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Antibiotics, round 2

After two nights of coughing and interrupted sleep (for all of us), a slight fever, and a terrific crabby spell that would not go away, we decided to take Eliza to the doctor yesterday. Once again, a little cold had gotten angry, this time turning into a slight ear infection and some upper respiratory junk that could have turned into an infection if we waited any longer. So, we’re on round of augmentin.  Sigh.

In other news, lots of fun developments lately. She’s eating more with her fingers (favorite things right now are toast and mandarin oranges). We discovered that she prefers a straw to the standard sippy cup. And she has started to point! A little thing, but it’s pretty cute. If she’s concentrating, I can ask her questions while we look at books, like “Where’s the dog?” and she’ll point to it. It’s clear she’s starting to understand more. Words we think she definitely knows are: clap (she does it when you tell her to, even if you don’t model it); dog; cat; hi; bye; bath; book; Daddy; Mommy; shoes; teddy bear; in / out (she can now take things out AND put them back in). There may be more. We’re anxious to hear her say her first word. I’m pretty sure I’ve heard her say “Dada” on purpose a few times (when going to him), but you never know.

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Eliza profile: nine months

IMG_5388.JPG, originally uploaded by griffey.

Favorite hobbies: creeping / army crawling all over the living room extremely fast; standing at her musical play table; chasing the cats; reading with mom or dad; playing peekaboo with Dad; clapping, sometimes for no reason whatsoever; pulling her own hair (because it’s there); splashing in the bathtub; putting things inside bowls, buckets, baskets, etc.

Favorite books: all lift-the-flap books she can get her hands on. Some of her absolute favorites are by Karen Katz (Where’s Baby’s Mommy? and Where’s Baby’s Belly Button?, for instance). She also likes the Caldecott winner First the Egg by Laura Vaccaro Seeger and Go Away, Big Green Monster, by Edward R. Emberly. And absolutely anything by Sandra Boynton, although Opposites, read in silly voices, is one of thebiggest hits.

Favorite foods: What’s not to love? It’s food. She eats pretty much anything, although she still prefers pureed to chunky. We’re working on that. Accidentally had her first Ritz cracker the other day (long story) and thought she had died and gone to heaven.

Favorite toys: She is into a stuffed animal phase. A little soft tiger, her “Ugly Dolls,” and a teddy bear with a red ribbon that her Pop gave her are her most beloved friends right now. Also enjoys playing with everyone’s shoes (even at daycare), pieces of paper that she can crinkle / tear, spatulas and other stuff from the kitchen, and “roll arounds” from Fisher Price.

Milestones and more: Has two top teeth as well as two bottom teeth now (whew!); just had her first cold and survived; can pull up onto just about anything from seated position; is still working on her sounds (she is trying out ga ga ga now).

Lots more fun to come!

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Little things I forgot

I forgot a few things in the last post. While on her belly, she can also now rotate 360 degrees. It’s pretty funny to see her spinning like a top to get to what she wants (including me, when I’m sitting behind her).

She’s also using a sippy cup now, for water. She holds it by herself and can usually get a drink, although sometimes she gets confused and thinks shaking it helps the water come out.

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Seven months!

Today is Eliza’s “birthday” and she is another month older. She can’t crawl yet, but she works on it every day. She loves to stand while holding onto furniture or one of us. And she is pulling up a little bit, particularly from our laps. Can’t quite do it all the way from the floor yet.

She’s becoming a little person with clear emotions and desires. When she’s happy, she laughs with her whole body and smiles so big it looks like it might hurt. She yells when she’s angry or frustrated at not getting what she wants. She even flirts now, and hugs, and waves “hi.” A little afraid of strangers, sometimes she cries when people get too close. But she knows her mommy and daddy and lights up when we come into view. She’s working really hard on language right now, and has mastered “ba ba ba ba” and “ma ma ma ma” and sometimes manages a “ga” here and there. Still no “da,” much to her dad’s dismay.

What new skills and changes will this month bring??

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Exploring the world

IMG_1553.JPG, originally uploaded by griffey.

Eliza is starting to “use” her hands more. If you offer her something, she will grab onto it for a while. Here, she explores the interesting textures of a “Taggies” book, a wonderful gift from our friend Chrysty. It seems like Eliza is changing by the minute. You can almost see her brain working overtime.

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Growth spurt #2

Eliza has had three fussy days/nights in a row, which is highly unusual for her.  She’s usually a very peaceful, calm baby who is rather routine-oriented already. But for the last few days, she has been grumpy, refusing to nap, and crying as soon as we put her in her crib at night. After doing some reading, it seems like this might be a classic growth spurt. Apparently, they often happen around 3 weeks and again at 6 weeks. I remember the last one, and she was similarly fussy. It has been a rough few nights, but she should pass through it soon and hopefully return to her “old” self. On the positive side, she is smiling and cooing a lot more now. This is supposedly a big couple of weeks in terms of development; I can’t wait to see what each day brings. I just wish the nights would go back to normal!