baby development

Friday, June 30, 2006

Cookie's Accomplishments

Since I really have nothing titalating to write about, and since I have Friday-itis, what follows will be a post that I can put in Cookie's lifebook about what she has recently learned how to do:

Oh my Sugar Cookie, last night I was bathing you and your daddy asked, "Is she sitting up in the tub all by herself?" I hadn't even noticed that as I was washing your little back and arms that that's indeed what you were doing. You were still excited about slapping the water with your hands and splashing about. You enjoyed playing with the top cover to an Avent bottle, and turning it in every direction - dropping it in the tub, watching it bob around or fill up with water and sink. You were very skilled at recovering it from the bottom of the tub, figuring out how to dump the water out, and get the edge of it into your mouth again to chew on. You studied it carefully like a tiny scientist - over and over again with a studious look on your face. You are growing to have more times that you are careful and methodical in your play.

You enjoy studying new objects for a long time, and only after you have concluded these observations do you begin slapping your hands and thowing it about. You still like to put everything into your mouth - your favorite are colorful magazines that come in the mail. You like to grab the pages and crinkle them in your hands and try to get the pages into your mouth. You often succeed at ripping the pages out and inserting the crinkly paper into your mouth until it is soggy and I am forced to remove the paper and fish small bits of magazine out of your mouth. I have to be careful with you every second because of your desire to chew everything!

You are pretty mobile now - you roll over and over and can scoot across the floor on your belly, but you cannot crawl on your hand and knees (though it is clear you really want to!). If you see a remote control on the floor, this is what seems to excite you most, and you are quick to scoot across the floor to grab the remote - you must take after your daddy - though he refrains from eating the remote. You love it when daddy holds your arms and lets you stand on the floor so you can "march" in place like you are walking. When he does this, the look on your face is sheer joy.

Your grin is enormous - and when you smile, it involves your entire face. Your grin is still toothless and gummy, with no signs of any teeth on the horizon.

You make these cool "raking" motions with your fingers, and your dexterity seems to increase every day.

Your favorite foods are sweet potatoes, squash, carrots, and banana. You will eat peas and green beans, and peaches - but they are not your favorites. You are now sucking down an entire 4 oz. jar of baby food each evening when daddy and I eat our dinner. You seldom spit anything out anymore because you LOVE food.

You still don't sleep through the night, but daddy and I are less worried about it - we figure you'll outgrow that stage when you're good and ready to.

You hold your own bottle a lot now - but it seems to be only when the mood strikes you. In the middle of the night if you are hungry, you will often snatch the bottle out of our hand as we are bringing it toward your face, put both of your hands around it and pull it into your mouth in a fairly smooth, yet frantic display of hunger. You often suck down a midnight bottle like it may be the last bit you'll ever have, burp very loudly, then roll over in our bed and fall asleep right between daddy and I. It is very sweet, and sometimes we don't even put you back in the crib because you are so soft.

I still call you a "soft, warm biscuit" because when you were tiny, daddy said you were his "little Biscuit Head". You are often very warm and "biscuity". I love that about you.

We don't push your learning real hard, but we talk constantly to you, sing to you, and read you stories. We figure you'll learn at your own pace, and start talking to us when you're good and ready.

You are a happy little girl, for the most part. Your dramatic streak and ability to whine and protest loudly to get your way seems to come right from me. I'll apologize to your daddy for that for the rest of my life. Your favorite thing to whine about now seems to be when daddy gets up and moves from the livingroom into the kitchen to do the dishes. You can still see him and like to stand on my lap and look and him and whine to let him know you are not happy that he "left". You also like to protest when one of us is holding you, but you would prefer it be the other one of us. Sheesh. You have us wrapped around your tiny little pinky finger.

We adore you, Cookie. Life is so much more of an adventure with you.