This month has been more of the same: exploring and learning to copy Noah. Isla is not afraid to delve into something new, nor try a new food or play peekaboo with a new person. It is really great how outgoing she is, but we still do not talk and more importantly SLEEP!
Playtime
Isla will sit and play until 3 things: she’s hungry, tired or Noah does something different and distracts her attention. It is amazing what a radar this girl has on her, she will spot an open stairgate, cup within grasping reach, remote control on the side of the sofa or your mobile phone hanging out of your pocket before you even have time to blink. She is there, in a different room, pressing buttons on your phone and changing the channel so quickly. How does she do it? How can she be concentrating on her play and know that these things are happening around her. It is like she has a sixth sense. She is starting to role play a lot more now with the toys, I see her with various little people and playing nicely. She likes pushing cars to Noah so he can push them back and she loves books. She will have her head in a book all day if we let her. She likes to flick through all the pages again and again.
Weaning
We still have a lot of milk during a 24 hour period, but I am guessing this is because she still doesn’t settle properly throughout the night. We have a new Ewan the sheep to help with sleep time and she goes to bed around 7pm perfectly, but we are still waking up around 3am. I have tried various methods to help the situation, including changing dinner time but nothing seems to work. She loves her food, always has and I do not think that will change anytime soon. She is confidently using her fork now and I am trying to encourage plastic cups into the mix, but we are happily spilling water all over ourselves at the moment.
Talking
Nothing! Not even a “hiya” which Noah was saying at 1 years old. She mimics what sounds like things, for example e-i-e-i-o and says it at the right time so you can guess what she is saying. But no clear words at all. I am stumped, because she is amazingly clever and is extremely observant and aware. I have no idea why she is not talking yet. Is it 2nd child syndrome where they just feel like they don’t need to? Or is there something wrong with her vocal chords? Well she does make noises, baby babble and toddlerish so I suppose they are OK. I really need to focus on getting her to speak – maybe some one and one time with Mummy for a few hours a week practising words will help. I did that all the time with Noah, but then I got to spend more time at home with Noah and it was just him!
Motor Skills
We are doing things more carefully this month, walking down the stairs better and using our feet to get up the stairs instead of crawling up them. She is so dinky that I do not think she will be fully stair proof for a while, but she is making progress despite her little self. She is using her hands a lot better to pick things up – she is fine tuning those motor skills to be able to steer things in the direction she wants them to go in or use her co-ordination to push herself a long on her toys. Like I said above, she is very clever and I have no doubt that she will be a master of all things come 3.
Sibling Love
The relationship between Noah and Isla gets stronger every day and more so recently, they play better and seem to be in their own world. As Isla gets older I think Noah likes her more – she can chase him now and she can understand his commands and do what he wants. He will play ball with her, or push cars to eachother and they have a lot of fun in the process. I love the way they cuddle, kiss and hold hands – they are not afraid to show their sibling bond and I encourage this all the time. I love the fact they love eachother and I want them to embrace that “concept” forever.
