Daily Log: Nov 28

Sammie's Daily Log

Daily Summary:

Overall, today was a good day.

Sammie was in a quiet, but generally happy mood.

Mom and Dad were in happy moods.

The weather was chilly and windy- too cold for outdoor play.

Daily Notes: 

Sleep

• Wake Up Time: 8 am
• Nap Time: 115pm-415pm!
• 'Bed' Time: 930pm
• Notes: Super long nap led to a later bed time. Will make sure to wake Sammie up at 8am at the latest so that he doesn't get back into bad habits. 

Food

• Breakfast: 2 eggos
• Snack: Crackers and Juice at Erie's. Was not interested in eating much beyond that.
• Lunch: PBJ after nap (430pm)
• Snack: Veggie Straws, lots of water
• Dinner: Failed attempts at roast beef bun and fries. 
• Snack: Muffin, Yogurt after swimming
• New foods introduced: Failed attempt at Roast Beef and Fruit Gums
• Notes: Sammie is not eating much at "dinner"- maybe we should skip the pre-dinner snack?

Key Activities for the day:

• Social Time: Playdate at Erie's in the am. Sam was particularly quiet and kept to himself most of the morning. He seemed very tired today- and Tara and Tobin were in off moods as well (lots of whining/crying unecessarily from all three)
• Mom/Dad Time: Playtime from 5pm until 630pm, YMCA playground from 730-810pm, Pool from 815pm to 845pm.
• Mamelie Time: None
• Quiet Time: AM from 8-930. 
• Outdoor Time: None
• TV Time: Less than 1 hour in the am.
• Interactive IPAD/Computer Time: None
• Gross Motor Time: Some gross motor games with mom in the AM/Afternoon (lots of "Flip"), Swimming and Playground time. (at least 2 hours total) 
• Notes: 

Milestones:

• Favourite Sound of the Day:  Lots of variety again- hearing a lot of "monosyllables" and two-syllable sounds that are starting to sound more and more like conversational babble/words and less like repetitive noises. Doing more sound imitating. 
• Favourite Activity of the Day: "Flip" with mom. 
• New words or sounds observed: None
• New activities or play observed: 
• During "Flip", Sammie learned to a) Ask to Play (by taking moms hands and lying on the floor facing her),  b) Ask to play again, by getting up and lying down again in the proper spot. We began to introduce the idea of "First/Then"- by adding a clap. "First we clap, then we flip!"  Proper gestures were used every time by mom and dad, but not mimicked by Sammie yet. 
• Sammie was playing in the dining room by himself and Daddy and Mommy decided to invite him to play with them by running in circles (one of Sammie's favourite activities.) He happily joined in on the activity. 
• Sammie chose to go back into the big pool while in the hot tub because he was not ready to leave. He showed us this by trying repeatedly to swim in the hot tub, and by reaching out his arms for the pool. 
• Sammie was very eager to involve Mom and Dad in all his activities today, and took their hands often to show them what he was doing. 
• He reached for cups when he was thirsty and even brought mom an empty cup when there wasn't a full one available. 
• He had been playing with the shakers and lots interest. Mom said "Oh Sammie! Shake Shake Shake!" and he looked at her, smiled, picked up the Shakers, shaked them vigorously for several seconds before putting them back down.  
• New gestures or signs observed: No new ones observed, but Sammie is reaching out for more things and is starting to use his finger to push buttons (instead of his whole hand or of pushing our hands)
• New behaviours observed: No new behaviours observed, but Sammie is getting signficiantly stronger at reacting to our one or two word commands. When he does not listen, he knows that he is deliberately defying us, and either runs away to hide or starts to whine/cry (this doesn't last very long). 
• New friends or social activities observed: Sammie was a little removed from Tara and Tobin today, but seemed warm and friendly with Erie- even giving her a (prompted) hug goodbye before leaving. He is actively engaging in eye contact with all members of the family, and very responsive when he is called/involved in activities. 
• Notes: None.

Daily Log: Nov 27

Sammie's Daily Log

Daily Summary:

Overall, today was a _ day.

Sammie was in a _ mood.

Mom and Dad were in a _ mood.

The weather was _.

Daily Notes: 

Sleep

• Wake Up Time: 9am* Wow.
• Nap Time: 330-430pm
• 'Bed' Time: 930pm. 
• Notes: Sammie slept in later than he has in months. It seemed to set him off for the entire day. 

Food

• Breakfast: 2 eggos
• Snack: apple and crackers
• Lunch: PBJ (which he helped me make)
• Snack: Cheerios, apple sauce X2
• Dinner:  Hardly anything except a few nacho chips. Would not try them with cheese at all. 
• Snack: Hot cereal with Mamelie after swimming
• New foods introduced: None
• Notes: Hot cereal is made with almost 8 oz of milk, so it seems to be an excellent bed time snack.

Key Activities for the day:

• Social Time: Bev (EIC) in the am, quiet pm
• Mom/Dad Time:  Mom in the AM, some playtime with Daddy during Bev's visit, evening with Mom and Dad. 
• Mamelie Time: After swim, Sammie got about 1 hour downstairs. Internet was down so he and Mamelie played very interactively. 
• Quiet Time: Mostly a quiet afternoon- Sam seemed tired, and off his routine because of his late wake up time. 
• Outdoor Time: None.  
• TV Time: 1 hour in the am. 
• Interactive IPAD/Computer Time: None
• Gross Motor Time: Some running/playing in the house in the am, a good hard swim in the PM
• Notes: Sammie loves his gross motor- on indoor days, it is important to engage in it with him by turning things into a game. 

Milestones:

• Favourite Sound of the Day: A really big variety of sounds were present today. Lots of "Mah", "Bah", and "Dah", "Yah", "Uh". He is rediscovering sounds he hasn't used in a very long time.   
• Favourite Activity of the Day:  Sammie loves swimming without his lifejacket and had a great time with Mamelie. 
• New words or sounds observed: Possibly saying "Ya" as a response (ie: Yes).  Seemed to do this a few times. Also seemed to associate "Dah" with Daddy. 
• New activities or play observed:  
• Initiated lots of play with Mamelie, including asking her to join in with some gross motor games.  Reacted and engaged in tickling play back and forth. Is more willing to be kissed and hugged, and even actively sought some hugs and kisses. Active greeting at the door when she came home. Lots of direct eye contact and following instructions. 
• Sammie is getting much braver in the pool and is asserting his independence by choosing his own activities in a more proactive way.  
• New gestures or signs observed: While Sammie isn't engaging in any new signs or gestures, he is responding very favourably to them.  He has caught on to several of our cues, and we are continuing to pair simple commands/words with gestures.  Sammie responsive skills are notably better when we do this- and he is listening and following our directions much more frequently. 
• New behaviours observed: Sammie peed on the floor of the YMCA again- twice. Both times he chose to go on to the floor to do it (as opposed to sitting down on the bench, etc.).  The second time, he actually held his penis to control the flow of liquid.  I believe that he is actively ready for potty training and I need to do some additional reading on how to potty train non-verbal children. 
• New friends or social activities observed: Sammie was patient with turn taking at the slide and always seems interested in the older children. He has been making eye contact and smiling at them more frequently, and doesn't shy away from them the way that he used to. 
• Notes: 
• A relatively good day for Sammie.  While he wasn't at his most receptive or cooperative with Bev, it was a good example of Sammie "at his worst"- or rather, at his least cooperative.  This gives Bev a good baseline to compare his behaviour as he begins to become more comfortable with her. 
• We will be beginning the "Responsive Teaching" program with Bev in two weeks. (http://www.responsiveteaching.org/).  This is an 8 module curriculum that will focus on enhancing Sammie's social-emotional skills and, subsequently, his communication skills. I am very confident he will succeed with this program as he is quite strong socially/emotionally and is eager to learn. 
• The big focus for Mom and Dad will be to:
• Shorten our sentences to one or two words as often as possible and find gestures that accompany these. (We will make a list of common gestures we can use). 
• Be consistent with the words that we use, and repeat them as often as possible to reenforce them. 
• Continue imitating Sam's play and speech. It's the "Match and Raise" idea- we match his behaviour and then raise by one step. (ie: "buh, buh" BOOTS! Yes, Boots!)
• Really keep our eyes open for Sammie's responses and respect them.  When Sammie does respond, we need to act immediately (1/10 second rule) to reenforce that we understood him.  If he refuses something using a gesture or sign, we should respect it immediately. If he shows interest in doing something, we should do it immediately.

Daily Log: Nov 26

Sammie's Daily Log

Daily Summary:

Overall, today was a good day.

Sammie was in a decent mood.

Mom and Dad were in a decent mood.

The weather was chilly.

Daily Notes: 

Sleep

• Wake Up Time: 745am
• Nap Time: 145-230pm
• 'Bed' Time: 9pm
• Notes: Short nap, due to a wet toosh. Happy baby, but probably an early bed time. 

Food

• Breakfast: 2 eggos and water
• Snack: Cheese crackers and juice
• Lunch: Refused all food at Ikea including bun, pasta, meatballs, etc. 
• Snack: Had PBJ after nap and more water
• Dinner: Hot cereal. 
• Snack: 
• New foods introduced: 
• Notes: 

Key Activities for the day:

• Social Time: Intellidance/Shopping Playdate with Annabelle and Beth
• Mom/Dad Time: Quiet morning with mom, snuggling and watching Thomas
• Mamelie Time: Some in the PM
• Quiet Time: Did some reading after naps, playing with Marbles at Education Station (20 mins)
• Outdoor Time: Walking to and from stores
• TV Time: Less than 1 hour in am. 
• Interactive IPAD/Computer Time: Approx 15 mins with Mom (BINGO, and other songs)
• Gross Motor Time:  Intellidance (45 mins) Swimming (45 mins)
• Notes: 

Milestones:

• Favourite Sound of the Day:  Lots of "Buh" today, and more "Mah" sounds
• Favourite Activity of the Day: Magic Carpet ride at Intellidance and the Marble game at E.S.
• New words or sounds observed: Still using "Buh" sound when putting on Boots
• New activities or play observed: Parallel played beside an older boy with the marbles- Sammie was patient and waited his turn (unprompted) and enjoyed watching the boy put the marbles higher. 
• New gestures or signs observed: No new ones, but lots of reaching, clapping, "up" gestures and "no" gestures. Was able to do do most of the Bingo moves again, though wanted more prompting today than yesterday. 
• New behaviours observed: Not new, but more cooperative at Intellidance. 
• New friends or social activities observed: Sammie gets along very well with Annabelle (20 months) and enjoys her company a lot.  Her quiet nature compliments him and they never fight with each other. 
• Notes: 

Daily Log: Nov 25

Sammie's Daily Log

Daily Summary:

Overall, today was a good, quiet day.

Sammie was in a happy mood.

Mom and Dad were in a happy mood.

The weather was a little brisk and windy.

Daily Notes: 

Sleep

• Wake Up Time: 745am
• Nap Time: 130pm-230pm (car nap)
• 'Bed' Time: 9pm
• Notes:  Sammie slept relatively well but did not nap at home or for very long. 

Food

• Breakfast: 2 eggos
• Snack: grapes and graham crackers
• Lunch: craisins, applesauce, goldfish
• Snack: Muffin, yogurt.
• Dinner: Cheerios, Banana, Raspberries, juice
• Snack: n/a
• New foods introduced: 
• Notes: 

Key Activities for the day:

• Social Time: Visited with Uncle Antoine, Auntie Heidi and Nico all evening
• Mom/Dad Time:  Only during quiet times. 
• Mamelie Time: Spent a few hours in the am, prenap and the evening as a family. 
• Quiet Time: Quiet time with Mom in the am, and with dad pre-nap. 
• Outdoor Time: None
• TV Time: Approx 1.5 hours
• Interactive IPAD/Computer Time: 30 mins- see "new gestures" below
• Gross Motor Time:  Only what was spent at home, running and climbing downstairs.
• Notes: Sammie had two major falls where he hit his head yesterday (once on glass table, once on chair/cement floor).  We kept him home from the pool and social time because of this. 

Milestones:

• Favourite Sound of the Day:  Still experimenting with blowing raspberries and "vuh" sounds
• Favourite Activity of the Day: Snuggling and playing Ipad with Mamelie. BINGO. 
• New words or sounds observed: "Mom" and "Mom-Mom" was said a few times, throughout the day, especially after injury. Was clearly gesturing for Mom. 
• New activities or play observed: Still exploring with the tunnel, and finding new ways to use it
• New gestures or signs observed: Followed along with BINGO ipad app and did all the actions by himself (clapped hands, tapped head, patted belly and slapped knees), attempted to blow kisses when prompted (with help first). 
• New behaviours observed: Sammie is getting more daring with some of his aci
• New friends or social activities observed: None
• Notes: Seems to be improving his observation and copying skills. Seeing dramatic improvements in his receptive skills as well. Still lots of "tonguing"- exploring his tongue with his fingers, using his tongue to explore objects and people's.

Daily Log Nov 24

Sammie's Daily Log

Daily Summary:

Overall, today was a super fun day.

Sammie was in a very happy mood.

Mom and Dad were in great moods.

The weather was beautiful!

Daily Notes: Today was a huge day for Sammie. Lots of activity, lots of signs of growth.  His receptive communication skills seem to be exploding, and he responded favourably to almost all simple commands. He is showing more and more signs of imitating behaviour, is engaging more and more in social play with Mom/Dad/Mamelie and is absolutely seeking touch, comfort and affection on a more continuous basis. This was Sammie's most "normal toddler" day so far.  This might also have been one of my top favourite parenting days of all time. (Zita)

Sleep

• Wake Up Time: 740am
• Nap Time: 1230pm-3pm
• 'Bed' Time: 10pm
• Notes: Fought napping until we discussed "driving him down", at which point he had a change of heart and went down very easily.  Went to bed at 915pm, but had a HUGE poo at 945pm and let us know by squawking. Fell asleep very shortly after his diaper change. 

Food

• Breakfast: 2 eggos, water
• Snack: Grapes (about a cup), 1/2 cup cheese crackers, 4 graham crackers
• Lunch: PBJ, Water
• Snack: Fries, sippy cup of apple juice, handful of chips
• Dinner: Oatmeal with Mamelie
• Snack: N/A
• New foods introduced: Re-introduced graham crackers- successful. 
• Notes: Didn't have lunch until after nap. Oatmeal was post swim. 

Key Activities for the day:

• Social Time: Exploring the Enjoy Centre with Mom and Dad- really seemed to enjoy watching people and seeing all the sights. 
• Mom/Dad Time: All day. Today was a very family focused day, starting with an hour of "Daddy" time in the am, sledding, Enjoy Centre and an evening swim. 
• Mamelie Time: About an hour from just after 8 until just after 9. 
• Quiet Time: very little quiet time. Kept to himself for the first 15 or so minutes at Mamelie's, possibly to decompress. 
• Outdoor Time: 45 minutes of sledding.
• TV Time: 1 Waybuloo, 1 Thomas (less than 1 hour), half hour video with Mamelie.
• Interactive IPAD/Computer Time: N/A
• Gross Motor Time: Sledding (45 mins), swimming (45 minutes)
• Notes: A particularly busy day- may need some extra "down time" tomorrow. 

Milestones:

• Favourite Sound of the Day:  Lots of laughing today- unusual amounts. Blowing raspberries and "Vuh" sounds. 
• Favourite Activity of the Day: Enjoyed blowing bubbles at the YMCA, seemed to enjoy sledding, LOTS of laughing from downstairs at Mamelie's. 
• New words or sounds observed: Nothing 'new' though he may have repeated "Vuh" when were talking about his 'sounds', and may have said "mom" on the way out of the YMCA. (it was for sure a 'muh' sound, which we haven't heard a lot lately.)
• New activities or play observed:  Introduced rolling balls back and forth in tunnel (mom and dad assisted), introduced sledding (successful!), enjoyed crawling up onto the water mats and throwing himself into the water (from the mat, from the side of pool, and from our arms), learned to blow bubbles at the pool (after watching Mom and Dad do it several times, he attempted on his own and was overjoyed by the result). Also still very interested in trying out Mom and Dad's shoes, and now their hats. Tried to wear Daddy's hat unprompted. Removed Mommy's hat and attempted to put it on his head. Helped Daddy wash his hair in the shower (this is a first. Usually Sammie fights having his hair washed).  Loves slides, including at park, at Enjoy Centre and at swimming pool. 
• New gestures or signs observed: Lots of "Up" gestures today. Did a "hand reach" when he wanted me to give him my hand, blew "half" a kiss (brought hand to mouth after being shown how but did not move hand away immediately).  Fewer "no" head shakes, but mostly because he was in a particularly cooperative mood. 
• New behaviours observed: Wanted to hold hands us with us, socially, even when walking.  Was much more cooperative about having his nose cleaned, and his hair washed. 
• New friends or social activities observed: Seemed keenly interested in the strangers around his at the Enjoy Centre. Loved looking at the little girls at the YMCA- Sammie sure loves his women. 
• Notes: Sammie appears to have taken to using sounds (sing-song hums) to express joy as well as laughing out loud. Was in a particularly "smiley" mood today, including smiling at strangers. Seemed interested in other people. Also laughed out loud at Waybuloos when they were growling. Also, Sammie LOVES snow. Loves it. Daily outdoor time should be a priority.  Very little to no "random running" or "random spinning" today, and no shirt chewing at all. Still loving exploring the tunnel. 

Daily Log: Nov 23

Sammie's Daily Log

Daily Summary:

Overall, today was a decent day.

Sammie was in a great mood.

Mom and Dad were in a tired mood.

The weather was cold, windy.

Daily Notes: A busy, but generally good day. Sammie will need to get some concrete, out of the house gross-motor in throughout the weekend to balance out a mostly indoors, at home day. 

Sleep

• Wake Up Time: 730am
• Nap Time: Ha. Ha ha ha. Drove Sammie down at 3pm after he fought sleep for 3 hours. He napped until 4pm and then we woke him up. 
• 'Bed' Time: Approx 930pm 
• Notes: Sammie wanted to sleep much earlier than predicted (11am). Had I been home, there would not have been a problem with nap time at all. Second, third and fourth winds were what killed us. 

Food

• Breakfast: Eggos, a few apple pieces
• Snack: A whole whack load of Ikea bacon. Apparently he can't get enough of the stuff
• Lunch: Mostly snack foods- crackers, etc. Refused to really eat- probably out of exhaustion.
• Snack: n/a
• Dinner: Big bowl of cheerios with milk
• Snack: 1 apple sauce, 1 yogurt, lots of water
• New foods introduced: Bacon. And it's a hit. 
• Notes: N/A

Key Activities for the day:

• Social Time: Ikea breakfast with Alicia/Zack, hanging out with Uncle Conor and Suzanne in pm
• Mom/Dad Time: Not a lot of one-on-two or one-on-one today- just a bit busy with errands, etc.
• Mamelie Time: None. Did not see her. 
• Quiet Time: Exhaustion led to a VERY overstimulated Sammie. VERY little "quiet" time today.
• Outdoor Time: None- too cold. 
• TV Time: Very little- less than an hour. 
• Interactive IPAD/Computer Time: None
• Gross Motor Time: LOTS. All afternoon/evening. 
• Notes: Bought a new crawl tube from Ikea. He loves it. Not such a big fan of the doll. 

Milestones:

• Favourite Sound of the Day:  "Brrr" ("sad raspberries")
• Favourite Activity of the Day: Playing with the tunnel in many creative ways, including "worm baby". 
• New words or sounds observed: N/A
• New activities or play observed: Lots of creative play with the tunnel- very interested in different ways of exploring it. Also put on his boots AND daddy's boots and explored new balance challenges. 
• New gestures or signs observed: Nothing new, but was very "clingy" at bed time when saying goodnight to mom.  We decided to give him a few extra minutes of mom snuggles, and he went down relatively quietly with dad after that. 
• New behaviours observed: Sammie receptive skills are getting significantly stronger in public places. When asked to "stop" or "come back" at Ikea, he followed instructions. When asked to wait patiently, he did. When asked to give me his hand, he did. When asked to push the buttons, he did. Overall, Sammie had an extremely receptive morning, where he followed 90% of simple (one step) instructions. Did not attempt any two-step instructions at this time. 
• New friends or social activities observed: Sammie's relationship with Zack has improved drastically. They played patiently, taking turns, and did not fight then entire time.  Sammie also showed an interest in Alicia for the first time, allowing her to distract him with reading a book while mommy paid for items at the cash register.  Generally, Sammie tends to keep Alicia distant, so this was an exciting step for him. 
• Notes: None

Daily Log: Nov 22

Sammie's Daily Log

Daily Summary:

Overall, today was a really good day, especially when contrasted with yesterday.

Sammie was in a mostly good mood, with a dramatic improvement after his second nap and his poo.

Mom and Dad were in a much improved, rested mood.

The weather was gray and chilly, but a pleasant day to be outside.

Daily Notes: Wanted to sleep much earlier than anticipated (1130 vs. 1pm), however did not transition from carseat to bed. Need to be home no later than 1130 in the future so as to not miss window. 

Sleep

• Wake Up Time: 7:15am
• Nap Time: 1130-12pm, 330-400pm 
• 'Bed' Time: ~900pm
• Notes: Two short naps, one tired baby. Also, one HUGE poo.

Food

• Breakfast: 2 eggos, but slow to eat them. 
• Snack: Yogurt
• Lunch: Fries from Wendy's. Refused burger. 
• Snack: Apple 
• Dinner: Grapes (only a few) and raspberries, banana, handful of crackers
• Snack: Muffin (top only but it was huge)
• New foods introduced: Tried oatmeal- no go...possibly too hot. Muffin went over fine. 
• Notes: Seemed extremely uninterested in food/drink today. Possibly because he was waiting for a poo (hadn't gone in two days)

Key Activities for the day:

• Social Time: Beth/Erie/kids in the am, and Intellidance in the PM
• Mom/Dad Time: Mom time: Shopping in the am and pool time in the pm
• Mamelie Time: None
• Quiet Time: In between naps- played mostly quietly, seemed a little out of sorts. 
• Outdoor Time: Only between stores/errands, but still probably 15 minutes of walking.
• TV Time: Less than 1 hour
• Interactive IPAD/Computer Time: None
• Gross Motor Time: Intellidance (45 mins), Pool (45 minutes), Running around at home (at least 30 mins)
• Notes: Seemed a little standoffish at Erie's- probably due to the short nap.

Milestones:

• Favourite Sound of the Day: "Vuh" 
• Favourite Activity of the Day: Pool- loved walking and swimming without his life jacket
• New words or sounds observed: 
• I think he said "up" when I told it was "up time", 
• He also seems to have associated "Buh" with "boots" so we will be encouraging this sound more often. 
• New activities or play observed: 
• Very exploratory in the pool, pushing boundaries of independance,  and very quick to get up when he falls down. 
• Very actively engaged with the shakers at Intellidance. We should buy him several to explore with. Also continues to really love the parachute games, and seemed to enjoy the magic carpet ride by the end (took him a few minutes to get the hang of the activity)
• New gestures or signs observed:
• No new signs- but actively using head shake for "no" on repeat occasions. 
• Responding to our verbal cues (ie: "hands", "two feet", "boots", "jacket") very actively,
• Seems to be increasing his receptive skills quickly. 
• New behaviours observed: 
• Did a poo in the pool- very surprising, first time in his life. 
• However, he hadn't done a poo in two days, so he was due.
• Very cooperative in being cleaned, seemed very relieved, happier and more cooperative after the fact. 
• Feel asleep in car ride home (between 845 and 9pm) 
• New friends or social activities observed:
• Was a little standoffish from his friends at both Erie's and Intellidance- however, he actively observed them from afar and even laughed along with them on occasion. 
• Seemed interested in the "big kids" at the pool. Enjoyed observing and seemed to want to engage with them, but he was too small. 
• Notes: 
• Did I mention: Huge poo!
• We need to ease off the apple juice as he is starting to reject water. 
• Also, should introduce milk as new food in the very near future. 

Daily Log Nov 21

Sammie's Daily Log

Daily Summary:

Overall, today was a really rough day.

Sammie was in a sick, tired and cranky/uncooperative mood.

I (Mom or Dad) was in a sick, tired, cranky/uncooperative mood.

The weather was irrelevant since we didn't go outside.

Daily Notes: Because today was an exceptionally rough day on all fronts, I will not be doing a full log since it would be mostly blank and/or not particularly relevant. I will do summaries by section instead. 

Sleep

Early wake up (640am), coupled with a very late nap (2pm-4pm despite all efforts otherwise). Late bedtime, (after 1030pm, despite all efforts otherwise including driving for 1.5 hours). Spent the day and went to sleep in fleece pjs- is he possibly having issues with the material? We wondered about this when he was younger. 

Food

Sammie ate very little all day, and mostly drank water/juice. When he did eat, he snacked on crackers, etc. 

Key Activities for the day:

With the exception of a few bursts of energy dispersed throughout the day, Sammie was general quiet and uncooperative today. He was exceptionally cranky, which didn't jive well with his exceptionally cranky mom. It was an off day for both. By the evening, things had improved post nap but he was still not himself. His cold is clearly affecting his behaviour. 

Milestones:

Not only were there no milestones, but there appeared to be regressions in Sammie's communication (expressive and receptive) today. This is likely due to him being sick, cranky and tired. It is also likely due to the fact that mom was completely unengaged with him since she was equally under the weather. There were some intermittent snuggles, but for the most part the day was spent with Sammie and Mommy being very oppositional to each other.

In the evening, Sammie did experience about half an hour of very engaged, interactive play with mom and dad.  He ran up and down the hallway, between mom and dad, and gave them hugs back and forth.  He then engaged with mom is some 1-2-3 FLIP! play and was very patient during the 1-2-3 parts. 

Not one of our finest days by far. Hopefully tomorrow Sammie is feeling well enough to venture out of the house and get some social interaction time as I believe that cabin fever is contributing to his overall behaviour (and I *know* that it is contributing to mine). 

Daily Log: November 20th

Sammie's Daily Log

Daily Summary:

Overall, today was an okay day.

Sammie was in a sick but overall cheerful mood.

I (Mom or Dad) was in a sick but overall cheerful mood.

The weather was too chilly to take sick-baby out.

Daily Notes: Sammie appears to be coming down with a cold. This could explain his less than usual energy levels and his restless sleep last night. 

Sleep

• Wake Up Time: 730am (went to bed at 9pm)
• Nap Time: 115pm-2pm
• 'Bed' Time: Didn't fall asleep until after 1030.
• Notes: Sammie is showing signs of having a cold. He had a restless night last night. He had an extremely short nap, probably due to the fact that he couldn't breathe properly.  

Food

• Breakfast: 2 eggos, glass of juice/water, refused banana
• Snack: Yogurt, refused muffin and fruit juice/water, 
• Lunch: Refused everything except crackers and an apple sauce. 
• Snack: Lots of apple juice and half a banana after naps. 
• Dinner: PBJ
• Snack: Apple sauce
• New foods introduced: n/a
• Notes: n/a

Key Activities for the day:

• Social Time: 
• Visit at Bellies store for one hour with new friend Mackenzie. They played relatively well together. While Sammie was not particularly interested in her, he didn't avoid her. They did experience challenges with sharing the trains. 
• Play time at Auntie Erie's with Tobin and Tara. Sammie kept to himself most of the day, a sign of him not feeling well at all. He didn't outright avoid the other kids, but he was not interested in playing with them when they tried to engage him. 
• Mom/Dad Time: Evening quiet time after dad got home from work. 
• Mamelie Time: Less than half an hour, mostly spent watching Ipad apps while Mom, Dad, and Mamelie talked. 
• Quiet Time: Post nap was quiet in general. Sammie played quietly, and watched Thomas. 
• Outdoor Time: None- too cold and Sammie is unwell. 
• TV Time: Less than 1 hour in the am, with another 1 hour after naps. Sammie snuggled for a full episode of Thomas. 
• Interactive IPAD/Computer Time: Less than 30 minutes
• Gross Motor Time: Sammie had a particularly quiet morning- no running, spinning, jumping or climbing. 
• Notes: N/A

Milestones:

• Favourite Sound of the Day: None noticed.
• Favourite Activity of the Day: Today was an exceptionally quiet day due to him being sick. His favourite activity was probably his bath or snuggles watching tv. 
• New words or sounds observed: None.
• New activities or play observed:
• Auntie Erie has a stuffed play dice like the game one that we purchased for Sammie a few months ago for Christmas.  He was drawn to it and looked at all the different colours. It may be time to introduce the game it comes with in the new future. 
• New gestures or signs observed: 
• Sammie WAVED at Auntie Erie when he got into the door. 
• Sammie is actively utilizing the head shake to say no to foods and other simple requests. 
• New behaviors observed:
• Sammie takes a hand automatically when asked to go somewhere- he seems to understand that "go" and holding hands go together. 
• Sammie still uses the "gentle rub" for when he wants to nurse. When refused, he will do a "shirt dig", but he is utilizing his old gesture more often than he used to. 
• Sammie is getting very good at putting on his boots. Our next "self dressing" learning step will be putting on his jacket. 
• Very little "clothes chewing" observed today. A little bit when his winter coat was on, but none when it was taken off. He did stick his tongue out a bit, but less than yesterday. 
• Sammie seemed to "choose" a diaper bag for Mommy. He walked around, found a bag (the most expensive in the store of course) and brought it to Mom. The bag was floral print with purples and pinks- very pretty and certainly an usual colour scheme for him to choose. 
• Sammie followed my "finger points" twice when I was trying to show him that Thomas was on the television screen.  He also followed Dad's fingers points several times during the evening. 
• New friends or social activities observed:
• Met new friend Mackenzie who is 20 months. They played side by side but not very interactively. However, it should be noted that he "let" her play with trains too and seldom tried to take them away from her. 
• Notes: Despite being sick, Sammie was exceptionally receptive today. He was very tuned in, made LOTS of great eye contact with everyone who talked to him, and was extra snuggly and cute. 

Daily Log: November 19

Sammie's Daily Log

Daily Summary:

Overall, today was a great day!

Sammie was in a cheerful and playful mood.

I (Mom or Dad) was in a rested, happy moods.

The weather was chilly but nice.

Daily Notes: Intellidance Day, First day with new housecleaner.

Sleep

• Wake Up Time: 7am (bedtime was early, 830pm. Sammie slept through the night)
• Nap Time: 1235pm
• 'Bed' Time: 9pm
• Notes: Earlier bedtime had positive results this morning. Sammie woke up happy, refreshed and full of energy. 830pm may be the new goal, especially if he'll sleep until after 630am. 

Food

• Breakfast: 2 eggos- not overly interested in them.
• Snack: Yogurt, Nutrigrain bar, water/juice
• Lunch: Refused KD at Erie's, but was very tired. 
• Snack: Post nap: bowl of cheerios, handful of raspberries, banana, water
• Dinner: two buns
• Snack: fries and water, refused apple juice.  
• New foods introduced: none
• Notes: May be hungry through the night as he didn't eat a lot today.

Key Activities for the day:

• Social Time: 
• Intellidance in the am: Sammie was very active (as per normal) and very insistent on shirt chewing but did allow himself to passively participate in a few songs and playing with instruments, and he really seemed to enjoy the parachute. 
• Went to Erie's for 30 minutes after Intellidance while waiting for cleaner to finish. 
• Mom/Dad Time: Evening was spent playing as a family. Sammie loved to show off his spinning skills and his running in circles skills. 
• Mamelie Time: Spent some time with mom and dad. Got a very excited greeting from Sammie when she got home and lots of hugs and snuggles through the evening. 
• Quiet Time: Sammie was engaged in some quiet, solo play after his nap. He did play a little with mom, but seemed a little tired and more interested in lounging around. 
• Outdoor Time: N/A
• TV Time: Less than 1 hour in the am. 
• Interactive IPAD/Computer Time: Less than 10 minutes- was not interested in playing
• Gross Motor Time: 
• Intellidance for 45 minutes 
• Continued to do a lot of running, spinning and climbing- "showing off" for family time, with lots of proud smiles. 
• Swimming from 730-8pm
• Notes: Parachute time should be integrated at home as well with mom and dad. Need to buy shakers for Sammie's hands. Need to take action shots at pool and friends faces for photo book for Sammie to read. 

Milestones:

• Favourite Sound of the Day: Quiet day- not much verbalizing today so far. 
• Favourite Activity of the Day: Enjoyed lying and watching mom do the "Crocodile, Orangutan" song at Intellidance. Also enjoyed doing puzzles. New block puzzle seems a little challenging. Sammie always wants to go back to the train. 
• New words or sounds observed: None
• New activities or play observed: None
• New gestures or signs observed: None- lots of use of "no" today (head shakes, at appropriate times).  
• New behaviors observed: 
• Still lots of shirt chewing. Removed shirt and it seems to help, but kept sticking out tongue instead. 
• Clapped twice when mom engaged in clapping role modelling. 
• "Asked Mom to dance" by pushing music button on fridge and taking both her hands. Danced to three different songs (about 3 minutes).
• "Helped Dad" put away swimsuits. Took Dad's swimsuit from mom and brought it to Dad. Helped Dad put it away. And then Sammie put the other two swimsuits away on his own. (First time)
• Still very excited in Peekaboo games with Mommy- he loves finding mom, and sometimes also hides and waits to be found.  
• New friends or social activities observed: Showed an interest in Mackenzie at dance today. 
• Notes: Very friendly, social, happy and active today. LOTS of smiles and eye contact. Very aware of people and interested in playing with them. Overall, an excellent Sammie day. 

Daily Log: November 18, 2012

Sammie's Daily Log

Daily Summary:

Overall, today was an okay day.

Sammie was in a bit of an off mood.

Mom and Dad were in tired in moods.

The weather was sunny and mostly warm.

Daily Notes: 

Sleep

• Wake Up Time: 730am (had a middle of the night poo that disrupted his sleep)
• Nap Time: 1-230pm
• 'Bed' Time: Fell asleep at 830pm
• Notes: Sammie seemed tired all day, not as energetic as usual. As such, we chose to skip the pool and give him some extra rest. 

Food

• Breakfast: 2 eggos
• Snack: Refused to eat
• Lunch: Mac and Cheese (did not eat very much)
• Snack: A few raspberries, Apple sauce
• Dinner: Attempted a hamburger which was refused, PBJ
• Snack: N/A
• New foods introduced: Re-introduced raspberries successfully
• Notes: Was not interested in eating very much at all, drank a lot of juice to help with possible constipation, did not have much water in the evening. 

Key Activities for the day:

• Social Time: No out of family social time today
• Mom/Dad Time: Shopping trip to costco and Chapters, playing around the house after naptime
• Mamelie Time: Spent morning (830-1230) with Mamelie- described as a little "lethargic", hard to engage. Did perk up after having a very dirty diaper. Engaged in some peekaboo and pretend play with a diaper box. 
• Quiet Time: Spent most of the day playing by himself and not wanting to play with others. Refused to play with blocks or other cooperative games. 
• Outdoor Time: None today. Did not appear interested. 
• TV Time: Very little- a Thomas before bedtime. 
• Interactive IPAD/Computer Time: None.
• Gross Motor Time: Some running/climbing, but significantly less than usual. 
• Notes: Had an very active day yesterday with very little down time- perhaps this was his day to recharge?

Milestones:

• Favourite Sound of the Day:  Today was very quiet in general. 
• Favourite Activity of the Day: Quiet play, puzzles in the am with Mamelie. 
• New words or sounds observed: None
• New activities or play observed: Played with box (peekaboo, ride around, etc.)
• New gestures or signs observed: Lots of head shaking for "no" today
• New behaviours observed:  None
• New friends or social activities observed: None
• Notes: A particularly quiet day for Sammie, with a very early bedtime. He will need to be monitored to see if he is ill over the next few days. 

Daily Log: November 17, 2012

Sammie's Daily Log

Daily Summary:

Overall, today was a good day.

Sammie was in a cheerful mood.

Mom and Dad were in a tired but happy moods.

The weather was sunny but chilly.

Daily Notes: 

Sleep

• Wake Up Time: 7 am, after a restless night with four wake ups, cause undetermined. Did not wake up after 1am. (Went to bed at 10pm)
• Nap Time: 115pm until 415pm (3 hours)
• 'Bed' Time: 930pm
• Notes: Sammie also took a short 30 minute nap on the couch at 9 am. He fell asleep watching Thomas. 

Food

• Breakfast: 2 eggos, glass of water
• Snack: n/a
• Lunch: McDonald's pancakes (2) and juice/water
• Snack: n/a
• Dinner: Montanas: Two yogurts, a handful of fries, a few bites of kids hamburger with cheese. Apple Juice (box).
• Snack: PBJ sandwich, Banana, Water
• New foods introduced: Attempt at hamburger- mildly successful
• Notes: Didn't want pancakes in the morning or a snack. This may have been fatigue. Would not drink apple juice at dinner, possibly due to ice or red glass. Drank a juice box after dinner instead. 

Key Activities for the day:

• Social Time: Spent three hours with Heidi, Antoine and Nico from 10am until 1pm. 
• Mom/Dad Time: Dad time all morning until 9 am, mom/dad time for dinner and evening. 
• Mamelie Time: N/A
• Quiet Time: N/A
• Outdoor Time: N/A
• TV Time: Approx 1 hour in the am. 
• Interactive IPAD/Computer Time: 5 minutes of Peekaboo
• Gross Motor: 50 minute swim at the YMCA (lots of slide play) and 30 minute play time at playground. Enjoyed running but also enjoyed playing with the treehouse. 
• Notes: A long nap and a very busy playtime at YMCA

Milestones:

• Favourite Sound of the Day: High pitch hums, hums in water- attempting to blow bubbles?
• Favourite Activity of the Day: Swimming, did not want to leave. Putting pennies in the wishing well. Spinning and climbing on the chair at Antoine's. 
• New words or sounds observed: N/A
• New activities or play observed: accurately dropped and "caught" the pennies at the wishing well (previous attempts had been unsuccessful),  Lifted his lower body/legs using abdominal muscles in the chair until upside down. Swam successfully without a lifejacket in the toddler pool, explored the splashing water fall. 
• New gestures or signs observed: Lots of use of "head shake" for "no" today. Mimicked tongue sticking out (first time in several months), mimicked a few sounds.  
• New Behaviours Observed: 
• Actively greeted Daddy in the morning with smiles and leg-hugs, after having not having seen him for two days. 
• Still hand sucking/shirt sucking- seems to be related to thirst/hunger but also seems to be a developing habit.  Often seen playing with his tongue either with his fingers, hands or by licking himself or mom/dad (at pool, on shoulder).
• Peed twice at the YMCA in the change room- once immediately once his diaper came off and the other immediately after his swimsuit came off. Squatted for both- perhaps an early sign of potty training readiness?
• New friends or social activities observed: Was joined by a girl in running around the play room and seemed happy she was there.  Took turns with Mom and Dad spinning the cylinder on the playhouse (came back when called for his turn, and asked mom (by taking her hand and walking her to the area) to play too when she was not playing.)
• Notes: Sam was very engaged today with those around him.  He spent most of the day in an excellent mood and has been very active all day. 

Daily Log: 11/16/12

Sammie's Daily Log- November 16

Daily Summary: (Items in bold are forecasted, and will be updated throughout the day)

Overall, today was an excellent day.

Sammie was in a great  mood with occasional bouts of fussiness in the morning due to fatigue.

I (Mom or Dad) was in a tired but happy mood.

The weather was beautiful, but wet with melting snow.

Sleep

• Wake Up Time: 6:00 am (slept 9.5 hours)
• Nap Time: 12:35pm until 3pm (~2.5 hours)
• 'Bed' Time: Aiming for 9pm. 
• Notes: Woke up from nap very happy and refreshed and very interested in playing with mommy. No TV between nap time and dinner time, only french holiday music. 

Food

• Breakfast: 2 eggos and water
• Snack: Banana, eaten in full; juice/water cup. 
• Lunch: PBJ, half eaten. Half a yogurt. Dry cheerios.
• Snack: some crackers, some dried cheerios. Refused grilled cheese. Ate Peaches/Carrots/Applesauce at the table, no high chair (with left hand). 
• Dinner: Mac and Cheese (trying with 1/3 can tuna)- SUCCESS!!
• Snack: Cheerios in milk
• New foods introduced: Attempt at grilled cheese and at turkey. Neither was well received.
• Notes: Sammie doesn't seem to like the multigrain bread at all. Only buy whole wheat or white from now on. 

Key Activities for the day:

• Social Time: Visit with Erie, Tara and Tobin from 9am until 1230pm.
• Mom/Dad Time: Mom/Sam time from 6 am until 9am, and again from 3pm onwards. Dad was out of town on business. 
• Mamelie Time:
• Quiet Time: After naps- Sat and read "Moo, Baa, La La La" together three times. Sammie smiled at the Cow and at the Dogs, but was distracted by the tv (which was still on Treehouse from the playdate earlier). Played train puzzle with mom on the dining room table, taking turns. Sat on mom's lap while colouring. Mom coloured with green, Sammie coloured with pink. Sam also made pretend trains with some puzzle pieces and other toys, despite having real trains easily available. 
• Outdoor Time: Approx 30 minutes. He got wet and cold, because of the melting snow. 
• TV Time: AM:  Less than 1hour (Thomas, Waybuloo, My Big Big Friend during playdate); 30 minutes during dinner prep (background Treehouse- he was not closely watching it). 
• Interactive IPAD/Computer Time: Approx 30 mins. Games for toddlers (Fisher Price, Seasame Street.) 
• Notes: Sammie LOVED the Sesame Street peekaboo app.  He laughed out loud every time a character jumped on the screen. After watching Mom control the characters with the keyboard, Sammie decided to take over and pushed the buttons himself.  Before dinner time, Sammie engaged in at least 15 minutes of back and forth "My turn, Sammie's Turn" play with block building. He sat beside mom, and waited his turn while she placed blocks.  

Milestones:

• Favourite "Sound" of the Day: 
• 'Roger Rabbit' style lip play (BRRR! BRRR!)- both when happy and sad. Also, some humming, some "v" and "b" sounds. Squeals when excited. 
• Favourite Activity of the Day:
• Lots of running in the morning, but quiet 
• New words or sounds observed: "B" consonant when asking to nurse. Two word sentences seem more effective at getting his attention: "Sam, down", "Sam, No.", "Want Water?", etc.
• New activities or play observed: 
• Decided to play with blocks when he observed Tara and Tobin playing with blocks. Stayed close to them, but turned his body away from them. Was very interested in everything that Tara was doing and chose to do the same things on several occasions (drawing, playing with ball). Struggled over toy sharing with Tobin. Was very tired and moody during playdate. 
• Made trains out of non-traditional toys, despite having access to trains. 
• Sat and listened to a story quietly for over 5 minutes. Smiled at certain sections and turned pages.  
• Very engaged with computer Peek A Boo game- understood the concept and engaged with the characters. 
• Very engaged back and forth play with the blocks.
• New gestures or signs observed: No new but rare: Sammie used the "no" head shake to indicate that he did not want juice at that time.
• Notes: Sammie was very interested in doing activities together and seems to be enjoying having more direct mom-sam time. He was very quiet most of the day, but did vocalize more when was happy or unhappy.  Sammie hit three major milestones today: non-verbal conversation using blocks, putting on his own boots, and eating tuna for the first time in over six months! (See blog post: http://findingsammiesvoice.blogspot.com/2012/11/milestones.html)

Daily Journal Template

Sammie's Daily Log

Daily Summary:

Overall, today was a _ day.

Sammie was in a _ mood.

Mom and Dad were in a _ mood.

The weather was _.

Daily Notes: 

Sleep

• Wake Up Time: 
• Nap Time: 
• 'Bed' Time:
• Notes: 

Food

• Breakfast: 
• Snack: 
• Lunch: 
• Snack: 
• Dinner: 
• Snack: 
• New foods introduced: 
• Notes: 

Key Activities for the day:

• Social Time: 
• Mom/Dad Time: 
• Mamelie Time:
• Quiet Time: 
• Outdoor Time: 
• TV Time:
• Interactive IPAD/Computer Time:
• Gross Motor Time: 
• Notes: 

Milestones:

• Favourite Sound of the Day:  
• Favourite Activity of the Day: 
• New words or sounds observed: 
• New activities or play observed: 
• New gestures or signs observed:
• New behaviours observed: 
• New friends or social activities observed:
• Notes: