Juliettables

Juliette loves to talk.  Even though right now she only has three actual English words: "Mommy" (which means both myself and "I want") "No" (which actually means "I agree", whether yes or no) and "Uh oh" which is a regular occurrence around here.  She mostly babbles away like nobody's business.  She will have entire conversations with you, or with herself.  She'll grab a book and "read" away.  She'll jump into the boys' playing and contribute her part of the story.  And she'll tell it like it is about anything and everything.  Her babbling actually sounds like real language, with many different sounds and intonations.  We've been trying to capture it on camera, but she's so fascinated with the camera itself she doesn't perform well.

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She certainly has a fiery personality.  Yet again, not a toddler who wants to sit and play quietly or observe.  She's right in there with the boys, running and laughing and squealing in fun.  When unhappy she makes it known.  She never wakes up with a coo but rather with a sharp "Mommy!"

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She picks things up so quickly.  And this isn't the typical parent statement "my kid is a genius."  She watches casually someone do something and then imitates it perfectly.  There's no using a tool or utensil in a cute little baby way - a fork is for eating with, a comb for combing, a screwdriver for building, a baseball goes in a glove, a hockey stick for hitting the puck.  Even when she tidies up the toy room she will get a toy and cross the room to put it in its proper place.  Her latest favourite thing is teeth brushing.  She would sit and have you brush her teeth all night.

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She's getting more picky about food.  Her sensitivity to grains and dairy are still strong, but she's choosing to eat less solid foods, preferring to nurse hourly, or more often.  She still nurses to sleep, still wakes every two to three hours at night.  I would long have been at the end of my rope if I didn't know she would be my last little one to nurse and cuddle and rock.

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She moves like you wouldn't believe.  Walking and running was mastered quickly, and she enjoys the freedom it brings.  More than that, she loves to climb.  She's usually barefoot here at home, including in the backyard, and she loves to climb up the big slide on the kids' playhouse.  Her arms have incredible strength and more than once she's gotten halfway over the back of the couch before I've caught her to prevent her from toppling over.