Weeks 21-22

I really love it when Daddy blows in my face.  It makes me giggle!  Daddy also plays guitar for me and I watch quite intently.  I get excited over many different things and you know I am because I clap my feet together furiously!

Mommy makes me laugh by tickling me on the sides of my stomach and underneath my arms.  Sometimes she gives me zerberts in those areas and I crack up!  I also giggle when she kisses and makes noises around my ears and neck area.  Sometimes she brings me over to the light switch and I turn off the lights for her!  How talented am I?  

It was Emu's birthday and we celebrated at Halahbuji's house.  I even got to eat solid foods for the first time!  On the menu, rice cereal.  I was very confused and spit out most of it at first.  After a few days of practice though, I got the hang of it.  Mommy mixes the cereal with either breastmilk or formula to make it the right consistency for me.

I am slowly learning to sit up by myself.  I was able to do it for a few minutes.  Toppling over usually follows suit.  I drop my toys occasionally(not on purpose just yet) and look around for them in the direction of the floor or where I dropped them.  Don't have the dexterity to go searching for them as of now!

Week 20

The week of Thanksgiving was quite eventful!  We spent it at Zia's house this year, my very first thanksgiving dinner!  Vo, Tati, Uncle Serge, Shasha, Mimi, Uncle Jamie, Isabella, Giuliana, and Nicholas were of course in attendance.  We had a few extra special guests this year!  Daddy's cousins Harold and Henrique came from Florida to spend the holiday with us!  It was so nice to meet them!  They got me a super cool Dora the Explorer doll which I immediately placed into my mouth.  She had to be christened!  Harold and Henrique stayed at my house for a few days which was so great because I got to know them really well!  I did not have any stranger anxiety and took to them almost instantly!  While they were visiting, it snowed for the first time this year.  My very first snow!  

I am a very observant little girl and am accomplishing more and more by the minute!  I pick up toys that I see next to me and even drop the ones in my hands if I see something better come along.  Whenever I am chewing on something, sometimes I take it out of my mouth and study it before placing it back in my mouth for some more chewing.   I am actually bouncing in my Jumperoo now.  Before I would just sit in it!  I squeal in excitement as well as in fury.  Mommy says I sound like a teradactyl when I get upset!  She doesn't know which is worse, crying or the squealing in madness!  When Mommy puts me on my tummy, I still get upset but now I raise my butt in the air and squirm around.  At times it looks like I am on a surf board because I raise my arms and legs up in the air!  I am trying so hard to roll over but for now, all I can do is roll from side to side.  Smaller objects are in my sights these days so my parents have to be careful with what is lying around!

My Nonna says that I am a good baby.  Mommy and Daddy think so too!  Daddy sometimes blows into my face and I think that it is fun!  I am definitely ticklish as well....Mommy sometimes eats my stomach and neck and I giggle like crazy!  She had to be careful this week not to tickle me too much on the neck though because I developed a rash from all of the drooling that I have been doing!

Week 18-19

These days I am such a busy body!  I went to my first baptism, my cousin, Nicholas' baptism.  It was a lot of fun meeting new people.  I was on my best behavior.  Nicholas is just as big as me and he is a few months younger!  It is nice to know that he will have my back when we get older....

It was my first full week at Nonna's house this week.  I behaved very well!  Paulie was not too happy with my presence but after a few days, he warmed up to me.  Nonna said that when she told him that I was coming he said, "Oh, no!"  Ha!  I also went to the doctor this week.  He said that I am not 14 lbs, 7.5 ounces and 24 inches long!  Even though I had shots again, I was very good, waiting for the doctor(which was a LONG time) and getting measured/weighed. 

There are many accomplishments that I have made these few weeks.  I make bubbles with my mouth and spit!  I play with seltzer bottles, putting the right end in my mouth!  Mommy and Daddy appreciate that I will sit in my Jumperoo for longer periods of time.  I notice the toys and am able to play with them now!   I am VERY smiley but when I do cry, Daddy jumps up to take care of me.  I have him wrapped around my little finger!  I don't know when these darn teeth are going to come in, but I hope soon!  I can't get enough of chewing on things, especially Mommy's fingers.  I turn when Mommy or Daddy call my name because I am just that smart!   Sometimes whoever is holding me doesn't realize that I want something in my sight and I just throw myself into the direction of the thing that I want.

Mommy and Daddy are helping me to learn to roll over by making me do tummy time.  I don't like it one bit.  I get back at them by pooping 10 times a day.  Daddy especially doesn't appreciate this!  Usually after I poop a really big one, Mommy makes me take a bath because she is anal.  I play with toys in the bath now, trying to get them into my mouth!

Week 16-17

Its been a busy few weeks for me!  I had a nice visit with Heather and Chris.  Heather is Mommy and Daddy's friend from college.  If it weren't for her, they would not have met and I would not exist.   My Vo went to Argentina and came back to visit me on her first day back in the States.  I didn't have any anxiety with her like before and played so nicely with her.  I even stayed alone with her while Mommy went to the mall!  I also behaved well at my babysitter, Marisa's house.  I call her Nonna!  

Halloween was at Aunt Kathleen's house.  I dressed up as Yoda, Mommy was Princess Leah, and Aunt Kathleen was a doctor.  Daddy sucked the fun out of Halloween and didn't dress up at all!  Uncle Al was working and hung out with us later.  Mommy and Aunt Kathleen were a bit crazy and got overly excited whenever the door bell rang with trick or treaters.  They were giggly and loud.  I did not know what the heck was going on!

Daddy, Mommy, and I went hiking in Saxon Woods again.  This time, there were so many leaves on the ground that whenever we walked, they made lots of noise.  I couldn't stop staring at Daddy's feet when they made the crunching sounds.  

I got my skin tag removed.  Mommy took me to the appointment.  Mommy thought that it would be a pretty painless, easy procedure so she didn't ask Daddy to take off of work to come.  Boy was she wrong!  There was a HUGE needle that was pierced through the skin tag to numb it.  Three people were holding me down including Mommy.  I don't know which was worse, two strangers holding me down or the needle in my ear!  Then the doctor cut it off with something that looked like a cigar cutter.  Mommy was trying to hold it together but lost it at the end and cried with me.  She felt so bad for me but said I was a trooper!

I am accomplishing a lot more these days.  My eyebrows are getting darker but my hair is definitely lighter.  I grab toys with my feet on my play mat.  My hands grab whatever is in front of me now, no exception.  They always make it immediately into my mouth too.  Hands are a big favorite.  I make complaining/whining noises.  I know what the bottle and breast are.  As soon as I see them, I immediately stop crying because I know I am going to get fed.  I lift my legs up a lot now and grab at people's faces.  Peekaboo is a game that totally grabs my attention now and I smile whenever someone plays it with me.  I grab the pacifier out of my mouth, play with it, and then try to stick it back in my mouth, sometimes with no success!  Daddy likes it when I sit around with my hands in the shooting gun position.  He thinks its funny.  I am giggling so much more now.  Mommy and Daddy really had to work for it before but now its easier to make me giggle.  I love it when Daddy says hee hee in a high pitched voice.  That makes me crack up!  Its not as funny when Mommy does it.  My feet still don't touch the ground when I am sitting in my bouncing chair but instead of two layers of books under my feet, there is only one!  Either I am getting longer or fatter!  I am usually all smiles!

It was Mommy's first week back at work.  Daddy stayed home with me all week.  I went to Nonna's house a few times and did great!  I did misbehave one time though....Daddy was showing me a plant on the book shelf and I grabbed it, pulled, and down it went onto the ground.  Dirt everywhere.  Oops!  Despite that, Daddy gave me a 10 out of 10 for the week!!!  We had lots of fun together....going for walks, hanging at home(the weather was icky) and making a coffee cup with pictures of me for Mommy!

Week 15

Every week, I do something different and new which makes it very exciting for Mommy and Daddy!  Daddy busted out some new toys for me, like my Bumbo chair and bouncing seat.  I like both!  The Bumbo helps me learn to sit up and sometimes I get frustrated because my arms don't clear the sides of the chair and get stuck.  Although the bouncing chair is fun, my feet can't touch the floor and unless Mommy puts the rings on the toys, I can't really reach the toys on the actual chair.  But I never cried going into either and am sure I will enjoy them more once I get bigger.

I have figured out how to put my thumb in my mouth much to my Mommy's dismay.  Sometimes I take the pacifier out of my mouth and stick my thumb right in!  Mommy tries to put the pacie back in but I got her beat....thumb wins!  Usually my index finger goes over my nose as I suck my thumb.  Mommy thinks that I will be right-handed as well.  I always go to grab things with my right hand and suck on my right thumb!   Anything I grab goes straight into my drooling mouth!

Another thing that I am starting to do but that my parents don't really appreciate is that I arch my back and throw my head and arms back when I get angry.  Its a nice added touch to the already high-pitched, loud, crazy cry that I have when I am pissed off!  

I started to visit my new babysitter, Marisa.  I will be going to her when Mommy goes back to work on November 3.  Mommy is truly sad to be leaving me.  I guess I am pretty sad too because when I went to Marisa's house twice last week, I screamed like crazy both times because I didn't really know her that well.  Mommy stayed with me both times so that I could get to know her better.  The first time, I screamed every time Marisa held me or came near me.  The second time was better.  I played with her, let her feed me, and let her put me to sleep for a nap.  Mommy is hoping that next week, when she brings me a few times without her, that I will be better!

Week 14

Boy am I becoming such a big girl these days!  I am so much more coordinated with my hands.  Whenever something is in front of my hands, I can maneuver my hands to get close to it and grab it and hold onto it.  I even take whatever I grabbed and put it right into my mouth!  Watch out!  I like to grab people's hands and put them in my mouth also!  Usually before I grab an object, I stare it down very intently and purse my lips...just like Daddy does when he is playing guitar and concentrating on the music!  Another skill I have acquired is being able to sit propped up.  I also can sit in my Bumbo chair, although after 10 minutes, the enjoyment of it wears thin!

The play mat holds my interest so much more now that the mobile in my crib bores me.  I like being able to grab the toys on the play mat and enjoy the music and lights.  I swat at the toys and yell/talk to my animal friends with much more gusto than before.  I can stay under the play mat for as long as an hour now!  At times, I roll from side to side on it, sometimes forgetting that one of my hands is holding onto a toy hanging down!!!  Ha!  

I love when Mommy kisses both of my cheeks....it makes me giggle!!!  Because Mommy and Daddy take such great care of me, I have developed a bit of stranger anxiety.  I only want to be with them.  Especially when I am tired, hungry, or gasey.  My poor Vo and Tati felt the brunt of this stranger anxiety in the beginning of the week and I screamed like a mad woman when they came to babysit me so that my parents could go out.  Luckily, by the end of the week after much "vovarizing", I went to Vo and Tati with little struggle.  I even fell asleep a few times with Tati!!  I totally recognize Mommy's voice...depending on my mood, if I hear Mommy's voice, I cry for her.  As soon as I get into her arms, I become so peaceful.   When Mommy sings to me, I like to sing with her!  Whenever she sings "Pie with a Heart in the Middle", I stop fussing and listen to her with a wide-eyed look.  I love when she sings that song when its bed time!  Daddy usually puts me to bed after reading a story.  

Weeks 12-13

I started only pooping every 3-4 days or so.  When I do, they are explosive!  Daddy appreciates that he doesn't have to change a poopy diaper every day but when he does have to, he needs Mommy for reinforcements! There have been a few times where laundry and a bath were necessary soon after the discovery of a VERY full diaper!  Another thing that both of my parents appreciate is the fact that I LOVE going in my crib, looking up at my mobile.  My mobile has rainforest animals that turn around and around.  It really peaks my interest, so much that I watch it for about 20-30 minutes.  I hang out there while my parents eat dinner in much needed peace and quiet!  I squeal in delight and talk to the my friends on the mobile!  I also like my play mat, but do not stay under it as long as my mobile.  I think it is still a bit too overwhelming but not as bad as it was before.  I am starting to swat at things with my hands but its not really coordinated and I get frustrated at times because I don't know what the heck is going on!   If something crosses the path of my hand, I can grab onto it, like my pacifier or the edge of my bib or my other hand!  I also like to talk to the animals on my play mat....Octotunes, my stuffed octopus that plays notes on his arms is my bestest friend.  I smile when I see him and coo at him all of the time.  Daddy plays it very well and I love it when he does!!

Speaking of the crib, I am establishing better sleeping patterns.  I usually eat between 7 and 8 p.m. and wake up once in the middle of the night to eat between 3 and 5 a.m.  Then I sleep for another 3-4 hours.  Mommy and Daddy really like that I am sleeping more through the night!  Something Mommy does not really enjoy is that I only want her to put me to bed.  When Daddy tries, I scream bloody murder!!  

I totally know who my Mommy and Daddy are.  Whenever I see anyone other than them, I study the person's face and watch them intently.  I can be a bit shy at first as well.  I studied a lot of new faces when I went to Rhode Island, my second road trip.  I had a lot of fun going to a pumpkin patch and apple picking with Alessio, Uncle Licky and Aunt Susie!  We slept over which also was a blast!

We had an appointment where I was suppose to get a skin tag removed but because of some scheduling confusion, I didn't get the procedure done.  It is rescheduled for the end of October.  Poor Daddy took the day off to be with me because he is such a great father.  But we had a nice day walking around a park in Larchmont instead!