New Every Morning

Since the advent of solid food in Sweet Pea's life, she is just a totally different baby.  I know, I know, I say that all the time; the changes, and the speed with which they come, are crazy.  Every time I think I have this little one all figured out, I wake up and she's a completely different baby.  It was only three weeks ago that we gave her rice cereal, and I was hesitant to do so because she just still seemed like such a tiny baby to me.  I wasn't sure she'd be able to do it.

I'll probably be the same way with nearly everything in her life, since she's the first. 

"What!  You're only 18, you can't drive yet!"

"She's just 25, honey, that is way too young to be dating."

"Sweetie, I'm sorry, but I just can't allow for this engagement.  You hardly know yourself at 40; how do you expect to know someone else well enough to marry him?"

Anyway, after she hit that true 6-month mark just 10 days ago, I hardly know who this littler person is anymore.  She's army-crawling into everything and can get from one place to another so fast she's like a ninja baby.  She doesn't go forward yet, but with scooting back, flipping over and turning around. she can get where she wants to go.  She loves her food; she tried bananas yesterday and about lost her mind.  She gets all excited when I put her in her highchair and set the bowl in front of her.  Her entire body starts wiggling with anticipation!  She still makes a face at me like I'm crazy after every first bite, but then she munches away. 

She's so involved and loves watching everything around her.  She's smiling at and even talking to strangers, and other people besides hubby and me can make her laugh.  She laughed at Bean on her birthday and at my friend Kory on Tuesday.  She's fascinated by the cats and my parents' dog, and she likes trying to "pet the kitties."  She says "hi" all the time, even to other people, and "mama" to me.  We volunteered at a teen parenting conference yesterday, and she yelled "hiiiiiii!" to so many of the girls.  She's even playing peek-a-boo.  Last night, she played peek-a-boo with our friend John.

As of Wednesday, we're learning "no" now, too.  She scooted into the fireplace tools and after I froze and my hands flew up to my face, I scooped her up and said, "No-no, no tools, baby!"  Like she knows what "tools" means.  Also, the first 25 or so raspberries she blew were adorable, but now?  Not so much.  You can only take so many sprays of baby drool. 

She officially sleeps through the night, and has now for a week.  The first time she did it, last Friday, I was kind of thrown off.  I couldn't sleep because I was worried that she wasn't awake.  She's been sleeping about 9 hours or so, waking up to nurse about 7:30, then going back to sleep for another two hours.  Well, except for last night, when she was up for an hour at 3 am.  I have to say, I was pretty surprised by the fact that I've mourned the loss of that 4 am feeding a little bit.  It was tiring, and I have a lot more energy this week, but I miss that quiet cuddling in the dark. 

She's been taking three-hour naps in the middle of the day, and another hour in the evening.  This is a MAJOR change.  She was a pretty all-over-the-place napper before; not very predictable, and the naps were usually short.  I think she's just so busy now that it tuckers her out!  We've also been working on weaning her off of the second early evening nap that she wants.

She's just so much fun.  She was fun as a newborn, in that new baby, achingly sweet, awe-inspiring way.  Now?  She's delightful.  The smiles, the giggling, the exploring; it's so fun and exciting.  And since I'm finally more rested, I can keep up with her!

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