Fun with Family, More Milestones - September 10 - September 23, 2011

We've been REALLY busy around here (thus the reason this is a two-week update, rather than a one-week update!) lately with lots of family visiting and with getting used to having Baby Sister Grace around!  I'm proud to report I've been VERY VERY good with Baby Sister Grace and am learning that she's not all bad.  In fact, every time she cries, I crawl over to her bassinet and try to look into see her.  And then, I sign "baby" to let Mom or Dad know that she's crying.  For whatever reason, they don't seem to be as alarmed as I am!

I mentioned that we've had a lot of visitors and boy, have we!  My Uncle Kevin was here until the 11th and then we've had my Uncle Allan come visit, then my BROTHER, Brian came at the same time Mommy's aunt and uncle (my GREAT-Aunt Jean and GREAT-Uncle Alan) came to visit!  It's been LOADS of fun playing with all these people.  They also like to hold Gracie, but I get to play a LOT with them!

Uncle Kevin - Diaper Fairy!

Baby Sister Grace - relaxing in her bassinet

Uncle Allan meets Gracie for the first time.

Brian and Gracie

The big news for me this week is a MAJOR milestone.  I am WALKING behind a walker!  It's taken a long time and I've been working very hard at this.  While I'm pretty comfy walking with people holding my hands, I have really not been that comfortable walking by myself behind a walking toy...they move pretty fast, you know!  I have FINALLY decided that maybe these toys aren't so bad afterall!  You see, I really like walking.  But I'd rather RUN, and walking toys let me go FAST!!!  I first did it at school behind a shopping cart, and now at home, I'm all over the place with Nester, my dinosaur!  In addition to walking behind my toys, I'm getting brave and have taken one step by myself from the couch to the coffee table!  My Great-Aunt Jean and Great-Uncle Alan got to see that and were VERY impressed.

My shopping cart at school

LOOK AT ME!  I'm SOOOO proud!

I love to walk!

In addition to my fancy new walking techniques, I have been going gangbusters in trying to learn new signs.  I have four signs I that I do pretty consistently:  "more" "eat" "all-done" and "baby".  I also have done a two-word sentence:  "more eat" (can you tell I love food?).  We started speech therapy with Miss Erin this past week and she said I'm doing pretty good!  She will help me with more signs and more sounds so that eventually I'll be able to turn my incessant talking into something Mommy and Daddy can actually understand!

I've had lots and lots of fun playing in the last couple of weeks.  I got a new toy - a rocking horse, and I LOOOVE it.  Plus, I've gotten to play in my pool (it's been really nice here) and have done a ton of art projects at school...

Riding on my new rocking horse and playing with Daddy

Pooltime!

Playing with flour at the sensory table at school  (I ate some :))

Potato/paint art (I ate some of this too :))

My parents have a strange fascination with comparing babies to objects when we are small.  When I was little, you may recall, they did this with me.  Well, Baby Sister Grace is not going to get out of being a baby without the same treatment!

Baby Grace and the TV remote... (note, she does NOT like tummy time the way I did!)

Baby Grace and Daddy's shoe!

I had two doctor visits in the last week - one to Dr. P for my 15 month appointment and one to the GI doctor to talk about my puking issues.  The visit to Dr. P went well - I am 23 lb 14 oz and 31" tall with a  17.25" head circumference.  I'm about 40% in height, 60% in weight, and 5% in head...overall, Dr. P says I'm doing really well!  At the GI doctor, Mommy and Daddy told her that my daily Miralax regimen is not really doing much to help in the poop department.  So, I am taking Senna every other day now.  Also, the urping hasn't really changed that much.  In fact, last week, Mrs. Linda had to put me in a high chair for an hour at school while all the other kids were playing so that I was restrained and they could control the urpage cleanup area.  Mommy and Daddy don't want that to have to continue, so next week, we're going to do a "Gastric Emptying" study where they'll check to see how fast (or slowly) I digest my food.  From there, we'll make some further determinations about what to do for me to relieve the urping.  In the meantime, we'll just keep dealing with it...with a smile! :)

Milestones Galore! September 3 - September 9, 2011

I have had a STELLAR week.  Not only have we had lots of people here to visit Baby Sister Grace and me, but I've done some AMAZING things this week...I'm flying through some milestones!

This week, I reached down to play with one of my toys that's a ball and promptly stood up and held it out to my Daddy.  Then I realized I was standing up, not holding onto anything, and I had to sit down right away...it was a little scary!!  I repeated this performance 10 or 11 times over the course of the week.  I'm still not standing on my own, but Mommy and Daddy think that my "accidental" standing is a great thing and a sign that I'm ready!

In addition to my standing on my own milestone, I've become much more consistent at signing "More", "Eat", and "All Done".  Mommy and Daddy are working on "Baby" because, well, there's a lot of baby talk around here!  Everytime Baby Sister Grace cries, I have to go over and see her and figure out what is going on.  I then like to sign "More" or "All Done" when she cries.  Mommy thinks "More" is not necessary in that instance!

Also, at school, I've been trying to show Mrs. Linda how I can put my own shoes on!  I like to take my shoes and socks off and play with my shoes (and chew on my socks).  But this week, I tried to put my own shoes on all by myself.  Mrs. Linda was very impressed and told my Daddy and Mommy I was trying to be a big girl!

My Grandma Ward left this week to go home, but my Uncle Kevin came to visit.  He spent a lot of time learning about diapering and snuggling and playing with me and Baby Sister Grace.  I love my Uncle Kevin!

Uncle Kevin & Gracie

While Uncle Kevin was here, the weather was FANTASTIC, so I got to play in my pool in the back yard.  I LOOOVE my pool and splashing water.  It was SO MUCH FUN!

Splashing around in my pool

Pool toys are yummy

In other news, I spent a LOT of time playing this week.  At school, I tried to push a grocery cart.  I'm still not wild about walking behind a walking toy (it's scary!), but I'm starting to get a little more interested in them!

Shopping cart at school

I also spent a lot of time playing with my Baby Sister and trying to get used to her.  She's not so bad, I'm finding out!!

Mommy, Gracie and Me...out for a walk.

Gracie after a hard day :)

The Circle of Life...August 20 - September 2, 2011

It's been two weeks, rather than one since I had an opportunity to share what's been going on.  It's been quite a ride these last two weeks.  Mommy wasn't able to help out last weekend or earlier this week, so we've been a bit inhibited, since I can't get on the computer myself...YET!  This two-week period has been filled with ups and downs and I've gotten to learn a little about the Circle of Life. 

The two-week period started out a bit rough, when we found out over the weekend of August 20th that my oldest dog, Jesse, who has been struggling with seizures and thyroid issues for years, was really at the end of her ability to take the medicines that have been helping keep her stable.  My poor Jesse was in liver failure, so we had to send her to play ball with the Big Man in the Sky on Monday the 22nd.  I will miss her very much, as she was the most tolerant, sweet doggie in the world.  Mommy and Daddy say she'll watch me and my Baby Sister grow up from Heaven.

My Jesse Dog

Despite the rough beginning, we did have a good week later in the week when my Grandma Ward and Grandpa Lynn came to visit.  They came to watch me when Baby Sister comes and I got to play LOTS with my Grandma. 

Speaking of Baby Sister, the Circle of Life completed itself on Monday, August 29th at 2:17 p.m. (about 1 week to the day AND the hour after we had to let Jesse go), when my Baby Sister Grace was born!  I AM A BIG SISTER!!!!

Pretty proud of being a BIG sister!

Baby Sister Grace Margaret Spivey, Born 8/29/11 2:17 p.m. - 7 lb 10 oz, 20" long

I am not so sure about my Baby Sister Grace yet.  She makes a lot of crying sounds pretty often and I can't figure out what all the squawking is about.  I am fascinated with watching Mommy hold her and though I was pretty upset about that on the first day, I am coming to grips with the fact that she has to hold Gracie a lot.  I really do like to stand near Mommy when she's holding Gracie to look at her.  I like to touch Gracie's back and head - I've learned that nice touches are good ;).  Not nice touches get me in trouble, which I don't like at all!  On the positive side, Gramma Ward is still here (though Grampa Lynn went home), so I get to play a LOT with her and she's been helping out with making sure I get lots of attention.  Also, my Big Sissy has been helping out a lot because she hasn't yet left for college this fall :)

Me and my two sisters at the hospital...Big Sissy Megan and Baby Sister Grace

Learning to eat with a big girl fork - Gramma Ward helping me!

Mommy, Daddy, and Baby Sister Grace

In other news, there were several other notable and fun things that went on in the past two weeks.  First of all, my teacher, Miss Patti left and went to teach at a local elementary, so I got a new teacher, Miss Erin.  Miss Erin is very nice and plays a lot.  The most fun thing that happened the last two weeks was that we had PONY VISITS at school!!!  They had ponies come to our school and we got to sit on them and the bigger kids got to ride them around the playground!  It was a real adventure :)

Riding a pony at school with my new teacher, Ms. Erin, helping me balance

Waiting on my friends to ride the pony too...sitting with my friend Peyton.

I haven't had therapy or gotten to see Ms. Colleen this week because Mommy's been so busy, but we will start back the week after next.  Ms. Colleen is going to be SHOCKED at what a big girl I am.  In the last week, I've made some real progress - not just with Baby Sister Grace!  I now will pick up and rock and hug my Baby Doll.  I have started to try to ask for things a little by signing "more", "all done", "eat", and "bath".  I don't do it consistently, but it is pretty clear when I do it.  When Ms. Colleen comes next, she'll be bringing a new person, a Speech Therapist named Ms. Erin (different than my teacher!), so hopefully she'll help me even more!  I sure am going to teach my Baby Sister Grace a lot of things.  I'm going to be a GREAT big sister!


Random picture of the week...I love to help with laundry!!!

Laundry is VERY fun to watch!

Mommy's going to be home for the next couple of months while Gracie grows, so hopefully she'll help me (and Gracie) keep everyone up-to-date on time from now on!  I can't wait to share all our adventures together as sisters!  Have a great week everyone...I'm sure going to! :)

Gracie after her first bath

Big Sister Sunglasses from Aunt Rachel O.  (note...no batteries in these! :) )