At 21 months

Just for fun, me and Cristy decided a few months ago, to have Kirstin and her daughter Kaitlyn talked on the phone and surprisingly, they did! They talked for hours (watch out for the bills)! I don't know how they could possibly understand each other but we just let them talk. It's so cute and funny...I can't help not to laugh just listening to the way she talks, as if she knows how the world works already! Haha! This time, now that Kirstin can talk more clearly, Cristy and I let them talk on the phone again and I overheard Kirstin saying "Haha! That's funny Kaitlyn!" That made me laugh even harder!

Another thing that she's fascinated about is order. Kirstin starts to want to put things in order (I'm not really sure if she wants it or she just wants to follow my order, any case it works for me!), so tidying up after play is an easier task, provided I make the orders simple for her to pick up like: "Pick up all the blocks; now pick up the cars." At this age, praise for good behavior is a strong motivator, so I try to supply it often.

My Easter Bunny

Easter was fun! Kirstin was able to do the egg hunt, with a little help, of course! Though it rained a little bit, we still enjoyed it. She got excited when she found the eggs, moreso, when she opened it and found that there's candy inside! It reminded me how simple life can be. I wish I could keep that in mind but I guess, if I do forget, Kirstin is here to remind me of that.

Her aunt gave her a great big easter basket with all sorts of candies and little toys in it. We have to keep it out of Kirstin's reach, though, or she will eat more candy than she is allowed.

Sample Meal Ideas for Toddlers

by Mary Silva, M.S., R.D.reviewed by Laura Jana, M.D., F.A.A.P.

This meal plan is a good example of what--and how much--to feed a child who is between one and three years old. For an estimate of how large a serving should be, a useful rule of thumb is to give one tablespoon of each food for every year of your child's age. Make a child drink water more often than any other beverages especially during snack time. Water doesn't contain calories and is helpful in keeping your child's teeth healthy.

For breakfast:

1/3 cup cooked cereal
1/2 banana
1/2 slice toast with 1/2 teaspoon butter
4 ounces whole milk

For a morning snack:

2 graham crackers
4 ounces fruit juice

For lunch:

1/2 peanut butter and jelly sandwich
2 tablespoons cooked broccoli
1/4 cup melon
4 ounces whole milk

For an afternoon snack:

1/2 cup yogurt
1/4 muffin

For dinner:

1-1/2 ounces chopped chicken
2 tablespoons peas
2 tablespoons baked potato with 2 teaspoons butter
1/2 slice whole wheat bread
4 ounces whole milk

For a snack:

1/2 cup canned fruit
1/2 ounce cheese
2 or 3 whole grain crackers