New Year, New Skills

OK, so these skills are not exactly new as of 2009 (although Sophia's is only a day or two old) but there are a few cool things that both kids can do now that they couldn't do recently.

Sophia has uttered a 13 word sentence. She regularly amazes us with her linguistic aptitude, but for some reason this particular sentence stuck in my head. She was on her bed having just received a diaper change, and she said (something like) "I need down, I need to put this in garbage in Jacob's room" which is where the diaper genie is. So down she went and put her old diaper where it was supposed to go. The crazy thing is she is always taking in big sentences like this. Sure, she misses an article or two here and there, but really, who doesn't. She rarely makes those "me-you" mistakes she used to, but there are a couple of new common errors: "I doed it" (instead of "I did it") and "I break it together" (instead of "I break it apart") when she is done a puzzle and wants to disassemble it and start again.


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Sophia's drawing ability is also proceeding. Just yesterday, she began to draw faces. Out of the blue. like with a circle-type thing, then eyes and mouth. And then arms coming out of the ears and legs coming out of the neck, but still, all the parts are there and she's actually pretty good at it. Before, the best she could do was a string on a balloon daddy had drawn. Her colouring is also all of a sudden better. Rather than random scribbling, she intentionally colours in someone's hand, or a face, or a ball, or something else in the picture. Of course, it is still scribbles, but it is very intentional and she even holds her marker or crayon sort of "normally" instead of in her fist like she used to.

Sophia drawing Sophia:


Jacob's skills are in a different category altogether. He is just starting to roll from his back to his side, to have some control over his hands and some control over his feet. Also, he is blathering more, holding his head up more, and smiling more. also drooling. a lot.

Jacob playing the jukebox:


And here is more evidence of his advancing manual dexterity, in the form of grabbing and holding on for dear life.

New improved Jacob with the kung-fu grip!

We are starting to try him in the bumbo and the jolly jumper from time to time, too. He is old enough, theoretically, but his head is still a little wobbly yet. Also, the harness thing he sits in is too big for him, even at the smallest setting. That's how small he is.

Jumping not so jolly yet. but soon.

He is starting to suck on more things as well. He is just starting to take a soother for a few tens of seconds at a time, then he will spit it out. He is finding his hand but isn't quite able to locate a thumb or a finger to suck, but when he has "the need," any lump will do, so we often find him slobbering all over the second knuckle of his index finger... and if you've never experienced a 3-month old slobbering over the second knuckle of his index finger, it is NOISY!!

latched to something other than mommy

ALSO: Christmas posts are coming, so be patient.