As I've been planning the girls' 3rd birthday party later this month I've been reflecting a lot on their lives. It sounds sappy and silly to say it out loud, but it's just incredible how far they've come. As a speech pathologist I know what can happen when babies are born premature and the many complications that can come from an early entry into the world. And although they had a bit of a rough first few months, they have thrived. Not only are they growing, but their little minds and personalities are just flourishing. When they were little I would update their development by domains... for nostalgia sake here goes.
Communication: These girls all have full on conversations. They use long, abstract sentences with a few grammatical errors. For example, 'mama, when me get big me gonna drink coffee, too.' Camille sings almost constantly. If it's not a song she knows, she makes one up. Recent songs are 'we are going to the library' 'we have a lot of food' (shopping trip), and 'I love mommy and daddy'. The girls all love singing Jesus Loves Me currently.
Comprehension: All girls can easily answer yes/no, what, where, who, and some when and why questions. They can follow 3 part directions if they don't get distracted by something along the way and can follow 2 part unrelated directions (take off your shoes, put them in the bin, and go get in your high chairs for lunch). As far as concepts go, they know all their colors, shapes, and most letters. They can count to 20 with a mistake usually around 16 and know some early phonemic awareness (B says 'buh').
Play: The girls are starting to have interactive pretend play. They will have a tea party or pretend to be puppies and kitties. They can take turns in a game really well but still fight sometimes over toys. or who gets to be first at something. or who gets to sit in the top of the shopping cart. They love their sisters so much and have genuine concern when one is sad or hurt. They also love to watch cartoons, especially Caillou, Super Why, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and Dora.
Feeding: The girls are incredible eaters. They eat anything and everything and love fruits and vegetables. Given the choice, they would probably choose carrots or broccoli over just about anything. They can use a fork and spoon and drink from an open cup, although this can be a bit messy still. They primarily use sippy cups unless we're outside to avoid messes.
Gross Motor: All girls are walking, running, climbing up the 8 foot garage wall to touch the ceiling (via climbing wall holds), and trying to ride bikes. They don't love the balance bike and can't figure out how to pedal the trike yet. They can jump forward and backward and easily jump off the couch onto the floor. They are daredevils.
Fine Motor: All girls can color and Brelynn is starting to color pictures instead of just scribbling. They can draw a face with head, eyes, nose, and mouth. Sometimes their drawings have hair or ears. They are starting to write letters. They are still generally grasping the pencil with their whole hand.
Sleep: Bedtime now is between 7:30 and 8:00. They are in toddler beds and share a room. We still use the 'green light' (Okay to wake alarm clock...google it. it will save your sanity if you have young kids) to let them know when it's okay to get up in the morning. They usually sleep until 7:30 or 8 in the morning. They have 'quiet time' from 1:30-3:30 most days and have started napping again for part of that time.
Potty: all girls are fully potty trained during the day, even leaving the house for a few hours at a time. We can take a potty with us or plan to use public restrooms (like at the library). They nap without having accidents. They wear a pull up at bedtime still but a few have been dry in the morning recently.
What else is there? Dan and I talk about how crazy our lives are. The girls are incredibly well behaved and polite, but there are almost three and they outnumber us! Life is getting easier as the girls gain independence and can do more for themselves. And we are certainly enjoying these three little people more and more everyday!
