HAPPY THIRTEEN MONTH "BIRTHDAY" CHARLOTTE AND JACOB

Today marks 13 months since Charlotte and Jacob were born. It truly is amazing how much has happend since they arrived. This past week a year ago we celebrated some exciting firsts (both kids passed their car seat test, had their feeding tubes removed from their nose, had their heart rate monitor leads taken off and were discharged from the St. Mike's NICU) and a year later we continue to celebrate many more. From January 1 to January 30 Charlotte and Jacob have:

• More "babbles": Both kids continue to "babble". In addition to being able to say "dada, duh (dog), and dickle dickle dickle (tickle tickle tickle) the kids have added the following: Jacob's new babbles "care (our nanny Claire's name), mama (mommy) and dis (this) Charlotte's new babbles: dis (this), dat (that), and oooooo (oh)"
• Increased their pointing: Charlotte continues to point at everything she sees or wants. Jacob has just started to point at things over the past week.
• Expanded the types of solid foods they eat: Our nanny Claire has been cooking up a storm for the kids and they have loved everything she has made for them including: Shepard's pie, chicken and veggie stir-fry, chicken and veggie pizza, hummus on toast, and sweet potatoe
• Begun to walk with "assitance": Whether it's with the chairs from our table, stools from the kitchen or their Fisher-Price Ride and Stride Dino's the kids love to walk! More times than not we will find the stools from the kitchen and chairs from the table spread around the main floor as the kids move from one place to another on their feet!
• Started standing: Both kids have started standing on their own for a short periods of time (30 seconds here, 45 seconds there). Jacob figured it out first but Charlotte wasn't far behind. They are both very proud of themselves when they are standing and quite often will clap after they fall on their bum!
• More teeth: Charlotte now has three teeth on top to go along with her two teeth on the bottom. Jacob remains locked on his five (three on top and two on the bottom)
• Adjusted to "mommy" being gone during the day: Charlotte and Jacob have adjusted to me not being around during the day - since I returned to work on January 9th they have been spending their days with our nanny Claire. They have never once cried when we leave in the morning and are always happy to see us when we get home at night!
• Activities outside of the house: Music at Central Eglinton Community Centre on Friday mornings, Playdate with Sophia (a little girl C and J and Claire met at the drop in centre), Playtime at the drop in centre, Baby Time at the Northern District Library, and lots of stroller walks with Claire