Adelaide at 18 Months and her favorite pair of shoes

Our darling girl turns two in a few months but I wanted to share this little update about our shoe-obsessed baby from her 18 month stage. She brings so much joy and energy into our home and I sleep less and laugh more with her around. This post is sponsored by Surprize by Stride Rite., but the love for these shoes is all Adelaide’s.

Adelaide at 18 months:

• She would live on black beans and blueberries (and cereal bars and fruit pouches) if we let her. Getting this child to eat is my biggest daily struggle. Right now I’ve moved onto the “focusing on variety” and not “growing big and strong” philosophy with a strong dose of “don’t stress about it and develop a negative culture around eating.” We’ll see. 
• She will only go to sleep if Lincoln is in the room with her. Until he’s also in his crib she’ll sometimes cry, worried she’ll be sleeping by herself.
• She loves her brother’s toys, especially if he is in the middle of playing with them.
• She’s a climber. She’ll climb up ladders at the park by herself and seems to have no fear.
• She LOVES trying on shoes. If I can’t find her in the apartment, there’s a good chance she’s snuck into our bedroom and found the door to our closet open. She’ll pick through Ben’s shoes and then waddle out of the room wearing an oversized pair of nikes and beaming with pride. She also brings me her own shoes 3-5 times a day, asking in not so many words for me to put them on for her. Have you seen the instagram stories? They’re some of my favorite. 

Speaking of shoes! We had a fun little date to Target to pick out a new pair of spring shoes for her from Surprize by Stride Rite.

The very first pair of shoes I bought Lincoln were for this same line THREE years ago and it is hard to believe that neither of my babies fit in that pair anymore.

When I’m picking a shoe for Adelaide (or any toddler learning to walk or getting comfortable with their new-found mobility), I look specifically at how easy they are to get on, how comfortable they are going to be, and how easily she’ll be able to walk in them.

We love Surprize by Stride Rite because of their generous fit (not too narrow of a shoe), the durability (both kids wore the first pair we bought years ago and they’re still in good condition), and the rounded toes + traction pods that help reduce falls. They have a memory foam footbed which makes them super comfortable and is probably why Adelaide wants to wear them all day, everyday. I didn’t realize they also have an anti-stink lining which is great for the warmer months we’re coming up on.

If you’re in the market for a new pair of shoes for your little one, you can check out Surprize by Stride Rite online or in Target (just look for the orange boxes in the infant section to find the ones perfect for new walkers)!  

• She loves to dance and our family living room dance parties are some of my favorite parts of each day.
• She’s snugglier these days than she’s been before and sometimes I do a good job cherishing the shorter naps and the early afternoon snuggles while Lincoln is still asleep.
• She’s started running, still loves stairs, and always tries to find a hill to walk up or down.
• She won’t let me read very many books with her all the way through but loves to have a stack sitting next to her on the couch where she can page through them herself.
• Her favorite book is Rosie Revere, Engineer (and it is one of the only ones she’ll sit through).