16-month milestones

J has hit a couple of really exciting milestones this week.

Over the weekend, she finally said yes to her first bottle of formula. (YES!)

It's such an irony that she's done so well with direct b/feeding that she totally rejected formula and bottle feeding from birth. We're only at our second tin of formula in 16 months. Was joking with a friend that we've saved heap$ on formula.

This week, J started articulating more clearly and demonstrating that she understands exactly what we're saying.

We've been trying to get her to say "Yes" when she wants something. She's been nodding and signing with her hands when we ask "Do you want this?" Now she has added "Yah" to her vocabulary.

When the meal is over, she waves her wrists, shakes her head and says, "Ma more" ("no more").

She can recognize images of babies and say "Baby" clearly.

When we walk through the carpark on the way to school, she points and goes, "Car".

She's feeding herself quite well.

She can understand simple instructions and routines.

After a diaper change, I might ask, "Where does the dirty diaper go?" She then picks up the diaper, walks to the common toilet and deposits it in the bin.

This week, she's also (finally!) started to take an interest in books.

I haven't pushed her into reading as I did with Beth, as J doesn't sit still for long.

However, J has decided herself that she's ready for books.

This evening, while Beth was reading her own books, J took down Prince Bear and Pauper Bear from the bookshelf, plus the whole range of Clifford books. She arranged them all on the floor, sat in the middle of them all and started flipping.