Jacquelyn's Progress

November, 2008
January 2008

July, 2007;   February, 2007;   October, 2006  

2005    April   June   September   November  

2004    February   April   July   October  

2003    Jan   Feb   Mar   April   May   July   November  

2002    June   July   Sept   Oct  

JG's Pregnancy Journal

November, 2008
There are days when I believe that Jacquelyn is actually one of God's angels sent here to teach me. Or maybe it's a reflection of His spirit on her life, so strong already. I'm amazed at what our children comprehend spiritually - they give us a fresh perspective. Here is an example of one of those times that God works through her to show me a glimpse of light. While we were at Disney (the happiest place on earth), we were eating lunch or dinner one night, a few days into the trip, and Jacquelyn and I were sharing a table. She looks at me and says (out of the blue), "Mom, you know that Heaven is better than Disneyworld?" That day I was convinced God sent down an angel in the form of my daughter to tell me that. How else would she know?

And the way she sings is so refreshing - I could listen for hours. She learns praise and worship songs instantly and can replicate the tune so perfectly. Her voice is that of an angel, and is nearly always "on."

Some days she'll be up in her room, just reading her Bible (or looking at the pictures and telling the story to herself) - she's got some Mammaw Deen in her, for sure! She actually pursues more knowledge; she's truly captivated by the Bible and anxious to learn more and talk about things. I know that spiritual hunger will guide her path for many years. I'm humbled so many days to be that example she needs to keep that yearning for more of God.

January, 2008
Jacquelyn continues to make my heart grow bigger. As the oldest, she shows us (first) glimpses of what to expect from Nicole and Michael. Not in every area, as they all develop differently and have varying interests, but it's quite impressive to see the baby that once required 100% care suddenly take on a new task completley independent of anyone's help. We never know what to expect, as far as her learning - how long is it supposed to take before they do [this]? With the first child, you wait and see, then when you see it, it makes you wonder "how'd that happen so quickly?" She grows up more every day. One day she was recognizing her name, thenshe was writing her name, then she came home and read us a book.

A few weeks ago she told me (when trying to find something to wear to church) that "this is my closet and I can wear whatever I want to." I'm pretty sure I laughed. I was so not expecting that attitude for a few more years. This was a determined point of her independence. I went downstairs and told Stephen, "Jacquelyn grew up some more today." However, as I was about to walk away form her (letting her make her own decision about what to wear), she called out for my help once more. So even she's not quite ready for the big steps she tests on us sometimes. That was comforting to hear. She wants to do it on her own, but can we stay there to watch her, just in case she needs us? That's a good place to be. A few steps past doing it for her, and just a few more away from her being on her own.

With surprising steps forward, I'm never quite sure when to expect her to begin letting go of us. She's still a fan of mine after (nearly) 6 years, and I hope that lasts another 6, although I'm sure I'll move down in her list before then. And I'm her biggest fan and will be even when she doesn't seem to notice I'm around, being here for her, just in case she needs me. I cherish every time she comes to me to cuddle or give a hug or wants me to show her I'm proud of her. I just hope that my open arms will keep her coming back forever.

July, 2007
Jacquelyn's favorite things:
- swinging with Mommy on the porch
- drawing pictures or making books
- working on her scrapbook (drawing, stickers, writing)
- writing words and cards to people
- playing with Nicole (school, house, Barbies, dress-up as Disney princesses)
- playing with Michael (jumping, playing outside, riding bikes)
- having a snack
- having someone to sleep with
- Summer Camp water day and field trips
- slumber parties, eating popcorn and watching a movie on Friday night
- reading and being read to

New skill: knows her phone number
Strength: friendship, enjoys spending time with people
Weakness: trying to grasp the idea of fairness and difference between a reaction that's selfish or not fair. She gets upset at things not being equal or "fair." But she also reacts (sometimes) in a way that forces that equality in her favor, for selfish reasons. She must be at the point of moving from the egocentric way of thinking (of babies/toddlers/preschoolers) to a more global view of how things affect everyone around her.

February, 2007
Jacquelyn is such an artist! Her drawings have improved so much in just the past few months, adding clothing, fingers, hair styles and eyelashes to her people. Her favorite items to draw are butterflies, people (her family), rainbows, sun and grass, flowers and (lately) Abby and Jake, or a cat. The last cat had a rainbow tail. She draws curly ends on the hair for her, or will draw her hair clips, dresses on us and pants on Daddy and Michael, with short hair. She can draw our house, with stairs, windows, doors and curtains. She loves hearts - and draws better hearts than I do.

Over the holidays, I uncovered a backpack of coloring books and colored pencils that were mine (about 25 years ago). There's Repunzel, Strawberry Shortcake, Pete's Dragon, Peanuts... They love coloring those books and asking if I colored that page when I was a little girl. Stephen had a good idea of combining one of my colored pages from youth and one of the girls' to put in a shadow box with the coloring book and mom-made pencil box (from an aluminum Band-Aid can with a lid).

Recently, I introduced my stamps to themn for making cards, and they both love using them to decorate cards or paper. Jacquelyn made a beautiful Birthday card for her teacher with drawings she did, plus stamped hearts, balloons and "Happy Birthday." They also made Valentine cards for some of the family, which was very fun. Jacquelyn's favorite quiet activity is coloring or drawing. She asks me to maek her a blank paper book, where I take 2-3 sheets of copy paper and fold in have and staple to make a book. She made me a book of her drawings then told me I was to take it to work to show all my friends.

She was so happy walking into my room Sunday and seeing one of her bigger drawings hanging on my wall. She thought that was the perfect place for it. I love surrounding myself with them. It's the most inspiring art to look at.

She's begun comparing herself to others in a critical way - not wanting to be different, or wanting to be able to do the same things as her friends, like have a different color hair (or curly hair) or draw bats or run faster (or even have me working where her friend's mom works). She doesn't find any joy in being different and doesn't understand why she can't be like her friends. She still trying to grasp ideas like being upset at someone or disagreeing, but still loving them. Just a month ago she would think she didn't love someone anymore if she wasn't feeling the same way about something. She's also trying to grasp how big God is. How does he have the whole world in His hands - are His hands bigger than the world? Is God bigger than a giant? Is He stronger than Daddy? But how can he be that big and live in our hearts? How will we go to Heaven?

October, 2006
Silliness has a new name: 4-year-old Jacquelyn! It's the age where you start to wonder: is it just my kid? I'm reading a book on the wonderful age of 4, and so many descriptions fit Jacquelyn. She's amazing to me, and can also be such a contrast at times - even with herself. Her emotions run high and she can be in love with the world one minute and mad at it the next. She's on the fence of becoming independant, yet still wanting the attention that she got as a baby: "I can do it myself! (but can you stay there an watch me?)"

I love hearing her say, "I love you the most! ... You're the best mom in the world! ... and You're a good Mommy!" Even though she adores her sister and baby brother and is a huge help with them, she still loves to have time with us herself. She loves me to read her books and lie in bed with her. The few afternoons or nights I actually get to do that, she's so thrilled, and we're best friends. She says "I can't be quiet, I love you so much!" She has to talk to me when she has me right there just for her.

She loves playing with Nicole and having slumber parties in her room - or the favorite: in the playroom upstairs, eating popcorn and watching a movie and sleeping in their sleeping bags. That's the most special treat.

She's such a wonderful "mom" to Michael... sometimes at a better advantage because she's closer in size. She takes him for walks - he loves that he's following her or attached to her - his sisters are his favorite. He loves playing with them. And I'm so happy to see how much they include him and love him being part of their life.

Jacquelyn is showing her skills at art and music. She plays on her little piano, making up songs and recording them; she makes up songs to sing; and can pick up any song (and signs or motions) after eharing it once. Her favorite pastime is drawing and writing. She loves to write letters and words. She enjoys coloring and also drawing her own people, houses, scenes. She's quite creative.

Jacquelyn's K-3 Class Webpage

November, 2005
Jacquelyn has blossomed as a "big sister" - she's almost a second mother to Michael. She insists on holding him daily and sings to him, takes care of him and barely lets me take him away... "Mom, I'm not done! Don't take him." She giggles at him, and he stares at her in adoration. She can calm him down from crying as I'm running groceries in the house, and he's inside waiting to get out of his carseat. He's her first priority when she gets up in the morning.

Jacquelyn's memory is exceptional! Already she can recite the entire Psalm 23, and I don't feel as though I've been saying it to her that long. She comes home singing all kinds of new songs and poems she's learned at school. She loves singing so much that she'll make up a sing at any time of day to account for what's happening. If she's walking around the house or just sitting in her room alone, she's singing about her day or what she's thinking, often to a tune all her own - sometimes to the tune of existing songs. As she's learned in school, different words can be put to the same tune of a song and become a new song (i.e. "Twinkle. Twinkle" and the "ABC" song).

She still loves books. I've begun reading longer stories to her, like Berenstein Bears instead of the short board books. She's even begun to spell words and read. She gets out her letter blocks and asks me to come make words for her to read. So I put blocks together to spell a word (such as "hop"), and she sounds out each letter's sound over and over until she says it fast enough to recognize the word. It's amazing.

September, 2005

September, 2005
Jacquelyn is 3 and a half! And she's thinking like an adult, reasoning and thinking about consequences and being concerned about other people's actions and feelings. She still learns very quickly, when we try to hone her behavior and give her alternative ways to act. Not long ago, I told her that when she's frustrated or upset about something, instead of expressing those feelings by yelling or hitting or throwing a fit, which doesn't help us understand what's wrong, she should, instead, come to one of us and tell us (in a normal voice) what the problem is so that we can fix it. And ever since then, she's been doing just that - coming to me calmly and saying, "Mom, I'm mad, because... will you help me fix the problem?" We, as adults, don't always show that level of control, even. I'm so proud of her for understanding and acting on it to see the results for herself. I hear her trying to tell Nicole the same thing, whenever she sees Nicole screaming about something that's upsetting her.

Her biggest accomplishment in the past few months, in addition to her communication, has been her writing skills. She's gone from scribbling to coloring in the lines within weeks, it seems like. And she practices every day writing letters. Eevery chance she gets, she wants a pencil and some paper to draw with. She can draw faces of people, shapes and about 5-6 letters on her own. Others, I draw dashed or dotted for her to trace. And she can write about 4 numbers, too. She also loves to practice with her scissors. She hasn't gotten the hang of cutting a particular line, yet, but she's very good at holding the scissors and cutting.

She loves her new teacher, Mrs. Johnson and is always excited to show me what they learne din class that day. Her memorization is so excellent. I heard her reciting all pledges to the flag, the Christian flag and the Bible, singing patriotic songs and other new songs she learns and hears at school. I knew once she could recite the Pledge of Allegiance (longer than the normal nursery rhyme), she'd be able to start memorizing other longer passages. So I've begun reciting Psalm 23 to her in the evenings after she says her prayers.

June, 2005
Jacquelyn is becoming so independent, able to manage most tasks on her own. She dressees and undresses herself, brushes her teeth, can open the frig to get out a container of yogurt, opens it, gets a spoon and sits down to eat, peels a banana, drinks from an open cup (no sippy lid), does her own seatbelt, opens the car door, and helps with Nicole's seat belt and door, too. It's amazing to see her as a little person. She's so cute, and it wasn't long ago that she was totally dependent on someone else to take care of her. She loves "helping" with anything I'm doing - even cleaning - but especially cooking.

She's drawing specific items now on paper, instead of just scribbled colors. She draws a very good round face, with eyes, nose, mouth and hair. Whenever she draws freehanded, she points out what she was drawing, letters, shapes, rainbows, animals or people. she's getting better at writing her letters - J, of course, is her favorite one to write right now. She also does very good with C, X, W, N and V.

She enjoys being outside all the time, and is so happy at school when they play on the playground. And any water play is number 1 on the list of fun things to do outside. At her summer camp, they have water day every Friday, and she gets so excited about it. I've had to get her two new suits this summer already. The first one, she wore once, then it was too small. So I got her a two-piece the next time, because she's so long, a one-piece doesn't really fit. Then the school asks that girls be in one-pieces during their water days, so I ordered her (and Nicole) suits from Disney, which are terrific. Of course, Jacquelyn's has Princesses on it, so she loves it. She also got a cool Princess beach towel that folds up into its own backpack, and water shoes to match.

April, 2005
Jacquelyn has become such a big "little girl." In March, she started a K-3 preschool at Coastal Shores Christian School. When I went by for a visit, I really loved the school and director - I was excited for Jacquelyn. A few days later, Stephen and I took her by to see her class and meet her teacher. She walked right into class, found an empty chair and sat down with the rest of the kids, making herself at home. She was disappointed that she wasn't staying that day. Every day since her first, she's been so excited to go to school every morning. Her favorite days are any day she's at school. She loves her teacher, Mrs. White, and also talks about other children in her class, who are her friends. She's learning to write her letters; she's learning Bible stories and memory verses, and how to better handle writing tools (pencils, pens, etc.)

Rachel and Rebekah got her a Sesame Street lunch box that she adores - she doesn't like to let anyone else carry it in or out of school. She even wants to hold it in the car on the ride.

She loves to pick out her own clothes, especially now that she can completely dress and undress herself. In fact, playing dress-up is a highlight of any day. She loves her princess and ballerina clothes. She gets herself ready for bed at night without any help, although she still gets supervision ;-)

She has an amazing memory - I'm astounded at how well she can figure out where we're going as soon as we turn onto a certain street, or she'll point in the direction we need to go to get there.

She had her first eye doctor appoint at the end of March, and she was in very good shape. In fact, the doctor said her level of sight was above some first graders already - because at this age, the eyesight is still maturing.

October, 2004
Jacquelyn's latest phrase is "Are you happy?" She's starting to understand the words to describe various emotions, and also that appearances can indicate a person's feelings. When she sees one of us without a smile or with an unhappy look, she asks "What's the matter?" When she's disappointed or upset about something, she says, "Mommy, I'm sad." When Nicole is smiling, she says "Sissy's happy!" She loves to randomly ask us "Daddy, are you happy?"

Her putting together sentences has taken her communication to a whole new level - she puts her thoughts together in a string of words that specifically tells us what she's thinking.

She's also understanding sequence of events. For instance, if she asks to go "shopping," I may tell her, "First, we need to eat, then put our shoes on, then we can go shopping." And she'll repeat the events in order as we do them, telling me she understands what has to happen next in order to reach the ultimate goal.

She loves her Sunday school class is recites her memory verse anytime I ask her. She can also say her night time prayers all the way through on her own now. Her memorization skills are really astounding. She loves the routine of her day. At bed time, she brushes her teeth, washes her hands, puts pajamas on, gets in bed, says prayers, and then talks to me about her day. If something gets missed, she brings it to my attention, so we can take care of it. The other night, I closed her door before saying my "routine" good night words, and she started repeating (loudly) "Mommy - love you, night, night; love you, night, night!" So I opened the door and said "I love you." Love you," she answered. "Night, night," I said softly. "Night, night," she replied, and all was well. I won't forget that again.

July, 2004
Jacquelyn is so smart - it seems like she could go straight into first grade next year and still know more than the kids in her class. Stephen and I were talking about all she knows the other day compared to other kids her age, and she knows more than most kids in preschool already. She's practically reading. She's singing entire songs and doing sign language, making full sentences, knows all her colors and many shapes (including octagon and trapezoid). She not only knows her alphabet song, but can identify each letter by sight, knows each sound they make, the sign for each letter, can tell you a word that starts with that letter, and also can tell you what letter a word begins with by the sound it makes.

She's learned to put her shoes on herself; she is almost completely potty-trained. She has started letting us know she has to go before she goes. She can open the refrigerator door herself to get out her milk cup. She's very good.

At night, she's started needing company when going to bed and in the middle of the night. We've been told it's common for her age to start gettign scared at night. She wants one of us to be in the room with her until she falls asleep - she loves for me to rub her back. But even after she's asleep, if she wakes up and is alone, she cries or just walks into our bed and crawls in. It's not the most comfortable for us, especially trying to sleep. But there's nothing like waking up to your little girl right there in your arms, curled up, all safe and secure, sleeping so contently and peacefully. I love waking up with her in bed.

April, 2004
Jacquelyn's mind continues to amaze us. She will look at her blocks with the letters on them, and say each letter of the alphabet AND make its sound... "M say mmmmmm... A say aaaaahh." Jeri brought her a LeapFrog video that goes through the letters of the alphabets and their sounds, and she's picked up on it and learned it so quickly. She even does it in the car, without looking at the blocks or letters.

She knows all her numbers by sight, too. She's beginning to talk in sentence format. The sweetest things she's said so far has been: "Pretty hair, Mom." In the morning she says "Daddy - get up!" When she goes to bed, "Mommy, lay down, [with] me." (She doesn't say "with" yet. She knows so much, and keeps surprising us by how observant she is or how much she takes in and hears when we don't think she's listening. Like the morning I took Nicole to her doctor appointment, Jacquelyn was at home and told Rebekah "sissy... doctor."

She's really into "jumping high" and will take any moment to practice, and especially loves you to jump with her. She can open and close any door in the house, and also the frig to get her milk or put it away. She loves to color and paint - the egg decorating was a big hit! I'll have to do that again before next Easter.

February, 2004
Jacquelyn is definitely entering the "little girl" stage now, way past "baby" and quickly speeding through "toddlerhood." Since we moved into the new house (1/31), she's been sleeping in a twin size bed. She crawls up and goes right to sleep - only a few times has she gotten out of bed before it's time. About half the time, she'll wake up in the morning and call Mommy or Daddy and crawl into bed with us for a few minutes before the need for breakfast sets in.

She gets so excited to show someone her room. She takes your hand and leads you there or just runs in front of you. She started running, jumping, climbing into her chair for eating. She loves to share things with "sissy" but sometimes still gets jealous of Mommy's lap or being held. When I have music on, she raise up her arms and insists, "Dance! Dance!" wanting me to pick her up and dance with her; she puts her arms around my neck and lays her head on my shoulder. She also loves to ride on my back (or Daddy's or Beka's) and says "Row, Row Boat" You have to sing "Row, Row, Row your boat" when you take her on a piggy back ride. She saw this on the Sesame Street video - Elmo climbs on Snuffy's back to ride while singing that song.

Whenever Daddy gets home, she climbs into his lap and says "Again!" which means "Throw me up in the air and catch me... again." And if you tickle her then stop, she'll say "Tickle, tickle" wanting more. Her latest sign is the word "scared." On a Blue's Clues sign language video, they showed that sign while telling a story. It's the funniest face on her. She spreads out both palms in front of her chest and freezes her expression in a "scared" look, like gritting her teeth. So funny!

She's definitely imitating every action or word she hears and sees. And she remembers associations we never would. For instance on one of her Bible Songs videos, they're singing "Happy & You Know it" while playing on a playground, and now every time she slides down her slide, she says "Amen!" just like the kids on the video. She also remembers that the first time she climbed up on the picnic table in the back, she also had some ice cream, and now calls for ice cream whenever she gets up there.

Her latest phrase is "yeah? ok." She loves to ask for something then give herself permission... "Muppets? yeah, ok." "crackers? yeah, ok."

She's also this week (Feb. 14) started saying "Hey Babe" anytime she gets up from a nap or sleeping or when she just walks into the room. She loves saying it. This morning, she was trying to get mine or Stephen's attention and kept saying "Babe" over and over. Another less fortunate word she's learned (from Stephen) is "punk." He got her to call people that, which sounds hilarious, but when she calls someone that just outright, some people take offense. They forget or don't think that she has no idea it's a derogatory word.

Feb. 16 - Rebekah just called me. She said she wished she had a camera strapped to her forehead sometimes. She was feeding Nicole in LR and heard Jacquelyn go into the kitchen and heard a bag rustling. So she tried to talk her into coming into where she was, and she didn't. So Rebekah picked up Nicole and walked into the kitchen and JG is sitting on the floor with the bag of cookies! Two in her hand, one on the floor and a mouth FULL! She said "Cookie!"

November, 2003
Jacquelyn understands and can say over 100 words; she knows more than 40 signs (sign language words); she recognizes her shapes and colors; and can even count to ten. She counts things in her view one at a time - puzzle pieces, Cheerios, birds on a page, etc. She can say all her alphabet and loves to sing (or start singing). She starts "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep," "A, B, C, D...," "Bat, Bat," "Row, Row, Row your Boat," "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star," "Jingle Bells," "Old MacDonald."

She repeats almost every last word of your sentence, and is very clear at pronouncing them. She's getting very good at names. She loves to play Peek-a-Boo, and do the motions to "If you're happy and you know it" - stomping her feet, clapping her hands, bouncing, spinning around, jumping.

She gives her sissy a kiss every morning. Nicole is the first person she wants to see when she's up and out of bed. If Nicole isn't awake, Jacquelyn pats her head or her face and calls "Sissy!" until she wakes up. When Nicole's in the saucer, and JG wants her to play, she'll hold out both her arms toward Nicole and open and close her hands, saying "Out, Out." Then she'll go sit down and pat the floor next to her and say "Sissy." Sometimes, she'll go to Nicole's jumper and put her hands inside the seat and say "Jump" telling me sissy must want to be in the jumper.

She loves colors and shapes and any books, dvds or games about them. When she sees a heart, she points to it and says "heart." When I ask her "where is your heart?" she answers by patting her chest. And if I ask her, "Who lives in your heart?" she answers by signing the word and saying "Jesus." If I ask, "Where does Jesus live?" She answers "Heart" and pats her chest.
She picks up her toy phone, any cell phone lying around or our house phone and starts talking. Her most common callers are Mack (Rachel's dog), Daddy, Beka, Rachel, and Maw-maw. She says "Hello. Love you. Bye-bye (Daddy)."

July, 2003
Jacquelyn seems to learn a new word every day - her vocabulary is growing at a rapid pace. She can repeat almost every sound she hears. She's almost running now, and loves to "jump." Her jumps are either lifting her heels off the floor or sometimes one foot in the air. She rememberes things so well, which makes it easy to teach her new words and signs. She loves "Blue's Clues" and the "Muppets" and goes crazy when she hears that she can watch either. She's becoming more independent, telling us what she wants to eat or play with and using "No" when we guess incorrectly; and she has started telling us when her diaper needs changing! She's still taking two naps a day, but seems to be heading towards one, probably soon. She's so adorable - I can't ever get enough of her. It's a wonder watching her learn and grow so quickly.

May, 2003
Jacquelyn is on the move! She walks so quickly (just like me), almost running. If she wants to show you something or go somewhere that she needs help (like outside or steps), she'll grab your fingers and pull and start walking forward, assuming you're getting up right away to follow her.

She has had two more teeth come in this month, after a little break from new teeth. It's the first molars behind the bottom incisors. I think some more are coming in right behind these.

We bought her an inflatable pool, and she loves it. She loves the water. It's so fun to play with her. She likes holding her hands under running water, like the hose, bath tub or sink. She loves the splashing and her toys that squirt water.

Her favorite item is chimes. We have some hanging at the front door and at the back, and she wanted to ring them each time. She also picked out some for her room, which I hung from the bulletin board by her door. One morning I heard them ringing and couldn't figure out how she was doing it - they're far from her reach. She was pushing the calendar over so it would swing and hit the chimes. So clever.

Her vocabulary has increased. She can say "shoe," "cheerios," "nummy, nummy" (for food), "more" (and also signs for "more"), "pa-pa," "maw-maw," "boppy" (Beka), "puppy," "ball" (anything round), "see" (and points to things), "Blue" (for Blue's Clues dog), "bubbles," "yeah," "tree," "bird," "down," "Pooh," and "pool," and she's learning the sign for "milk." She can say "fishy" - she loves seeing fish at the petstore or wal-mart. Every morning, when I walk in, she's standing in her crib, turns on her Fisher Price Aquarium, which lights up the bowl and plays the sounds of waves or rain, and she points to the floating fish, saying "fishy."

She also has a slide outside, and has learned to climb up the back (what was intended), or up the front (as all kids love). She can sit herself down and slide all by herself. And she says "Wheeee" when she slides down. After a few times, she goes hunting for clover flowers. One afternoon when Stephen was playing basketball, I was outside playing with her and showed her a bunch of clover flowers and picked some for her. She was so excited. She got one in each hand and started waving them around like pom-poms. Now she loves to pick those flowers.
April, 2003
4/9 - Jacquelyn took about 10 steps in a row today. Before today, she's only taken 1-2 stps on her own before getting down to crawl the rest of the way. Today she's discovered something new and is excited to show anyone who wants to see. Even tired, she was excited to demonstrate her new accomplishment!

March, 2003
Jacquelyn is talking so much! She loves to be read to and will even read books to herself in her room. Her vocabulary is expanding every day. She says "sock" when she pulls her socks off; and she repeats "Thank you" after hearing it. She also says, "more, mom, dad, abby, abigail, sissy, no-no, uh-oh, baby, ma, pa." She waves bye-bye and gives kisses. She points to what she wants or to pictures or books. She loves to walk things, like her stroller or her Pooh mower or any chair, stool, or toy that will slide across the floor. She's only taken about 2 steps on her own so far, but she gets stronger every day. She loves being outside, taking walks, feeling the grass and leaves, looking at trees, listening to birds, watching the dogs.

She can point to her ears. If you say, "where's your nose?" she'll point to your nose. And she says "mommy-no" for "mommy's nose". When she wants you to read "Little Boy Blue" to her, she says "no, no" for the "No Not I" line at the end.

February 14, 2003
Jacquelyn has fun with so many things now. She loves leaves outside, crinkling them in her fingers. She loves tearing toilet paper and magazine pages to shreds and waving around anything that makes noise. She smiles all the time. She loves playing with balloons, bouncing it with her hands or head and grabbing the string to pull it towards her. She also enjoys watching bubbles surround her, pop and land. As soon as she tries to grab one, it disappears.

She's learned the word "uh-oh" and loves to drop things just so she can say it. She's also discovered mouthing the "ma" sound slowly enough to create slobber bubble between her own lips. It's so amusing to watch her. She adores being read to and gets so excited when she hands someone a book and they sit with her to read through it. She looks at each page so intently and usually claps at the end or pats the page (if there's a dog on the page). She doesn't pay much attention to TV cartoons, but really finds puppets and life-life creatures entertaining. She like the Sesame Street muppets, Blue's Clues and Dooley. Also the Baby Mozart video will hold her attention for the 20 minutes of music, moving objects and puppets. Anything that sings gets her attention. She starts to dance sometimes to music she hears and bounces her head back and forth when she really likes something or anticipates something good.

She can stand on her own now for about 15 seconds before plopping down. She stand to her own surprise. She usually holds on to a person or object then grabs an item and becomes so interested in it, she lets go to use both hands and doesn't even realize she's not holding on to anything. She did this in the bathroom one day while I was getting ready. She'd pulled herself up and was holding onto the cabinet door, while grabbing toilet paper with the other hand. Then she started shredding the paper into tinier and tinier pieces with both hands, just looking at it fall and never knew she'd let go of the door.

Speaking of doors, she's amused by opening and closing cabinet doors over and over. Most of the time, she doesn't want to get anything inside, but love being in control of the moving door.

January 15, 2003
Jacquelyn is growing so quickly. She's learning so much. I can tell she recognizes words by how well she responds to them. And she babbles a lot, trying to form her own language. Her legs are very strong. She pulls herself up on anything, can basically stand alone, but she usually holds onto something, even if it barely with one hand. Then she'll squat down and sit or crawl to her next location. She crawls very fast and can follow us anywhere. Her gate has just become a challenge, not a real obstacle. When she wants, she can push it aside to crawl out to us.

She adores Abby, who lets her do whatever she wants. She'll pull herself up on Abby or sit and play with her tags. She can pat the dogs now. And, of course, she's learned that they love the same food she's eating. Dogs and dog sounds make her smile and laugh, even if it's a commercial on TV. She's laughing more now. Stephen can make her laugh almost anytime. She's so happy. She wakes up with a smile and smiles so big when I walk in the room after being gone all day.

A few weeks ago, Rachel and I took her to the park, and she had a blast playing in the leaves - the crackling sounds and crunching in her fingers. I hope it warms up soon, so we can go again.

It's all going by so fast. I hope I can keep up with recording these things when there are two, because she changes too fast for me to remember even a week ago. I hold her every chance I get and rock her to sleep when I can, because I know those moments will get fewer and farther in between. I cherish every time she falls asleep on my chest and holds on to me.

October 14, 2002
Eating Veggies -- At first she cringed at the new taste of vegetables, but lately, she's been eating them with much enthusiasm. The first one she really likes was Sweet potatoes. We'd tried squash and peas at first and she didn't like them. Then I tried the squash again, and she liked it. now we're on a combo of corn and squash, and she likes it, too. Maybe she just had to get used to the newness of taste and texture. Next is probably green beans. She loves to help put the spoon in her own mouth. She also has learne dthat if she gets enough on her fingers, Abby likes to come lick it off! She thinks that's very funny - she loves when the dogs pay any attention to her. They make her laugh. She's still not keen on the water, though. We've tried it in a cup and in a bottle, and even with a dash of apple juice to add some flavor - no success yet.

On the move -- She reached for anything she wants now, and if it's not within reach, she'll squirm wiggle or crawl to get to it. She can easily crawl across the room. And she's getting so active and energetic. It's difficult to change her because she wanst to flip over and get on her hands and knees to move. I took a CPR and first aid class on Saturday, and I really got some good ideas on keeping the house safe for our girl.

Ongoing Cold -- Unfortunately she still has a lingering congested cough and runny nose. She just can't get rid of it. I hate that it's still ongoing with the cooler weather approaching. We try keeping her away from other sick children as much as we can and I also wash and sterilize her toys often. Some days she seems much better, then one night she'll have trouble sleeping because of her cough. It's such a slow recovery. We bathe her in a steam shower with us whenever possible and use the vaporub bath wash in the tub to try and break up the congestion.

Portraits -- Last week I picked up her 6-month portraits - how much she's changed in 3 months! It's incredible. She is such an angel in the photos. I hope to scan them in soon and share them here. There's a black and white profile shot that's beautiful - it captures her wonder.

Books -- MUSC had a craft fair a few weeks ago, and I foudn the best children's books. They were sewen together out of cloth and about 11"x11" in size - very vivid colors. Finally I could read to Jacquelyn and not worry about her reaching for the page or putting a corner in her mouth. These books won't tear or be destroyed if chewed. They're wonderful. If I'm feeling quite crafty sometime soon, maybe I'll look for the patterns myself and make some more.

September 9, 2002
Jacquelyn had her 6-month appointment on Monday, September 9. She was almost 17 pounds and 26 1/2 inches long. She had three shots, plus a blood test for hemoglobin, which was great. She growing wonderfully, still above average.

This week, 9/16, we're starting her cereal feedings twice a day instead of one. She's seeming hungry a lot lately, and not getting enough to eat - must be that 6-month growth spurt! I'm taking her on Wednesdya to get her 6-month portraits done. It doesn't seem like she's changed much, some days, but she has grown so much since her 3-month pictures - there's quite a difference.

She can hold her own bottle and cup and put the pacifier in her mouth herself. We introduced the cup to her, but she hasn't really figured it out yet. She gets up on her hands and knees and rocks, pushing herself forward - so close to crawling, but not wuite there yet.

Her two bottom teeth are coming in more every day, and she must be getting some others, because her mouth bothers her still. She's not sleeping through the night yet. It's very hard on days I get up for work, but I've learning how quickly she changes and how fast time passes by, so I'm cherishing every minute I'm with her, even when it's at 4:00 am.

She grabs anything in sight and is getting very strong. She can sit up by herself and play for a while without falling over. She turns and wiggles all the time. And she's so attentive to people speaking. She loves being read and talked to. She loves being carried around to see the world - during the day, I'll put her in my sling or carrier, so she can move around with me and see things I'm doing. And finally it's nice enough outside to take walks! She also loves swinging with me outside and studying the trees and outdoor life.

July 18, 2002
She had her 4-month pediatrician appointment yesterday. She's 16 pounds and 26 inches tall. All her measurements put her in the 90-something percentile for her age group. Her doctor said she was thriving wonderfully. She was so good - she lay still while being checked and calmed down immediately after having her shots.

The doctor also said we should begin teaching her to fall asleep on her own, and she should be sleeping through the night soon. Last night she slept with us, because those shots threw off her schedule a bit, and we weren't sure how she'd be feeling. We'll have to start a routine for her, to help her get quality sleep and enough of it - which means having a set bed time, a bedtime routine of bath or reading a book, etc., and having consistent nap times during the day.

I'll like having a routine for her, but it seems like something a toddler or pre-schooler needs, not a baby. I think this will be the point for us when the "having a baby" will be noticeable by interfering with our schedule. Up til now, she's been so transportable. She doesn't really have a set schedule, as far as a certain time of day for her activities. I can take her anywhere and feed her, play with her, put her to sleep on me. It's easy compared to what the future holds. When I have to think about her "bedtime" or naptime, it'll change our spontaneous decisions about going out. Now that she's awake more and wanting toys to play with for entertainment, there'll be more to pack, or worry about her becoming bored. And meals will start to include real food that I'll have to bring along. With that will be a bigger mess to clean up and more time to feed her, and worry about her messing up the area we're seated in.

Already she's doing so much on her own. She seems so independent! And before long she'll be going to sleep without me rocking her first. Though I know it's necessary to teach her good sleeping habits, I'm really sad to be losing more close time with her - not holding her in my arms with every nap, and not getting up once or twice a night to feed her. Soon she'll also be eating on her own. The "letting go" has started so early.

She loves lifting her head up if she's on her tummy, and the last few days, if her head gets heavy, she'll rest it on one arm - by propping her elbow on the bed or our chest and resting her cheek in her palm. It's the cutest pose.

June 25, 2002
Jacquelyn is growing so quickly! Every day she gets bigger and stronger. She loves lifting her head and pushing up on her arms, if she's lying on her stomach. She'll scoot herself from one end of the crib to the other, or turn herself completely around in a circle if she's on a blanket on the floor.

She loves to stand and pump her legs - they're constantly moving. This week, she got to try out her jumper and loves it - she can move herself up and down and spin around to see anything she wants.

She also loves the sound of her voice most days. She has the most beautiful language - I wish I could just learn hers. Some days she'll talk for over and hour. Other days she just observes and learns.

JG enjoys being read to - I try to read at least 2 books to her every day, sometimes more. She's entertaining herself more on her own, now, too. She can play in the floor or in her crib for a long time (15 minutes) without getting bored or upset that she's alone. She loves for whoever's holding her to walk around with her, especially if she can see the trees outside. Walking calms her, if she's upset, sometimes so much she'll fall asleep.

I never tire of holding her. I'm not anxious for her walking days to sneak up on me, because she'll love her independence and start squirming out of my lap to go explore on her own. I love when she falls asleep in my arms, and hate that I can't just hold her for every nap. Walking into the room to her smile quickly washes away all worries.