Walking makes her giggle

Just before nap today Megan was in our room with Will (that is where she went after climbing the stairs).  After I put Sam down I went to see what they were up to and Megan walked from Will to me.  We try to take advantage of any opportunity when she initiates walking so we stood there and she walked back and forth between us several times.  

She was so excited and happy that each time she would leave one of us and start walking she would start giggling and laugh so hard that she would throw her head back with glee.  She had all of us laughing to the point she had to stop walking because she just couldn't make it more than a couple of steps without knocking herself over.  

Growth spurt and hugs for Silas

A little over a week ago Megan started a growth spurt.  We knew it was happening because she started eating every single bite of breakfast, regardless of what it was, and even asking for more some days.  Over the span of a week she probably grew 1/2 an inch.  Pants that were so long she was walking on them now don't even touch the floor.  We marked her height on the pantry door and she is now at 33 3/4 inches (32 1/2 in late August) and is 1/2 an inch taller than Sam who was the same exact height.

I will be getting her 3T clothes out to see how they fit her.  It may be time to go up a size.

Yesterday when we were at our friend's house Megan was loving their 6 year old son.  He was sitting beside her watching her play on the iPad and she leaned in for a hug.  He didn't know what she was doing so he didn't respond; so she reached up and grabbed his shoulder to pull him in.  She hugged him at least 20 times and anytime he didn't immediately hug her back she would grab one shoulder and sometimes both of his shoulders and pull him into a hug.

Back to work

Megan worked really hard today.  She walked (holding Will's hands) from the car to the library, to/from the snack location and all over the house.  She stood and played at various surfaces for a total of 60-75 minutes.  She walked back and forth between us and from me to the couch multiple times.  We have been giving her a break the past several days because she wasn't sleeping much and was just too tired.

At lunch I walked her to her chair and on the way there Sam went over and pulled it out for her.  Anytime I walk her to her chair I let go of her hands a few steps away so that she walks the rest by herself.  Today when I was ready to do this Sam was right there and they stood there hugging and then he started walking backwards as she was walking forward.  I don't know if he was helping her or if she was using him but it was amazing and adorable at the same time.

Christmas recap

Christmas Eve we went out for our traditional special dinner.  This year we chose a Chinese Buffet to be different and a little funny like in all of the Christmas movies.  The kids loved the food, once Megan got to start eating off of daddy's plate.  When we got home it was time to open their Christmas jammies.  Neither kid is into wrapping paper so we had to work with them but once Sam got the paper free he stood up and took off with it.  He didn't care about the gift, he just wanted the paper.

Christmas day was wonderful.  Will made our cinnamon rolls and then we got the kids up.  We had their gifts separated by the tree and when I put Sam down he made a beeline for his tool bench.  He grabbed his circular saw with one hand and his drill with the other.  He didn't know what to do with them but he was so happy to carry them around.  Megan went right for her blocks wagon and figured out immediately how to make it talk and sing.  As soon as she had the wagon going Sam put his toys down and went and sat down with her.  The two of them played with that wagon for several minutes, just as happy as could be and probably would have stayed there for a lot longer if we hadn't moved them to show them more of their stuff.

Sam loved his train depot and his tractor.  He got on exactly as Will thought he would, which was backwards.  Megan showed his the buttons and he was loving it.  Once we went through making sure they knew about everything we just let them play - Megan was happy with her wagon and Sam with his tools.  I called for breakfast and Sam cleaned up his tools and ran to the table.

After breakfast it was time for them to give us our gifts and then to give their gifts to each other.  We were letting them play again until Megan saw me with her stocking and then they both wanted to check out what was inside.  After seeing everything and eating an animal cracker they were off again.

After nap we facetimed with Granny so she could watch them open her gifts to them.  Sam loved the slinkies and Megan went right after the books.  They played for a couple of hours and then we had Christmas dinner and I gave them their dessert.  Lemon creme pie with cool whip - no crust.  Man they both loved it.

Megan and Sam both had such a fun and wonderful day.

Big socks, tooth, giggles and "B"

Megan needed bigger socks this week, just all of a sudden.  Four days ago when I put her socks on they were fine, the very next day they were too small and her big toe was trying to break free.  We bought her new "big girl" socks - size 18-36 months.  :-)

The top left molar has finally pushed through about 80%ish of the surface area and she is already working on her last 2-year molar on her top right.  I hope this one is super fast and doesn't continue to keep her up nights.

In the mornings when Will gets Megan up while he is changing her he usually gets her giggling.  It is really the best sound to hear first thing in the morning.

Yesterday Megan was doing amazing with using her sounds and I got her to say "B" for books more than once.  It was very exciting.

What's for Christmas

Megan's Christmas Goodies:

Baby doll/stroller/car seat combo
Dressy outfit for baby
3 puzzles
4 race cars
Singing Pooh wagon with alphabet blocks
Purse with keys, compact, phone, coins/coin purse
Personalized horse chalkboard and write/erase board
Minnie Mouse book

Stocking Goodies:
Light-up bouncing balls
Crayon cup
Bubbles
Stamp
Light-up pinwheel
Giant glow stick
Christmas animal crackers
Flower notepad

Great day for babbling

Megan has been babbling so much more lately.  Today she was just chatting away off/on all day long.  I worked with her with the iPad and she mimicked the sounds I asked for to get me to turn it back on.  She did amazing with it - making the sound all but 2 or 3 times and those times she made the sign for it.  It was really cute, one time I asked her to make the 'p' sound and she did it very softly and shrugged her shoulders at me while doing it.

We made our rice krispie treat train today.  She had fun painting the butter into the mold, smashing the cereal into the mold and of course eating the finished product.

Waving to mommy and loving the library

Megan waved bye to me tonight.  It was super cute.  It has been a long time since she waved and I am happy to see her do it again.  

After spending some time at the park this afternoon we went to the library. Megan really enjoyed sitting in Will's lap reading lots of new books.  I gave them an "older kid" book about horses and she loved it.  Will said it had information in it about the evolution of horses so I said don't read it to her.  She LOVES it when the horse is on the iPad during Old MacDonald so I figured she would enjoy the book.  

Best days out of school ever!

Megan is now a full stair climber.  She has climbed the first few stairs several times but had never made it all the way to the top.  The past 2-3 weeks every time Sam was climbing the stairs she would go to the bottom and watch him all the way up.

Monday, a day she would normally be in school, she was ready to go.  She climbed the stairs, completely by herself 5 times before lunch.  She has done it several times since then.  When she wants to do it she goes to the first steps and beats on it until you go get behind her; and then she is off.

While running an errand one day her and Sam had so much fun in the car.  He would lean forward as far as he could in his car seat and look at her and she would do the same and then they would giggle.  This went on for several minutes and just made me smile.

Keeping her out of school

Megan usually attends school Monday, Tuesday and Thursday.  She gets all of her therapies on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  Last week, on Wednesday I received an email from her teacher stating that there was a confirmed case of the flu in her classroom.  I joking replied that Megan would see them in January (missing Thursday of last week and then Mon, Tues, Thurs of this week).  

I then asked her if she knew when the child started showing symptoms so that I could figure out if/when Megan had been exposed.  Her teacher wasn't sure but when I talked to my friend she confirmed for me which child it was and we figured it out.  Holly had started feeling poorly the previous Friday (Megan wasn't there) and then had been kept out of school on Monday and Tuesday and went to the doctor on Wednesday.  So Megan hadn't been directly exposed and she had already passed the 4 day window for symptom onset.  I was still on the fence about sending her to school the next day, just in case someone else started to come down with it; but then my decision was made for me.  

I received a response to my joke email reply that they now had a little one puking in the classroom.  Decision made.....no school on Thursday for Megan.   I found out that the flu and the Rota virus were making the rounds at the school.  

This weekend we are trying to figure out whether or not to send her to school on Monday and then I found out that one of her teachers is throwing up, one of the teachers kid's and husband are throwing up and the other one's husband is sick.  Wow - thinking Megan will be staying home tomorrow until we are sure the coast is clear.  I know she will miss it, but I would rather she miss the sickness too.  

Her "boyfriend"

On Monday while I was walking/jogging with Megan's teacher I asked her about the 3 or 4 different teachers who have said hello/goodbye to Megan in the hallway, but who I have never seen before.  She said it is from the playground and that everyone knows who Megan is.  Then she said, in fact, she has a boyfriend in Kindergarten.

His name is Javier and anytime he sees Megan on the playground he runs up to her.  If she is in her car he tries to get in with her.  If she is in the sandbox he gets in and plays with her.  How adorable is that - she has admirers.

When I got home will was watching TV and I sat down on the couch.  I always fill him in on anything I learn during my jog.  I would tell him bits and pieces while he continued to watch TV.  It took me a while to remember Javier so eventually I said "remind me to tell you about Megan's boyfriend" and he immediately paused the TV and said WHAT!?  Too funny.

New sound and iPad

Megan is now making the "p" sound and will mimic it on request.  This is her first new sound in a while and it is awesome that she is mimicing it right away.

We got Megan an iPad during Black Friday.  We talked about it for a long time before deciding to do it.  It is an awesome therapy tool but it is also expensive.  I am so happy that we went for it because she is loving it and she is doing really well.  She is very motivated by it because she wants to play with it so she is doing what I ask of her to get it.  She has done the sign for music, as well as other gross motor commands.

I found an app that when you touch the screen a letter or number or shape appears and then you can move them around, bounce them off of the walls, etc.  She is doing all of this with her index finger and even "catching" them once they are moving.

Daddy's Christmas gift

Today it was Megan's turn to shop for daddy. I took her to Lowe's and we headed to the gift section.  I picked up an item and she pulled it toward her.  So it was time to figure out what she wanted.  I would grab another item and she would pick between the two and this is how it went:

Item A and Item B and she would pick Item A.  Item A and Item C and she would pick Item C.  Item C and Item D and she would pick C.  She would generally stick with an item two times and then go with the new one.  Eventually she picked an item as soon as it was introduced and then kept it over 5 other items so I knew we were set.  She even picked it from the shelf instead of me just offering it to her, so I should have known she really wanted it.

Therapy, puzzles and dancing snowman

Megan had another good speech session today.  She was mimicking "m" sound with 3 different vowel sounds.  

Megan is doing better with puzzles.  Today she got a couple of pieces in that were on the floor.  Usually the piece needs to either be in the puzzle so that she takes it out and then puts it right back; or it needs to be sitting right beside the place it belongs.  

I have a noise activated snowman that dances and sings Jingle Bells.  Megan loved it last year and boy does she love it this year now that she can turn it on herself.  

Excelling at school and various other things

I have been walking/running multiple times a week with one of Megan's preschool teachers.  All of her teachers and therapists have been telling me how well she is doing at school the past 3-4 weeks and then I get more details on our walk/run.

Megan has been progressing in leaps and bounds the past few weeks.  She loves circle time and is always sad when it is over.  She has been choosing the song she wants and then doing the motions with it.  She loves playing with her classmates, especially two of the girls.  She is having a blast with craft and art time.  She has started doing most of the work instead of it mainly being the teacher.  Today she made a Christmas ornament which I can't wait to see.

She is happy at school.  She no longer gets sad when I leave and she is happy even when they make her switch from something she is happy doing to a non-preferred activity.  I knew this day would come.  Megan is an observer.  She studies her environment and once she is comfortable she takes off.  This is what has happened with school.  She feels safe and at home there so she is learning things and progressing now at such a good rate that her teacher is in the process of redoing her evaluations so we have a more accurate picture of what areas she needs to work on to catch up.

A couple of months ago Will started doing devotions with Megan before bed each night.  He reads her bible with her and at the end of each lesson there is a prayer.  When he tells her it is time to pray she put her hands together to pray.  What is so sweet about this is that we pray before every meal and Sam always puts his hands together but Megan never does.

The past couple of days I have been playing with Megan with her Magna-doodle and she has figured out how to erase the screen and will do it anytime you tell her to erase it, so she understands the word/command.  Yesterday I drew an M and told her it was an M and she said mmmmm.  It was very exciting.

Didn't want to leave the party

This afternoon was my annual Christmas cookie party.  Will got Megan up from nap (though she never slept), got her dressed and brought her downstairs and then went up to get Sam.  Guests started to arrive during this time and I was helping with drinks, etc.  Megan left my arms to go to one of our neighbors that she has only seen a couple of times; but she was so loving on her - Megan was snuggling up to her and continually giving her hugs and rubbing her face.  It was so sweet.

Eventually she went to Piper and they ended up playing in the floor for a while until Will came downstairs.  When it was time to leave (Will took her out while the party was going on) Megan didn't want to go.  She wanted to stay and play with all of the ladies.

Will said that they had a great time together and she was great, that you would never know that she didn't take her nap.