Updates for Natalie

I've been falling asleep right after Natalie's bed time pretty consistently, so finding time to write has been difficult. With no time in the evening most days, that leaves only 1-2 hours during her nap. But, there really isn't too much to tell about other than the new things Natalie has been up to. I've been feeling a little less nausous, and we've been snowed in a couple times. That's about it!

• Saying "moo" and "ba" for cows and sheep, usually correctly.
  
• Singing "ba ba buma" from the Sesame St song after we sing it.
  
• New words: play, bowl, sit, and stir.
• Very close to climbing on the coach on her own.
  
• Dealing alright with other kids at play group taking her toys and pushing her and telling her what to do. Also doing okay with me taking toys from her and returning them to who she's taken them from, though that happens less often.
  
• Saying bye to the fish in the bubble light when its time to go back upstairs.
  
• Stomping her feet to "If you're happy and you know it" and sometimes clapping her hands.
  
• Raising her arms and moving her fingers for "The Itsy Bitsy Spider."
• Sometimes clapping along with a familiar Kai-lan song.
  
• Putting magnets from one of her toys on the fridge, and experimenting with other surfaces to see if they'll stick.
  
• Saying "night night" and laying down on the floor, or pillows.
• Very excited about Miss Linda at play group. Often takes things over to show her. Loves meeting her at her chair to get her sticker when its time to go.
  
• Stirs with a spoon. Takes her bowl and spoon in the morning to do it before I put the oatmeal in. Also does it with her toy spoon and tea cups. Said "stir stir" as she was doing it this morning.
• Continued progress with spoon and fork at dinner. She often puts them in the food, but can't seem to get the food to stay on. She'll say "again" to ask for food to be put on for her.
  
• Filled in the word "rain" in Pete's a Pizza once. Pete's a Pizza and If You Give a Mouse a Cookie are her new must have bed time stories.
  
• If we brush her teeth in the tub, she will brush her toy duck's teeth. She asks to brush her teeth during the day. She loves how I hold her on my hip and brush with her looking in the mirror.
• Doing well is sliding her butt down one stair at a time. We can let her go the last two or three steps alone pretty safely.
  
• Doing well holding our hands when in parking lots, but not so much when in a store.
  
• More accepting of wearing her mittens. I wonder if its because she realized her hands stay warm or that I wasn't giving in?
• Loves stealing my slippers and wearing them on her hands / arms. Found out yesterday she also loves it when my then naked toes tickle her neck in retaliation.
  
• Throws things down and says "no" when things aren't working how she wants them to.
• When I found a gross clump of wet cat litter on the stairs and made a face and grossed out sound, she started going "icky."
• Says "pa" for a picture of a grandpa in a book she likes. I'm wondering if its because she thinks he looks like her grandpa, which it does.
  
• And, perhaps best of all, she stayed with the babysitter for about 2 1/2 hours, including her dinner, with no problems! She was sitting in the baby sitters lap reading a story within 5 minutes of her arrival!