Again, I apologize for the lapse between posts. This week the three of us have all been hit by the cold bug, Ellie and I the worst. Somehow, aside from a few episodes it doesn't seem to affect her spirits -- I don't know how she does it (oh to have the energy of a 2-year-old)!
I wanted to give a quick progress report on Miss Els. She has been going through a fun phase in her language acquisition. I've alluded to the fact that since New Year's she has been picking up several new signs which she is proud to exhibit whenever she hears a word whose sign she knows, even if the words are not spoken directly to her. Thank you, Baby Einstein (My First Signs) and Baby Wordsworth (Around the House)! Her repetoire of signs includes the common and useful (please, thank you, cereal, drink, and milk, etc.) to the more "random-for-a-two-year-old" (couch, flower, piano, tree, etc.). The cool thing is that she sometimes tries to say the word along with the sign. She will also imitate speaking words more consistently when we ask (though usually not when we're trying to show off for the video camera). Her favorite unsolicited words to use are "cookie" (coo-keeeee), "bath" (baff), and "tickle" (kick-owe). In overcoming her aversion to physical touch on her feet, she now enjoys the game "This Little Piggy." Watch out if you come over here with bare feet as she will start on your toes (not that many of you will do that for several months at least)! She also loves to do the finger play, "Here is the church, here is the steeple, open the doors and see all the people!" (Thank you, Grandma Ford!)
In the area of physical progress, she has improved tremendously on the stairs. She has always enjoyed walking up and down with help, but has progressed to holding a hand rail with one hand and one of our hands with the other. Of course, we must count every step we are walking up or down and Nathan and I can tell you the number of steps in each stair case in the student center! She is also tandom walking on a balance beam (when enticed by M&Ms) and desires to learn how to jump.
We are grateful for the help we've received from our OT and SLP in helping Ellie overcome her oral aversion too! She now drinks from straws and this week blew bubbles through a pipe and blew a variety of whistles. The kazoo is next! While those may seem like small accomplishments, they are all things we've been working towards since last March. All of this mastery is required for vocal and mouth control required for speech.
Cognitively, Ellie has been all about pointing to objects for us to name (e.g. "lamp", "chair", "table") or describe ("red", "yellow", "hot", etc.). I wish you could see her point. It's so deliberate, with her arm extended as far as it can reach usually accompanied by very big eyes and raised brows, an expression that says emphatically, "Look at THAT!"
Over the next several weeks she will be tested so we'll have a more concrete measure to report. Well, it's time for Ellie to take a baff. I mean, bath.
I wanted to give a quick progress report on Miss Els. She has been going through a fun phase in her language acquisition. I've alluded to the fact that since New Year's she has been picking up several new signs which she is proud to exhibit whenever she hears a word whose sign she knows, even if the words are not spoken directly to her. Thank you, Baby Einstein (My First Signs) and Baby Wordsworth (Around the House)! Her repetoire of signs includes the common and useful (please, thank you, cereal, drink, and milk, etc.) to the more "random-for-a-two-year-old" (couch, flower, piano, tree, etc.). The cool thing is that she sometimes tries to say the word along with the sign. She will also imitate speaking words more consistently when we ask (though usually not when we're trying to show off for the video camera). Her favorite unsolicited words to use are "cookie" (coo-keeeee), "bath" (baff), and "tickle" (kick-owe). In overcoming her aversion to physical touch on her feet, she now enjoys the game "This Little Piggy." Watch out if you come over here with bare feet as she will start on your toes (not that many of you will do that for several months at least)! She also loves to do the finger play, "Here is the church, here is the steeple, open the doors and see all the people!" (Thank you, Grandma Ford!)
In the area of physical progress, she has improved tremendously on the stairs. She has always enjoyed walking up and down with help, but has progressed to holding a hand rail with one hand and one of our hands with the other. Of course, we must count every step we are walking up or down and Nathan and I can tell you the number of steps in each stair case in the student center! She is also tandom walking on a balance beam (when enticed by M&Ms) and desires to learn how to jump.
We are grateful for the help we've received from our OT and SLP in helping Ellie overcome her oral aversion too! She now drinks from straws and this week blew bubbles through a pipe and blew a variety of whistles. The kazoo is next! While those may seem like small accomplishments, they are all things we've been working towards since last March. All of this mastery is required for vocal and mouth control required for speech.
Cognitively, Ellie has been all about pointing to objects for us to name (e.g. "lamp", "chair", "table") or describe ("red", "yellow", "hot", etc.). I wish you could see her point. It's so deliberate, with her arm extended as far as it can reach usually accompanied by very big eyes and raised brows, an expression that says emphatically, "Look at THAT!"
Over the next several weeks she will be tested so we'll have a more concrete measure to report. Well, it's time for Ellie to take a baff. I mean, bath.
