7 months

Big news! Squiggles has started giving kisses!

More big news! We moved into a place where Squiggles could have her very own room big enough for a crib. I thought it would take months to get her used to sleeping all alone (instead of in a bassinet beside our bed), but she fell fast asleep the first time we put her in the crib. Sniff.

Big news #2: Squiggles sprouted two teeth early this month! She occasionally looks at me sweetly, smiles, and then proceeds to bite my nose, but otherwise we've had very little trouble with biting.

When I was pregnant with the baby, Tim found a rabbit hat (with matching gloves) in the LL Bean catalog and ordered them right away because he thought they were "kind of adorable." She's finally big enough to wear them... and they're kind of adorable.

Hanging out on the floor... can't crawl yet, but she is rolling more and more.

She enjoys watching the chickens on Baby Bach, but she's not very interested in the rest of it.

This month it was Old Nana's 93rd birthday. She loves the baby and smiles at her (sometimes for hours) every time we come visit.

Amelia loved the balloons!

This isn't a great pictures (blurry), but I thought it was cute.

Hanging out with Nana and Aunt Nancy. The baby smiles at Nancy whenever she talks

I helped my friend Julie hem a bridesmaid dress - the baby really liked playing with the thread.

Daddy-daughter time.

6 months

Squiggles and I go for a walk around our neighborhood every morning when she wakes up at about 6:00. By the time we get back an hour later, she's ready for her early-morning nap.

Sometimes she is ready to go for another walk as soon as she wakes up - she LOVES to be outside, and is particularly fascinated by tall trees and street signs.

Tim is the only one who can get her to go to sleep while rocking.

D'oh! I don't think this is "recommended."

We took the baby girl to church. She loved singing hymns and seeing a whole, huge room full of people.

Tim gives Squiggles her every-other-day bath - I find her to be too slippery when wet.

She moderately enjoys bathing, but hasn't figured out that splashing is super fun.

Cute new outfit from Aunt Jen:

And super-cute pajamas from Aunt Sheryl.

The other day we were at a restaurant, the baby was babbling. Tim sighed, turned to me, and said (almost inaudibly), "I am completely enamored with that baby girl." I have to agree with him there.

5 Month Letter to Squiggles

Dear Squiggles,

In a couple weeks, you will turn five months old! I can’t believe how fast the time flies, and it hurts my heart a little to think of you getting bigger. If I could, I might be tempted to freeze you just the way you are, because I love everything about you.

You are one of the most pleasant and happy babies I’ve ever met. You smile at us almost constantly when you’re awake, as well as almost anybody else who stops to talk with you. You smile especially broadly when people tell you how beautiful you are. Not only do you smile effusively, but you are incapable of smiling with just your lips – your mouth opens wide, your eyes squint, and you kick your legs (and arms) up and down with delight. When other people smile at you, you smile back and lean toward them shyly. It’s beyond adorable.

People are constantly stopping us to tell us what a beautiful baby you are. One woman recently stopped me and said, “Oh, oh, oh! Can I please just look at your baby for a moment?” I said, “Of course.” She smiled and talked to you, and you smiled and cooed back. She finally turned back to me and said, “Thank you for letting me have a beautiful baby moment – she made my whole day better.”

This is how I feel every time you give me one of your smiles. You have a way of engaging that could melt stones. And your eyes… oh your eyes… they are so sparkly and blue and beautiful and alert.

You look at everything and everyone. If I don’t feed you in a dark, quiet room, you become too distracted to eat by all the colors and sounds. You love watching people, and you could win a staring contest with anybody.

When you do eat, you make the cutest sighs as you swallow. At night, you fall asleep when you’re eating, and then rest your head on my shoulder or chest and sleep calmly. Sometimes I hold you for a long time after you’ve fallen asleep because I can’t stand to put you down.
You hardly ever cry, and when you do, you usually just want to lie down and wiggle around in your crib until you fall asleep. You love sucking on your fingers and thumbs, and you’re easily calmed with a pacifier. You love your binkies!

Recently, you’ve started babbling. You babble when you’re happy, and you babble when you’re mad. It is particularly funny to be told off by a baby. You pinch your eyebrows together, look me in the eye, and say, “Meh, beh, mehhhhh, meh, MEHHHH!” Usually I translate this to mean, “I want to go outside immediately, Mom,” because the second I take you outside, your face lights up and you pump your arms up and down with excitement.

You are so strong! You’ve been strong your whole life. When you’re lying down on a bed, you hold onto my fingers and pull yourself into standing position. Once you’re standing up, you give me a huge grin and beam with self-satisfaction, clearly quite pleased with yourself. It’s very cute and funny.

You love talking to your daddy. Your eyes light up when you see him, and you look around for him when he’s not home. He loves you to pieces and plays with you all the time. We’re so happy you’re in our family. You bring us so much joy and we love watching you grow and discover the world. But please don’t grow up too fast – I can’t stand the thought of you ever leaving me.

Love and kisses and zerberts and cuddles,

Mommy

Squiggles loves this toy elephant. She talks to him all the time, sometimes for an hour straight while we're driving.

She also enjoys being naked. She recently found her toes and finds them quite fascinating.

Cute dress from Erin:

Cute dress from Mommy:

Cute pajamas from Bryn and Ivy:

Cute towel from Daddy:

Nana and Squiggles are great friends, and Uncle Bob thinks the baby is "just beautiful." He says so all the time.

4.5 month photoshoot

I kept trying to get Squiggles to smile for the camera, but she was too fascinated by said object to comply. Finally I took her to a professional photographer, who also happened to be a baby charmer. Squiggles turned out to be a total ham.

I inteneded to get the $8.99 special where you choose one pose and get a bunch of differently sized photos, but when I saw the proofs, of course I had to have them all. D'oh!

4 months

While Grandpa Dave and Grandma Lynette were visiting, we went up to Maine to go lighthouse hunting.
Uncle Peter took the baby so that Tim and I could have a romantic walk by the sea.

Lighthouse #1:

Tim caught being affectionate:

While Grandma Lynette was in town, she and the baby made best friends forever. Squiggles loved my mom, and giggled at her and "talked to her" constantly.

At Portland Head, we had ourselves a fine picnic.

The baby had a grand time playing with grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. When we got home, I made her play with me for a while.