Little Owl @ 23 months

Teeth

Still no sightings of those pesky back molars although they are giving Little Owl some gip!  She has however, had her first visit to the dentist!

Signs and Speech

Little Owl is still using signs to communicate, but as the words come through the signs are slowly dropping off - although she has started doing all the signs and actions along to songs now which is really cute!  And the words really are coming now - new this month is Grandma but Granddad is still a sign.  An "oooh" sound has been discovered which gives us "poo" and "bool" (ball).  "Peas" and "please" has been developed to give us "pee".  "Pear" and "bear" are new too.  Its like Little Owl is learning to spell at the same time as talk!   

What's new?

Well the new words might give you a clue - pee and poo are becoming quite dominant!  Little Owl has started wearing pants when we are at home!  I've even been brave a couple of times and taken her out in Totsbots training pants but only when I've known we won't be long!  Will she be dry by her birthday? Watch this space!

Something I have begun to notice with Little Owl is that she is beginning to get shy when meeting new people.  She'll hide behind my legs and take a while to make sure of things before coming out.  I guess I'm finding it strange as she has always been so confident, but until recently, when she met new people or went into a strange room, she would have always been in my arms.  Now she is more independent, she is looking for safety in me - it is very sweet!

Little Owl @ 22 Months

Teeth

Teething has started again and those last 4 molars are beginning to move.  Its so hard to see them though, so although I'm pretty sure none of them have come through yet, I'm not too confident that I will know when they do!

Signs and Speech

Little Owl is still using lots of new signs even though her speech is starting to develop too.  She's actually started to make up some signs as well which is making life pretty confusing!  The phrase of the month is "and me" and the new words are "eyes" and "nose".  Her favourite new word (and sign) is "play".  She's starting to connect words with names, so you often hear "play dada", "no babbies" (the cats are still called babbies) or "mummy nose".  I can't remember if I have mentioned it before, but my current favourite sign is cuddle - how can I refuse Little Owl?

What's New?

The big news is that we have taken the side off of Little Owl's cot! I'm not sure why we waited so long.  She has NEVER liked going in the cot, and after she slept so well in a bed in India, I began to question why I was pushing it.  So far it has been a success but I will keep you posted!

We've also been doing a lot more nappy free time.  Little Owl has been clean since she turned one, but I haven't been that great at giving her nappy free time and I suspect she could with a bit of guidance, be nappy free quite soon.  I'm not pushing it though, like everything else so far in her short life, I'm letting Little Owl lead the way - I'm just providing the opportunity!

Little Owl @ 21 Months

Look at my grown up girl! 
The ten days she has spent in India have somehow made her seem more grown up! 

Teeth

No new teeth this month but the canines are now very visible and appear incredibly pointy!

Signs and Speech

These have developed amazingly over the past couple of weeks.  As well as new words shoe, hi, up, me and stop, Little Owl has a new favourite phase "that's my mummy" which she uses whenever someone asks her name or tries to engage her in conversation such as "are they your shoes?" to which Little Owl replies "that's my mummy's" picking up my shoes.  We've even started to have small conversations, but I have been so caught up in them that I have forgotten to write them down afterwards!  Must do better!

What's new?

Little Owl's hair has started to thicken up, its still very short but her scalp is no longer visible which is great news!

Swimming is going from strength to strength, she is more confident with 4 floats and I think is ready to try 3.  Little Owl has also started to swim with a noodle (woggle? long tube float thing?) which keeps her much more horizontal in the water.

I have also heard Little Owl singing to herself a couple of times - it is so sweet but she goes quiet if she thinks I am listening!

What else is new?  Little Owl has been on a plane - well 4 planes and been to India where she has seen lots of cows, goats, horses, chipmunks, dogs and cats!

Little Owl @ 20 months

20 months!  Doesn't that sound all so grown up!  A very dear friend of mine gave birth to a beautiful baby boy this month and its just made me realise how far Little Owl has come from those hazy new born days, she's definitely not a baby anymore!

Teeth

After bobbing up and down for a few weeks, I'm pretty sure all four canines have finally broken through!

Signs and Speech

Little Owl's communication is coming on brilliantly.  When she first started signing, it was all about immediate wants, it then moved on to things she was observing such as passing seagulls and dogs.  But now it has progressed onto her telling me about things that have happened in the past.  A couple of weeks ago I got home from work and she couldn't wait to tell me that Granddad had been to visit, that the cats were outside and that she had eaten all the snacks in her pot!

What's new?
Little Owl is down to 4 floats at swimming!!!  However, she is struggling a bit with that so I don't see us dropping any more any time soon, especially with the Christmas break but hopefully we will be swimming daily in India so we can catch up!

Little Owl has also started reacting to CBeebies - she'll get up and dance when they play the music in Show Me Show Me and even copies the moves on Carrie and David's Pop Shop!

Finally, Little Owl is getting better control of her fork and insists on holding a knife too, pointing the tip of it to the food her fork is on - it looks like she is using it properly but she doesn't understand that we cut with it!

Little Owl @ 19 months

Teeth

Still with a nice even 12 but at least one of her canines is making a bid for freedom!

Signs

I really have lost count now!  Little Owl made it to 50 signs but I just can't keep up!  One of her current favourite signs is for pen or writing.  Little Owl just loves drawing and even holds her pens properly!  Always in the left hand - she used to swap over but I haven't seen her use her right hand for a pen for at least a month possibly two.  Another favourite sign is the letter 'I' which stands for Little Owl's best friend and cousin Woo.  You can sign 'I' by pointing with your forefinger to the middle finger on your other hand.  Little Owl doesn't always get the right finger but she made a very good attempt at the first go which shows how hard she is trying to be understood.

Words

The other day I heard someone speaking on the radio about speech development in toddlers.  She said that most fall in to one of two types.  The first type is the kids that can say lots of individual words.  The second type was described as those who know the tune and not the words.  Little Owl definitely fits into this category - I think she may even start to talk without me noticing as I'm so used to hearing her chatting away and sometimes you can join in a conversation as you can fix some words to the sounds she is making.  Way back in September, Little Owl was able to say 'where mumma is' without actually saying more than 'mumma' before.  This weekend I was out with my family and Little Owl was on my back.  I could hear her babbling but didn't really pay any attention until a stranger handed me Little Owl's hat which she had dropped on the floor.  It was then that I realised that she had shouted 'my hat my hat', my family had also heard this but not taken it in until we were given the hat!

     

What's new?

Most of the new things this month involve talking - she now says 'choo choo' whenever we mention Granddad who works for a preservation steam railway.  Everything at the moment is 'upthere' 'upstairs' 'downthere' 'downstairs' for which she also points in the appropriate direction.  I think without the pointing, you wouldn't understand what she is saying, again, the tune is there but not the words.

In the water, Little Owl is just growing in confidence - we have gone from 7 floats on her belt to 5 in the last few weeks.  She didn't notice when I took the first one away, but its taken her a couple of weeks to get used to 5.

Little Owl @ 18 months

Wow. 18 months just seems so grown up!  Can't believe we are here - it feels like such a big milestone!

Teeth

Two more gives us a nice even 12, four top and bottom and 4 molars too!

Signs

Since Little Owl received her 25 signs certificate, I have been a bit lazy on counting them.  However, a quick count up puts us at 38 so maybe we will make it to the 50 sign certificate after all!  New signs this month are fruit, love (when I say it to her, waiting for Little Owl to say it spontaneously to me!), clean hands, again, biscuit, drink (finally), pig, sheep, sorry (does she understand this - I don't know but if I say "say sorry", Little Owl will sign it to which I praise her and then we move on) and of course firework!

     

What's new?

Little Owl has started to sit on a normal chair instead of her highchair if we're just having a snack, especially if Papa Owl isn't around as we only have two chairs!  Strangely, she hasn't figured out that she can get off of a chair by herself yet which is quite handy but will be useful when we go to India as we won't be taking a highchair. 

Meanwhile Little Owl is walking further and further.  She loves to explore and I need to start planning more walking trips into our week but perhaps not this week... weather doesn't look so good!

Little Owl is really trying to speak at the moment.  The words aren't there yet but the intonation and sentences certainly are, just waiting to understand her!  Its like you can see the next big change but its just out of reach. 

Little Owl @ 17 Months

Teeth

10 - and didn't we know about that last tooth!  There is now 3 on the bottom, not looking forward to its partner making an appearance!

Signs

28 - new signs this month are Horse, Cat, Thank you, Share (although doubt she understands what this means), Book, Where, Pick up, Duck, Bird and Sock.

 

Words

No new words this month as such but Little Owl often says "where mumma is?" to anyone who will listen if I go out of sight!  However, she isn't fussy as I have heard her say the same about Papa Owl!

New things this month

•  Shoes have really made this baby a toddler!  Its lovely to walk with Little Owl when we are out and about, watching her explore the world anew!  Although, stopping her picking up everything she sees is becoming a challenge!
• Drawing - I'm having to hide all the pens in the house!  Luckily most of the ones lurking around have retractable tips!  But one thing is becoming more apparent - we're pretty sure Little Owl is going to take after her mum and be a lefty!

Little Owl @ 16 months

Teeth

9  - two new molars this month, top right and bottom left.

Signs

18  - bath, cow, dog, please and Granddad are all new, although not used all the time

Words 

9 - although not sure if anyone else would know what Little Owl is saying!  Only new word this month is "bubbies" by which Little Owl means the cats!

New things this month

• Walking!  Possibly the biggest change - Little Owl is no longer a baby, we have a toddler in the house!
• Hair! Ok, so its still not a massive amount but enough to brush!
• Cutlery  Having never been spoon fed, Little Owl didn't make the association between cutlery and food, but they are now a must at every meal!
• Sleeping I'm a little nervous saying this, touching any wood I can find, but Little Owl mostly now self settles, sleeps in her cot and sometimes doesn't wake until gone 6 o'clock!  This is huge progress from the fidgeting bed sharer we had a month ago!