Wednesday, January 26, 2011

little sisters

I didn't intend for this to be a developmental update on the girls but it has taken on a life of its own so I'm going with it.

Our children are all basically healthy after a Christmas Eve sickness that lasted into the new Year. The girls still have a cough and some days their noses run a bit, but they are active and happy. Well, Kate is happy. Laura is happy as long as she is not unhappy, you catch my drift? Not the most easy-going, especially at mealtimes. Of course, compared to Kate, we are all miserable wretches. What a happy and content little person she is. I hope it doesn't wear off as she gets older and wiser.


Kate is tolerating standing with support better in the last six weeks or so and will actually try to keep her legs stiff and feet planted on the floor instead of buckling her knees or hiking up her feet like usual. So we are encouraged and I try to spend different times each day with her having her stand to play. We are expecting that it will take her of all this new year to actually be walking but perhaps something will click sooner than that.
Laura is practicing walking often throughout the day but still relies on crawling for some of her motoring around. She will be eighteen months at the end of January so it has been a long time in coming.


As for their levels of communication, Kate understands everything I tell her and responds appropriately 99% of the time. Laura understands a lot and responds much of the time. She is trying make initial sounds, like "mo" for more as she signs with her hands. And today she has been saying "Hi" very clearly and very intentionally, like when she heard the front door opening. Kate will sign "more" but doesn't try to make the /m/ sound. However, Kate does say, "Bu" for "bye" as she waves her little hand. She does it most frequently as she sets off to disappear around a corner into the kitchen or living room. Lately, she tries on boots or gloves left out on the doormat and with one on each foot as she sits on the floor, she waves the over-sized glove on her hand. They both make the sign for "all done" and Laura tries to mimic the sound of my voice but doesn't really match the letter sounds yet. Kate makes the sign if I say the words which is typical of how she signs in general. Laura seems to initiate signing without me saying it first or asking her. Kate isn't quite there yet.


Both girls love to find the pantry doors open and amuse themselves by finding different packages and containers to haul out for further examination. Many of those are put back after a firm, "No girls, put that back, please." Other items are deemed harmless and provide much amusement, like the brightly colored boxes of soup bullion. Both are dragged out several times a day to be hauled around the house. The tall box of straws went on vacation after much active play and will return for a brief time on occasion. Rolling and throwing light bouncy balls is a major sport around here and Kate has recently learned to catch the ball in the air using her face and chest to help land the catch. She then rubs or pats her nose or cheek to show that it connected and perhaps she should mind. But she doesn't really and the play continues.
Kate has also mastered our ride-on toy that requires using your feet to go forwards and backwards. She can now do both very well which came as a surprise considering how little she uses her feet in the course of a day.
Sitting at a table together with crayons or colored pencils and paper is a fun time which usually leads to much trading of pencil and paper and scribbling on whoever's paper is closer at the minute. Laura is still tempted to put the crayons in her mouth and must be watched and warned from time to time. Kate likes to play with paper and listen to the sounds of it rustling on the table or waving rapidly in the air. Laura spends more time actually scribbling on the paper, which to date, has never really captivated Kate's attention.

1 comment:

  1. Anonymous9:10 PM

    Oh my, MemMem wants to play with these little dearies too! Soon, soon I will! Can't wait =)

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