Bridget at 30 Months

Bridget is two and a half. She is 32 inches tall and weighs 23 pounds (which puts her at about the 25% mark for both height and weight on the adjusted scale). Her small size shouldn't fool anyone...this child can put away the food, and she's as strong as an ox (well, maybe not quite, but anyone who has tried to wrangle her in for a diaper change knows exactly what I'm talking about).

She's also making steady--though not always speedy--progress. She has moved out of her highchair and into a booster seat at the kitchen table for meals, and can now climb easily out of her pack-n-play (which means no "down time" for mommy during the day!). She is walking independently (when she wants to...she still prefers to crawl). She has 10-15 distinguishable words and lots of signs (50-60).

Bridget’s “total communication” has exploded recently. She has somehow figured out how to communicate most of her needs and wants with the words “mom”, “da” (daddy), “dis” (this), “dat” (that), “dere” (there), “moe” (more),“moe dis”, “moe dat”, “ouch”, “yep”, “NO”, “DO”, “hup” (cup), “eat”, and “hug” (hungry)…in combination with a handful of signs. For example, she says, “dere” (points to the basement), signs “play” and says, “DO!” She means, “I want to play in the basement”. She says “hup!”, points to the juice on the counter and says, “DO!” She wants her cup of juice. She sees me leave, points to the door and says, “Mom, dere. DO!” She means, “My mom went out that door and I want her. I do!

Also of note, she:

- takes 10-15 steps at a time without help, walks with fingertip support up to 100 steps (depending on mood)

- bounces while standing, likes to dance while holding hands with someone (especially to "Single Ladies" by Beyonce)

- new signs: eat, coffee, thirsty (she does not drink coffee!)

-makes lots of different kinds of sounds, loves to pretend to talk on the phone and carries on in-depth “conversations” (she answers, “Hehwo?”)

-likes to put on headbands, hats and sunglasses, tries to put clothes over head. Takes pants and shirts off.

- responds to the following: "Please stand up and walk”, “Can you bounce?”, “Can you kick?”, "Be a ballerina?", "Sing opera?", “Your baby is crying” (she pats the baby doll) or “Your baby is hungry” (she gets a spoon and feeds the doll), “Go get a book”.

**We are beginning the process to transition Bridget out of Early Intervention and into the local school system. I'm nervous about all the changes, and about moving out of our comfortable "therapy" routine. I know she'll be evaluated by a whole new set of people, and that I'll have to learn to navigate a whole new system. Please, if anyone has tips or thoughts about this phase, do let me know...