Updates

Okay, I should be going to bed, but I haven't written an update post in a long time.

William:

• Well, the biggie would be walking!  He started walking at 9.5 months.  He's walking everywhere now.  Very bow legged, but he has stopped holding his arms out like Frankenstien and has started to walk around objects.  
• William can also squat and stoop to pick up an object and then get back up without holding on to anything.  
• William claps his hands.  
• William mimics waving.  
• William dances.  It is very slight, but that makes it very cute.  
• William still enjoys slamming his hands on things getting his whole body into it.  
• William has started to drop his cup to get us to pick it up.  
• William says dada and mum.  These are clear words.  
• Less clear words are hi, yeah, and ba.  He says hi to me when I come to get him in the car.  Ba might mean boobies or ball or nothing. Yeah seems to be used just as a response, not really meaning yes.  
• William mimics sounds.  After seeing Nana, he started saying na na na, but not with any real purpose.  Same with saying mmm after hearing a story with lots of moo's in it.  
• William likes books!  The most awesome is seeing him reading a book in the car.  He also picks up book around the house to look at.  I can read him one or two books at bed time.  He likes to read a book in his high chair.  He likes flaps.  
• William sniffs.  Mike loves the face he makes when he does it.  
• William mimics Natalie's roaring.  
• William knows how to use a straw.  
• William likes to walk laps around the living room, but he also sometimes takes the time to stop and really focus on a toy. When he really looks at something, his brow furrows.  So cute!
• William likes to go under tables.  
• William understands no, but doesn't listen to it most of the time.  
• Unlike a few months ago, William now minds having a toy taken from him.  
• William is starting to bring a toy over to show it to us.  

Natalie:

• Natalie has some characteristic, yet negative almost three year old behaviors.  She is being contrary, bossy, and defiant.  Also being mean to her brother a lot more often (pushing him down and taking his toys).  While not very fun to live with, in some ways its nice to see her acting her age.  
• Natalie's JRA remission is allowing her to do many new things independently.  She can climb in and out of the both my car and the mini van without help.  She climbs up all sorts of things now: over the side of the couch, steps on slides, over the edge of the tub.
• Natalie has learned to open doors.  After over a week, she is starting to understand the appropriate times to come out of her room.  But, she is obsessed with closing doors, often leaving William locked in or knocking him down in the doorway.   
• Natalie's movement in her fingers is improved as well.  She can squeeze a glitter glue tube.  She is excited to use scissors.  
• After months of telling her to, Natalie is starting to cover when she sneezes.  
• Natalie can take on and off all her clothes below the waist.  She is still working on shirts.  
• Natalie is doing great with potty training.  It varies day to day, but most of the pee is making it in the potty.  
• Natalie loves rhyming.
• Natalie loves dancing - especially hula, but also ballet.  
• Natalie sometimes reads us books.  She has a huge assortment of stories she remembers, from books to TV shows.  Current favorite pretend games are tea party, camping, doctor (especially shots), Kai lan episodes, WALLE, and Lilo and Stitch. 
• Natalie likes to pretend she is specific people.  Usually, it is TV characters, but other times its people we know.  Her dolls are all named after our friend's baby for example.  
• Natalie is making progress on learning to peddle a tricycle.  
• I thought Natalie's speaking had started to level off to match her peers, but every so often someone is surprised by her vocabulary. 
• Natalie is back to her outgoing self.  She ran into the children's room yelling the librarian's name and gave her a hug.  She chased like four other kids pretending to be a monster (or was it a lion).  She gets up and dances during the train chant at the end of play group.  
• Natalie has mastered using her stool to get to all sorts of things she couldn't reach before.  The biggest thing is the faucet and the light switch.  
• Natalie can drink from a real cup or bottle without a lid.  She didn't have any interest in learning how before.