Would you like some cheese with that?

Dear Pea,
You are teething.  You are trying to walk, but don't have the balance. You are trying to crawl, but can't quite get that left leg to cooperate. You are trying to explore your surroundings but your parents keep taking the wires out of your hands and the remote controls out of your mouth.  Life is frustrating! So, you've been whining a lot.  A LOT.  You're happy for a few moments, and then you devolve into whine.  We distract you with a song, a toy, standing you up, sitting you down, a little boob, a little broccoli, the mirror and it all works, for a few minutes.  And then.

We understand.  Really, we do.  You are beginning to understand this big world and know that there are more rooms in the apartment and more people outside our doors and you just want to be a part of it all, already!  And, surprise surprise, you aren't the most patient person in the world.  Just like your parents. We really do understand, Sweet Pea! But we can't help you grow up any faster than we already are and we are so happy with every stage along the way that we wish you could enjoy it too.  Can I teach you to be a Zen baby? I think I would have had to teach myself to be a Zen grown up first...

Anyway, it's not all bad. Not even close.  As frustrating as things are for you, you have realized that things are funnier and brighter, too.  We've had some flies in the apartment (I know, eww) and you think it is hilarious when I swat at them.  We've taken to waving rolled up magazines in the air aimlessly because it tickles you so much.  You enjoy being in the kitchen with me when I cook-measuring cups and spoons are a big hit and you are impressed when I grate lemon zest and make the whole room smell citrusy.  You are becoming slightly more patient when we read books and will often sit and listen to a whole story, or at least play while I read and not knock the book out of my hands.  You love bath time so much that it's become a nightly occurrence. And you have discovered swings. 

A long overdue update

Dear Pea,
Wow, I haven't had much opportunity to write-you are keeping everyone on our toes.  Your favorite activity is to pull yourself up to standing, using anything in your path.  The most successful items are my fingers, Daddy's fingers and the coffee table, but that doesn't stop you from trying the big stability ball, the rolling chair, your swing...OY.  Though it has taught us that you are tougher than you appear. You fall down many many more times than you stand up and you are undeterred. Try again. And again. And again. Land on your tush, your side, your head...no matter, you try again.  Without complaint.

You can now maneuver yourself from all fours to sitting and back again. You like to roll from your side into all fours when I'm trying to nurse you to sleep in bed (this is very fun for you!) and you have developed a funny little roll that goes from sitting to rolling to sitting to rolling.  It doesn't get you anywhere very effectively, but you enjoy the ride. If you really want to get somewhere, you pull yourself up using Daddy's hands and then walk to where you want to go.  Double OY!


You're not too sure about the whole food thing.  You enjoy taking bites from my plate once in a while-egg yolks usually don't get spit back out. Peas are a fun game-you try to pick them up but don't have control of your pincher grasp, so they end up on the floor or in your palm, unable to get to your mouth.  You don't mind.  Carrots are your favorite-you always grab one if I'm eating it and I need to keep steaming them for you every day.

 You are ambivalent about yogurt.  One the one hand, it's super fun to smear around the table, your face and getting to hold that spoon is awesome! But on the other hand, it's not your favorite thing to have in your mouth. And your anxiety-ridden mama noticed a bit of a tummy upset after eating it, so we're holding off for a little while. But you sure look cute eating it!

You also have so much language these days! You know Mama and call out to me when you want me.  You call Daddy Abba or Dadda and call my dad Bobob. In the mornings and when Daddy gets home from work you greet us with "hi!"  You also just yell for fun.  AAHHHHHH! And Ah Boo! And Wawawawawa. Often these ramblings are accompanied by emphatic hand banging-you really want to drive home your points.

You laugh every day.  You are ticklish under your arms, at your hips and at your neck. You think it is hilarious when I exercise at home-push ups and burpees in particular send you into hysterics. Last night I held my first dance party with you around (how can I have not done this for so long? It used to be an almost nightly occurrence!) and you thought that was the funniest thing ever.  A little Jason Mraz, a little mama shaking and you were shrieking with laughter. Daddy came home to both of us doubled over in giggles.

Finally, a sweet memory I want to preserve from today: it was raining pretty hard and I needed to go to a meeting, so I put you in the Moby and grabbed the umbrella. You were enthralled with the umbrella and insisted on holding it the entire time we walked.  So, we walked a mile in the rain today, both of us holding the umbrella stem, keeping each other dry.

Nearing the end of your 7th month

Dear Pea,
We are almost at the end of your 7th month.  You are rocking your two bottom teeth and seem to have another one on the way. You push yourself up into plank position and sometimes onto your hands and knees-you are so close to crawling I can see it. 

The past couple of weeks I've been bringing you to the YMCA babysitting.  After a rough start, you now love it there.  They have so many toys to play with!  Sometimes there are a lot of other kids and I've come back to find you at the center of a circle, like a queen holding court, surrounded by toddlers and school aged kids entertaining you.  Other times you're alone with the sweet caregivers-you like this too because they will take you to see the basketball court or the pool. And, oh, the pool!  Well! You went swimming for the first time a week ago-we were lucky enough to be invited to take a class with other little ones.  This was fantastic for me because I learned some fun things to do with you in the water.  You were completely overwhelmed by the pool-you had eyes like saucers and just looked out at everything, not even making eye contact with me.  But the second time we went swimming, you were much more animated.  You splashed in the water, looked at me and the other kids and had a general good time!

getting ready to get in the water

swimming! we went with your BFF and she loved it, too!

 

The food adventures continue, too.  You finally have a high chair, though you've only been in it a couple of times.  The first time, you happily ate a carrot.  Well, maybe about a third of a carrot.  But you seemed to enjoy it. Then we gave you chicken.  Oh, my! You really like chicken.  We gave you a chicken wing and you would bring it to your mouth, open wide and then grin at us.   This is the first time we've ever gotten a response like that.  So, clearly more chicken is in order! 

 

But, really though, you will put anything in your mouth.  Chewing on anything and everything you can get your hands on is really the main event.  Including your poor little buddy here. In fairness, he does look delicious

 

Another tooth!

Dear Pea,
So, it turns out I wasn't wrong after all, and your second tooth has crowned!  Two sharp little protrusions coming up from your bottom gums.  You are so so so so cute

Mama was wrong (not for the first or last time, either!)

Dear Pea,
It appears that I was very wrong about you being in the throes of teething.  You were very uncomfortable last week, but no new teeth have emerged and you're back to your chipper self.  Very chipper.  Lots of giggles, smiles, scrunched up noses and belly laughs.  You have progressed leaps and bounds in your physical prowess-crawling is imminent.  You can scoot across the floor in record time, moving backwards and side to side.  Changing your direction is no problem, it's just that forward motion that alludes you.  Today you figured out how to push up on your feet and lift your hips, almost in downward dog, but couldn't quite coordinate everything to go forward also.  But soon.

 Getting buff to start crawling.  Sitting up is second nature these days

Last night you figured out how to flip from your back to your belly.  And you don't end up lying flat on your belly-you flip over into crawl position. It delights you to no end!  I was nursing you to sleep and you were fussing and fighting it, but as soon as you flipped, you grinned.  This happened twice before you finally conked out.  Then, at 2:30am, you did it again-Daddy woke up to you tapping his back.  You thought it was great fun to flip over and see what he was up to, but when you realized you couldn't get back to me (and my boob) you weren't so happy.  Luckily, you weren't really in a mood to play and once we got you back on your side facing your food source, you fell right back to sleep.

The eating is still going slowly-you are a huge broccoli fan and have been happy with goat cheese and guacamole, but that's really it.  Fruit isn't your thing.  This weekend we'll be cooking a whole chicken, so you'll get a leg to gnaw on-we'll see how you like that.  In the meantime, here's you loving your broccoli

Who needs a binkie when you've got cruciferae?

The Throes of Teething

Dear Pea,
So, now, we are really in it.  You are clearly uncomfortable much of the time, rubbing your mouth, chewing anything reachable. We've tried a number of things frozen, hoping that maybe the cold would ease your discomfort, but you don't like anything cold.  Frozen spoons, frozen teething toys, frozen banana-it all makes  you more frustrated.  You do like your teething toys at room temperature, though, so we stick with that. You have also been wanting to nurse more frequently, you dive at my shirt, sometimes nursing sitting up-little hits of elixir while you're playing seem to keep you comfortable for longer stretches.  I'll be drinking more chamomile tea and of course I consulted our acupuncturists for remedies and ordered you some good stuff.  I suspect that more than one tooth is on it's way; you gave no sign of discomfort when your first tooth peeked out.

Six month stats

Dear Pea,
So, as you know, you are an amazing flirt: you can turn on the charm in an instant and now know what a camera is and what face to make for it. 

 

this is your new version of smiling, especially for the camera: nose scruntched, mouth open.

What I didn't realize is that you also can give the DIRTIEST looks imaginable.  Wow, your poor pediatrician.  You were happily sitting on the table, shaking your rattle and crinkling (okay, eating) the tissue paper when in came the doctor and made you lay down.  You're not so into laying down these days.  You started fussing, so the doctor figured we might as well do the shot now instead of having to comfort you twice. (I have invented my own vaccination schedule, which is basically spacing everything out a LOT.  Instead of you getting three shots at each appointment, you get one shot.  At 6 months, the schedule says you should be completing your third booster of all the recommended vaccines-you were in fact getting your first booster of one of them). She swiped your leg with the alcohol prep pad as your fussing escalated into crying.  She prepped the needle as you fidgeted and squirmed, trying to sit up again.  In went the needle and BOOM-you screamed and shot her what can only be described as a murderous look.  I picked you up and tried to comfort you, but you kept looking back at the doctor and glaring.  Once you felt that the doctor was sufficiently aware of your displeasure, you calmed right down and resumed playing with her rattle.

Sweet Pea, you have gained 2 and a half pounds in two months, putting you in the 63rd percentile for weight at 16lbs, 13 oz.  You continue to be on the very tall end, now in the 101st percentile (!!!) at 27.8 inches. Your head has grown well, bringing you up to the 34th percentile at 42 cm in circumference. Your constant desire to stand is an indicator of your strength and appropriate weight and shouldn't be discouraged. 

You cut your first tooth the morning of your doctor's appointment. I was shocked and heard it before I saw it or felt it.  You were "drinking" water out of my glass (as always) and I heard a PING instead of the regular gnawing sound.  Huh?  I ran my finger along your gum and there it was: sharp ridges protruding from your lower left side gum.  You gave no indication of discomfort; I really wasn't expecting to see any teeth for a few months since Daddy and I were so late with ours.  I guess I shouldn't have been surprised-you have your fingers or something in your mouth constantly (as evidenced by the photos). But you haven't been cranky or fussy or feverish at all.  So, here we go, another way that you continue to surprise and amaze me.