Changes are happening fast and furiously these days! The one that means the most to us is that Willow continues to sleep through the night. Whew! I think our endless days of constant waking during the night are over. (Notice I said constant. I know it will still happen occasionally.)
The one that will mean the most to her and mean more exercise for us is that Willow is walking on her own more and more. She still likes to take the easy way out and crawl or be picked up and carried but she is really beginning to like this bit of independence.
Speaking of which, I have come to believe that when she uses the word, "No." (and what I really mean is when she shakes her head which is quite often) that it too is a form of independence for her. It cracks me up when I offer her something and as she is taking it from me, she shakes her head as if she doesn't want it! Of course, there are times that she really does mean, "NO!"; we are able to discern the difference in her desire by the more emphatic head shaking she uses. We are also trying to add "Yes" to her head movements.
It also seems as if she is really trying use words. (I swear that she said, "red" when I asked her what color the balloon was in "Good Night Moon". I suppose I could have been delirious.) We are having to listen more closely to what she says because her usual sounds - "grrr", "bunn", etc. - are being used to identify other things than just Tigris (one of our cats) and the bunnies and in the right context. Michael and I often have to stop and try to make the same connection that she is. She recognizes things familiar to her such as the logo of a lion on a truck on the highway which amazingly enough looked a lot like the lion walker/rider she received from Aunt Kathleen, Uncle Howie and the girls. Again, as she pointed out the windshield and exclaimed, "Huh", I had to think what she was connecting it to.
Willow's interest in music continues to grow. She will stop whatever she is doing when she hears music so that she can sway and move her hands to it. Sometimes, it looks like she is conducting! (And this could be the delirium talking again but it seems that she is even trying to move to the beat. What do you think? The next Zubin Meta or Arthur Feidler, perhaps?!)
Willow has learned to work her Learning Puppy like a fiddle and can find the one song that she wants to listen to over and over and over and over and over... And, after I do "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" or "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" a couple of times she is trying to imitate the movements. We had some challenges with Peek-A-Boo (she would put the backs of her hands over her eyes and then not move them); however, just yesterday, she picked up the "Baby Moves - A Flap Book" from Aunt Valerie and Uncle Rick and when she saw the "Peek-A-Boo" flap, she immediately began doing it right! (Thanks, Val!)
She is also beginning to show an interest in soft toys. Each morning, she will point to a different one in her room and hug it with the biggest smile on her face.Willow is more trusting and warms up to people more easily. Although she is still reluctant to be held by others at first, she is much quicker with a "hello" to passers-by and makes sure to sound an enthusiastic "Buh-Bye" to announce that she has left a store or restaurant.
I have heard parents say that it all goes by so quickly. That their children change and grow in the blink of an eye. I often wondered how that could be when they are with them 24/7. Now I understand. Willow does so many new things over the course of a day, week, month (or two) it is hard sometimes to remember them all. But oh my, how she has grown.
1 comment:
Wow - this is fun to watch! She definitely has a strong aptitude for music. What a cutie!
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