December 13 approaches, which means we’re coming up on Leo’s first birthday! I can hardly believe it.
Leo’s younger sister Ari (pronounced “R-ee,” the name is Hebrew and means Lion of God) is due at the end of January. Almost Irish Twins! Kellie, our fabulous daughter-in-law, is hoping Ari has her coloring and skin (Kellie’s a brunette and tans beautifully while the rest of us Alexanders, well, do not). Kellie would love to have a “tanning buddy” but I have a sense that our sweet little Ari will be joining her fellow gingers under the umbrella. LOL #ShadeWorshipperAllTheWay
Being GramTam is one of the best things ever, and I’m treasuring every moment. But I have a couple of questions for you moms/grandmothers/doting aunts out there, and would love to get your input…
#1
Do you have a favorite “early development” toy you would recommend? Perhaps something your 1 year old child/grandchild/niece or nephew really loved? It could be educational in nature or maybe a toy that helped their physical coordination, as in learning to crawl or walk.
#2
I would really appreciate some suggestions on starter “finger” foods for 1 year olds. Leo totally skipped the pureed food stage and dove straight into real food. Hey, you don’t get to be in the 98% percentile by eating pureed pumpkin! So my question… What are some tried and true foods your 1 year old (child/grandchild/niece/nephew) has enjoyed? Mind you, Leo’s cutting teeth but he’s still very much in the gumming stage. I’d love recipes, too, if you’re so inclined. Or maybe you have a favorite website.
So…toys and food. That’s the name of the game for today’s post. It’s also the name of the game for the December giveaway on my website. (A kitchen toy, that is.)
Thanks for being part of the community here, and I so look forward to your advice!
Love from Nashville,
Tammy
If you’ve read A MILLION LITTLE CHOICES… Thank you!
If you’ve read A MILLION LITTLE CHOICES & left a review… Thank you and BIG CYBER HUGS!!!
Tamera Alexander
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Get Leo a board book. There are great ones out there, from ABC’s to animals. We are a reading family. When our first grandchild was born (she is 16 now) a friend gave me two board books. Then I searched for more. She was sung and read to from early on. Recently, she asked me if she could have the miniature music boxes I played for her when rocking her to sleep and which resided on our piano. Of course I gave them to her. I know you are all excited to welcome Leo’s little sister.
I just received two of your new book – one for me and one for my book club gift. Congratulations on the release!
We LOVE board books, Betty. He really loves the Roger Priddy books that are sensory books. And yes, we read a TON! I love that you gave her the miniature music boxes. How precious.
THANK YOU for reading A Million Little Choices (and the gift for the club!). I hope you enjoy it, friend.
I’ve found some great developmental toys for my grandgirls at http://www.manhattantoy.com. Melissa & Doug toys are very good for that, too.
What fun to get to celebrate Leo’s birthday and know his sister will arrive soon! Enjoy!
“Hey, you don’t get to be in the 98% percentile by eating pureed pumpkin!”
LOL! That cracked me up!
A favorite toy of all my kids and grandkids was colorful plastic stacking cups. They easily fit in a diaper bag but have SO many uses and ways to play with them. They teach size and spacial truths, fitting them into each other. They teach colors and sorting. They are great fun if you turn them upside down and build a tower to knock over. In the bathtub they become scoopers, pourers, and shampoo-rinsing tools. In the sandbox or at the beach, they are sand molds and castle towers. In a pinch they can even hold Cheerios (or pureed pumpkin! 😉 ) And best of all, they make a great noise…er, music if you thump them on the table or floor.
My baby boy is turning one on 12/20, so bittersweet (especially since he’ll likely be our only child due to a difficult pregnancy, etc). But it’s so exciting to see him grow and learn new things. One of his favorite toys is a set of Baby Einstein magnetic “blocks” that have been nice for fine motor skills and more. He also loves pushing his Tiny Love walker – not walking on his own but man does he go fast pushing that thing around! As far as foods, he actually loved some chicken curry and rice, and would eat Mac and cheese all day if he could lol. Mashed potatoes with some chicken bacon was a big hit last night. It’s all an experiment these days though it seems. Congratulations on your grandbaby turning one!