The Sam Update - Twenty Three Months Old

One more month and Samantha will be two years old.  She has been busy this past month.  Just as with walking, the talking seems to have opened up a new world for her, and she has developed greatly both mentally and physically.

I know Sam is developing her physical skills because she has been hurting herself frequently.  Each time she falls or bumps or slips, I take it as a sign that she is trying something new, or just trying to do it faster, bigger or in a new combination.  Early this month she got her first really bad scrape on the knee when she was running fast and fell forward.  A few days ago she fell into the hot tub because she was leaning over just a bit too far. (Of course I was right there supervising that one!)  She seems to always have at least one bruise on her forehead and other battle scars elsewhere on her body.  It doesn't bother her much and both Adam and I are ambivalent; we hate to see her hurt but we love that she is taking risks.  She tends to be shy and cautious so we encourage any assertive or adventurous behavior.



She has also finally started climbing and rolling and jumping and squeezing through tight spaces.  These things did not interest her a couple of months ago.  Today I had to rearrange the living room furniture to make it safer for her.

I was amazed to find that Sam can blow bubbles.  I hold the wand for her, but she can aim and blow with the right amount of force to make some very nice bubbles.  She can also play a plastic flute, varying the force of her breath to make different sounds.

Sam continues to speak new words, but not at the pace of the first week or so.  Quite often she'll try to say something but her vocal muscles just aren't there yet.  It must be pretty frustrating for her.  She does enjoy her favorite words, though:  MORE, UP, NO, and DOGGIE.  Adam and I both think the way she says NO is so cute.  I guess that will change someday, but for now all her words are music to our ears.

We've been having a lot of summer fun lately.  We go swimming in our hot tub or in the pool here at our development, we spend a lot of time examining bugs and sticks and rocks, and we recently went to the Maryland Zoo at Baltimore with my friend Sara from Michigan, who was in town visiting family.  Sam really loves animals and she enjoyed brushing the goats, but I'm not sure she knew they were any different than her dog at home.