IFSP

LPS (Lincoln Public Schools) did a review of Mena's IFSP (Individual Family Service Plan). Since Mena tested age appropriate for her Gross Motor Skills, the physical therapist is no longer on the team servicing Mena. The case worker is also no longer on the team since we don't really need her help in any other areas (case workers are mostly to help poor families connect with other services in Lincoln that could help them). Ann, the language teacher, is the only person left servicing Mena since that's the only area she still has a developmental delay. Ann will continue to come weekly to work with Mena. We will miss the other visitors that came to our house, but are glad Mena is moving on in her abilities!

That's the face of a happy, laughing girl!

20 Months Old

Mena is now 20 months old. You can kind of see in these 2 pictures that I've trimmed her bangs. We havn't touched the rest of her hair with scissors yet. She weighs 27.5 pounds. No new teeth this month. She's still wearing size 2 tops and we've now moved her into the 24 month pants and shorts. The 18 month pants weren't long enough to be pants but weren't short enough to be capri's either. Thank goodness for adjustable waistbands on the 24 month pants so I can get them to stay up on her.

Mena has now started using the potty chair. She's always been very calm when I changed her diapers and lately she started getting upset when it was time for a diaper change. A friend told me that could mean she was ready to start potty training. I found a potty chair on craig's list. When she wakes up in the morning and when she wakes up from nap, she'll usually go in the potty chair. Sometimes I'll be able to get her to go in the potty chair another time during the day. It's totally me catching her at the right time to go potty, but she's beginning to understand what the potty chair is for. She'll clap for herself right after she goes potty or poopy and sometimes she'll even start clapping before I do! We're excited that she's catching onto the idea, but not pushing it since she's still so young.

New cute behaviors:
**When a good song comes on (especially Rascal Flatts) she starts dancing in circles in the living room.
**Mena appears to have gotten Mommy's love of storms. She's never woke up from a storm in the night. During breakfast one morning, we had some really big lightning and thunder. At the first rumble of thunder, she gave me a quizical look. At the second rumble of thunder, she signed "more." At the third rumble of thunder, she started clapping!

Duncan's Back

We didn't see Duncan at all in April but he's been back with us in May. Mena really is a social kid and she's really enjoyed being able to play with him a few days each week in May.

Pudding Painting

Mena's not really a fan of eating pudding so I thought I'd just use the pudding to let her play in it. She tasted it on her finger once and then had fun smearing her hands in it. When she decided she was done, she tried to brush the pudding off her hands like I've taught her to brush sand off her hands. She was very upset when she realized it wasn't coming off! I took her to the sink to wash up at that point.

Tricking Us

We've played a lot of games with Mena where we'd hide items and ask her to find them. Now she's starting to hide items from us. In this picture she hid her hand in the sand and looked at me to find it. She's also hidden her hand in my shirt sleeve, and hidden Aunt Debbie's lotion under the coffee table. She always thinks she is so sneaky and laughs and laughs and laughs when we ask where it went!

Hair Dresser like Aunt Peggy?

Mena combing Mommy's hair, then combing her hair, and then a great big kiss for doing such a great job!

Riding a Froggie

Mena's balance has gotten better so she can sit on the frog at the park. It's one of those items that has a huge spring underneath so the kids can rock back and forth. She does pretty well holding on when I make it rock.

Pedicure and Manicure

Mena watched me give myself a pedicure and manicure. When I moved from my toe nails to my finger nails, she took over on my feet. My entire toe got a buffing :)

Bubble Wrap

Mena's first experience with popping bubble wrap. She had a lot of fun stomping on it!

Cousin Jake

Aunt Peggy has gone back to work and cousin Jake is now coming to our house 2 afternoons a week. Mena and Jake are becoming good friends. Mena likes to share her toys with Jake, but she does get a little jealous when I'm feeding Jake. I've taken to sitting on the couch rather than the rocking chair when I give Jake a bottle so she can sit beside Jake and I.

First Trip to the Fire Station

All of us in my Mom's Group met at the Fire Station on April 23rd. Mena enjoyed looking at everything. When I tried to get her to stand in the group so I could take a picture she kept walking over to me. The firefighter held her on his knee so I could take the picture. She's had such separation/stranger anxiety that I didn't think she'd let him hold her, but she very calmly sat on his knee. Mena and Brynn liked standing on the front bumper of the ladder truck, but Mena wasn't thrill when I put her inside the truck. The men got called out to emergencies 3 times while we were there. It seemed a little strange at one point when they were all gone and there was on one but us in the station. We let the kids walk around and look in the different rooms (kitchen, exercise room, tv room, bedrooms) and then the firefighters came back and told us about the engine and the ladder truck. The only bummer part of the field trip was that I forgot our good camera, but at least I got these pictures with my phone.