Eleven months old: A Typical Day in the Life of Maya

In one week, our little Maya will be one... but, for now, she is 11 months old so we thought we would do a "day in the life of Maya post" for our baby Maya (even though she has been walking for months now, I have not switched to the word "toddler" yet. She seems too small and too young but maybe at age 1?). The pictures were taken over the course of a few days as each day of the week she has different activities or playdates.

Maya wakes up around 7:20-7:45. She will often hang out for a bit in her crib before wanting to get out.

Maya in her crib playing with rabbit and pony (her crib doudous)

She is usually pretty smiley when she wakes up and is happy to see me

If she wakes up closer to 7:20, I get her and dress her immediately so that she can come down with me to take Noah to his bus. Otherwise, Seth or Eleonor get her when I am downstairs with Noah (his bus is at 7:45). When I get back, she is usually up and playing still in her PJs.

A PJed Maya in her room...

and in the living room.

She then has her milk (breastmilk is still her only source of milk these days though she has recently tried cow milk and formula) and changes out of her PJs.

She escaped before I could change her...

We then read a few books (she is getting more into books these days - this morning, I read her five (short) books in a row and she was engaged and interested) and/or play on the carpet with some toys or just wander around the house finding interesting things.

Maya in one of her favorite spots - at the entrance of the kitchen where Eleonor generally is

 (she used to walk down the step but now stays in the living room)

After raiding Noah's bed.... (she has taken to snagging his sleeping T-shirts in the morning...)

Holding on to her precious T-shirt and Daddy!

she can suck her thumb while thumbing through a book...

and leafing through a map - here with her favorite map - of Switzerland 

(she has been very gentle with it and although she carried it around and looked at it, 

it still is not torn surprisingly enough)

After reading and playing and when Daddy is up, we often go down to breakfast for some Kaya toast.

By the Chinese new year decorations in front of the nearby Plaza

We made it to T-box

We still bring cereal and fruit for Maya's breakfast (by now it is about 9:15-9:30AM).

but these days she wants to try our food too... 

Yuuuuum - Kaya toast

After breakfast, she generally does an activity. If we don't have any other plans that day, I take her to the playground in our condo...

Here with Eleonor at the playground clapping to the music

and on the slide

On Monday mornings she has "music and movement" at 10am which she enjoys a lot (it involves singing and dancing and shaking).

Maya playing with her twin, mirror Maya, in the music and movement room

The girls ready for the dance!

and learning not to go touch those very tempting sockets (she is pretty good about

listening when told not to touch something - except when it is Noah's desk 

with all of his papers and pens)

Shake, shake, shake...

And more shaking...

Hmmm that orange one looks really neat

Yup - sounds MUCH better!

And playing with scarves

She found a monkey! (her favorite animal since going to the zoo - 

she is constantly signing monkey, monkey and wants me to show 

her the monkeys on the postcards in her and Noah's rooms)

Wednesday mornings she has a playdate with our little neighbor.

The kids playing with Maya's walker

Every other Thursday morning, I am planning on bringing her to the zoo but I have not yet started doing so so it is not yet part of her typical day!

After the morning activity, I feed her some milk again (or after her nap if she had a late breakfast and an earlyish nap) and she goes to nap, generally between 10:45 and 11. She usually naps between 1 and 2 hours (she is not very consistent with the nap length these days). When she wakes up, she eats her lunch (usually a vegetable like carrot with ginger or spinach or red pepper and a starchier vegetable like sweet potato or quinoa or lentils. Eleonor prepares all her food in advance and freezes cubes or small tupperwares to be defrosted and eaten later. These days though, she is increasingly also eating some of what we are having). She usually eats well and happily.

On Wednesdays and Fridays, Noah gets home around 1:10pm. Her face lights up when she sees him.

Some big hugs for a big brother

Tuesday afternoons, Maya goes to the toddler atelier near Noah's school.

Almost happy in the car on the way over (she still is not a big fan of cars

 but definitely much better)

Maya at the atelier (we generally arrive there between 2:15 and 2:30PM) - 

she loves that green hanging basket with the balls

At the atelier, discovering all kinds of new things (they have baskets of musical instruments, baskets with objects of different textures, baskets with balls...)

Maya on her way back from the music basket

On Wednesday afternoon, there are no planned playdates or activities and Maya, Noah and I play around the house or downstairs.

Friday, Noah has a swim lesson at 2:30PM and I take Maya for a swim during his lesson. She has recently gotten good at holding her breath when going underwater.

Around 3:30 or 4:00 she has some milk and a snack and sleeps for an hour (if we are out she naps in the stroller otherwise in her bed). On Tuesdays, for example, after the atelier, she naps in her stroller and we pick Noah up around 4:15 from his art class (which is next door from both the atelier and a little cafe).

On Mondays and Thursdays, Noah arrives home around 4:05. On Monday, one of Noah's friends from the condo comes over to play around 4:30. Maya tries hard to play with them and does not like to be excluded no matter what the game is. On Thursday afternoons, the kids have a playdate with Jeannette, Matthi and Lucie one week at our place, one week at their place also around 4:30.

On Fridays, around 5pm, the kids have a playdate with Daniel and Gabriel at one of the parks or playgyms of Singapore.

If we are home by then, Maya takes her bath around 6:30-6:45, she in the little tub and Noah in the adjacent shower.... but Noah had a better idea the other day.

Maya started out very smiley - Noah was working on it

Noah found something to smile about 

Noah finally laughing - Maya now ready for the next thing!

After her bath, Maya puts on (well I put on) her "home clothes" and we listen to music/play/dance/prance and swirl.

Funny girl in her home clothes

Maya has dinner around 7:15-20 with the rest of us. She is usually a good eater and will try most of everything. These days, she is increasingly eating the same food we are eating, albeit cut up into small pieces or mushed.

After dinner, Maya and I feed Lhasa (Maya loves feeding Lhasa and signs "cat" and "food" over and over). She then takes her vitamins and reads good night moon with daddy and bonne nuit with me. I give her milk and then off to bed she goes (around 8:45). She almost never wakes up during the night, luckily.

Good night Maya - see you in the morning.