Almost 2

I have not posted about Hadleigh in forever and wanted to document what she is up to.  Grrrrrr!  She is my #1 mess-maker!!!  She has brought mess-making to an art.  If it can be spilled, she will spill it.  If it can be broken, she will break it.  If it can be ripped, she will rip it.  AND then will give you a great big knowing smile when you say no-no. 

All of her therapy is working.  Her physical therapy is focusing on her sitting.  Hadleigh will only sit in a W.  When she sits, her knees go forward and her feet are in back.  Very painful to watch as an adult but she is not bothered by it.  We want her to sit Indian-style but that is definitely NOT her preference.  BUT a fairly minor issue in the scheme of things.

OT is focusing on her mouth muscles (which also ties into speech).  Hadleigh drools all of the time.  It has nothing to do with getting teeth or sinus.  It has to do with the strength (or lack there of ) of her jaw muscles.  She has to be reminded to close her mouth.  We got her an electric toothbrush that is supposed to stimulate the different parts of her mouth and get her moving her mouth.  It is a difficult process because what almost 2 year old wants Mommy or Daddy sticking a noisy toothbrush in her mouth??

This is my FAVORITE outfit right now!  Isn't it the cutest?  And see her sassy face?  That is all of the time.  You have to really work to get this girl to smile. 

Her speech has improved a LOT but there is still a lot of room for improvement.  She says a lot of words randomly and will never say it again.  She only consistently says Mommy and ball and bye.  If you ask her "What does a lion say?"  She will roar (courtesy of a lion lesson from Aunt Mashure) but other animal sounds not so much.  Her speech therapist says she does not like pressure.  For example, if you are in front of people and ask her to say ______ or "perform," she does not respond to the pressure.  But if you are looking at a book and pointing to pictures and naming them, she is more likely to join in.  She knows a lot of songs but will hum them and not say the words.  She LOVES Itsy, Bitsy Spider, Twinkle, Twinkle, If you're Happy and you Know it, but she will not say the words.  She only hums along. 

She still is a good eater and will try almost anything.  She is still a good sleeper and takes a super nap every day and goes to bed about 7:30 and would sleep to 8:30 if we let her. 

She gets along with her siblings pretty well.  Better with Roc that with Jillian.  Jillian likes to pick her up and kind of gets right up in her face and Hads does not like that while Rocco and Hadleigh will play baby and school for hours together and he just lets her be.  Also maybe because Tues/Thurs, it is just Hadleigh and Rocco, Rocco will go along with what Hadleigh wants. 

She loves to snuggle and wants to be held all the time.  She still has that one curl in the back but her hair has started growing more lately.  I almost think she needs a little trim to clean things up.  I cannot believe we are heading down the road to 2.  It will be here before I am ready!!!