January 31

SD turned 2 1/2 on Sunday, a thought that makes his parents' head spin a little. His 2 1/2 year check-up was today, and went great! He has grown exactly 3 inches since turning two, and over two of those inches were grown since he had his leg checked out in mid-November. That was shortly before his diagnosis. We were informed that his treatment would temporarily stunt his growth, but so far he is still growing as he ever did! In all other areas he is doing just fine.

SD decided that January was the month to start talking. He has been building a vocabulary for several months (with the exception of December), but fairly slowly; we've thought that he wasn't talking because he felt no need to. He communicated amazingly without words, and understood pretty much anything we said to him, so we were never worried about his development. This month he has been saying a new word just about every day, and has been putting phrases and even a few sentences together. Of course, not many people would be able to understand him at this point, but we do (usually). This is very exciting and enjoyable to observe.

Today was the first day that he and Emma have had a chance to play in the snow all winter. We have been having an unbelievably mild winter so far, so between that, schedules, and health issues, that enticing white stuff has remained elusive. Today was unseasonably warm, making it perfect for building a snowman, so Mandy bundled the kids in their snow gear (what a production!) and headed outside. SD was a bit uneasy about the terrain at first; the way the snow sank beneath him with every movement just seemed to be a lot for him to handle with the bulky clothes and boots he was wearing. His muscles remain somewhat weak compared to what they used to be. His favorite part of the construction was giving the snowman arms. Once he got into that, he was ready to stay outside for as long as he was allowed.

Emma had a great time from the start! It was her first time in snow ever, and she thought the whole experience great fun. A sled to pull the munchkins around in seems to be called for! We aren't familiar with any sledding hills in our area, but they are young enough to enjoy simply being pulled around the yard for now.