Sorry about the time lapse...
Alexis Grace Edgerton Edgerton (that's her full Nica name) is almost 1 1/2 years old, and that is unbelievable to me. She seems to be growing bigger and bigger every day because she can do so much. She is definitely asserting her independence much more frequently, and we're learning the balance of letting her have that but also of trying to stand firm with discipline. This becomes hard with situations like eating. For example, this afternoon with lunch she didn't want to eat unless she was feeding herself with the spoon; she wouldn't let me feed her. It was a time when it was fine for her to assert her independence, and she could just get messy. However, throwing her food overboard gives a resounding no from us, and sometimes a slap on the hand for reinforcement. (Not in an abusive way... :) It's a difficult balance to try to find, but I think/hope we're doing okay with it.
She still isn't talking much, although she babbles quite a bit and we continue to work with her. She has her checkup in a few weeks, so I'll be interested what her new doctor has to say about her development. However, her language development in the are of hearing seems to be doing well. Yesterday, all in a row she identified her eyes, nose, mouth, head, hair, toes, fingers, and belly button. It was one of the coolest thigns yet! And she has started to give kisses, although the past few days she's been shying away from them. It will melt your heart to get one, or to see her give one to her maardvark or another friend.
The house is great for her, too. In the rec room she now has a play kitchen, which she enjoys a lot, and she loves going up and down the steps, although she wants to do it like an adult. This girl has NO desire to go butt first; she wants to put only one foot on each step. Danger? She LAUGHS in the face of danger. This girl has no fear.
