Oversight

Always eager to make the next step forward, it is easy to overlook the huge progress Sheena has made this year. Here is a picture of Sheena showing off something she perfected since March this year - climbing and sitting on a chair (with mum and dad confident that she won't fall off!), and able to get back down again independently.

I am still weary of Sheena managing heights. Her lax joints means that she might want direct her leg 20cm, but her leg might accidentally fling 30cm, and over she would go.

Speaking of independence, Sheena will now insist on trying to read a book herself. Occasionally I am allowed to read it first, but then she'll want to take control. She is very determined to learn how to flick through all the pages herself without us helping by opening each page a little bit. Sheena is rather eager to develop the fine motor skills to manage this task.

The other thing Sheena is very keen to pick up is walking up and down stairs without using her hands to crawl up and down. She usually doesn't get frustrated with lack of success, and she'll just do something repeatedly before she perfects it, but if she has to sit down along the way trying this, it is definitely tears.

Spot the real baby

On her own accord Sheena has started to play with her dolly in a lovely creative way. She takes dolly to the change mat for nappy change, she puts dolly on the activity mat just like mum does with Roy, and she puts dolly in the swing, the seasaw, the toy pram, and as you can see likes to give dolly a dummy.

In the short term

Its the first week of the school term, which means planning sessions to discuss goals with Sheena's EI teachers for the next 6 months.

As we're in the terrible two stage, some of the goals are behavioural, typical stuff like holding hands when walking down the street, and not standing on the couch, and not sitting on the coffee table. Developmentally, our major goal is still with the spoon feeding. Unfortunately Sheena did not make much progress with that skill over the past six months. Also, at the moment, Sheena has a very short attention span to attend to an activity, so we're going to try to encourage her to have one more go, before she moves onto the next thing.

Sheena's secreterial skills

Let me quickly type this important memo

I need to use the mouse for this bit.

I think I'll stand up to finish this draft.

Time to review on the couch

Just a minor change, and I am happy to send off.

Getting to know baby Bro

Sheena is rather nervous around her baby brother at the moment. She tries to avoid cuddling him, but at the same time is curious at a distance. This photo took some effort, as Sheena would jump off the couch rather than sit and pose next to Roy. At the same time, Sheena can say Roy very well, "Roy oy oy", which she says whenever he cries, or sees him - or even his bassinet.

Roy is already addicted to his dummy thanks to his time in hospital. Pretty much every baby on the ward had one. He now has a blog of his own - www.roydeclan.blogspot.com. He is doing better - thanks to everyone for your best wishes. He has avoided surgery so far with lots of drugs on the go to maintain him. We see the cardiologist next week to see how he's progressing.

Our Walk

Sheena's walking is considerably less stiff and she is getting more adventurous with her travels. Sheena started toddling 6 months ago when she turned 2, and now the toddle has gone. She still needs more practice with going up and down hills, but she manages rough terrain if the surface is fairly flat. Yesterday she went to investigate a barking dog at a neighbours house, and then got rather interesting in a pile of fire wood.

Very Serious - but not for long

Sheena was looking rather serious here until the camera came out. She has taken to enjoying art - hence looking rather pleadingly at her table. Thankfully they do a lot of painting at childcare and playgroup, because I can't be bothered with tidying up paint at the moment. I am quite happy for crayons, but not the whole smock and paints process while we get through the newborn stage with Roy.

Sheena is being a great big sister. Only one time of very obvious jealousy when she didn't want to be put down when Roy needed a feed. That is fair enough.

Roy is gaining weight. 80gm over the weekend, when they were hoping for 90gm. Close enough when you think about the amount that goes in and out at his age. He seems so much stronger, and is filling out. The nurse that comes out is an Enhanced Maternal Health Nurse - i.e. home visits, and more frequent visits than usual after a baby is born. We've been spoilt with services since Roy had all his heart problems. She recommended that we get our immunisations at the Hospital Clinic rather than through the local council, as heart-kids can be effected by them more so. A bit scary! The first lot are only three weeks away.