- This week we bought her a high chair and she now sits at the table with us during meals or when we are working. This is one of those little things that has a huge impact: rather than having to “put her away” while we’re trying to do something – or holding her and struggling to get done what we’re trying to do – she becomes a participant. So far she likes it as much as we do, enjoying her little bit of being older and having a seat at the table – literally!
- The last couple weeks have been lovely for me and my relationship with Elena as we are getting much closer. She is always very happy to see me and smiles with giddy delight. This of course only encourages me to smile at her with giddy delight, and we have quite the little mutual affection society going. This is all helped by the fact that I am around more during the day; in her first few months I worked away from home all day and essentially only saw her in the evening, which is her grumpy and tired time. I’m really enjoying our getting closer, and how happy seeing me makes her.
- Elena is borderline mobile. She now rolls about with pretty free range of motion. We lay out a full-sized sheet for her to play on and she rolls from one end of it to the other. She also likes to inch – or maybe “foot” is more accurate! – herself along on her back. The days of leaving her on the bed are over. One day I was laying on the bed working with her beside me. She was right in the middle of the bed, a queen size. At least, at first she was in the middle of the bed. With only half a dozen or so hard pushes with her feet she moved herself close to the edge. Fascinated with what her potential for self-propulsion might be I prepared myself to grab her while watching with rapt fascination. Unexpectedly she gave herself a giant push and started flyyyyying off the edge of the bed!!! Happily I had been prepared for just such an event and caught the startled young lady. She can really push.
- Elena kicks her legs. All. Day. Long. Get too close and you’re going to get kicked in the face. Or the tummy. Or the privates. Or…wherever is within her torrential range. She’s a little engine.
- I learned a little lesson about people from Elena. Sigrid related how, when she took Elena to Babies R’ Us to do some shopping that Elena went absolutely nuts over the toys there. I suppose that I rather assumed our affinity for toys and shiny things were taught by the capitalist machine; however, perhaps there is some natural urge for toys beyond what the culture has inculcated. I was both fascinated and horrified to learn my little girl came alive in the toy aisle. Perhaps dreams of her as an austere minimalist are a bit perfunctory.
- Elena is a really good girl. She just is. Every day she has her periods of being tired or being grumpy, but in general she is happy and wants to please. It is sweet.
- Finally is the thing that has most made me laugh and cringe from the last few weeks: Elena is testing her voice, and she has learned how to shriek. I’ve never heard anything like it before, this high-pitched, from her toes, loud-as-she-possibly-can s-h-r-i-e-k! Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!! If I didn’t know better I would think the child saw a zombie coming across the room to eat her brain and had nothing left to do but shriek in horrified resignation! 
I more than anyone am hoping this is just a phase and will pass. The good news is, all I need to do is smile at her or pick her up and the shriek is replaced with a big grin.
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
1) HOW is it possible that 22 weeks have gone by.
2) Jeff used to think that Abby’s world revolved around the general area of her food supply. He never would believe me when I told him that she missed him. One day, the stars aligned and she wasn’t eating when he walked in the door. Homegirl freaked out. She was so happy to see her Daddy!
3) That shriek you speak of? Wait until it has some bigger lungs on it. In the car. So awesome.