first summer
eight months i've had to pour over your every detail my gentle eyed baby. you started crawling on july third and have quickly moved to pulling yourself up with both little hands. determined to see more.
you have two teeth and your hair is curling at the ends now, no longer sticking up every which way.
we take walks around the yard to survey the fruit trees, stopping to pull an apricot off for you to taste. you sit in the grass with a lemon leaf in hand banging a twig against it with your chubby little hand. you are exploring this first summer and it has become the archetype for me as i slow down to memorize it.
sink baths are still our favorite and i make sure i leave plenty of baby friendly things for you to grab and pull in. you are content to sit in the water splashing happily for as long as i'll let you. you also love to roam around the floors naked. summer suits you.
you just started noticing dogs around 7 1/2 months and pant loudly and happily when you see one.
over the weekend you started waving and you watch your little hands as you try out more nuanced waves. sometimes just moving your elegant little fingers, sometimes moving your whole arm as if you are splashing water.
we are starting our first signs with you. "more" and "all done" are our favorites.
i can sit you down on your sheepskin for a good 10-15 minutes while you play quietly with your blocks or a board book. now that you know how to get somewhere (and that you aren't stuck) you feel quite content to sit and enjoy your toys.
you started sleeping through the night just before 8 months. no sleep training (thankfully) required. i had you swaddled tightly and you were so frustrated that when i finally put you in your sleep sack you turned on your tummy and slept.
my favorite songs to sing you right now are
by elliott smith, "this little light of mine" and "edelweiss."
you love sweet potatoes, persian cucumbers, plums, cherries, nectarines, shelled peas, carrots. you don't like avocado which makes me wonder if you are
really
my daughter. i'll keep trying.
your sister enters our room in the morning and you are there to greet her, smile brighter than the sun, overjoyed. you have loud conversations with anyone who will listen. sometimes elodie gets frustrated when you are so vocal but it is music to my ears. i still know you the best and you will often pull away from others and just want me. i know i shouldn't want you to be like that but i secretly love it.
it's crazy to think that you are almost through your first year. everyone already says how big you are as if you aren't a baby any more. i sit still with you and memorize these transitions from wobbly crawling to sudden standing. i know that in twenty years i will give anything to sit a moment with you at this age. so here i sit with you. still and watching.
