Liesl had her 18-month checkup on Tuesday. She is healthy, happy, and developmentally on track. She is also, unlike Sebastian, not afraid of Dr. Jane - she watched very carefully as Jane listened to her heart and lungs and peered into her mouth and ears, but did not cry. She even managed a happy wave and bye-bye at the end of the appointment. She now weighs 22 lbs, 13 oz, and is 32 inches tall. From her last checkup three months ago she's only grown an inch in height but she has put on a few pounds - moving up from the 15th percentile to the 25th. She's got a little round, protruding belly now and is sturdier in the arms and legs. It's good.
And so, Friday was her last day in the Infants room at daycare. Starting on Monday, she'll be with the Toddlers, 18-36 months old - no more high chairs or cribs, more independence, more outdoor play, more structured activities. We're happy she's moving up before the summer so she can play on the playground during the warmer weather, and we think she's ready for new adventures. She's very attached to her teachers, however, especially Kelly, and I fear dropoff will be much more sad and difficult for a few weeks.
Finally, we are at long last moving Liesl's crib from the corner of our bedroom to Sebastian's room. We meant to do the move long ago, but have been reluctant to put them together for fear of increasing our sleep difficulties. We, especially Steve, have struggled to get enough sleep in the last four years. Steve's insomnia has been awful - terrible. We worried that putting Liesl into Seb's room would mean they would wake each other up at bedtime, at naptime, in the middle of the night, and in the morning. That would mean less sleep for everyone. We're still a little worried, but it's time. Sebastian is excited to have his baby sister with him all the time. She'll probably love it. We'll adjust.
As for Sebastian, he too is barreling forward toward a big transition. Thursday night was a kindergarten information and orientation session for parents at the Dows Lane elementary school. We met the principal and the kindergarten teachers and toured around the classrooms. The rooms are beautiful - big, bright and airy, with colorful art, stacks of books, and blocks and toys everywhere. Each of the six kindergarten classrooms has 18-20 children. The teachers talked about the schedule and the learning goals and lunch procedures, and I was just in disbelief that Sebastian is going to be old enough to go to school next year. No longer preschool, but school-aged. Amazing.
