Dear Annika,
You’re beginning to scare me. I should get used to it, because this can only get worse before it gets better. A few days ago, you were on your hands and knees next to the coffee table, and you reached a hand up to the top of the coffee table to see what was up there. A few weeks ago, this was unimaginable; at the beginning of this month you weren’t getting up on all fours yet, and if we put you down that way, you’d just rock back and forth briefly and then get back down onto your belly. Now you're able to get up on all fours on your own, but you’re not sure what to do next once you’re there.
In the past weeks, in addition to all-fours and sitting independently, you’ve hit another milestone – you now distinguish strongly between strangers and family
Your 6-month appointment yesterday went well, except of course for the screaming bloody murder about getting your shots. Hopefully that trauma is counterbalanced by Dr. Lubell’s pronouncement that you are now allowed to have real grown-up food – bread, crackers, mushed-up fruits and veggies - and are allowed to eat meat. No more do you have to gaze longingly at our plates and be told “no” all the time. Unless we’re eating chocolate ice cream, in which case all the puppy-eyes you can manage will not get you a bite until you’re at least two. Because we’re the meanest parents in the world.
You’re 16 lbs 7 oz now, and 26 inches tall. I was certain you were at least 18 lbs, because whenever I have to carry you around a lot, my arms complain.
Speaking of complaints, we need to have a talk. About your sleeping habits. I’m very grateful that you now sleep through the night on a regular basis, more grateful than words can possibly express. This is wonderful, splendid, heavenly even. But does it HAVE to take an hour or more get you to sleep in the first place? Usually, it starts well. We settle down in the rocking chair together, you get a warm bottle, and we cuddle and rock and you start to doze off. But then something happens. Sometimes it happens when I deem you sufficiently asleep and try to put you down, sometimes it happens just as I start to think about but before I’ve even moved. Suddenly the process hits ‘reverse’ – your eyes flutter and then open, you start waving your arms and kicking your legs. Some nights you’re awake but content, cooing and gurgling at me as if you’re telling me all the things you did that day. And other nights, you’re cranky and restless, arching your back, pushing away from me, rubbing your eyes and whimpering because you're tired - but not about to fall asleep, no sirree. We usually go through at least one cycle of “falling asleep – waking back up – falling asleep again” before you’re down for the night. Sometimes Dad takes you for a car ride if all else fails, but we try to avoid that. I have a fear that you will develop a stubborn resistance to falling asleep ANY OTHER WAY than in the car.
But on the whole, I figure if this is my biggest complaint I should count myself very lucky.
Love,
Mama
