We had lots of family visitors this weekend, which was great fun for Eleanor and Henry! Mimi and Papa got some one on one time with the kiddos with Mom and Dad going out both Friday and Saturday nights. Saturday and Sunday brought visits from the Martins, plus Henry’s first chance to meet cousins Kristen and Eric, and a visit from Great Grandma, Aunt Ann and cousins Kim, Genet and Simenesh. We all went to the Aquarium (another first for Henry) and saw the dolphin and beluga whale show, and then checked out the sharks, penguins and sea otters. It was a little too much excitement for poor Henry, who had to miss his morning nap, and make up for the lost sleep on Dad’s shoulder (boy, he is getting heavy!). Eleanor seemed to like the penguins, her face lit up when she saw them, but later when I asked her she said “Didn’t like penguins, too many people”. I guess she wanted them all to herself. She definitely liked the dolphin and whale show, and said goodbye to each one when they finished their part of the show.
Eleanor worked on her potty training all week – and had a couple of accident-free days. She does very well when we stay at home, but not as well when we are out and about. All in all, it is going much smoother than I had expected. She also continues to add complexity to her language. On Sunday, as she was feeding Monkey a pretend meal, Mimi made a few suggestions as to what else Monkey might like to eat, “Waffles… Pancakes…Oatmeal”, to which Eleanor responded, “It’s not breakfast time, it’s lunch time.”
Henry had quite a week for accomplishments. He had been working on his pulling up all week, and was getting very close. On Sunday, all the pieces came together and he pulled himself up several times while holding on to the bars of the playpen. He also got into a sitting position all by himself for the first time, although we aren’t quite sure how he did it. Mom checked the monitor at the end of afternoon nap, and found him sitting up and smiling. She rushed in, and he was quite proud of himself, smiling and clapping as walked into the room.
