last one when she was only 16 months old. She’s going to be two in just two months… (sob) It’s so amazing to be here with Valkyrie and be part of her growth. Happy 22 months, my love!
