And now a challenge for Mommy!

I'm going to participate in 31 for 21 next month, Down Syndrome Awareness Month. It's basically a challenge to post every day in October. Check the link for more information. I'm actually committing to something! It's a miracle! And you know what else? Just to make me really step up? I'm going to try to post a new picture every day along with the post. (Because I'm never happy unless I've risen the bar too high on myself.)

So this morning I was playing with Kiki. Her OT had mentioned that now that she knew how to put in, stacking was the next step. We've also been working on honing the put in, trying to put things into smaller receptacles. So far she's mastered a box and a cup. We're working on her giraffe toy too.

I decided to take a break from put in and play with stacking. She has a set of Baby Einstein blocks and a set of different sized cups that stack on one side and fit inside each other on the other side. I stacked up two BE blocks, counting them as I did it, then put a cup on top. She knocked it over. We did this a few times, and on the 4th time, she reached for the cup as I did. I got it first and stacked again. She knocked it over.

I stacked the blocks, then this time let her get the cup instead of me. She picked the cup up and then very deliberately placed it right on top of the stacked blocks. I was so excited that after I'd stopped cheering and whooping and doing it over and over again, I texted all three of her therapists to brag.

And? I think she's learned the sign for please. This afternoon after being scolded for pulling my hair (again!) she rubbed her chest then signed for a drink. So either she made up a sign for I'm sorry, or it was please, or it was Mommy reading more into a gesture than was there. Either way!

I am just walking on air today. I'm so proud of my baby. :) (I do wish she'd stop pulling my hair though. And she doesn't just pull it. When I'm sitting on the floor, she stands up, grabs a handful, then quickly drops to her bottom. She's already pulled some out when I wasn't quick enough on the uptake to drop with her instead of staying put.)

Well, come on. You KNEW the blog had to end with whining.