Progress on that crawling thing. . .

No, she's not all out crawling yet, but she is inching closer. . .quite literally. Tonight during our typical bedtime routine I decided to give tummy time another go. Megan arched her back and lifted herself fairly high, spotted the dog, reached and then cried. Tasha was, luckily for Tasha, out of Megan's reach.

But hey, the dog is good motivation to move, right? So Megan stretched again. No such luck. She buried her face in the carpet and yelled. And so I tutored. I tapped her right foot moving it a bit so that her knee hugged her side. Then I tapped her left foot.

And then Megan did it.

She moved one hand and then the other to pull herself forward and straightened her legs as she did so.

We did this a few times - just enough to get Meg close enough to brush her fat baby fingers to Tasha's reluctant paw. The dog then ran, but Megan had something bigger figured out.

Logan came down the hall moments later, fresh off his bath and looking for the night's storyteller (aka me). I urged him to sit a short distance from his sister - just out reach. We called Daddy to watch. And Meg did it again. This time she did most of the work herself and she kept her head up fairly high. She'd get a foot on my palm and push off hard as she reached in front of her with a hand. Then the next foot and reaching with the other hand. She's not up on her knees as she does it. She drags her legs along the ground in a weird sort of half crawl. She keeps her eyes locked on her target and she laughs with pride as she goes along her quest.

Logan clapped for her. He cheered. He crawled around her showing her what to do again and then he hugged her. And Megan laughed. Then she flipped herself on to her back and clapped proudly with her feet in imitation of the three of us. We clapped for her and cheered and she, being her typical self, basked in the glow.

Knees!

Megan doesn't spend a lot of time on her belly. She HATES belly time. She hates it so much that she'd rather just yell and scream then flip herself off her stomach. Lately though she's come to appreciate at least one new trick belly time provides her - getting up on her knees. It started yesterday and it started as she was complaining about belly time. Megan put her hands down firmly on the floor, placed her forehead just ahead of them and then rocked back onto her knees elevating her middle off the rug. She's yet to do get her head far off the ground - leaving her in a weird sort of tripod stance. She doesn't move when she's like this, but it may be coming.

Megan loves to "walk". In fact if you sit her on your lap or near enough to your lap, she'll lean back and lock her legs until she very literally stands herself up balancing herself against you. She eagerly grasp your hands if you let her so she can go for a walk - marching and prancing around as she giggles. And lately, given the chance, she'll stand all on her own holding onto the door or a table. We've been wondering she too would skip crawling altogether, but perhaps not. Perhaps as soon as she figures out that crawling would allow her to wreak mobile havoc on her own, she'll be off and going. Stay tuned for updates!

words and sounds

So Megan has been doing the whole "Mmmmah!" thing when she's mad or upset and wants me to pick her up. Today, for the first time she saw me coming toward her, held out her arms and yelled happily "MAMA!" then laughed.

She's also playing a load of games lately. IF you sing patty cake she'll clap her feet together in time to the song - not her hands. No. The child uses her feet to clap along.

If you ask her how big she is, Megan will put her arms as high above her round head as she can and laugh as she makes the sound "AhhhhH!" She holds them up there until I say "Sooooooo big!"

In the mornings when I retrieve her from her crib I often say "Peek-a-boo!" as I lean over the side to see her. This morning as I leaned over to get her she yelled out "Booowah!!" I thought it might be a fluke, so later in the morning I covered her eyes with my hands. When I moved them away she yelled out "Booowah!" In fact, as I type, she sits on my lap, body facing the screen, head tipped back all the way to my chest, looking up at me and saying "Boooowah!" until I look at her. And then she says it - "Ahh, Mama."

Hugs!

She's been doing it for a while, but I just don't get to typing it up when I'm thinking of it. Megan is a big time baby hugger. Megan will hug and 'kiss' but, but she's more apt to just hug you. When I get her in the morning or if I take her from someone after having been away from her a bit, Megan will throw her arms around my shoulders, laugh and then throw her head deep into my neck as she squeezes with everything she's got. I don't think I've ever had such an amazing bear hug before - at least not from someone so tiny - and yes, she does squeeze TIGHT!

Miss Meg's first Spring day

Mmmmmmmmmmaw!

Megan has a new sound. Still a leery to call it a word, per se, but it might be. She says "Ma" or more accurately she says "Mmmmmmmmmmmmah!" Its not something she utters often. It tends to come out when she's sitting or laying on her own and she wants Mommy to come pick her up - thus the potential word. She'll see Mom and she'll start to kick her feet as she yells her M sound louder and louder. "Mmmmah! Mmmmaa!" Once she's picked up she buries her head down into Mommy's neck and throws her arms around Mom's shoulders. Yup, Meg is also a big time hugger. And a kisser. But mostly a hugger.

Like a good Jersery Girl

We had a rather busy day today - some kite flying at the park, a little swinging, lunch out in an old converted train car, and then some walking around the Barneget Lighthouse. While Dad and Logan a walk along the path atop one of the retention walls, Megan and Mom stayed on the sandy beach area to keep Miss Meg out of the strongest of the sea breezes (more like strong winds!) Miss Meg was placed down on the beach and the first thing she did was plunge her pudgey baby hand into the sand. She giggled and then did it again. And then she started to dig. She dug herself a small little trench, unearthed some sea shells and contemplated eating one before Mom rescued it from her grasp. Megan Rose loved the beach. She loved walking through the coast-line trees and bushes. She loved playing on the sand. Just like a good Jersey coast girl should.

Improvise

Megan has this teether that she's in love with. She got it sometime in January and quickly figured out how to make it work -- chomp down hard enough on the yellow "beehive" and it'll vibrate. The moment she sees it she lunges for it, grasps the two green side handles, angles it to her mouth and chomps down hard. And then it buzzes. Yes, the thing makes this deep, loud, buzz as it vibrates. Almost a soothing hum to go with the sensation that must help her sore gums.

Today we noticed a new twist to this game. Megan was chewing away at the handle of the teether - a part that won't vibrate no matter how hard she works at it. No soothing vibration. No sound. At least none from the teether. Megan began to emit this deep, loud, buzz-like humming sound. At first we thought it was maybe just a coincidence of timing. Nope. She did it again several times through the day. If she gets working on that teether but doesn't bite into it in the right spot or hard enough in the right spot, she'll make the noise herself.

Not bad for 6.5 months old.

Photo taken January 2005

Meggie has toes

Megan Rose not only discovered she had feet recently, she figured out how to get those toes in her mouth.

New Sounds

Megan has added two new sounds to her baby vocabulary:

1. Boowah! - A variation on the briefly used Boobah, Megan has developed a great Al Pacino (in Scent of a Woman) impersonation. We've told Logan that its her way to say "Brother" and so now when she says it and he's paying close enough attention he'll answer her "Yes, Megan. I'm here."

2. Dada - Yes, Megan has added the sound Dada. Not quite yet a word because she says it whenever she feels like it and not just when she's talking to Daddy, but its a start. She typically combines it with something that sounds a lot like Hey or Hi. "Hey dada. Dadadada. Hi dada."

6 Months old

The mid-way point has been pretty important for Megan. By her six-month "birthday", she could:

- sit on her own without tipping - unless she saw something out of reach to lunge for.
- Make a variety of different sounds including "Mmmmmmma!" when she wanted Mommy to pick her up and the most recent "Baaabah!" that she started making today.
- Stick her tongue out as a means of playing with Grandma or anyone else she felt would enjoy some face making.
- Reach out her arms to someone she wanted to pick her up.
- Manipulate a vast majority of her toys the way they were meant to be played with, including her turtle that spins around the little balls and plays music, her crib fish tank, and everything on the excersaucer.
- Take steps, yes I said steps, when someone stands behind her holding her hands so she can balance on her feet. She loves to walk!
- Wiggle and scoot her way around when she's laying on the floor.
- Drink out of a sippy cup. To date she only gets formula or water occasionally in a cup.
- Play a wicked game of peek-a-boo by turning her head away from someone and then quickly twisting her head around so she's looking right at you. Makes her laugh hysterically each time she does it.
- Tackle her big brother.
- Make a 60 pound dog run in fear.

Growing Girl

A few days early for the actual 'birthday', Miss Megan Rose went to visit her doctor for her 6-month well visit. The little lady, while still growing rapidly, is starting to settle back into a more 'average' size for girls her age. The silly nurse thought she could get Meg's weight pre-set on the scale and aimed for the vicinity of 16 pounds. But 16 pounds Megan is not. No, Megan is 17 pounds, 6 ounces. To go with her rollie-polie weight is a solid 25 1/2 inches. She's hitting all her milestones on target and is, to quote the doctor, absolutely perfect. Sure, we knew that!

Little Miss Thing likes to think of herself as being older than she is, meaning she likes to be on her feet trying to walk as you hold her hands above her head. Her brother did this too, although he was several weeks older at the time he started. When the doctor came into the exam room today, Megan was standing tall with her hands above her head so I could hold them, and she was attempting to walk herself across the room. "Show-off!" he said. Then he laughed and commented on nice it was to see her enjoying herself like that.

And then Meg did what Meg does best. She laughed, babbled and grabbed at people's face till her heart was content. Doctor noted all that and said based on those things and his exam she was just as she should be.

A milestone for Megan Rose

At five-and-half-months old, Megan has hit a big milestone. She can sit, sans tripod, unsupported! She can sit upright for several minutes until something out of reach gets her attention - then she lunches and tips herself over. 

Nearing a milestone

Today Megan sat on her own. It lasted maybe two minutes - perhaps a bit more - and then she tipped herself backwards onto her elbows before easing down into the mattress. It long enough for me to grab the camera and take several photographs as proof. She sat without tripoding for a bit and then with just her right hand down at her side for a little extra support. It won't be long now!

She's also thinking about mobility. She is fully capable of migrating around her activity quilt - ending up a totally different direction than where you put her down if you wait long enough. When she's on her belly she "swims" by moving her arms and feet rapidly. Sometimes it even propels her a bit. Lately she's also been pulling up one knee under her stomach as if she's thinking about how to get up on them to crawl.

And when she's not working on sitting or laying down to play, she's having someone or something help her stand. Standing with her hands over her head in your hands, she'll take little shuffle steps laughing all the way. She wants to chase her big brother. She lunges at him as he moves by her as if the simple act of thrusting her body forward will move her to him.

She's also honing her shopping skills. Today, as she sat on my lap while I made resservations for Logan's special birthday trip to see Thomas, Megan snatched my credit card and sat proudly holding it out before her. Later in the day we went to the Mall with Grandma. Gram held two outfits before Megan and said "Ok, which one do you want?" Meg looked from one to the other several times and then reached out for the dress. We held the short set - which was the same material as the dress - closer to her and said "Don't you like this?" She looked it and then turned her head again reaching for the dress. Needless to say, Grandma bought the dress.

Another first

Megan took her first ride on a 'real' swing at Cattus Island Park on February 23. Don't let the photo fool you, she spent the majority of her swing time laughing. 

30-seconds at a time

Megan is getting ready to sit on her own - totally unassisted. Last night she sat upright on her own for roughly 30-seconds before leaning forward to tripod with her hands in front of her. She sat that way for a bit longer and then, as she attempted to sit back up straight, she tipped over. She did a command performance this morning.

It won't be long now!

Baby book review

This is Megan's current favorite book. It just arrived in the mail yesterday and she's already run her fingers across the various textures on each page. The battle in our house is over which child of mine gets to touch which tail first. This despite the fact Logan refers to it as a "baby book."  

Here's Megan doing one of the things she likes to do best - stand in her excersaucer chewingon her butterfly rattle.  

Five, Friends and Fiendishly good shopper

Today Megan is five months old. Don't tell her that though because she tries so hard to be much older. ;) Megan's latest pleasure is standing. Yes, standing. Typically she does it holding on to our hands, but she's been known to cling to the edge of a table without as much fingertip supporting her. Yes, there are hands behind her waiting to catch her - but still, she beams with pride as she props herself against the plastic Little Tykes picnic table all on her own. She's also been caught trying to take steps as we hold her hands high above her head. Her little legs set apart wide as she shuffles and she doesn't get more than an inch or two, but try she does. Obviously she's much to young to be pulling up on various objects on her own, but she will do her darndest to pull herself up when you offer her your hands.

Of course, even without her feet, Megan is mobile. No, not crawling yet as that would mean she'd have to remain on her belly without screaming bloody murder for more than a moment or two. Megan is a roller and a wiggler. She can roll both belly to back and back to belly - she just doesn't do it often. Instead she does her favorite thing - rolls onto her side. She loves laying on her side so she can better play with a toy. She'll scrunch herself all up in a little fetal ball and attack whatever toy is nearest her. Sometimes that toy gets away, and when it does Megan will use a series of back to side rocks and lurches to move her baby body to a spot near the offending toy. I've placed her on her activity quilt before dashing off to help big bro with the potty only to come back and find her on the opposite side of her quilt facing a brand new direction - and laughing at me for it.

Megan very clearly has the ability to anticipate recurring events. For example, my little dare devil loves it when we drop quickly to a squat as we hold her and sing Rock-a-Bye-Baby. She giggles her fully body laugh every time we do it, and that laugh starts in early. The moment you cradle her in your arms and sing the first note she starts to smile. 2nd note and she giggles as she stares at you in a way that just says "Yup, I like this song! I know what's coming!"

She also LOVES play Peek-a-boo. She starts to smile and laugh as soon as you begin to pull something over her eyes. We tend to play this game at night after her bath and so her hiding place is behind a towel. If I let go of the towel - letting it drape loosely over her face - she'll pull it off herself and burst into a fit of laughter. And then, if you're not fast enough, she'll pull the towel back up over her head. Granted she isn't very good about getting both eyes covered at once, but cut the kid a break, she is, after all, only five months old.

She's also working on sitting for real. She can't be up on her own for long, but the second counts are indeed getting longer and longer. She is also become fairly competent at the tripod sit (hands in front for support.) She'll hang out like that for a pretty decent amount of time before tipping over to a side.

Megan is a very sociable baby. She loves talking to people. She loves when people talk to her. Yesterday we hosted a Valentine's Party for our playgroup. Megan made friends with a little girl just a few months older than herself. Meg stood in her excersaucer as her friend stood holding on to the outside of the tray. They babbled at each other and exchanged giggly smiles for a fairly decent amount of time. I've no idea what they conversed about but they both seemed to enjoy it.

However, her most favorite baby friend is the one she sees in the mirror. Megan loves to play with the baby in the mirror. She coos at her. She smiles for her, laughs at her and leans in as close as she can get without smacking their foreheads together. She pulls and reaches for the mirror until you position her close enough to touch. She reaches out her not-quite-as-balled-up-all-time-time fists towards the other babies. She opens her hand up wide and attempts to grasp that other kid's fingers. She never seems bothered by the fact that the other baby has weird hands you can't quite hold onto.

That said, we think her favorite toy is her brother. In fact, we're convinced some mangled attempt at his name will be her first word. She worships Logan. When she hears his voice she turns her head in the direction until she locates him. . . then she smiles wide. When she's crying he can often make her stop. Its amazing how fast those tears go off and the giggles come on. When he gets close enough to her she'll throw her arms around his head in a little baby bear hug and plant a big, wet, drooly, open mouth on his head in an attempt to kiss him. She clearly adores him and the feeling is mutual. He's already standing up for her, by the way. At the aforementioned playgroup some little kid started pulling out toys from Megan's basket of goodies. Logan, who was actually happily sharing all his stuff, ran over and attempted to yank the item from the 17 month-old's hand yelling "No! That's my baby sister's toy. You can't have Megan's toys. Give that back."

Lastly, Megan is a great little shopper. I took her with me to Children's Place today. When I plopped a cute little hat on her head, she very literally grabbed my face with both hands and placed a big wet sloppy kiss on my cheek. After her clear approval of the nifty little hat, Megan lurched herself forward and grabbed on to the matching skirt with both hands. I had to pry the thing from her grasp in order to pay for it.

Chatterbox and boxsteps

Megan loves to talk or at least attempt to talk. Its rare that she's awake and not chattering away in that sweet endearing stream of baby sounds. She's discovered volume, so a lot of that babble is loud babble. She blows raspberries. She noisily sucks away at her thumb. She laughs a big deep belly laugh that seems so surprising coming out of such a little body. She experiments with sound. She'll look you in the eye and babble back at you if you talk to her. She loves to be told she's pretty. Telling her so is sure to solicit a full-faced smile and some well placed cooing. She's a confident little lass.

Megan also loves to dance. She likes the ChaCha a lot. She likes to Hokey Pokey. She loves to slow dance to Sam Cooke songs. She likes to hold onto your fingers and stand. She likes to be held as you sway and then to be dipped. She likes if you sing Rock-a-bye baby and then, while still holding her tight, you quickly drop down low creating a "free-fall" sensation for it. This girl is going to be a rollercoaster fan.