What's Up with Kate These Days...

Kate has been enjoying getting in the holiday spirit and getting the house all festive for the holidays!

Kate has been going to a wonderful pediatric physical therapist twice a week now to help her catch up with her gross motor skills. We are currently focusing on strengthening her neck control and trunk. We've also been helping her open her hands more and grasp things. We're definitely seeing progress and it feels good. Her favorite toy to grab is her pacifier which she often likes to pull out and replace with her fingers.

Grandpa does neck excercises with Kate on Halloween.

Her favorite toy right now is her hands. She likes to hold one or two arms up and just gaze lovingly at those fascinating hands and fingers! She can take out her pacifier by herself now too and sometimes likes to replace it by chewing on her fists and fingers...

Her other favorite thing to do is to find a face to look at and start a conversation of cute gurgles and coos....she has lots to say....I wonder where she gets that?

What's Up with Julia These Days...

Julia loves playing games! Her favorites are candyland, Dora the Explorer dominoes, and Go Fish. It's been a lot of fun and will be great as the rainy/cold season approaches.

Julia was very excited to get her own Starbucks cup when we went through the drive through. She shared mommy's fruit blended drink and felt very grown up.

Julia's school had a garbage/recycle man come visit. They made "sculptures" from recyclables and got their very own recycling can which Julia loves!

This month, Julia sat in Lynn's big chair for the first time to get her bangs cut before school pictures.

Julia LOVES to do puzzles and is VERY good at them. She did at least 50% of this floor puzzle herself. She has an amazing gift for spatial orientation...will she build and create like daddy someday?

Climbing (and running, jumping, hopping)! Julia loves to climb at the park these days. She can go up to the next level on this structure by herself. (At the beginning of spring, she could barely get on the first level herself.)

Julia loves eating chocolate!

Special Sisters -- Part 2

These are some of my favorite moments with the girls. These are some special times they have shared together during October (Kate 5 months old and Julia 3 years old).

I love this picture. Julia and Kate were having a cool conversation. Kate loves to engage Julia with cooing and smiling.

"Where's mommy?"

The money shot! The first pic I got of both girls smiling and looking together!

Another sister moment sharing special conversation. (Kate, of course, talking through her fist that she now loves to chew on.)

Special Sisters

Julia and Kate have a special relationship. Kate smiles and "coos" at Julia consistently and when no one else gets smiles. Julia gets them quick!

Julia is an amazing big sister. She continually tells Kate how beautiful she, brings her pacifiers, covers her with blankets, and celebrates her triumphs. "Mommy, look at Kate hold her head!"

I can be having the hardest day, frustrated by Kate's medecine regime or her seizure activity, and then Julia will come lay next to Kate and they start interacting. It truly warms my heart and changes all my feelings about the day!

September 2008 -Julia loves to have Kate "sit up" next to her....

August 2008 - the Nemo sisters...thanks, Nana, for these cute outfits!

July 2008 - Morning sister fun!

June 2008 -Julia loves to hold Kate's hand!