Catch-up: A narrative

It's been a really long time since I've blogged, I know. I went to Connecticut for two weeks, and I've been playing catch-up ever since. Ben was gone at the same time (just Julie and I went to CT) on a Boy Scout trip. He went on a week-long canoe trip on the French River and Georgian Bay in Canada, and absolutely loved it.

Since my last posts, Julie has:

• Taken her first steps. Her record is eight consecutive steps. She;'s done it a few times, but she won't do it when we try to coax her. It's completely on her terms. She doesn't yet seem to understand that walking is a form of transportation, and she genuinely doesn't realize that she really doesn't need to hold onto something, that she can do it on her own.
• Started wearing ponytails. She does okay with the rubber bans. I just started these this week. If I put a bow in her hair, she pulls it out post haste.
• Learned how to play "splish splash." My mom bought a little kiddie pool for Julie while we were there. It took a few days to warm up to the idea, but after that she loved it.
• Learned to identify her head, ears, mouth, nose, and belly button.
• Started to blow kisses. Results on this are still a little spotty, because it's a new thing.
• Been standing on her own for long stretches of time, playing with toys.
• Learned how to say "all done" -- it comes out more like "ah-dah!"
• Learned to ask where someone is. At my parents' house, whenever someone would go outside or out to the garage, or upstairs, Julie would turn her hands upward, get a quizzical look on her face, and say "Wuh zuh zuh?" or "Where'd s/he go?"
  
• Fed herself with a spoon. Once or twice.
• Started dancing along with her singing.
• Gotten tall. It seems like nothing is out of reach anymore.
• Figured out how to get on the coffee table and the couch, and has tried to climb into her high chair.