Joey: 9 months
This is a very happy baby. He loves to be tickled, to play with toys, look at books, take baths, go in the stroller, etc. He’s starting to get over his stranger danger and has willingly let non-mom people hold him. Joey has three teeth, and I really thought it would have been four by now. The right tooth of his two front teeth has been on the verge of cutting through for about two weeks. Joey shows no inclination to crawl or pull himself up. I should be happy that he is still immobile, but I know how much fun the big kids will have with him once he starts crawling. He just had his 9 month check up so I know that this chunker is almost 21 lbs. 40% of that is in his cheeks.
Trixie: 3.5 years
I remember around this time last year I was frustrated that Trixie never wanted to wear dresses. She had gotten a ton a cute dresses from an older cousin and I couldn’t get her to wear any of them. Well, the tide has turned. Now she will only wear dresses and only wear them with tights. She told me she needs to wear a dress to be able to dance. I guess she is just a girl with strong opinions.
Trixie has not shown the same level of independence when it comes to getting dressed that Johnny showed at this age. Up until recently she has needed (demanded) help with every stage of the getting dressed process. But just in the last few weeks she has figured out how to put on her underwear, pants (or more often tights) and socks (if tights are not being worn) by herself. If her head wasn’t so big I’m sure she’d be able to do shirts and dresses too. Once she masters that I will have practically 30 minutes of extra free time each day.
Trixie’s always saying the darnedest things, and her latest colloquialism is that when asking if she can do or have something she asks if “girls” can do or have it.
Examples from the last few days: Can girls have a piece of gum?
Can girls have chocolate?
Can girls blow bubbles?
Can girls go on your bed?
You get the idea.
Johnny: 5 years 11 months (Almost 6!!!)
April has been a very big month for Johnny. He got is cochlear implant activated on April first and has been adjusting to it beautifully. He has shown so much independence in learning how to take care of his speech processors and their batteries. He has been working really hard at school during all his speech therapy sessions. He has been confidently and enthusiastically telling everyone (even strangers) about his implants and what the different colored lights on his speech processors mean, and how to change and charge the batteries. Some times I think about what he was like two years ago, or even last year, and friends, he is like a different kid now. I am a very proud mother.
In non- cochlear news, Johnny is very into fitness and getting strong. Whenever he is doing something active, like biking or running, or jumping on the couch cushions, or swinging from the bunk beds, he will say it’s his exercise and that it is making him stronger. He also says the same thing about foods he eats. The chicken makes him strong. The cucumbers make him strong. The BBQ potato chips make him strong. He learned that last one from me.