Random pictures & a lengthy update

We've had a busy few weeks since Fabricio came home, and it's amazing, because a switch has seem to come on in Camila. She's doing so many new things in just these past couple of weeks.

She's trying to do sommersaults (without much success.) I keep telling her she should learn to walk on her own first! But on that note, she's cruising around the furniture and walls every chance she gets. She's falling more b/c she's taking bigger risks, but she's very cautious so I expect it will still be a while before she walks independently. We have caught her standing and dancing without holding onto anything, but the second she realizes it she plops down. She loves running behind her walk-behind toy, and she can spend forever using the toy to walk from Fabricio to me and back again.

She understands that pictures of her are just that - pictures of her. We'll ask her "who's that?" and she'll point to herself. She'll also kiss pictures of herself. And speaking of kisses, she'll give us a kiss if we tell her to. Oh, and she loves waving at people. She even waved at Fabricio's parents when we were video talking with them the other night.

She likes to scribble with crayons - but I have to sit by her and hold the paper otherwise I'm not sure where the drawing would end up! She knows where socks and shoes go, even if she's never seen that particular pair before. She'll pick up one of the shoes, and lift her foot, trying to put the shoe on. Particularly funny with a size 8 adult shoe.

Her language is expanding too. She understands "let's go upstairs" and "let's go change your diaper" as she goes over to the baby gate at the bottom of the stairs. Although she doesn't say "dog", she does bark every time she sees a dog, or a cat for that matter. Anything furry gets a bark. ;) She also says "uppa" (Spanish for pick me up), thank you (ta ta), what's that, that, ok (oh tay), and uh oh. Oh, and she knows where her nose it. If you ask her, she'll "honk" her nose. Ours too...

She also loves imitating us - she'll use a mixing bowl and spoon whenever I'm baking, she likes to drink out of our glasses, and imitate Fabricio when they play together.

Oh, and she just learned how to drink out of a straw. Of course, that means lots of playing whenever we go out to eat.

But...

She's on a food strike. She used to eat pretty much anything we'd give her, but now that she eats basically all table food she's refusing certain things. For example, she refused to eat mixed veggies for 2 weeks - which was something she used to love to feed herself. She also refuses turkey, potatoes, chicken, mac 'n cheese, & pineapple. Oddly, she likes raw veggies, especially if we include a little cottage cheese dip. Oh, and if we put cheese on it, she'll eat it. We did fondue for New Years' Eve, and she actually ate what we gave her....

She's also is sleeping/napping horribly. She wakes up crying every morning by 6:30 at the latest, and only takes one nap in the morning - for just 1 hour 15 minutes! She used to sleep until closer to 7:00, take a 2 hour nap in the morning, and a 1 hr nap in the afternoon. We tried everything, but she just won't sleep more. Fortunately, she seems to sleep better at daycare, as she was back to a closer routine today (except for waking up crying at 6:00!) Maybe daycare can help her over this sleep deprivation cycle... :)

Here are just a few random pictures of Camila....

Here she is playing with the bow from a gift I received. I think Camila enjoyed the gift as much as I did!

Just having fun playing with her music table. And setting up her books to read later... :)