New fun stuff

The last couple of days S has started scooting over to me while I'm on the floor with her and climbing up me until I pick her up.  It is the sweetest thing.  Then after a moment she wants back down to go play on her own again.  I feel like I'm watching her develop that sense of trust and confidence that she can venture out on her own for a while and then come back to me when she needs some reassurance.

I've also noticed that she's starting to reach for my husband and me when she wants us.  I wondered when babies started doing that.  I guess it's now! :-)

We are working so hard on getting into a pattern of taking naps during the day (in her crib, not in my arms).  The last couple of days have been hard getting her there but she has been taking at least one good nap in her crib each day.  It gives me hope.

She's my child, it's my choice

If one more person tells me to let my child "cry it out,"  I'm going to punch them in the face, walk away, and let them cry it out.

Morning Comes Early...but maybe it's worth it

S decided 5:30 am was morning today and since I disagree, she joined Matt and I in bed.  She fell back asleep pretty easily until 8 or so.  And when I woke up (or rather, she woke me up), she had her lips pressed to mine and was staring at me.  I kissed her and she pulled back and smiled and then went and laid her head on daddy's arm and smiled up at him.  I swear she said daddy but it was probably more like, "dadablablada."

I suppose if she'd gone back to sleep in her crib after I nursed her at 5:00 am, I would have missed such a precious moment.  And I know they won't last forever so for the moment, I'll be glad that morning comes early.

Experiencing Everything Anew

Today I was inside organizing paperwork when through the open window, all I can hear are these beautiful little giggles.  Well of course I had to step outside to see what all the joy was about.  S was hanging out with her daddy underneath the tree in our backyard.

When I look at that tree I think two things: A) I'm thankful for the shade on hot days and B) I wish I had a saw so I could cut back those low-hanging branches.  But on this particular day I saw this tree with fresh eyes.

Daddy was holding S just high enough that she was eye-level with those low-hanging branches.  She looked at the leaves like they were the most fascinating things she'd ever seen.  And of course she had to try and grab them and put them in her mouth.

Yesterday I looked outside at that tree and saw yard work.  Today I see treasure.

So when DO they sleep?

Tonight I'm thinking: If babies have trouble sleeping when they are newborns because they have to eat all the time, when they are teething, when they are experiencing a growth spurt, when they are learning a new skill...did I leave anything out?  Then WHEN do they sleep????

I'm starting to be convinced that none of this is true.  The truth is, if you end up with a baby who doesn't sleep well, they never sleep well and all those "reasons" are just there to help you feel better and have hope that maybe, just MAYBE, you might actually get to sleep again someday.

Stepping Back to Watch

Today I sat S down on the floor to play and I sat on the couch to eat my lunch and watch her play.  I spend most of my time on the floor with her, making silly faces and talking to her...hovering perhaps?  But today was different.  For some reason I thought a new perspective was in order.

It's interesting what you can see from a distance.  She certainly favors a couple of toys over other ones but she did take a brief try at pretty much every toy on the floor.  It seems the main purpose for her toys is to chew on them and so if they do not easily lend themselves to that action, she quickly moves on.  As one ring slipped down over her wrist and down her arm, she worked to wiggle it off.  One book proved to be too large to pick up so she quickly gave it up.  Although I now see it's no longer anywhere near where I'd originally placed it.  Perhaps when I got up to get my computer she pushed it around the floor.

I smile at her independence and enjoy the moment to eat my lunch in peace.

And as my mind often does, I find it wandering and making connections to another area of my life where kids are the focus.  I wonder how often, as a teacher, I spend too much time hovering close and miss a distant perspective that might teach me something important.  When September rolls around I will have to take time to step back, watch, and learn.

Baby grunts bring me back to the present and make me grateful that, for the time being, the bouts of independence are short and mommy is still wanted and appreciated for closeness and comfort.