WEEK 28 - December 2 - 7, 2010 - 27 Weeks Old

Christmas is coming!  We've entered December and Mommy and Daddy got our tree up and decided they needed a photo shoot to get me in front of it. I was a good sport and as you can see, quite photogenic!



So...here's my big news for the week... I'm a SCOOCHER!  That's right people, I can move myself (backward) across the floor all the way across our living room.  It takes time and I've not yet perfected the practice, but good golly, I'm trying!  Mommy set me down the other night and went to go work on dinner and when she looked back a few minutes later, I had pulled the "disappearing baby" trick!  I was at the Christmas tree, looking at all those shiny baubles and ornaments just within my grasping reach.  (Mommy and Daddy have since moved said baubles out of my reach...spoil sports!)  Mommy was SHOCKED.  She called Daddy, then they set me BACK in the middle of the floor and I had to do it ALL over again...but they were sneaky and watched this time, taking pictures. 

Rolling over to prep for scooching...

Backing up...

Hey...this is FUN!

GOAL!

Later that night, Daddy got some quick video of my new skillage.  Mommy says she's either going to have to vacuum every day now so I don't end up covered in dog hair, or get more, bigger quilts on which I can play.  (I think she's going to find vacuuming every day to be a wee bit too taxing, and I'm guessing I'm going to get to eat some of that yummy dog hair before you know it!)


In other news, this past weekend I got to spend some time with my very good friend, Madison.  It was her Mommy's birthday, so we all went to dinner.  I got to visit with Gramma Doris (she spoils me with her big smiles and giggling!) and Grampa Jim and see Auntie Rachel and Uncle Jimmy and meet Madison's Papa.  We had such a great time and I really love the way Madison always wants to hold my hand.  It makes me really happy! 

Speaking of really happy, I'm digging all this moving around and getting to see the world.  Ms. Audrey took us on a buggy ride at school and I was the HAPPIEST girl on the trip.  I love to look at everything we pass by on our buggy rides...the fish tank, the front desk, other kids playing on the playground...ALL of it! 

My friends and me on a buggy ride...look how much fun I'm having!

After my buggy ride, Ms. Audrey took me back to class and went to give me a Baby Mum Mum snack and I surprised the heck out of her by literally snatching it out of her hand and making short work of that delicious biscuit.  I even fed it to myself!  Mommy and Daddy didn't know I could do that...at home I play it pretty low key and let them do it for me, but I think my act has been blown by the pictures Ms. Audrey took!

My other big news of the week was that Ms. Colleen came to school and not only did we do therapy (wherein I showed her my snazzy scooching skills), but she and Mommy also updated my IFSP (Individual Family Service Plan - basically the plan we follow with my Early Intervention team to help make sure I'm continuing to do meet milestones and move ahead).  I achieved almost all the milestones Mommy and Daddy set with Ms. Colleen and Ms. Donna back when I was 3 weeks old...the only one we still need to work on is having Mommy and Daddy start using signing more consistently with me.  Mommy says that when they set those initial goals, they would never have thought I would come this far this fast...but what they've learned is never to underestimate me!!!  Goals on my new IFSP include:

• increased communication skills:  more signing for Mommy and Daddy and for me to try to learn a few of my own to use by the time I'm a year old; also more talking for me - Mommy doesn't think I talk enough with consistent babbling...little does she know that when I start, I won't stop!
• increased self feeding (I'm happy to see they are going to keep me fed...I don't want to have to live on my reserves, you know!)
• more hard work on the gross motor skills:  Mommy and Ms. Colleen think I may be crawling in a couple of months and think that I can be pulling myself up to stand and cruising around the living room by the time I'm a year old...I'm up for the challenge!
• work on fine motor skills:  apparantly there's this "pincer grasp" thing they want me to try...if there's food involved, I'm in!

We'll see if I reach those goals, but one thing's for sure...with Mommy, Daddy, Sissy, Ms. Audrey and Ms. Colleen on my side, anything seems to be possible!

Oh!  And before I go...take a look at my first ever school photos!  I even smiled for the camera!!! :)