Random Catch-Up Pictures

We call these "sister kisses" 

From our May visit to Carlsbad. 

Sisters in the boat, again. 

Helping make brownies. 

Helping out around the house. 

Lost in an amusing thought. 

Meeting the baby chicks at the fair. 

Showing Daddy how to fix the TV. 

(we don't even know what to say) 

Signing "I love you." 

Ready to go! (in the background you can see the "fort" we used to build to keep Tessa off the steps)

We went to see a Signing Time concert back in May. Norah is still talking about it. 

On the carousel at the mall.

Tessa at Eleven Months

At eleven months, Tessa:

• can stack rings
• will put blocks in a container
• gives a doll drinks from a bottle, then hugs the doll close to her
• give hugs and kisses
• attempts to imitate new signs and seems to have mastered "fish" and "baby" this month
• likes to go upside down
• "brushes" her own hair, usually with the back side of the hairbrush
• now has four teeth. Instead of getting the two top front teeth, she got her right front tooth and next one over on the left.
• loves playing with water

Tessa likes the baby in the mirror. 

Signing "baby." 

You can kinda see the crazy order her teeth came in. 

Tessa riding in the "boat" with her big sister. 

Having fun with the water table.

Brushing her hair (apologies for the blurry pic). 

Playing peek-a-boo.

This was the best picture we got on her 11th month birthday. If you're wondering why she's upset, it's because Norah's not awake yet and Tessa loves to go up to get her big sister.

Here's Norah's eleven month post.

Has anyone seen my Cheerio?

I know it's around here somewhere...

Tessa at Ten Months

At ten months, Tessa:

• Claps for herself when she stands on her own for a while.
• Says mama and dada (indiscriminately).
• Plays peek-a-boo, although most of the time her hands are on her temples while she's "hiding."
• Prefers Norah's big girl sippy cup to her own.  This works because Norah prefers Tessa's sippy cup (she thinks she's getting away with something?).
• Took a step or two towards Aunt Kari at 9 months and 1 week and hasn't taken any steps unassisted since.
• Can sign "more" and definitely understands what the sign for milk means. Also understands the sign for brushing teeth.
• Loves to have her teeth brushed. If she's upset at the end of a meal we can buy a minute or two by signing "brush teeth."  She "sings" along with the ABC song we use to time tooth brushing.
• Eats books, not just an exploratory chomp either.
• Had her first trip to the ER. She's still getting the hang of standing on her own, and usually sits herself down nicely, but one of the few times she didn't her forehead found the corner of the wall.   Luckily it didn't need stitches, just some fancy glue and a bandage.
• Rode on the swing for the first time and loved it.
• Prefers any food she can feed to herself over anything from a spoon.  She's starting to have some table foods like rice, green beans, peas, and toast.

This was a few days after she hit her head, hence the bandage.  Even a few minutes after it happened she was more-or-less ok.

Tessa loves the swing. 

Silly cheese-ing girl. 

Standing by the fish tank. 

Tessa loves to help feed herself.

She is ten months old already?

Here's Norah's ten month post.

Norah is Signing

This blog is missing a lot of what has been going on with Norah.  For those of you who don't know, Norah has speech delays.  She has few consistent words, but in the last couple months has acquired 150-200 American Sign Language (ASL) signs.  Her speech therapists recognized that she was picking up so many signs and had her start working with a speech therapist who is fluent with ASL to develop her signing vocabulary and build on her ability to communicate through signs.

Some of our favorite signing conversations we've had with Norah:

• While she was playing outside, Norah pointed to the swing and Ali told her/signed that the swing was dirty and full of spiders and needed to be cleaned before she could sit in it.  She signed back "dirty," "clean," "brush teeth," and giggled when Ali asked "brush teeth!?"
• One evening after dinner, Norah wanted something and signed to Ali "red candy bean," meaning she wanted a jellybean.  Jellybeans are now only referred to as "candy beans" in our house.
• Before she knew all the colors and needed to use one she didn't know, she would sign "rainbow" to cover all the bases.
• When we come home from work, she tells us all about where we went ("work" and "drive car"), what we took with us ("green water bottle" and "food"), and what she did while we were gone ("baby slept," "baby cried," "ate rainbow fishy crackers," and "cooked with play dough").

We have been blown away as she transitioned from using a few signs to make requests to using signs to have full conversations.  Since she started signing, Norah has been much less frustrated trying to express her thoughts and her vocalization has gotten better as well.  Using signs isn't what we would have pictured for Norah, but it has been amazing learning to communicate with her.

Tessa at Nine Months

Better late than never, right?

At nine months, Tessa:

• Can stand on her own but doesn't seem to realize what she is doing yet.
• Drinks water from a sippy cup.  At first the only thing she thought they were good for was chewing on the spout but now she pretty much has the hang of it.
• Dances to music, mainly the Signing Time theme song.
• Can sign "milk."
• Adores her Big Sister Norah.  Pretty much the best part of Tessa's day is going to get Norah up in the morning and from naps.
• Doesn't nap well in her bed so she mostly catches cat naps when she can.
• Likes car rides in her convertible carseat.  Seriously, she is whole new baby now that she isn't in her infant seat anymore.

Making a silly face.

Fun day in the sun.

And he's down for the count.

Hi Norah!

What'ch'ya doin' out there?

Official 9 month picture.

Here's Norah's nine month post.

Tessa at Eight Months

At eight months, Tessa:

• clapped along with us once or twice but it isn't a regular thing yet.
• has her first two teeth!  We were so sure she was going to get that fang first, but it seems to have been scared away by the two in the front on the bottom.
• pulls up to stand on the couch and will take a few cruising steps if she really wants to.  Her current motivators: the wipes container and any of Norah's toys too small for her to play with.
• walks around holding onto hands.
• drops toys on purpose.  She doesn't think this is hilarious yet - maybe we are not pretending to be exasperated enough to really make it funny?
• eats her fruits and vegetables well, peas and green beans are her favorites.
• loves mum-mums.  They are a great distraction when we need to cook or eat dinner ourselves.
• also loves cold teethers.  Just not frozen teethers.  Those we save for Norah.
• loves to climb the entry stairs, so we have to set up a fort of toys and baskets around it (which she is becoming skilled at breaking through).
• is regrowing her hair after losing most of it last month.  She doesn't have enough for clips yet but having no bald spots is good enough for us.
• loves (LOVES) taking baths with Norah.  Daddy made a mistake and didn't put her in with Norah one night and she was uuuuupppppset.  Mommy was smart and put her in with Norah during another bath and she was as happy as a clam.
• is unpredictable at night.  Sometimes she wakes up once, sometimes twice, and a few glorious times not at all.  She does tend to want to get up at 5:30, though...
• is starting to say the usual babble sounds with occasional screeching sessions.
• shakes her head "no".  At first she just did this to imitate us but she has started to do it in response to us nodding "yes".  Funny story or a sign of future battles of will?
• waved bye bye to her cousins in Wyoming when we Skyped on Easter.

And here are the pictures:

Birdwatching.

This girl doesn't mind grass under her feet.

The first tooth.

Kissing the cute baby in the dishwasher door.

Climbing.

Hey you baby!

Sisters playing together while Dad kicks back.

Out to dinner with a new hat, courtesy of Grandpa.

The official 8 month picture.

Here's Norah's 8 month post.