2 1/2 Years

Daniel turned 2 1/2 on November 12th. I really didn't need a calendar date to tell me he is in the midst of his second year- his behavior has been very telling! Daniel still charms us with his developing personality, but he has certainly been testing his limits with us. Whenever I am telling him "no" or he is mad at me (which is a daily occurrence) he asks for his daddy or Grandma and Grandpa. He is now tall enough to reach the front doorknob and I was surprised one day as I was sitting on the toilet to hear the front door open. I found Daniel outside trying to walk to Grandma and Grandpa's house. They live within a short walking distance, but too far for a 2 1/2 year old to travel solo!

Daniel's favorites right now are Curious George, dinosaurs, playing in the sand, and of course, trains. He loves constructing new railroad routes throughout our house with his tracks. Before naps and bedtime, Daniel has us drape beach towels over his crib so he can sleep in a "tent". His favorite book is "Click, Clack, Moo! Cows that Type". He likes to accompany Brian's guitar playing with his instruments and "Ma and Da" song. A new interest for him is coloring. Previously, he was never patient enough to sit down and color for very long, but now he really gets into it. He also loves "helping" everyone whether it be with cooking, yardwork, sweeping up, or holding Charley's leash during walks. My sister thinks Daniel is part Japanese because he enjoys eating sushi, kakimochi wrapped in dried seaweed, edamame, rice and fresh mochi.

Daniel is still struggling with his expressive language (speech) and receives speech therapy twice a week. He loves his therapy because each session is a full hour of undivided attention and playtime. His recent evaluation still has him at the age level of a one year old, but we have seen improvement since he started therapy 6 months ago. Despite his struggle to form words, Daniel is excellent at trying to communicate his needs with gestures, some sign-language and using other means. His comprehension is at or above age level and he understands everything being said to him. Although it is sometimes hard for me to hear his peers forming sentences and having full on conversations with their parents while Brian and I struggle to understand Daniel, I know that he is very intelligent and have faith he will eventually catch up. God created Daniel this way and I love him so very much!