The Big "4"

Dan's birthday has come and gone. It was a great day. He has changed so much over the summer. Here are some of the changes:

--the toddler look is gone

-- he's taken another growth spurt

--can mostly dress and undress himself minus socks/shoes

--potty training is going really well

--is shaking his head "yes" and "no" and trying to say the words. As communication skills have increased, the whinning has decreased.

--coordination is getting better; is running faster

--standing on his head to zone out is gone

-- he no longer is refusing to eat certain foods because of their texture

--is able to chew up his food without just swallowing it

--when he tries to jump now, his feet come off the ground just a little bit

I love to see his personality emerging. He is such a joy. Full of love, always offering a hug and kiss. He has a gentle spirit which makes for a good playmate. He loves to be silly. The children "helped" Dan decide to have donuts for his birthday cake. Of course, he liked the idea. Here's a video of him having fun. They are singing the "ice cream and cake" song. Warning-- it does sound a bit chaotic. I guess that is part of having fun.

Guess Who's Starting To Talk!!

Dan is looking older this summer. He's grown again and slimmed down. He's loosing his toddler build. His wonderful personality is really starting to emerge.





He is mostly potty trained at home during the daytime. I haven't figured out yet how to let him wear his underwear out in public. There is no way for him to tell me he has to use the restroom when we are out. I am teaching him the sign language signs for #1 and #2, but if I'm not looking at him how am I going to know he


needs to go?? I guess we'll figure it out eventually.


So, now for the biggie. Dan and I were sitting outside for a bit this Friday afternoon. Our neighbor/adopted grandparents pulled their car out of the garage. Out of the blue Dan says, "Nana". I looked at him. What did you say Dan. He said it again!!!! Then he said, "Papa" as Papa got out of the car. Wow!! He continued to say the names, so I walked him over to the neighbors, so they could hear him talk. How exciting. He has been saying Mama and Dada for a bit, but we hadn't heard any new words for awhile.

His running is getting faster and more coordinated. He seems so receptive to his neurodevelopmental program. After only a few months, he seems to show improvement. Pretty quick.


Now, Daniella makes progress too; but hers is much slower and requires a lot more work. I am so thankful she is willing to put in as much time as it takes. She is such a good/hard worker. What a sweetie.

All of our children are such blessings.




Have a great day,
Vickie