This post is going to be a bit all over the place, but there are lots of little things about Abby that I wanted to share. It's not so much for all of you out there (although I hope you'll enjoy reading it anyway), but more for me to just jot down what's been happening lately so I don't forget about it some day.
First is how much I have been enjoying Abby's hugs and kisses. When she was a newborn, I dreamed about what it would be like for Abby to reach out toward
me, or to wrap her arms around me, or to give me a kiss. It was tough in those beginning days, learning to care for a baby who gave nothing in return. Many books I'd read said to just wait for the first smile, and then you'd realize everything was worth it. Well, I enjoyed the smiles a lot, but I still yearned for a deeper communication and affection between us and thought I would find it when I got that first hug. And I did. It's everything I dreamed it would be and more. I love it when I feel her little arms wrap around my neck - it's one of the best feelings in the world! And those kisses? Who cares about the slobber - I don't anymore! =) I want to cherish these times always.
And then there are all her little developments she's gone through lately. For instance, she is really into picking at things wherever she is placed, such as the carpet, the lines on the couch fabric, the flower pattern on the blanket, etc. It's really cute to watch her try to pick things up that are just designs and patterns. She also likes to help put her clothes on by pulling the shirt down over her face and helping to push her arms through the sleeves. Unfortunately, putting pants on have become the hardest thing lately because she won't stop kicking her feet!
This week we began Abby on her first solid food other than rice and oatmeal cereal, which was sweet potatoes. I had been so curious to see what reaction would be, but she was just plain blah. She made no change of expression at all, either negative or positive, at the first several bites. Thankfully, over the last few days, she's been doing much better eating her solid foods and is actually taking in a fair amount. It's much more fun to feed a child when they've figured out that they need to open their mouth!
It's also been neat to see how much she's picking up about what's going on around her and how she's begun to anticipate things. She's got the whole bath routine down now and anticipates what I'll do (i.e. closes her eyes as I bring the washcloth toward her face because she knows I'm going to wipe them, then opens her mouth next because she knows I will then wipe her gums, etc). She also shows this in her reaction to the camera. She's a total ham and breaks into a grin whenever we bring the camera out. But lately I've also noticed that right after the little red light comes on (to reduce red-eye), her eyes will start blinking quickly because she knows the bright flash will soon be coming. Unfortunately for us, it means a lot more pictures with Abby's eyes half-closed! Additionally, Abby has even picked up that whenever someone exits the front door, they always walk past the front window down the walkway. So, she turns toward the window and waits for them to appear. She's so smart! ;o)
One thing that's been a little difficult is that with Abby's ability to hug also came her ability to grasp on and refuse to let go when she doesn't want to be put down. I had never
thought of that when I was looking forward to the hugs. It was hard enough to deal with her crying sometimes when I would lay her down to sleep, and now many times she will also grab on as tight as she can as soon as I start to move toward the crib. It's sweet in a way, but it also breaks my heart each time I have to peel her hands off and walk away. And another difficult thing has been her newly developed skill of pinching - ouch, those little fingers can definitely inflict pain!
First is how much I have been enjoying Abby's hugs and kisses. When she was a newborn, I dreamed about what it would be like for Abby to reach out toward
me, or to wrap her arms around me, or to give me a kiss. It was tough in those beginning days, learning to care for a baby who gave nothing in return. Many books I'd read said to just wait for the first smile, and then you'd realize everything was worth it. Well, I enjoyed the smiles a lot, but I still yearned for a deeper communication and affection between us and thought I would find it when I got that first hug. And I did. It's everything I dreamed it would be and more. I love it when I feel her little arms wrap around my neck - it's one of the best feelings in the world! And those kisses? Who cares about the slobber - I don't anymore! =) I want to cherish these times always.
And then there are all her little developments she's gone through lately. For instance, she is really into picking at things wherever she is placed, such as the carpet, the lines on the couch fabric, the flower pattern on the blanket, etc. It's really cute to watch her try to pick things up that are just designs and patterns. She also likes to help put her clothes on by pulling the shirt down over her face and helping to push her arms through the sleeves. Unfortunately, putting pants on have become the hardest thing lately because she won't stop kicking her feet!
This week we began Abby on her first solid food other than rice and oatmeal cereal, which was sweet potatoes. I had been so curious to see what reaction would be, but she was just plain blah. She made no change of expression at all, either negative or positive, at the first several bites. Thankfully, over the last few days, she's been doing much better eating her solid foods and is actually taking in a fair amount. It's much more fun to feed a child when they've figured out that they need to open their mouth!
It's also been neat to see how much she's picking up about what's going on around her and how she's begun to anticipate things. She's got the whole bath routine down now and anticipates what I'll do (i.e. closes her eyes as I bring the washcloth toward her face because she knows I'm going to wipe them, then opens her mouth next because she knows I will then wipe her gums, etc). She also shows this in her reaction to the camera. She's a total ham and breaks into a grin whenever we bring the camera out. But lately I've also noticed that right after the little red light comes on (to reduce red-eye), her eyes will start blinking quickly because she knows the bright flash will soon be coming. Unfortunately for us, it means a lot more pictures with Abby's eyes half-closed! Additionally, Abby has even picked up that whenever someone exits the front door, they always walk past the front window down the walkway. So, she turns toward the window and waits for them to appear. She's so smart! ;o)
One thing that's been a little difficult is that with Abby's ability to hug also came her ability to grasp on and refuse to let go when she doesn't want to be put down. I had never
thought of that when I was looking forward to the hugs. It was hard enough to deal with her crying sometimes when I would lay her down to sleep, and now many times she will also grab on as tight as she can as soon as I start to move toward the crib. It's sweet in a way, but it also breaks my heart each time I have to peel her hands off and walk away. And another difficult thing has been her newly developed skill of pinching - ouch, those little fingers can definitely inflict pain!Grandma found a jumper for Abby at a garage sale last weekend. Abby loved it immediately. Calvin, on the other hand, was not quite sure what to make of it and it was obvious he was concerned that she seemed to have more self-mobility when she was in the new contraption.
Abby kept following Calvin with her eyes and trying to get her feet to move toward him. She was having a blast with the jumper, but also seemed a tad frustrated that it wouldn't let her move further horizontally. In the last picture, Abby is squealing...or shrieking...or screaming - I'm not quite sure what to call it, but she loves doing it all the time now. It's pretty loud and high-pitched. I often copy her, and we'll go back and forth many times. She gets a big kick out of that. Daddy has tried to join in, but his male voice just won't let him do it. =)
A final piece of news is that Abby's third tooth broke through today! It's the top, front left-side tooth. Actually, I'm not sure why I make a big deal about her getting another tooth, because each of the previous two teeth brought me pain soon after she discovered them and "tried them out" while breastfeeding. And I'm sure this one will be even worse, since she'll now have sharp teeth on the top and bottom! Oh, the joys of motherhood!
