(Speaking of her birthday- I've got some party plans in the works. For all my Pinterest loving friends, I've got a board for her party ideas here- send any good ideas my way!)
Charly is as chatty as ever. We can't get this girl to stop "talking"! She explores her vocal capabilities constantly. Screeches, grunts, whispers, and all sorts of babble come out of this girl's mouth. Here are a few videos to demonstrate: (disclaimer: we are pretty annoying on camera. Ignore the shakiness, the too-long and dark video, annoying voices, and the way I say "camera")
(and just for kicks, here is a video of Charly in her Halloween costume)
She has been standing unsupported for brief periods. She still isn't too sure of herself. I think she is building up her confidence slowly. She often falls because she starts clapping for herself. Can you tell this girl gets a lot of praise?
Along with clapping, she has been waving goodbye and giving high-fives. I think she signed 'more' a couple of times, but other than that she hasn't been too interested in signing. We'll keep trying, though I think she communicates pretty well through her facial expressions and actions.
Meal time is probably her favorite time of the day- she has a captive audience to try all her jokes out on. She is such a comedienne! (Matt just informed me that I should explain: comedienne is not a typo; it is a female comedian.) She'll wave her hands, make funny noises, and our new favorite, tense up her muscles with her arms in the air, making this face:
She loves the food part of dinner, too. She explores most everything we give her. She especially loves kiwi right now. Hummus is the only thing she hasn't been too keen on, although she ate a bit of bread with some on it today, so maybe she is getting used to it.
She loves to laugh, and her laughter is like a drug. Seriously, it might be the cure for some types of cancer. Here is a diluted, less jovial version of her laughter:
Charly is still super social. She loves everyone! She'll let anyone hold her, which is really nice when we are out with friends or family. She often tries to get the attention of strangers by grunting at them. It usually works:)
Recently she has been really in to books. She'll go in to her room and reach for the basket of board books on the night stand next to the rocker. When I get it down for her she'll pull every book out, and then she'll lay of the floor turning pages for sometimes 30+ minutes by herself! It is fabulous that she is keeping herself entertained so well lately.
She likes to 'help' me fold the laundry (which I do a LOT of) by standing on the pile and grabbing all the folded items. What a great helper:)
Though she still doesn't watch a lot of TV, she does like Sesame Street and Yo Gabba Gabba. A lot.
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| Watching Yo Gabba Gabba |
Her mischievousness is only increasing. She sometimes responds when I say a drawn out "Charly, no", with a big grin. Sometimes she stops what she is going for, and sometimes we have to divert her attention. Still, I think it is funny that she knows when she is up to no good.
She's a pretty awesome kid- I can't wait to see what is next!
