This morning I took a quick shower while Kate played naked on the floor in the bathroom, then I pulled her in to hose her down and give her a quick soaping down. She’s getting more and more hair all the time, and that just means that I need to wash it sometimes! I let her sit with me in the tub and play with the drain – that’s her favorite thing to do. She likes to poke her fingers into the little holes and touch it and try pulling on it. Then she splashes her hands in the water that puddles around the drain. I stood right behind her (so she couldn’t accidentally fall backwards and hit her head) and grabbed a towel to throw on my head. While I’m doing that she decides to reach up, grab the water spout, and try pulling to her feet using it. OMGWTF. She has NO balance yet, all she was going to accomplish was falling down and hitting her head or something. I quickly grabbed her, plunked her back down and said, “NUH-UH, sit that butt down in the tub!!” Sweet. I already have to constantly stop her from trying to lean forward to lay on her belly in a tub full of water – she doesn’t quite get the concept of water yet – now I have to deal with her trying to stand up. This is why I only ever wash her when I am actually physically IN the tub.

She is just super hyper lately. Now that she’s starting to work on pulling up she has to do it all the time, she’s no longer content to just be on her belly on the floor. Or sitting – she immediately leans forward to pull onto her knees, then flops down onto her belly, then flails around and grabs whatever clothing of mine she can reach and proceeds to stretch it completely out as she tries hauling herself up. Which, of course, she can’t do from her belly (she doesn’t have the strength yet), so she whines in frustration until I help her. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Once on her feet she wobbles around dangerously, grins like a maniac, and makes sounds that sound something like, Screee! Scree! Aahhh!! EEEEE!! To say she’s excited is a gross understatement. If I lift her up and bounce her she starts flapping her arms like she’s a bird about to take flight. She may actually believe that.

She is just SO full of energy. She isn’t fighting naps anymore, but as soon as her eyes crack open she starts windmilling, rolling, and trying to attack the world full force. I am happy if she takes 30 minute naps, and many are shorter than that.

I am constantly amazed at what a huge personality she has for such a little baby. I call her a firecracker – she’s full of spunk… full of joy and determination and energy.

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Den and I went to his work christmas party last night, it was the second time we have left Kate with a babysitter. Unlike last time we did not come home to a happy, easy-going baby. We got a phone call at around 10pm saying that Kate was screaming, she’d been changed, had eaten, would not sleep, and just wouldn’t stop crying. So we came home. Found her asleep on the babysitter’s shoulder, giving a little shuddering sigh every few minutes. Poor baby. Not sure what was wrong, I think she just was tired and wanted mom and dad. Soon as she woke up and saw us she smiled big and started shrieking and babbling and bouncing up and down… and proceeded to spend the next hour doing that.

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After a couple of very lackluster days of sweet potato tasting – she didn’t hate it, but certainly was not thrilled by it – today we’ve moved on to pears. She apparently likes pears! She was opening her mouth and leaning forward, grabbing the spoon and directing it straight into the waiting maw. It was pretty cute! We did some Gerber puree with the spoon, and I gave her a couple of little slices of pear to chew on as well. I guess I’m doing an in-between kind of experience… not full “baby led solids” because I am doing some purees, too… though I still feel weird about that. Right now we’re just trying different things, different textures, and I’m just going with it. I know the point isn’t to feed her actual meals… she’s not starving, not lacking in calories with the breastmilk.

I will mention that we did 6 full months of exclusively breastmilk. Some in a bottle, most from me, but we did no formula, no rice cereal, no solids before 6 months. Nothing but breastmilk. I’m just a little proud of myself for that, and thankful we had no problems!

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Kate just semi-roused crying, so I went in to nurse her. When she was done I gave her the paci, cuddled her a little bit, then scooted backwards about a foot. I held her hands and figured she would fall asleep that way. She was almost asleep but not quite. She rolled towards me onto her belly, and I thought, oh, maybe she’s settling herself into a better position! Then she rolled towards me again, landing with a snug thump with her back pressed up against my belly. She reached up to lay her hand on my cheek and fell immediately deeply asleep. It was really hard not to wake her up with my laughing! Unfortunately I had to move her because she was too close to Den. But man, that was sweet.