Daniel Quarterly

Daniel is growing up into such a wonderful little man. He is very observant and is learning so much- from letters and numbers and colors and animals, to correct speech patterns, to sharing and cooperating with others. He is pretty normal for a 2.5-year-old and has his tantrums and doesn't always remember to use his words, but he is learning to calm down when he gets upset. From other 2yo fits I've witnessed, I think he is still a very mild 2yo. He is such a sweet and loving boy and everyone says he's the best snuggler. At church and PWOC we is usually being held by someone and he just loves people. He is an instigater in our family and will sometimes purposefully play in ways to annoy his brother, but that comes with the territory of "little brother" and also having an older brother who is very, very particular. He is such a happy little boy and he makes my heart swell. He loves his big brother and he loves his baby brother and I am so thankful he is my middle mister.

10/13-11/12

*10/13 first haircut from someone other than Mumma ever! I went to a lady's, Michele, house who was recommended to me by a PWOC friend. She has her own little hair studio set up in her house. Daniel did so much better than I expected! He wiggled some and he would put his hands up under the drape to try to pull his hair while she was cutting, but he didn't scream or cry like he does with me. It's a little shorter than I have ever gone and I love the sides, but I think I will keep it longer in the front.

*he always ends up next to me in bed. I usually don't even remember him joining me. I'll wake up to feed the baby and he's snuggled against me. Sometimes he just crawl in on his own quietly, but I found out that about 1/3 the time Matt brings him in when Daniel is crying.

*10/15 we had our family photo shoot with Hayley Stell. Daniel was doing fine and we were walking through some tall grass to the next location. A couple grasshoppers and other bugs were jumping around and he would try to hide behind me if one startled him. Then suddenly he screamed, ran away, and was crying about a "scary monster bite me!" He ran to Matt who was walking with Jackson a little bit behind us. Matt carried him and it took a couple minutes for Daniel to stop crying. When he did stop crying he didn't want to be put down and he ran to Hayley and said "hup!" and just gave her big hugs when she picked him up. He did give us a couple more good shots thankfully.

*going through a major Word Party phase. It is a Jim Henson cartoon only for Netflix. There's only one short season and we've watched lathe episodes multiple times. He likes the animals (panda, cheetah, wallaby, and elephant) and sings and dances with them.

*very afraid of the wind and crunchy leaves. Every time a gust hits him he screams, cries, runs to the door shaking, and won't stop until we let him inside. Then he refuses to come back inside. When there's a leaf in his path he will stand in his tip toes and whine until we pick him up. He won't even walk around the lead if we're holding hands!

*when it's time for bed Daniel will say "Mumma hup", which is normally what he says when he wants me to hold him (up), but he means he wants me to lie down next to him. Specifically without the baby. If the baby starts crying in the other room Daniel will tighten his arms around me and say "no baby Chase. Mumma hup".

11/13-12/12

*Halloween created a little monster! He constantly is asking for candy. His favorites are "suckers... shock-lit (chocolate)... and smarties." We make him wait until after lunch and dinner or for a special treat if we need to do something (like clip his nails). 

*he'll often say things and end it with "k?" in an adorable little voice. He is such a great communicator.

*loves "sticky sticky bubblegum" song

*knows all about spankings now. I can threaten him with a spanking and it stops his misbehavior. If he does something naughty he runs away and says "no spanking!" We try to only spank when he does something dangerous or is being disrespectful and use time out when he does other naughty things. 

*11/26 first self prayer "dear Jesus. Thank you for this day. Thank you for brothers, Jackson, daddy, dory, and Mumma. Mumma. In Jesus name, amen." 

*Daddy has been praying with Jackson at bedtime and when they're done he comes over to kiss Daniel goodnight. Daniel hides against me and then says "no kissing!" One night Daddy started to just leave the room after praying with Jackson and Daniel's head popped up immediately like "what about me!" And when daddy came over he hid, said no kissing, and wipes his cheek, but was so happy.

*Daniel used to watch "gee gah" but now he calls it "pee pad". His little speech is developing.

12/13-1/12

*we've been having a bit of a rough stretch. Daniel is very hot and cold with little in between. He fusses, whines, and cries much more often than he used to. He constantly wants to be held but also tells us to "go away now". He is definitely growing in independence, so that is good, but the autonomous streak comes with some disrespectful behavior. We're working on teaching him to be respectful and to have self control when he gets frustrated or angry. BUT when he is happy he is just the cutest, sweetest thing! He loves being snuggled and he is so playful and imaginative.

*Daniel loves candy. He asks for candy constantly. We're at Grammy and Papa's for Christmas and there's candy everywhere and he is becoming a little monster! Throwing fits for candy and stealing candy. We're going to rid our house of candy when we get home to try to break him of his bad habit. 

*12/24 so patient for opening presents! He loved getting his pile of presents at the Bonnell Christmas but he sat there with some on his lap waiting to be told he could open them. He was very independent with opening them and didn't want any help "no! Daniel do it!"

*one of my favorite Daniel-isms is "Daniel do it too well" instead of "as well". He mixes "too" and "as well" and it is just adorable.

*1/1 at dinner we said we were going to pray and Daniel started praying on his own. I think he said "thank you for this food amen", but he said it quickly so I didn't catch it. But we told him it was a very nice prayer.

*1/3 started potty training! Daniel has been going on the potty for almost a year, but I wasn't pushing underwear or going full time. Now that Chase is playing more I can follow Daniel and try to catch accidents before there's too big of a mess. Here's hoping he catches on quickly! We're trying going naked on bottom today with the promise of a gummy bear if he goes on the potty. I set a phone alarm so we go regularly to sit on the potty.

*Daniel screams loudly when he plays. We remind him not to scream often. He ran by me screaming as Jackson chased him. He sat next to me and I told him not to scream. He got a very sheepish look on his face, held his hands in his lap, shrugged his shoulders, and said matter-of-factly "it scared me." He looked SO cute! I wish I could have that moment on tape so I could remember it.

Daniel Quarterly

Daniel is 2.5 years old today! This picture was taken this morning as he danced around the living room. He loves to sing and dance and that is so indicative of his personality. He is such a happy, silly child. He loves his brothers and follows Jackson everywhere. He is a brute and constantly jumps on Daddy or Jackson to wrestle. He is also sensitive and gets his feelings hurt when Jackson doesn't want to play with him. He is my snuggly middle child and he is just so so special!

(7/13-8/12)

*Daddy and Jackson have been away for the weekend for Uncle Mark's wedding. Daniel and I have had a fun couple days alone, and I realized that Daniel needs more attention than Jackson does. He is still more solitary than most 2yo, but he wants to be sure I'm paying attention. I think Jackson provides this attention most of the time. He grabbed my hand to make sure I was coming upstairs with him, he keeps bringing me toys and saying what they are, he doesn't want me in a different room than him. It's very endearing, but I'm definitely glad he's happy to play with his brother most of the time. 

*knows a lot of animals- says hippo, lion, raffe (giraffe), ushroo (kangaroo), and more when he's playing with Noah's ark. 

*Daniel was SO HAPPY to have Jackson home! He kept taking toys over to him and trying to play and jumping on Jackson, but Jackson just wanted to relax and have snacks.

*has always loved playing with people's hair when he settles down to sleep. He did this in the church nursery and has always done it while he nurses. If hair is up he gets frustrated! I have my hair in ponytails when I'm putting him to sleep and have to pull it out so he can use a handful to settle down.

*I feel so badly about this: Daniel was playing with all the puzzles on the floor by himself. I was resting on the couch, feeling all Preggo and uncomfortable. He piles up all the pieces to one puzzle in one hand and picks up the puzzle board with the other and dumps it all in my lap roughly. It hurt me so I reacted and tossed the puzzle board on the floor and said "No!" I wasn't really yelling at him, but it hurt his feelings and he just started sobbing. Not a manipulative whimper, but a hard cry. I told him I was sorry and asked him if he wanted to do puzzles with Mumma and he said ok. I picked up the board and he happily put the pieces in it looking at me for affirmation each time. I praised him and he was just so happy. He is such a sweet, little boy and I need to slow down and remember that he is still so little.

*7/22 Daniel has continued to go pee pee on the potty regularly. He likes taking showers with me in the morning and when he gets out he has been peeing on the floor. I started telling him that pee pee only belongs in the potty or his diaper and putting him on the big potty. Today he said he had to go gah gee after the shower and pointed to the toilet, so I put him on and he went. Then he ran into the living room. When I came out there to put on his diaper he said "I go pee pee on the stairs". He showed me exactly where and it was just a couple drips, but it was a very clear sentence.

*7/28 was Daniel's last time nursing. I didn't realize it would be his last time (like so many lasts in childhood) and it makes me so sad. I was trying to nurse him to sleep for his nap before the sitter arrived. He was almost asleep when she arrived and I knew he wouldn't fall asleep on his own. I left for my Dr. appt and never came home as he sent me to L&D to be monitored and baby Chase was born that night. Daniel did fine going to sleep at bedtime for our babysitter, Nikki, and then went to sleep at nap and bedtime for Matt while I was in the hospital. So we decided a clean break would be best for Daniel, especially since he can see that the baby needs to nurse. He fussed when he saw me nurse Chase at the hospital, but he was fine when I offered for him to sit next to me and cuddle while I did it. When we got home he was more distraught and kept asking for nom noms. He was overly tired and didn't understand why I was saying no and why the baby could. We made it the whole evening and through bedtime without nursing so hopefully it only takes another day or so of this for him to understand. I do miss that special time with my little bear though. 

*first week of August: we've been having a rough time with Daniel. Lots of fits, crying, screaming, throwing things at people when he's upset, hitting. Partly the age, partly the adjustment of new baby and no nursing. I am thankful that Daniel mostly obeys when we ask (usually the second or third time, but he acts silly when he says no the first time). Hopefully we can be firm with him and he will learn quickly. 

*8/7 Jackson often pees outside- he does it in the same place every time. Daniel saw him, went and stood there, and tried to pull down his diaper and shorts. So I went out to help him and he peed! 

*It only took about 5 days for Daniel to adjust to not nursing. He will still do a double take when he sees Chase nursing and then look at me to see if maybe he can too, but he doesn't ask anymore. He still wants me to sit and snuggle him at nap and bedtime until he's fully asleep. Hopefully soon he will let me leave when he's mostly asleep and then maybe he'll stay in bed and fall asleep on his own. Baby steps!

*8/8 started saying yes and nodding his head very clearly. It is so adorable! He still says ok sometimes but when I repeat what he says or what I think he wants he says yes. 

*I knew that after bringing Chase home Daniel would seem so much bigger to me, but it is still so surprising. He is still fairly small for his age and definitely not overweight or anything, but he seems so solid and "fluffy". He eats well and is very active so I'm not at all worried, but he just seems so "full" now- but probably just because I've been carrying around a little baby all day. 

(8/13-9/12)

*8/16 Daniel has had just an explosion of speech. He picks up on words and correct sentence structure so easily. Today he saw it was windy outside and said "it's winding outside!" because it's been raining a lot so he's been hearing that it's raining. 

*because of his excellent communication, he has begun to get upset with me when I punish him. He doesn't always want to come sit next to me or get a hug from me afterwards. It hurts a little, but I hope that also means that he is beginning to truly understand punishments.

*love playing "zombies". He waves his arms in the air like a zombie when he asks to play. Jackson, he, and Daddy chase each other around like zombies. 

*Daniel is slowly learning his letters and numbers correctly. Sometimes he says them correctly every time and others he seems confused. He holds up the magnetic letters/numbers and sometimes can't figure out what it is and he guesses multiple times. He is getting better though with more and more letters correct every time. He knows the concept of phonics but usually only does the "huh huh" sound after every letter he identifies.

*8/27 I really need to work on potty training Daniel. He will walk into the bathroom, take off his shorts and diaper, climb up on the potty, go, wipe, then flush the potty all on his own. I'm sure if I put him in underwear that it wouldn't take too long before he was fully trained during the day. I just am too lazy and don't want to clean up the messes for the first few days. Plus Chase is still so needy so that would make it more difficult. 

*when Chase was napping Daniel asked Matt "brother?" Matt told him where Jackson was and Daniel said "more brother?" Asking where Chase was.

*has been wanting to watch Wreck It Ralph nonstop. He asks for "Ralph? Ralph please? Watch it?" Every day. We don't watch it every day, but pretty close!

*as of 9/1 he knows a b c d e f h i j k l o s u v w x by sight. A lot of the other letters he thinks are f's and then he'll just guess. He's learning though, even though I'm lazy at working with him. We do go through some abc books and when he plays with our box of letters I ask him which ones he holds up.

*loves to sing "icky gicky spider"

*having a hard time learning to take turns. He has begun to want every toy that Jackson starts to play with. So I tell him he needs to wait his turn and he throws a fit and tries to grab the toy away. He sits in time out when he doesn't calm down and wait patiently.

*when someone is going potty Daniel gets one square of TP, puts it in the potty, flushes, puts down the lid, and the re-rolls any excess TP that is hanging over the edge of the roll. He is very precise and it is adorable.

*9/4 sent him to Sunday School in a pull-up because we ran out of his diapers. He told them he had to go potty and he went in the potty! He had already peed some in his pull-up, but I cannot believe he told them he had to go potty! 

*when he talks about his brothers he calls them "wuh-son" and "eh chess" (baby chase). It is adorable.

(9/13-10/12)

*so sassy, asks me what my cliff bar is (which he knows) and I say "Mumma's yummy" and he says "no, Daniel's yummy!"

*usually is pretty good about saying the name of the person he's talking to, but has been saying his own more often lately. Like "thank you, Daniel!" Or "bye, Daniel!"

*9/15 went poop in his diaper and went into our bathroom, took off his diaper, climbed up on the toilet (getting poop all over it), tried to wipe, pulled the piece of toilet paper he had while still attached to the roll all the way into the living room and dropped it (the end all poopy), and stood there trying to wipe himself and looking for help. Both Matt and I were occupied while he was doing this. Thankfully he didn't get poop anywhere else. I am glad he's trying to potty train himself but man! I'm so not ready!

*9/16 has taken his own diaper off each time he pooped today (3x). 

*when he's not obeying or fussing in our faces I count him but at 2 I ask him if he wants to go sit in time out or if he wants a spanking depending on the crime, and he will usually say "no!" And change his attitude. I'm glad he understands punishment. Sometimes he will put himself in time out to calm down but he'll sit on his bed and cry until the time out is over. But then he's happy as can be.

*9/17-18 Grammie and GrandPops were here to meet Chase. Daniel just loved to play with GrandPops and was constantly being held by him. He loved having more personal attention.

*9/20 noticed 3 out of 4 of his two year molars are halfway through. That's probably why he's been a little fussier and why he wakes up at night crying. 

*slowly asked for "watch other swee swap". It took awhile but we figured out it was "watch mother goose club"

*9/22 Mumma has really bad poison ivy and it limits her mobility and her mood. Daniel has been sensitive to that and his little feelings have been hurt often and he wants lots of extra snuggles to make up for it. Bedtime had been difficult because he doesn't want Mumma to hold Chase, he wants Mumma to lie down next to him (sitting on the edge of his bed isn't enough). But tonight he asked Jackson for the big shark. Then he was crying while sitting in bed with it and I asked him what was wrong. He said "Mumma shark", he wanted me to put it behind my back so it didn't hurt, which I told him happens when I sit in his bed. What a little sweetie! After that he snuggled up to his pillow and was asleep within 5 minutes.

*9/26 the past couple days Daniel has been overly fussy and asking to sit on my lap. He has definitely noticed the baby taking up most of my time and he is not happy about it. At bedtime he said he didn't want baby Chase to be in the room so Matt took him and Daniel stopped crying. I kept asking if I could get baby Chase and Daniel would say "no, no baby Chase. I'm just sad." That breaks my heart a little for him and it will certainly make bedtime more difficult if this continues. 

*such better speech and language development than Jackson at this age. He has been screaming a lot when he gets upset so we've been working on using his words and not screaming. I told him "no more screaming" and he said "one more screaming. Ahhhh!" But it was a quiet scream- just the same sound he had been making. He is learning to push the limits but hopefully we can punish him more effectively since he understands more. 

*Daniel's favorite color seems to be orange. He constantly asks to wear his orange shirts and he chooses orange things often. We'll see if this continues.

*Whenever Daniel notices that I'm not holding the baby he runs over, arms raised, "hup! Hup!" And is just so happy when I pick him up and snuggle him.

*understands when he's being punished. When I discipline him I tell him what he did wrong and that he shouldn't do that and he nods his head. When I tell him to go sit on his bed in time out he will usually cry but he will go sit and stay until I tell him to get up. He really doesn't like spankings- but I reserve those for if he is doing something dangerous or when he screams/tells Mumma no- then he gets a small spank on the mouth.

*has begun to have an opinion on his clothes. He likes to choose what he wants to wear and refuses to wear anything else. 

*afraid of the wind. Jackson was afraid of the wind at this age too. He'll go outside to play, there will be big gusts of wind and he'll either scream or cry and yell "winding! Winding!" 

He has grown up so much in the past couple months! Hopefully in the next couple months I can tackle trying to really potty train him. Since we'll be moving in March he may regress some, but I think he'll be ready to go when I start trying. He is solidly in 18 month clothes, but I've gotten out the 2T clothes even though they're too big. He is such a smart little boy and is so so observant! I am so blessed to have a happy, smart little second born who loves his whole family and people in general. 

Daniel Watson Quarterly

This little boy was another quarter of  year older yesterday! He has had such a speech explosion lately. He still needs to work on pronunciation, but Matt and I have been surprised at how much we can understand him. He says lots of phrases and knows what he wants and usually can express it. In the picture he had found a cute little mushroom in the backyard and walked up to show us saying clearly "mush room!" He is all boy and much more daring than Jackson was at this age (and still is at 4). He is my mini-me in so many ways and such a bright little sunbeam in our house.

(4/13-5/12)

*Got a scooter for his bday and figured out how it works right away! He'll need some practice turning it but he loves it! 

*he wants to eat how we are eating, unlike Jackson who prefers to eat snacks out of snack bowls with his fingers. Daniel likes his cereal with milk, he spoons his taco meat onto a tortilla (or onto chips for nachos), he doesn't eat chicken with his fingers but uses a fork. He watches us and if we eat a certain way he tries to mimic us. He's not a very messy eater either. I hope he doesn't go through a picky phase because right now he will eat such a large variety of foods! 

*Going through the typical 2yo testing boundaries phase. Throws more tantrums than Jackson did at this age, but if he won't go through a trying 3s stage then I will take the tantrums at age 2! I am trying to figure out how to work with Daniel to get him to understand he cannot melt when he doesn't get his way. 

*does the "washing machine" when he's upset. Sits and throws his arms back and forth around his middle. 

*4/28 2 year well child. Does not like to be messed with. Didn't want anyone listening to his heart or looking in his ears etc. He is 26 lbs. 4 oz. (25%) and 34.5 inches long (60%)! Both Dr. Walker and I were so surprised with his growth since he has been super short at previous appointments. He just needed time to grow! Otherwise he's a completely normal 2 year old. She was very impressed with his speech, especially since he's a boy and the current baby of the family. 

*4/28 hit his head on the hard part of the couch arm and has a mark from the seams. Later fell out of the car head first onto the concrete garage floor. I almost rushed him to the ER, but I called his Dr. first and they said if he isn't vomiting or walking funny he's probably fine. After he calmed down he seemed 100% normal. 

*I just think his "mmhmmmmm" and head nods and shakes are the cutest thing ever. "Daniel, are you having fun?" Vigorous head nods with a big ole grin. 

*teaching to say he's sorry when he messes up someone's game/toys/or plays too rough. He's a bull of a boy and can trample all over Jackson who is plays much more mildly.

(5/13-6/12)

*5/13 pee pee on the potty for the first time! Jackson sat on the big potty when we got ready for bed and Daniel started taking off his shorts and diaper and cried when Jackson sat down. I asked if he wanted to sit on the potty and he did, so I got his little potty. He sat, peed, then looked so surprised! When I praised him he got a little embarrassed, but eventually was very excited! I hope it keeps up and he potty trains easier than Jackson!

*5/15 Daniel has continued to point to the bathroom when he has to go potty. He has gone both pee pee and poopy! I tried to let him go naked but I don't think he realizes what that's all about yet, because he peed on the floor twice. But he came right to me when he did both times. For now, I'll just let him tell me the times he wants to sit on the potty and maybe in a week or two I'll try naked baby again. Such a big boy! 

*When he wants a bite of something Matt and I have he'll just sit there and open his mouth as wide as he can! It's adorable and hilarious!

*5/21 can open doors! So much more difficult to keep him out of my room when I'm trying to nap now! Jackson isn't feeling well so we were lying down in my bedroom and Matt was trying to keep Daniel out but he just kept opening the door. 

*5/22 when I picked up Daniel from Sunday School he was so excited and happy to see me! He jumped right up and ran to me saying "Hi Mumma!" He waved and said bye to his teachers and when I said we were going to get brother Daniel pointed and said "brother" and ran down the hall to Jackson's class. He is such a good speaker and is learning more and more words every day. 

*5/24 went to the Nashville Zoo. Towards the end of our trip he kept saying "gah gee" and I couldn't figure out what he meant. I offered him all our snacks and asked if he wanted everything within eyesight and he kept saying no. He would fuss when I would tell him I didn't understand. I took him out of the stroller and he patted his bottom and said "gah gee". I asked if he wanted to go potty and he said ok! Wow! I didn't actually take him because a potty wasn't close by. I am so thankful he is learning about the potty and what he needs to do before I start trying to fully potty train him. Hopefully letting him take the lead will help him Master it quickly. 

*melts to the floor when he doesn't get his way. Is learning about the 123 Magic method and is getting much better about stopping crying before he reaches 3. He knows Mumma is always free for snuggles and hugs to make him feel better. 

*hates to be messed with! He has always been this way, but it is particularly bad recently. Getting his faced wiped after he eats, nails clipped, hair cuts... He will freak out so I worry I'll hurt him! 

*went to a Strongbonds Marriage Retreat in Bowling Green. We arrived Thursday and had sessions from 3-6 pm. Friday we had sessions from 9 am-12pm and 1:30-3:30 pm, then a date night time from 5-9 pm. Saturday we had a closing session at 9 am that didn't last too long. Each of those times the boys were in onsite childcare provided by CYSS. I was worried they wouldn't do well for that long of periods and with weird naptimes and different snacks etc. Daniel did great! After the first session he would cry and cling to me when we dropped him off, but he always calmed down shortly after we left the room. I was so thankful for the super patient and caring workers! They had a lot of crying kids and never complained or came to get any of the parents. For the date night we had to wake Daniel up from a very brief and late nap to drop him off. He cried for a half hour when we dropped him off and we waited to make sure he calmed down before we left the building. He ate his chicken nugget dinner and was a happy boy after that. It was a very nice weekend. 

*clipped Daniel's nails again when I noticed they were super long. Matt had to hold Daniel's entire body down so he wouldn't twist and hurt his limbs I was holding! We did his toes and fingers so hopefully we won't have to do either again for awhile. Poor guy cried so hard, but when we were done he still wanted to be held and snuggled by Mumma. 

(6/13-7/12) 

*Daniel says a lot of words now. He knows most of his shapes and can point them out in random places, like the carpet at the therapy office. He knows most colors and I just love it when he says "oh-wrench" (orange). He knows a lot of characters but my favorite he says is "Me Mouse" (Mickey Mouse).

*6/17 Daniel always loves to pray for meals. When we all sit down he sets down his fork and holds out his hands expectantly for daddy and Mumma to take. Tonight Matt asked if Daniel wanted to pray for the first time. We had him repeat a prayer but he skipped some of the words, "Jesus, eschew (thank you) for food to eat. Amen." It was adorable!

*Loves to play with dinosaurs. He calls them "Saurus!" He lines them up, one by one, then attacks them all, then brings them over to attack me, then starts all over again. He rarely plays with them with Jackson, but when he's alone he chooses them often.

*saying more sentences and getting much better about pronouncing words correctly. He and Jackson have been playing with some shells from the beach and he keeps saying, "See! It's a sea shell!" He is learning not to use the "g" sound as much and using more phonics. He still say "gah go" for play doh, though. I try to tell him "d d doh! Like daddy!" He says "daddy! G g go!" Silly boy.

*still loves finger family! He will watch it often on the iPad and he will sing it to himself and put toys on his fingers for the members. 

*he has started "trumpeting" with his lips as he hums or sings songs. 

*such a snuggle bug! He loves to be held by pretty much anyone, but Mumma is definitely his first choice. He loves to sit on my lap and has noticed my growing baby belly getting in the way. 

*recently started sitting still to read books. He won't read multiple books often, like Jackson liked to as a younger child, but he will bring Daddy or Mumma a book and sit next to us. He knows how Brown Bear goes and he likes saying "bulb blub blub" in pout pout fish.

*loves to take the paper off crayons. It keeps him pretty occupied so I usually let him do it and clean up the mess later. He likes to color too so I'll give him some paper and he'll scribble with the newly naked crayons. 

*loves to do puzzles and will get them down from the shelf on his own. I put some of the puzzles in the nursery so all of them don't fall down when he gets one down. When he does animal puzzles he says the name of the animal and the noise it makes- for both farm animals and African animals. Counts the numbers and says the shapes.

*still doesn't like "slimy" foods like grapes or berries. He doesn't like soups. Pretty much anything else he will eat. He always wants a spoon or fork and if Matt and I are using knives he wants one too.

*knows so many songs! Partly from our car CDs, but probably mostly from YouTube kids. He is such a cute little singer.

*will jump on just about anyone without warning. Loves to wrestle!

Daniel has been such a little blessing in our family. Before having a second child you can't imagine possibly loving them as much as you love your first, but your love just grows! Daniel loves his family so much and is such a happy child. Sometimes I feel bad because he has been scolded much more often than Jackson at this age, but he is also more feisty and he gets into trouble with Jackson. He is learning to listen and obey though so the punishment is worthwhile. He is such a smart little cookie too. So observant and likes go figure things out. He is very different than his older brother, but he loves to play with Jackson and tries to do pretty much everything Jackson does. It has been such a joy to see their brotherly relationship grow. Jackson now says that Daniel is his best friend and I hope that continues as they grow up.

Daniel Age 2!

My big boy is 2!!!!! Happiest of birthdays to my current youngest child. He has added so much to our family and is all boy! He loves cars and action figures and building. He loves to run and jump and get dirty. He hits his head a lot, but he always bounces right back and is ready to play after a quick kiss from Mumma. Before we had him I didn't understand what my friends of multiples meant when they said you don't split your love but your love grows. Now I totally understand because I love this little boy so much. I am so thankful for him and his little personality. He is a wonderful little brother who loves his big brother so much and he is going to be a wonderful big brother in a couple months. He loves babies and is gentle towards them. I am so thankful for the little man he is becoming and pray he continues to grow and develop into s healthy and happy person.

Daniel (1/13-4/12)

Daniel seems to behave well when I'm not around for babysitters, at church, at PWOC, and for Matt. He isn't whiny and plays well with other kids. But when I am home he is little mister fussy buns! He wants to nurse all the time now that I am trying to wean him. He goes in spurts of understanding he can only nurse before nap or bed and crying for an hour or longer. He is definitely worse behaved when I am around like most toddlers! 

Daniel is getting used to sleeping in bed with me. I want to break him of this, but I am so exhausted that it works out so much easier than fighting him back into his crib in the middle of the night. Once he is 100% weaned (hopefully before his 2nd birthday) I want to try to put him and Jackson in the same room. We'll see if that helps him. I might put the toddler rail on his bed or even get him a twin bed too. 

He wants to try everything we're eating. He eats a good variety but often wants to eat out of our bowls/plates or to sit on my lap while he eats. When he's really hungry he'll sit in his chair and feed himself well though. He does really well with spoons and forks on his own, he just is finicky. 

Sings along with so many songs now! He rarely says the right words, but he sings his own words to the tune. He sings with the music in the car, with me, or with the iPad. I love when he sings the clean up song when we clean up toys. 

During the January 2016 snowstorm, Daniel loved the snow! He would pat it to see if it was hard or soft and roll around and lie down in it. He giggled over hitting snow off the bags of leaves we have in the backyard. He tried icicles and loved them!

In the car I can see Daniel's hands in the air as he sings along with the music. He puts them up for "hooray" in happy and you know it and for "up and down" for wheels on the bus. 

Climbed up on my lap for nap nap and asked to nurse by signing please (he rubs his hands together consistently for please, so not correct but it works for him) and turned the iPad to lullabies. 

2/6 went to Will and Oliver Chitticks bday party at Kids N Play. Daniel was fearless in the jungle gym! He was climbing all over before I could stop him. I ended up going up into the jungle gym to make sure he didn't get stuck and Jackson didn't bite any other kids. Daniel would look for Jackson or I when he didn't know where we were, but he wouldn't get overly scared or cry. 

Such a good little eater. He eats pretty much everything I put in front of him and will at least try anything. There isn't much he doesn't like and he loves using a fork, even for bread! 

2/9 can count to 5. Constantly counts to 3 and then goes hooray! 

2/26 signs so many songs! Of course, Finger Family, but also Jesus Loves me, deep and wide, happy and you know it, head shoulders knees and toes, wheels on the bus, twinkle twinkle, abcs, and many more! He keeps surprising me with new songs he knows. 

Has such a cheesy little grin! He gives it to Matt and I often, but when he gives it strangers I just melt!

Loves sugar! Constantly asks for chocolate or suckers and freaks out when I won't give it to him. Thankfully, he is a good little eater so I can usually find something else to satisfy him. 

Can count at least to five that I've noticed. He picks up on so much that I don't really work with him on. He is a very smart boy and seems to be right on track developmentally and socially. 

Hates getting strapped into the car. Fights it and straightens his back. 

2/28 moved into big boy bed and sharing a room with Jackson! I will sleep in bed with him for the first little bit as he transitions. Hopefully he will begin sleeping through the night so I don't have to worry about him waking up Jackson. Night one went super well! The usual number of wake ups, but he just nursed back to sleep. He fell sleep just fine even though Jackson was talking.

Says "eh shoo" for thank you all on his own when he receives something or gets help. Adorable! 

Learning to listen and obey. He loves to climb on the entertainment center and I tell him to get down and he usually does! I make sure to praise him when he obeys so he keeps it up! 

Moves the Lego table or the kitchen chairs to the kitchen counters when he wants something on them or something in the cupboards. He is our climber so we always have to watch him!

Thanks to YouTube kids Daniel has learned his shapes! He loves various shapes song. He can say circle, square, triangle, rectangle, and star. 

Late March- not sure if this is just entering into terrible twos or molars or if he's feeling icky, but Daniel has such extremes he goes through! He throws little tantrums all day and sometimes is inconsolable. I hope it is just a phase and he is back to being my happy boy once again! In between fits he is smiley and silly and adorable. 

Has adjusted so well to his big boy bed! He still nurses to sleep and I don't know when that will stop, but I can leave once he's asleep and he'll sleep on his own. He still wakes at least once every night, sometimes many more times, and either sits up whimpering in bed or will open the bedroom door and stand there whimpering until I come get him. He looks so cute standing in the doorway! I don't know if he is afraid to come find me in the dark or is confused or knows he's supposed to stay in bed so he doesn't leave the room. 

4/1 we ordered pizza and when the delivery man gave it to me Daniel said "eh shew. Bu bye!" (Thank you, bye bye) 

4/4 Matt took away the iPad at bedtime and Daniel very clearly said "no! That's mine!" He has been listening to his brother, who says exactly that! 

Has consistently been saying "mama" when he addresses me. I just love it and I'm pretty sure he knows that adding "mama" to any request is almost guaranteed to be filled! 

Such a great talker! Says lots of words and lots of phrases. Some of them I can think of are red, circle, some letters like I and O and H, get down, sit down, more cereal, mama please, play doh, cars, star, triangle, rectangle, shark, fish, applesauce, thank you, bless you, welcome. There are so many more but I can't think of them all. He sings so many songs correctly like ABCs, twinkle twinkle, wheels on the bus, and she'll be coming around the mountain. He is much more communicative than Jackson at this age. 

Daniel Quarterly 3

My little Pookie Bear is now 21 months old! That means he's ALMOST 2!!!!!! Where has the time gone! Our little baby is turning into an independent, sweet little boy and he adds so much to our family. 

Will update later! 

Daniel (10/13-1/12)

10/13-11/12

10/13 said cookie while watching a Cookie Monster video. Said it very clearly.

Little stinker pants- I was just thinning his hair and as I was finishing Daniel decided he was done. He ran into Jack's room, squeezed between the bookshelf and the drawers, sat down, and just grinned at me since he knew I couldn't cut his hair there. 

Giggles if Jackson chews on his arm/leg. The two times I've caught Jackson doing it he wasn't biting down hard and the second time he didn't even leave a mark. It was very absentminded. Daniel not crying when he's bitten is not aiding Jack's biting situation! 

10/15 said "Hersh" (horse) and "dug" (dog) when I was reading him the touchy book Matt got him. He loves that book and tries to feel textures on all our other books that don't have it. Upstairs he was playing behind the car garage toy and I couldn't see him I said "where's Daniel?" And he said "right there!" And I said "where's Daniel?" Again and he said "there he is!" As he stood up. (A little garbled, but definitely sounded like the right words) I am so impressed with how close he is to really taking off talking. 

Consistently says "digga digga digga" when he chases the cat around for "kitty kitty kitty". 

Seems like he will go through a more normal "terrible two's" phase than Jackson. He already throws little fits when he doesn't get his way and stomps his feet and throws himself on the ground crying. I hope it is a short phase and I can teach him better ways to manage his frustration as he grows. His fits don't last long and I think having an older brother helps Daniel since he's used to not getting his way. 

10/31 said "Ziss" before giving a kiss! Gave it to Daddy. Earlier this week he began giving real kisses to Matt and I. He did it to Matt first and that made me a little sad. 

Saying so many words now! I love hearing him say "what's this?" 

Puts together the shapes puzzle correctly. Knows to move the pieces until they fit in the slots. 

Plays basketball and knows to put the ball in the hoop! He loves to do it over and over which is more than Jack used to do at this age. Jack still is more interested in how the hoop is built than in playing ball.

11/4 Daniel likes to climb. Everything. He climbs in the kitchen table, on nigh stands, on Daddy's desk. When he begins to climb onto Daddy's desk we just say his name and he stops and sits down on the couch now. Sometimes he will tell us no and cry, but he won't climb on the desk. He is learning to obey and that makes my Mumma heart happy!

11/7 I've been trying to get Daniel to go pee pee on the potty before bath. He sees Jackson doing it and sometimes stands in the bath tub and pees. He won't stand on a stool for the toilet and won't pee if he's sitting on it. He stood and peed on the floor right next to the potty tonight! I might buy him a kiddie potty to put on the floor for him to pee in. Not trying to fully potty train yet, but baby steps! 

11/8 sneezed and looked up at me expectantly and said "bless" 

Recognizing colors. Brings me the same color egg halves (plastic Easter eggs) to pair together. Can put together the shapes puzzle all on his own, I think he is matching the colors. 

Folds his hands when he sees us praying. We didn't even teach him to do that, he just observed us doing it. He puts his food down to fold his hands and everything.

11/12-12/11

11/14 words Daniel says: Kitty, daddy, mmmm, thank you, what's this, there he is, peekaboo, 1-2-3, yay, no, shoes, kiss, muah, bless you 

11/19 this past Sunday at Sunday School he went into the class with no tears. Then on Tuesday at PWOC he didn't fuss or cry at all when I dropped him off. Then tonight at Awana he whined once and he was a happy boy! Growing up and getting out of this clingy phase! But he still is a snuggly bug and I love that. 

Sings along with songs!!!!! I just love it! He doesn't really sing the words yet, but he tries to mimic it and knows the tunes. He loves happy and you know it and when 5 Little monkeys comes on he always goes "yay" when they do! It's just adorable! 

Sunday School teachers say he claps after every song and that he's their little cheerleader!

As of 12/7 can say eyes, up, down, brush teeth, good job, uh oh, good job 

Gets a bowl when he wants a snack.

Follows Jackson around constantly and wants to do what he's doing. Usually they play well together but if there's one specific toy they both want they can get frustrated at each other. 

Points with his pointer finger when he wants something or when he wants to go in another room. He's been pointing with one finger for awhile, but it's much more purposeful now. He will shake his head no if he's pointing at a snack and I offer him the wrong snack. 

12/12-1/11

Such a little temper! Knows when he's being told no and doesn't like it, doesn't like it when toys are taken away, doesn't like it if he can't nurse when he wants to. 

Does not like getting strapped into his car seat. Screams and straightens his legs, which since he's still rear facing makes it difficult to strap him in. 

Can say nose, eyes, go upstairs

Loved opening presents! Actually understood there were toys inside and wanted to get the wrapping and boxes off to see what it was!

Been working on weaning him since we got home from Michigan. He gets super angry at me and cries for hours, but he is slowly (after a week) getting used to only nursing before nap and bed time. He has bed sleeping in bed with me because he will sleep the entire night that way. I'm hoping I can fully wean him and get him sleeping through the night before I try to transition him to his crib. Hopefully then I won't be as exhausted all the time too. 

Daniel Quarterly: 18 Months

I loaded the notes on Daniel's latest quarter of the year as a draft almost a month ago. It's time to at least publish his milestones since I am so behind on updating pictures! 

Daniel Quarterly (7/13-10/12)

7/13- 8/12

7/13 figured out how zippers work! Makes a mess of everything!

7/13 Daniel was lying on the couch looking at the iPad. Jackson was lying perpendicular to him and his foot went right in front of Daniel's face, which he didn't like. Daniel shook his hands, grabbed Jackson's foot, and bit it hard! Poor Jackson was shocked and upset and was going to bite Daniel back until I stopped him. Daniel has been punished before but he is becoming a naughty little mister!

Pushes people out of the way when he wants to walk somewhere or get into a cupboard.

Afraid of the opening scenes in Monster's Inc (scare simulator) and UP (b&w movie). 

Definitely has a little anger streak. He has a temper.

7/18 "walked" down the stairs! Would only sit on his bottom when he would catch his balance after taking a step down 

Consistently finds things of the same color and holds them looking back and forth- two white puzzles pieces, two blue toys, two yellow balls. 

Started dancing with Jackson. Usually to bubble guppies. 

7/28 kept spilling his goldfish all over the floor. I pointed to them and told him to pick them up. He looked at them, looked at me, and slowly picked one up and put it back in his bowl! 

When he gets upset he leans forward (like when Jackson pees standing up) and just fusses in that pose. 

Having a horrible time teething his molars. All 4 decided to pop through at the same time. Nurses constantly (which did  increase my milk supply), always wants to be held, sleeping much more total in a 24 hour period. 

8/13-9/12

Have had to give Daniel light spankings when he's naughty and doesn't obey. They are barely more than a pat but he knows he's being punished and he cries. 

Daniel is very observant. He was watching me change Jack's night time diaper, picked up a clean diaper, and set it on Jack! He helps pick up toys now. He learns so much by watching Jackson and mimicking what he does. 

What a temper! Throws things when he's unhappy with them. If a toy doesn't do what he wants he throws it and yells. If he falls over onto a toy he picks it up and throws it. Unfortunately he gets it from me.

8/16 pinched his fingers in the part of the door where the hinges are! He did it very slowly so it didn't pinch then horribly. Hopefully he learned his lesson 

Tries to communicate so much now! Mimics us when we talk to him, but it is just gibberish now. He tries to talk to cartoons.

He loves to play with stuffed animals and cars! Jackson wasn't really into either of those toys. Daniel will push the cars around the floor and will put it on the car track upstairs. He will bring stuffed animals to Matt or I and get super excited when we play them with him. He will have such a good little imagination!

Every single day he will pull all the books off the shelf and all the puzzles off the shelf. He likes having a big pile on the floor. I will pick them up and he'll just pull them off again! 

8/19 says "naan-na" when he sees a banana. His words so far "mum mum", "da da", "DA" (jack), "dog", and "naan na". He might be saying "cur-cle" for circle too but I have to test it on more occasions. 

8/21 Jackson tried to share his banana with Daniel and Daniel shook his head and said "no nana"

8/22 we were at Stefanie's and Daniel would run through the kitchen and peek through the doorway into the playroom and grin at me, then run back through the kitchen to the other doorway into the living room and peek at me, back and forth over and over again. 

Daniel doesn't like it when toys look at him. He is very unsure about toys with eyes at first. We got a new bowling ball set and the pins are these little caterpillars with eyes and Daniel was looking back and forth between them and whining. It took him a half hour to warm up to them and touch them. 

His Sunday school teachers have said he's been extra fussy the past two weeks. He recently got all 4 molars so I thought we'd have a teething break, but sure enough, there's an incisor popping through! I couldn't feel the other yet, but I guess more Motrin is on the horizon while he cuts this tooth! 

8/24 I swear the last couple days he's been saying "th you" for thank you after I give him snacks! He's done it at least three times and I plan to listen more closely. He picks up on so much! When he sees me with a snack box of something he wants he looks around for a bowl and brings it to me! What a smart little cookie! 

8/25 Daniel wasn't settling down to go to bed. I put him in his crib planning to let him cry a couple minutes and then going in there to rock him. He cried for 3-5 minutes, but it was an angry cry not a scared cry. Then he stopped and just sat there looking around. He kept moving closer to his pillow then would sit there for a bit. When he was on his pillow he crawled to the opposite end of his crib, between the small stuffed animals I gave him, lay down, and fell asleep! I don't like the cry it out method, but I have wanted to put Daniel in his crib to go to sleep on his own. Maybe he's ready now! 

^no- he was not ready! He sleeps so much better when I rock him to sleep so we will keep doing that! 

Daniel gets so excited when he sees Jackson when we pick him up from preschool. He smiles and waves at the other kids we pass in the hall but he screeches when he sees Jackson! 

Daniel has been having a very fussy, clingy couple of weeks. His teachers at church noticed it, I had to get him out of PWOC nursery, and when we're at home he wants to be held so much and will just fall on the floor crying! I think it's still his teeth. I figured out I was giving him about 1/3 the amount of Motrin he can have so hopefully that will help. 

Daniel still loves playing with stuffed animals. He brings them to me and wants me to act things out with them. He loves watching me then he'll take the animals and mimic what I did. 

Puts his face/head under the running water while I'm drawing the bath. He thinks it's so silly! But still doesn't like when I rinse out his hair with the bottle of water. 

When we go for neighborhood walks we let Daniel walk. I'm so nervous he's going to fall and bust his teeth when he's running down the hills. He has scraped his knee and bumped his head a couple times, but so far no broken teeth! 

Whenever he sees a door opening/closing he wants to go through it. If he can't he just sits down and cries. He wants to be everywhere, especially outside. 

9/6 sounds like he was saying "stop and listen to stay safe" with Daniel Tiger and had his hand out and by his ear just like they do! So smart. 

Always always wants to go outside. When he sees someone putting on shoes he grabs the nearest shoes and gives them to you and holds his foot up so he can go outside too. 

9/8 when I was putting on his shoes he pointed to them and said "da goos" (the shoes). 

Pulls up air vents and puts things down there. I'll have to make sure we don't lose toys! 

Continues to be verrrry screechy. He screams loudly when he's happy so sometimes we don't know if he needs help or is hurt! 

9/12-10/12

Loves to put things inside of other things- we often find toys in shoes and he likes to hide toys in boxes and bins and baskets. 

Such stinky piggies! 

Loves to do what Jackson does. Builds with Legos, draw with markers, eat the same snack out of the same bowl. Sometimes it works out well, sometimes the brothers are too close to get along well.

Daniel's favorite word is "no". Undoubtedly. He shakes his head and says no when he doesn't want a certain snack or doesn't want to play with a toy I give him or when he doesn't want to go to bed. It's pretty cute when he says it.

Just Ioves to paint! At Mornings with Mommy I kept losing track of him and every time he had gone back to the paint table and sat down to paint. He was painting correctly with the brushes and using his hands (it was finger paint). We painted 3 times that morning! 

Fave song is "If you're happy and you know it". He does the clapping and shouting hooray, we're working on stomping- he walked around for the first time during that verse instead of clapping his hands more. 

9/7 climbed out of his crib last night! I wish I had seen it happen over the video monitor but he didn't fall out so maybe if he does it again I can watch him do it.

It is so interesting to see how different he is from Jackson. Jackson is very good at memorization but Daniel learns through observation. Both were very happy toddlers, but Daniel is very much a younger brother. He tries to do everything Jackson does and mimics him. Daniel is like a wrecking ball and just bulldozes trough anything and everything. I love my second boy so much and am so thankful for what he adds to our family. I never thought I would be such a happy boy-mom, but it is a wonderful life! 

Daniel Quarterly

This little man is now 15 months. I plan to do some major blog updating tomorrow and will have his 15 month stats after his appointment in the morning. 

He is such a do-er. He observes, learns, and figures out so much on his own. He is very hands on and is still a snuggler.

4/13-5/12

He is very interested in food and steals for anybody and everybody. He will go up to anyone with food and just stand next to them hoping they will share. He grabs food away from Jackson and will not give up. His Sunday School teachers say he steals the other kids' puffs! 

4/25 crawling down the stairs. Figured out how to scootch backwards down one step at a time on his own. 

Does not like carrots! Gave him a raw carrot to  chew on while I did the dishes and I hear him squeal. He has several bites in his mouth and he won't swallow and is pawing them out of his mouth as best he can. 

Really likes breads and sweets. 

Loves playing in the pots cupboard. He will get down the Pyrex and pull out all the pots and pans to play with. 

He stands on his own much more often now, and can lower himself slowly to squatting. Still isn't brave enough to take more than one step on his own though.

4/28 took 3 small and hurried steps on his own! He was reaching for the couch but it was just out of his reach so he took quick steps to grab onto the couch. >>> later he took 2-3 steps towards the back door to look out the window. 

Very aware of his body. When he bumps something he holds it while he cries or when Jackson hits his back he tries to touch it. He rolled his ankle and held it. 

Does not like when water is too cold or too hot. Fussed once when the bath was just a little warmer than normal. Did not like sitting in  the kiddie pool outside when I first out the water in! A half hour later he was fine once the sun warmed it. 

5/2 I counted 6 steps! He walks all over the place now! He will often take a few steps, squat when he feels shaky, then stand back up and take more steps! 

Daniel listens when I tell him "no" and "come here". Such a smart boy! 

5/11 falls head over heels down the steps into the garage. He tried to catch himself, so it was a slow fall. He looked like a human slinky. 

Tries to mimic what Jackson does. He wrestles with Daddy in the same way he see Jackson do it, he tries to follow Jackson up the slide ladder in the play room, he learned how to put the cars down the racetrack. 

5/13-6/12

5/17-18 horrible teething! Fever of 102.5, threw up, shakes while he sleeps, would only nap if I held him, cried if I set him down or handed him to Daddy (but Daddy could calm him down), and had a real bad night of sleep. I tried snuggling in the crib with him (and Jackson), tried bringing him to bed with me and Jackson, and eventually just rocked him until he was in a deep enough sleep to lay down on his crib. After that he still work every 1-2 hours and wanted to just be held. 

Can walk rather quickly, almost running! He tries to keep up with Jackson. Sometimes he gets going a little too fast and he trips over his feet. He rolls his ankles sometimes too and then sits and cries and holds that foot. It is adorable and sad. He seems so much older now that he is walking around! 

5/25 first applesauce pouch. I have offered hen to him before but he wasn't too interested. He ate about half of it.

5/25 climbed up onto the couch on his own for the first time 

5/27 we were dog sitting and Daniel would look at the doggies and say "da". It's hard to know how much he understands since he says "da" for daddy, Jack, and now dog. But he seems to understand. 

5/28 waved and said "bye" to Kelsi when she left after babysitting.

Been carrying the giraffe popper around the house. Figured out how to push the top to make the balls pop. Loves carrying it by the giraffe neck. 

I hear Daniel "running" into a room behind me and he's going so fast I'm positive it's Jackson! I am so impressed with how well Daniel can walk and how quickly!

5/29 untwisted the top of an applesauce pouch and held it himself while he ate it. Did not want help!

Has been getting his knees stuck in the crib slats every day. He stands up and his knees squeeze through and get stuck. 

First week of June: sang along (the beat) to Daniel Tiger, Mimics a lot of noises/songs Jackson makes 

Wants to be doing everything Jack is doing! Playing with the same toys, using a spoon/fork, playing with sticks, wrestling, sword fighting. He learns so much by playing with his brother. 

6/12-7/12

Favorite word in "na!" for no. He says it when he is frustrated and when he doesn't want something. He has started standing up for himself when Jackson pushes him or takes away toys and growls then tells "na!" 

He loves to put things inside of other things- like straws in the holes in juice boxes or cups. Whence has a snack he puts it in a bowl, dumps it out, and does it again. 

He holds food with his first few fingers and holds the others up straight in the air all dainty-like. 

Plays much more with Daddy and brother. Runs over to them when they're wrestling and jumps in the mix! 

Gets into the cupboard and pulls out the chocolate shredded wheat, pulls the bag out of the box, and sticks his hand in to grab a couple. Only does this with that cereal.

6/21 has been eating much more table food instead of just playing with it. Loves breads, eats Bologna, loves pizza, wants to try everything we're having but doesn't eat much of it. But getting so much better! 

6/28 learned to go under things. Kept walking into Daddy's leg with his forehead and figured out to bend his knees to get lower under Daddy's leg! 

6/28-7/4 California trip to see Grammie and GrandPops. First time in swimming pool and loved it! Started walking down the steps (not sitting or scootching) by using the handrails. Ate SO much while we were there! Ate lots of meat! 

7/5 went outside while Daddy was grilling. Crawled down the steps, walked over to the sandbox, opened it himself, and started playing! 

7/7 was walking towards the splash pad at the gate 5 park and I said "Daniel!", he turned and smiled at me. I said "come back" and he said "na!" Loudly and ran in the other direction! 

Climbs up on the couch all on his own. So adorable! Has mastered climbing off the couch, off beds, and down the stairs too.