21-22 Months

Once again, we're having so much fun that I'm behind on updating Natalie's monthly posts. 


~Natalie is very quickly transitioning from a baby to a little girl. Our babysitter has commented several times that it's hard to believe she's only 1 because of how "old" she seems!
~Natalie continues to be a big talker!  She speaks in long phrases and can participate in conversations.  She loves to ask questions ("What's this, Mommy?"  "What's that noise, Daddy?", "Where'd Daddy go?").  She loves to count (we've heard her count to 13) and recite the alphabet.
~In addition to having great  expressive language skills, her receptive language skills are also wonderful!  She's able to understand questions and follow multiple step requests.
~Natalie has a tune in her heart!  She often breaks out into songs, including the alphabet, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Best Day Ever, Raining Tacos, and Happy Birthday.
~She loves to be independent and wants to do everything her siblings do.  She can dress herself with minimal help, put on her coat and shoes, and climb into her car seat.  She's often proud of her independent accomplishments and will exclaim "I do-ed it!" or "Na-Ne do-ed it!".  She also likes to pick out her own clothes, likely copying her sister.
~Natalie loves to be read to.  She often brings us a book, climbs onto our lap and states "Read it, Mommy/Daddy!"
~She continues to be a pretty strong leftie. She consistently eats and colors with her left hand.
~Natalie gives great hugs, including a tight squeeze and a pat on the back.  She also enjoys giving kisses, including real smooch noises! She has the sweetest voice, warming our hearts when she exclaims "Love you!"
~She has a beautiful smile that lights up her entire face and infectious giggle.  We love her so much!
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Happy 8th Birthday, Brennan!

Happy 8th Birthday, Brennan!

8?! How did this happen?  We are so proud of this young man!  Brennan has a wonderful, silly, caring personality.  He loves to make people laugh.  He's an inquisitive guy, always wanting to learn more.  Brennan is excelling at school and is the process of being further evaluated for gifted services.  He enjoyed playing on a soccer team earlier this year and is looking forward to another season.  Brennan recently joined Cub Scouts and is excited about participating in upcoming events.  

We celebrated Brennan's birthday with a Pokemon themed party at a local pizzeria with friends and family.  Unfortunately, he woke up with a fever on his birthday, but insisted we continue with his party as planned. He had a great time celebrating his special day!

An interview with Brennan:

Favorite subject at school: Reading

Favorite special class at school: Gym

Favorite sport: Football

Favorite game: Pie face

Favorite book: Captain Underpants

Favorite toy: Legos

Favorite Cedar Point ride: Corkscrew

Favorite color: Black

Favorite joke: Knock knock jokes

Favorite song: Believer by Kidzbop
Favorite food: Hamburgers
Favorite things to do: Collect Pokemon cards, Play outside, Watch sports, Read, Draw, Play Video games, and Assemble Legos

What I want to be when I grow up: Football player or Police Officer

We love you, Brennan!


Current Stats:
Height: 4ft 5 inches (85th percentile)
Weight: 67 lbs (82nd percentile)

18, 19 and 20 Months

We've been so busy having fun and making memories, I have not been good about documenting Natalie's latest tricks!  She's growing up very fast and making us smile every day with her sweet charm and silliness!

~Natalie is a chatty girl!  She says new words nearly every day and is speaking in short phrases.  She enjoys labeling objects (e.g., "Brennan's toothbrush", "Gavin's backpack").  She's also able to describe actions (e.g., "Abby's sleeping").  Natalie is very polite, nearly always saying "Please" (e.g., "Up, please, Mommy!"), "Thank you", "You're welcome" and "Excuse me".  Some other often heard phrases are:
-"I do it myself!" Followed by "I do-ed it!"
-"Help, please, Mommy/Daddy"
-"I want _____, too, Mommy/Daddy"
-"I don't know!" (complete with gesture)
-"Come here Mommy/Daddy" (complete with a gesture of waving her hand/arm)
-"Why, Mommy/Daddy?"
-"Want out please, Mommy/Daddy"
-"Oopsy daisies!"
~Natalie finally cut all 4 canine teeth. 
~Natalie is officially weaned.  She nursed only at bedtime for a few minutes.  She did well after we lessened the amount of time she ate each night and Daddy putting her to bed instead of Mommy.  I will forever miss nursing our babies.
~Natalie loves to dance!  She likes to bounce and wave her hands/arms
~In addition to talking, Natalie also likes to sing.  Some of her favorites include Twinkle Twinkle Little Star (sang as "Twinkle twinkle little star), Happy Birthday (sang as "Happy birthday to you!", Skinamarinky Dinky Dinky Dink (sang as "Love you in the morning. In afternoon"), and the Alphabet (In it's entirety! Even with "Now I know my ABCs, Next time sing with me"). She often sings the alphabet when her siblings are swishing their mouth wash (our timer for swishing!)
~Natalie is able to point to and name several body parts -- Fingers, hands, belly, belly button, arm, ears, eyes, hair, toes, feet and legs.
~She loves to give hugs ("Huggies!").  She'll give a big squeeze and sometimes pack your back.
~Natalie likes to be clean.  She often immediately asks for a paper towel after getting food on her fingers or her high chair tray.
~Natalie is showing some interest in toilet training.  She often tells us when she soils/wets her diaper (Mommy/Daddy!  Poop! Diaper!).  She enjoys sitting on the toilet and will only want to get off after wiping and being told she can flush.
~Natalie is very observant and wants to do and say everything her siblings do! 
~Natalie is such a sweet, happy and lovable girl!  She has a sweet and hilarious personality and we love her to pieces!

16....and 17 Months!

We've been so busy and having so much fun, I didn't get to blog about Natalie's 16th month!  Enjoy this double edition of Natalie's growth!

~Natalie continues to want to be a big kid.  She often imitates her siblings and wants to do what they do.  They are great with her and help her join in!
~Her gross motor skills are great! She's now running and climbing into just about everything. She also enjoys climbing the ladder to our backyard swing set is able to climb independently.  Thankfully, she'll climb the first rung and call out for Mommy or Daddy to stand by before climbing further so we can be there, just in case.
~We're suspecting she may be a lefty.  While she has plenty of time to establish a dominant hand, she often colors and uses her left when feeding herself with utensils.
~Natalie now only naps once a day.  We had several days of her napping fine in the morning, but fighting her afternoon nap after a few minutes of playing in her crib.  She transitioned easily and is going great!  We're all enjoying more flexibility with our mornings, as we don't need to work around her nap. Upon waking, she'll call for Mommy and/or Daddy.
~She loves walking around in dress up heels with a purse or phone in one hand and a baby in another.
~I've said it before, but I'll say it again.  I LOVE language acquisition!  Her receptive language skills are great and is able to understand a lot!  She is able to identify and point to her/our nose, eyes, mouth, hands, hair, belly, fingers, feet and toes.  Natalie is able to repeat many words with clear articulation--although she makes it sound extra cute in her sweet little voice.  We've been working on a list of her spontaneously spoken words, which grows every day! Here's what we came up with, in no particular order:
~~Hi
~~Hello
~~Bye bye
~~Go-go
~~Shoes
~~Ball
~~Flower
~~Car
~~Mommy
~~Daddy
~~Abby
~~Abigail (Abby-gail)
~~Brennan (Benn-nen)
~~Gavin  (Gag-gin)
~~Natalie (Na-ne)
~~Book
~~Bed
~~Bite
~~Please
~~Thank you
~~Plate
~~Bowl
~~Done (said while handing us her plate after a meal)
~~Minnie
~~Cupcake
~~Room
~~Tracy
~~Kacey
~~Doggy
~~Bath
~~Cheese
~~Cracker
~~Cookie
~~Box
~~Bag
~~Beep
~~Baby
~~Eyes
~~Hand (usually when she wants to hold our hand)
~~Hair
~~Belly
~~Juice
~~Cup
~~Potty
~~Yucky
~~No
~~Yes
~~Yeah
~~Barley (pet dog at the babysitter's house)
~~Grandma
~~Grandpa
~~Sock
~~Stop
~~Bottle
~~Barbie
~~Help
~~Ouchie
~~Poop
~~Up
~~Hot
~~Yogurt
~~Food
~~Apple
~~Banana
~~Chips
~~Mail
~~Outside
~~Again
~~Stuck
~~Donut
~~Dirty
~~All gone
~~All done
~~Brush
~~Toothbrush
~~What? (in response to her name being called)
~~Guppy
~~Yummy gummy (What we call chewy vitamins)
~~Out
~~Here
~~Here go
~~Cars
~~Come on
~~Milk
~~On
~~Shirt
~~Upstairs
~~Downstairs
~~Blankie

And some phrases:
~~Hi _____! (Mommy, Daddy, Abby, Brennan, Gavin, Baby, Birdie, etc)
~~Love you! (A personal favorite!)
~~More bite
~~Ew, throw away

She is also labeling items - Abby's toothbrush, Brennan's shirt, etc. 

Allergy Testing

We took the kids to the allergist this summer.  Here are the results:

Brennan had another skin test.  He is still allergic to peanuts and will continue to need to carry an EpiPen. Luckily, this test went much better than his original experience.  Last time, he was desperate to itch his reaction spot on his back - to the point of tears and trying to rub his back on anything he could.  This time, they pricked his arm and he did not seem to be bothered by it at all.  The doctor recommended re-testing in 3 years.

Gavin had a skin test on his arm.  Previously, he had blood work and a skin test that indicated a reaction, but not to the degree of needing an EpiPen. We've avoided peanuts, but wanted more specific and updated information.  His first skin test was inconclusive, so we repeated the test the same day. Based on the reaction, and since he's never consumed any peanut products, the doctor requested blood work for additional information and to rule out a false positive.  Gavin did amazing during his blood draw and didn't even flinch, amazing the phlebotomists. Results indicated a positive reaction to peanuts.  He was also prescribed an EpiPen. The doctor recommended re-testing in 1 year.

Abigail had a skin test and did not react!  She's still getting used to the idea of eating peanut products, as she's used to hearing that the boys cannot eat things that have peanuts.

Natalie did not come with us during the original appointment, but the doctor recommended testing for her due to the boys' reactions.  She had a skin test when we received Gavin's blood work results.  She was tested for peanuts and milk, as her face sometimes becomes red in spots where yogurt may have gotten on her face. She did not react to dairy.  The peanut test was repeated due it becoming slightly red.  After another prick on her back, it was determined that she is not allergic.  We're now suspecting that her face reacts to dyes in foods, but it will quickly fade after she is cleaned off. Gavin had similar reactions at her age.

Happy 5th Birthday, Gavin!

Happy 5th Birthday, Gavin!

Our sweet, goofy Gavin is 5 years old!  He's an intelligent, hilarious and inquisitive young man.  We're so proud of him!  We celebrated Gavin's birthday with a roller coaster themed  party at a local park.  We followed up with gifts and more sweets at home!

~Gavin loves to be goofy and make others laugh.  He has the best belly laugh!

~He is extremely observant, noticing even the smallest details of his environment.  He'll comment or ask about these details later.  For example, he'll talk about locations we've been at by describing the color of things he saw (e.g. the park with the blue slide that is twisty and the stairs that are green).  While drawing roller coasters, he includes small details (e.g., A red light at the top of the hill).  Also, while shopping, he'll inquire if we're going to particular aisles to get desired items (e.g., Can we go to aisle 8 to get cereal?). 

~Gavin is enrolled in the Pre-K classroom at Wee Care preschool in Fremont 3 days a week.  While his academic and social skills are strong, he still naps daily.  With his late August birthday, he could attend kindergarten this year, but he would be very young. This year will be great for him to further develop his skills and he be all set to go for kindergarten next school year!

~Speaking on academics, Gavin is doing great! He can verbally identify and write all upper and lower case letters.  He is able to write his name and his siblings' names without a model. He's also working on identifying letter sounds.  He can count well over 100.  Gavin is also doing great with math and is able to answer applied math problems (e.g., If I make 2 more baskets, I'll have 10!  If I give you two crackers, I'll have 3)

~Gavin continues to love gross motor/ball games.  He rarely walks by a ball without throwing or kicking it.  He's able to throw very far and drop kick small and large balls.

~He loves roller coasters!  He enjoys going to Cedar Point and riding the rides.  While he sometimes needs a little encouragement to ride new rides, he quickly loves them!  At home, he can turn just about everything into a roller coaster (blocks, cars, forks, books), complete with noises - clicks of the chains, cars rushing by, screams of riders, air breaks, and operators ("Enjoy your ride on Maverick!" Welcome back, how was your ride?")

~While Gavin knows how to push his siblings' buttons, as any brother would do, he's also extremely kind, sweet and considerate.  He loves to give hugs and hold their hands. He praises them often and speaks in a sweet mother-ease to his littlest sister. He's a great kid!

Stats:

Height: 43.5" 58th percentile

Weight: 37lbs 21st percentile

15 Months!

Little Miss Natalie is 15 months old!

~Natalie is becoming quiet the speed walker!  She's a girl on the go!  We anticipate that she'll be running soon. 

~Her top molars are finally completely cut through. We suspect that her bottom molars will soon make an appearance. 

~Until recently, Natalie nursed 4 times a day - morning, brief snacks before naps and at bedtime.  Throughout the summer, we weaned her down to only nursing at bedtime. Her nap time routine consists of reading a few books while drinking a sippy cup of milk and singing a few songs.  She's done very well with the transition and goes to sleep easily.  She seemed to indicate wanting to nurse in the morning for a few days after being weaned from that feeding.  She would point to the recliner in her room and the boppy pillow while stating "Dis!" and make a sad face when we left her room.  She was content with a sippy of milk instead. 

~Natalie is very observant and enjoys mimicking her siblings.  Some of our favorite examples: Wanting to spit in the bathroom sink after brushing her teeth; Prepping and successfully launching a stomp rocket; Brushing her hair; and Wanting to have a bowl/plate and utensils at mealtimes.

~ We believe we're at the beginning of a language explosion!  Natalie is adding more words, speaking very clearly, and is more likely to repeat words and sounds. She very clearly labels "Daddy", "Mommy" and "Abby".  She enjoys making animal noises, including sounds for ducks, sheep, cats and horses.  She says "Beep! Beep!" in response to the microwave timer going off.  She also says "Beep! Beep!" while playing with cars.  Other commonly heard words include "ball", "car", "mine", "help", "up" and something that sounds very similar to "thank you". 

~Natalie's receptive language is awesome!  In addition to understanding requests/etc., she also understands associations.  For example, she goes to her room when we talk about changing her diaper, she gets her shoes when we mention leaving, she goes to the bathroom when we mention bath time, and goes to her highchair when we tell her it's time to eat.
~Natalie is able to identify her belly, nose, eyes and hair.  She also says "belly" and "eyes" when pointing to them. 

~Natalie is a bit of a Momma's girl.  She often gets jealous if one of her siblings sits on Mommy's lap.