IFSP Updates, St. Patrick's Day Fun, ... March 12 - 18, 2012

World's Cutest "Big" Little RockStar...

Kaetlyn's Thoughts
We're *very* late in getting this out this week; you'd think Mom would've gotten this out sooner.  But, we didn't...better late than never, she says!

This past week was my bi-annual IFSP Update with my therapists (Ms. Erin and Ms. Colleen)and my Family Resource Coordinator, Ms. Jayna.  It was a good update.  I met *ALL* my gross motor goals and thensome for the year already.  So, we set some new gross motor goals:  jumping, walking up and down stairs, running with coordination and walking more steadily on uneven surfaces.  I tend to do really well with my Gross Motor goals - I like to MOVE!!  I have met some of my communication goals - signing 5 signs (I have 12!) and making 3 new sounds (moo, baa, and *almost* oink count...I say *almost* oink because I mouth it, but no sound comes out yet except a whispered ooooooo :))  We will work a lot in the communication area over the next few months, focusing on vowel/consonant sounds and getting to the point where I say "DaDa" and "Mama" and use those to call my parents (as opposed to just hollering, crying, or tugging on their hands and them responding!).  We'll be trying to work on one new sign a week, and we'll be using my Baby Signing Time videos and flash cards to do that.  I am actually really into these right now.  We'll be spending a lot of time on oral motor skills and tongue work.  My Daddy is going to be doing some communication training that he'll bring back and work on with all of us.  It's called "It Takes Two To Talk" and is from the Hanen Center.  They are offering it though my therapy center and it's *free* for those doing it through the center!  We're pretty excited about this and what we will learn.

St. Patrick's Day was celebrated with gusto at home and at school by all things green. At school, we got to play in green water...

After we played in the water, I showed Mrs. Linda what a big girl I am by going and sitting in the teacher's seat and singing the Baby Bumble Bee song...I was trying to get my friends to sing along!!

At home, to celebrate St. Paddy's, I got to wear green...

While it seemed like all Mommy's friends across the country enjoyed warm weather for St. Paddy's Day, we got...SNOW.  So, we didn't get to go out and play.  That said, the next day was actually pretty nice, so we went for a walk in the neighborhood and I got to drive my car...

Overall, it was a nice weekend - I did some yoga on Baby Sister Grace...

Got to read stories with Daddy and Gracie...

Discovered a new game I LOOOOVE and keep trying to get Gracie to play with me...


And stole Mom's phone to get a "self-portrait"...

Next week, my Gramma Ward comes to visit...I'm SO excited! :)

Gracie's Perspective

I had quite the week this week.  I am officially into EVERYTHING and can speed-demon crawl across the floor to get to pretty much anything.  I am LOVING this new freedom and have to be in the middle of everything, in particular, anything my Big Sister Kaet is doing!

My teachers at school are already getting ready to break out the walker toys because I have to stand up on EVERYTHING!

And if I'm not standing, I'm crawling across the floor...

Or playing with my feet :)

One VERY fun thing I did this week was that I got to go to work with my Mommy on Saturday.  I know - Saturday work sounds not so fun - but it was for Mom's volunteer gig with Special Olympics, so it was more fun than regular work.

Gracie demonstrating her helpful work techniques...

All that working is EXHAUSTING, I have to say!

In the corner of Mommy's office!

In other news, I ate my first Mum Mum this week and LOVED it...

However, I did NOT love the bananas that followed...

I know I mentioned that I like to stand up on things and am ALL over the place...let me demonstrate:

Everything in the living room is fair game...I'm ready to climb on this stool!

And yes...I climbed up one stair.  Mom and Dad are in trouble!

Raising myself up to get a good kiss from Kaia...

What you lookin' at, Mom?!

We ended the week with a good brisk walk outside (Kaetlyn got to drive her car...I was SO jealous!), but I got to ride with Dad, so that was pretty cool...

Afterwards, however, I was pretty tired.  All that movin' and groovin can make a girl EXHAUSTED!!!

No better place to sleep than on my Dad.

It was a great week for all of us.  Hope you had a good one too! :)

School Days, Museum Fun, & Growing up TOOO Fast...March 5 - 11, 2012

Kaetlyn's ThoughtsI had a really fun week playing with my friends at school and with my Baby Sister Grace.  I am turning out to be a real ham (I know this is news to everyone) and I love all kinds of adventures and learning!

This week at school, I made my teachers laugh because I was little Miss Adventure.  We had paint sensory time and I got to play in paint at the sensory table and also taste the paint :)

After that, we had a fun party for my friend, Christopher, who is moving out of Tod's into the 2's class.  We had cupcakes and crackers.  I "borrowed" a friend's plate, but only got her crackers...I savored every last bite of that cupcake though!

After our yummy party, I relaxed with my feet up and Mrs. Linda and Miss Erin thought I was really funny.

We had some time outside where I was "hangin' with my friends" - literally!

Me, Dominic, Avery, Aarush & Ashwin

At home, bathing with and hanging out with my Baby Sister Grace is becoming a thing of ritual.  I love playing with her...

Mommy says I'm really cute at bath time, so we had to share these pictures...

Daddy's "Hair Art"

Sweet Kaety, Full of Mischief!

Finally, we spent some time at the Seattle Children's Museum and I got to go ALL over this time.  It was really fun and we "visited" some interesting places while I was there:

I played inside a whale's mouth!

Sat on a cool "chair"

Learned all about shopping with my VERY OWN CART!

Visited Latin America and drove a bus...

And played some cool instruments.

Played with some new friends...

Then took a trip to Japan...(am I supposed to stand on the table?!)

NO!  We're supposed to SIT at tables!

Rode the "subway"

Learned about construction safety...

And did a little construction myself.

And went for a boat ride...

After all that, I learned the fine art of sliding down an "icy fjord" like a penguin...

WHEW!  What a week! :)

Gracie's Perspective
I'm here to tell you, if you think Kaety had a big week, watch out...mine was even BIGGER! 

I went to the dr. to visit for my 6 month visit and to get shots :(  I did not like the 3 shots I received at ALL, and I cried - REALLY hard.  It made my Mommy sad, but I got over it before she did and passed out shortly after having them for a nice hour-long nap!

I showed off my fancy sitting skills and bouncy skills to Dr. P and Nurse Amy, but they were still able to get these fun facts, which my Mom has graciously supplied in comparison to my Big Sister Kaet at this age:

             GRACIE 6 MOS                KAETY 6 MOS
Height         26"                                26 1/2"
Weight        16 lb, 12 oz                     17 lb, 2 oz
Head           16 1/4"                           16 1/2"

To all of our surprise, I'm a bit smaller than my big Sis!  But I'm gettin' there! :)

Sweet Gracie waitin' on shots...

In other news, it's been a Big, Big week for me.  I have TWO (count 'em TWO!) teeth that came in on the bottom this week.  The other big news of the week...I'm CRAWLING!  Mom can't believe it.  I went from being a sitter to basically crawling all over within two weeks.  And from last Friday to Sunday, it was like a complete world of difference in my crawling skills.  Watch out world...here I come!

Here is a video Mommy shot of me "crawling" on Friday:

And here is me Sunday...pretty impressive, aren't I?!

Oh!  And more news...I'm also pulling myself up on things. It started with me pulling myself up in my crib at school and by the end of the week, I was doing it on all sorts of items at home and out and about!!!

Mom loves all the big news this week, but she would like me to slow down just a little.  She says she hopes that next week she doesn't have to post that I'm all of a sudden walking!!!

I've tried to be very helpful this week, but maybe I'm a bit too helpful...here I am "helping" Daddy open some wine:

And just because I'm cute, the gratuitous bath shot...

I enjoyed myself at the Seattle Children's Museum...maybe not quite as much as Kaety, since I got to travel around in this get-up:

But it was still fun - especially when I got to get down and play with her.  I love her!

Sisters <LOVE>