Okay, we're halfway to Vanessa's 1st birthday! And to think almost two years ago I never thought the day would come when I could be a mother. Vanessa’s amazing and I treasure absolutely every second I have with her. What a blessing!!!! Where do I begin?! She’s doing so much now! Just today I sat in awe as she played on the floor. Of course I sit in awe often, but she seems to have acquired more skills since yesterday. :) She’s an angel. I’ve started watching another baby while staying home with Vanessa. Vanessa has made the transition perfectly. I know you get tired of hearing how great she is – because almost all parents boast – but she really is great! ;-) Okay, so what are some new things she’s doing . . . Well, Vanessa is just so much more engaging. She’s sitting up independently for longer moments. She stays so busy exploring and “talking” that she doesn’t want to stop and eat – she’ll grunt to show that she’s hungry but protests when I interrupt to feed her. She’s very eager to sit in her highchair to be fed, but once we start the process, she’s too busy chewing on the spoon and grabbing at the washcloth. She’s so ready to begin other foods but we’re waiting till her appointment to do so – we’re still contributing to a strong immune system. ;-) (That may be just an excuse.) She's been turning for a while but now seems to do it more frequently to get to the things she wants. Of course you know how she’s on the verge of crawling by reading recent posts. She’s been putting her feet in her mouth for a few weeks now. She still sleeps through the night. When something has changed, like taking the bumper out of the crib, her sleep tends to get slightly disrupted for a night or two, but only in the sense that she wakes a little earlier to check things out. We’re still working on regulating naptime but I’m not sure it’s worth the effort – she’ll figure it out eventually. She loves to play games. Sometimes she pretends to be asleep and when I walk up she pushes up quickly and grins so big. She loves to be asked how her nap was and whether or not she had sweet dreams. She loves several songs and lights up when you begin to sing them. She’s been trying to pull her diaper off – Oh Lord! Although she’s still rather cautious around people other than us, she can be so outgoing once she warms up.
