Smiley is the word I would pick to describe Vada at this point. This little lady has the biggest, face-consuming smile that you cannot help but either smile back or give her a huge kiss. All it takes is a glance in her direction or a smile directed at her to suddenly feel pretty darn good about yourself. She seems to have gotten over her fear of unbearded men and truly has become such a happy, content baby. She STILL has not done a deep belly laugh, but she definitely finds some things funny to which she responds by squealing. I guess it is true about little girls; the high pitched, ear piercing squealing that I am sure will stick around for the next few years. Lucy is particularly good at getting this sound out but Daddy's tickles, peek a boo, or Mama crawling across the floor to her will do the trick too. Bath time is a new favorite too since she can sit up and splash and play with Lucy. She is a total ham with a camera and will go from content and watchful to big cheese in no time.
One thing Vada does not smile or laugh about is food. I have offered a couple of different things that I made at home for her to eat; pears, carrots, oatmeal as well as avocados, bananas, and yogurt. As soon as the spoon hits her lips, her mouth buttons, her head shakes side to side and the arms start flailing. This is generally followed by screaming until I give up and calm her down by nursing. I decided just to give in and try some store bought baby food, Earth's Best Organics, and she ate the entire jar of sweet potatoes. The next night, half a jar of pears. Since then, nothing. I really don't want to push her to eat food if she is not interested since I am confident she is getting everything she needs from nursing. A baby doesn't get to 22 pounds by starving :) Nor by sleeping through the night. Vada likes to be asleep by 8pm then usually wakes up before 10 to eat again. Sometimes she will then sleep until 1:30 before she wants to eat then again around 4. She still sleeps either in her crib, the swing, or in bed with us depending on her mood. She does like to stretch out with both arms as far out to the side as possible so sometimes the crib is the only option. She has lost interest in her pacifier so either nursing or rocking are the ways we are getting her to sleep. I guess I am just not exhausted enough yet to work on some self soothing.
We are still waiting for any teeth but the drooling, chewing, and now a runny nose are sure signs it is not far off. She has also started getting one leg behind her and rocking to try and grab toys that are out of reach which just petrifies me. I am loving the stage she is now, happy to sit and play and watch and discover on her own without me worrying about her getting into things or disappearing from view. She is a mover and a shaker so I know when she starts moving there will be no stopping her.
Vada is definitely a Mama's girl. I love when I am holding her and someone talks to her and she smiles at them then plays shy and turns into my shoulder. It makes me feel like she has a secret that only I know and I will soak that up as long as I can. She gives the best hugs and kisses, as well as the most aggressive. I find myself being super protective of her since she does not demand attention the way her big sister does. Being her mom, I know just how amazing this little lady is and I want everyone else to know it too. I already see that she is much more laid back than Lucy which means she sometimes sits and plays by herself instead of being in the center of it all. Maybe that is why I am not miserable with getting up in the night with her. Some days it is the only time that it is just her and I. So, this is another area where I am learning constantly how to parent each child individually. For now, all I know is this little woman is growing up so incredibly quickly and becoming even more loveable with each passing day. You hold a special place in Mama's heart, my Belle, and I love every bit of you.
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