update

I've been working so much overtime the last 2 weeks, by the time I'm done work I really don't want to be on the computer anymore. 

Scarlet fever - It's NOT scarlet fever! Well, it mustn't be, since we never got a call about the swab results. Leni's rash faded away quickly after my last post and she is back to her usual self. In fact, I think she is making up for the lost time still, plenty of energy, plenty of trouble-making, plenty of annoying Gemma...

Leni's mastered our stairs and we have to really remember the close the gate at the bottom of the stairs or else that's where we can expect to find her. Fortunately (and knock on wood) she hasn't taken a tumble down yet. 

I don't know if Leni is also trying to make up for lost appetite, but it seems like she just can't eat enough. We are pretty much giving her what we eat minus the seasoning and I think she eats about as much as Gemma - and Gemma eat a LOT. She can't handle seeing food anywhere or anyone else eating. She throws some of her biggest tantrums when wants more food. 

The food thing - she's just like Gemma. Both kids just love to eat, it's hard to keep the fridge stocked. 

A way in which Leni is nothing like Gemma, though, is the fact that Leni eats everything off the floor - carpet fuzzies, a torn piece of paper, a leaf that has fallen off a plant, a piece of dried up food that fell onto the floor the night before, a piece of dirt, mini hair elastics, etc. Gemma always mouthed her toys, but she never would seek things out off the floor and automatically put it in her mouth. It's exhausting, trying to keep up with her so she doesn't eat something. I vacuum constantly, but it seems like there is always something for her to put in there. 

Gemma has been into two things lately: drawing and puzzles. She has always loved to draw and now, she can really draw recognizable things. Most of the time, it's still fluke, but if you ask her to draw a face, she will draw a big circle, two small circle for eyes (and a line connecting the two for glasses), a another circle for a nose, and either a smile or a frown for the mouth. She sometimes even squiggles in hair. It's amazing to me that at this age she can draw something like that. She also draws big spikes for mountains or small spikes for grass, and experimenting with circles and lines, writing "100" or "olio", etc. She can also do a 48-piece puzzle by herself and can sit for a long time just keeping herself busy in these ways.

Gemma has also really started to warm up to Leni in the last couple of weeks. She really likes playing with her now, crawling after her, putting stuff on her head to make her look like a "princess", etc. If Gemma is coloring or something and Leni comes over to join in, she's prompt to say "No Leni, that's my crayon" or whatever and gives her something else to play with. Ninety-nine percent of the time it doesn't work though and Leni still goes after whatever Gemma's doing. Oh, little sisters.