December News

I thought I'd include a few pictures this time. As you can see both of the kids are very mobile and can get around really well. We've started using the baby gates to keep everybody coraled in whichever room we are going to be in the longest. Both Emma and Henry have learned how to (with Daddy's help mostly), master the step and a half from the backroom to the entry to the laundryroom/kitchen area. So now they follow me sometimes when I make a quick trip to the kitchen. Emma is working on pushing through her second tooth and after looking at it today I think it has finally broken through. Henry has his third coming in on his upper gums, but we still haven't seen it or felt it. We went to Dr.Kowalska's on the 6th for their 9 month checkup. "Perfecto" is what the doctor said for both of them. Remember Dr.Kowalska is Polish so we get phrases like that quite a lot and love it! Henry is now 18 pounds and Emma is 16 almost 17 pounds. They are still small for their age, but she said that they were fine. And obviously they are growing again. I've gone through their clothes again and have another two boxes of things they have outgrown. We've been lucky(kinda) that it hasn't gotten realy cold here so far this year. That has made the clothes that still fit last a little longer. Let's see-I'm trying to remember what else has been going on that we wanted to share. Emma's vocabulary is quickly growing. She now says "bye-bye" and waves-not all the time, but she understands what it means. Henry now says "my bot bot"-that's how he responds when I ask if he's ready for his bottle. They both know the routine now. We recently-before Thanksgiving bought two highchairs and life has become a lot easier at feeding time. They seem to like them and do really well. We have started introducing finger foods-cheerios, pieces of lunchmeat, American cheese, etc. Occasionally they manage to get a piece in their mouths with their own little fingers, but for the most part it's still Mom or Dad giving a helping hand. And we started them on juice the other day. They seem to like it, but are still adjusting. I think they may be slowly starting to understand the whole "be gentle" concept. They love touching each other-ears, cheeks, eyes, hair...they just tend to be a bit rough sometimes. But Jason and I have tried to show them how to interact with each other without making the other one scream or cry from hair being pulled on or someone grabbing or pinching. And they have been learning the word "no" and testing their limits! As for the visit with the caseworker from the county regarding speech therapy, well we don't qualify. Both of the kids are way to smart! Some of their development levels were at the level of a 16 month old! So that's a relief. They have discovered the Christmas tree, but have been pretty good about not pulling on the limbs or the ornaments. I keep a close eye on them and we've had to do some rearranging of decorations, but not much. Emma is starting to pull herself up on the furniture so it won't be long before she's walking we think. Henry has been watching her and has tried a couple of times, but he's still having issues with his balance. They are both growing so fast. Jason and I can't believe that it's almost been a year since they were born. That's about all for now. We will take lots and lots of pictures on Christmas and I'll get them posted asap. Merry Christmas and love to you all!