a Caroline update

Ok. I am finally getting around to writing some updates on Caroline. As you may have noticed, I haven't been keeping up real great. :) I actually have a couple sets of pictures to put up, but I wanted to get this update in first.

Caroline doesn't do too much talking on a regular basis, but she is understanding lots of things. She has added a few words to her repertoire, however. She says:

apple - app le
octopus - oc puh
Nathan - nae nah

She is doing a great job following instructions. She doesn't always want to do what she is told, but she DOES understand. I can tell her to take something to her room and she'll do it. She helps clean up pretty well at night, too. Of course, we often have to tell her one item at a time to take care of...but...she does do it...eventually. I think she has already decided that she doesn't like cleaning up at night. She does have an affinity for putting things where they go, though...at least when she wants to.

Caroline loves to dance. She can often be caught dancing to music in stores or restaurants. She also likes to play the music on the sit-n-spin and dance to it. She has a very particular dance style. I will try to get a video up here at some point. However, our little digital camera has died, so it will take more effort now.

She is still a hungry hungry hippo most of the time. She knows where to find food and drink, too. If she's after food, she will go and pull on the pantry cabinet doors. If she's thirsty, she will pull at the refrigerator door. It's a clear sign, at least, of what she wants. She has a preference for juice over milk and doesn't really care for water. She'll drink water if there's just no other option and she's really thirsty.

She also eats lots of things outside. I have to keep a good eye on her because she'll pick up most anything and head to her mouth...acorns, weed flowers, dirt...just about anything. I caught her eating a clump of dirt one day. I thought I had gotten it mostly out, but she started drooling muddy stuff. Yuck! Last week, she picked up something little in the living room and put it in her mouth. I knew that it probably wasn't even a crumb of food since we don't eat in there much. I quickly had her spit it out. To my disgust, I found that it was a smooshed bug. I don't know what it was, but it had a small body and long legs. Gross!! At least she hadn't had time to bite into it!

Very unlike her brother, Caroline has no fear. She can do something and get hurt and be back to the same activity very soon. Of course, she makes a dramatic scene out of the initial problem, but once that is over, she's off. She also has no problem wondering off by herself. One day, we were at the library and she just headed off to talk to the other little kids. Not once did she look back to see where I was. Not once. Oh...I fear we are in for some trouble!

Just two more quick things that I can think of at the moment...toward the beginning of April, Caroline's 7th tooth came in. The 8th finally broke through last weekend. And last but not least...Caroline loves her brother! She loves to follow him around, play with the things he likes, and generally just spend time with him. It's very sweet when they play well together!

Late addition: Caroline is moving rather quickly these days. It's almost a run. And a quick story from today (May 1st)...This morning, I put a bow in Caroline's hair. Later, I noticed that she had taken it out. I told her that we needed to find her bow so we could put it back in. Well, she quickly headed down the hall and to her room. I figured that she thought that I meant that we needed to get something out of the drawer to fix her hair. Well, she went right over and reached up at the drawer where the hair things are kept. I asked her "did you put it in here?" while really thinking that she was just thinking we needed to get something. Low and behold, however, there in the drawer was the bow I had earlier put in her hair. Not only had she put it up where it went, but she knew just what I was wanting and took me to it. What a smart (and tidy) girl!