Julia...

...has recently started walking on and sitting in the grass without "freaking out." This was a huge sensory thing for her. Before the constant exposure to the outside that summer brings, she would fall in the grass and either scream until someone picked her up or scoot as fast as she could to get off of the grass. She still walks a little akwardly but the fact that she is walking on it at all is a huge "step in the right direction."



She also also decided to take up eating some things that she would never in the past. She has always done fine with very crunchy things (really well done toast) or really "liquidy" things (applesauce). Things such as pasta, grilled cheese sandwiches (or any kind of sandwich really), softer fruits(such as strawberries) and hotdogs were a huge problem for her. I think the usage of the Nuk Brush, the bite for a bite program that I have started (if you eat this piece of macaroni, I'll give you this bite of toast), as well as the whole thing just finally "clicking" is what has made her recent success possible.

It's like that with her, the "clicking" thing I mean. It was the same thing with walking. I think she probably could have done it physically at least a month or two before she actually did it. As I have said to some of her specialists, I think some of her concerns lie in the area of confidence. She just needs that extra push.

My sister asked me the other day how many words she says. To be honest, I can't keep track anymore. She speaks in sentences most of the time now...not always gramatically correct of course, but that's expected of a two year old. Her newest phrase? "There you are" which she says quite enthusiastically after I hide behind something and jump out.

I think that we may have a little chatterbox on our hands.