10 month post

i had wanted to do a formal 10 month post for baby but it's been a few days and i'm not any closer getting that together.  so instead, i'll just make a few notes of what comes to mind at the moment in terms of big happenings over the past month.

baby made the transition from parent spoon fed to self finger fed.  it's not that she dislikes the texture or taste of all of the scrumptious pureed concoctions i whipped up, it's just that she does not want a spoon anywhere near her mouth.  it is a major struggle.  even with oatmeal, which she loves.  her very favorite foods  have been grapes and sweet potatoes.  those are a sure bet every single time.

she loves walking with her walker.  i am totally dying that our apartment is so tiny because it takes her half a second go to from one end to the other and then she looks over her shoulder and waits for me to turn her around to do it again.  times 80 million.  it's nice when chris is home because we can just sit across the room from one another and send her back and forth between us without needing to follow her around step for step.

she got two new teeth without us even realizing it!  whoops.  i didn't realize it until a few days ago but i think it happened at least a week or two ago because one of them is really out.  a few nights ago, chris and i were trying to figure out how she was making a grinding noise in her mouth.  i said "it sounds like she's grinding her teeth but i'm sure that's not it because she has no top teeth."  i tried to put my fingers in her mouth and she was not having it (at this point i realize that she hasn't wanted my fingers in her mouth for quite some time... she always uses her own thumb to chew on) so i took her to our brightly lit bathroom and raised her up and down to make her smile and laugh and sure enough, TWO teeth!  the one on the left (her right) is much bigger but ohhh those gums are huge.  maybe this has attributed (in addition to her multiple sicknesses) to her poor appetite of late.  i felt kind of guilty for not being observant about this but i'm over it.  i'm not exactly sure why but the phrase "middle child" keeps coming to mind.

she laughs when we laugh.  even if i'm on the phone with someone and i laugh.  she'll think it's funny.  not a gutsy tickle laugh but y'know... the other laugh.

went through a stage of not liking diaper changes.  more specifically, she didn't like to be put down on her back and made to lay still.  i wish i could get a video of her insane squirms on the changing table but that would require one more hand and i always seem to be short four already.

she pants all. the. time.  excitedly crawling, walking, whatever.  if she's on the move, she's panting.  loudly.

this isn't new but i'm pretty sure i never mentioned it before.  when she gets excited about something or thinks it's funny, she breathes really fast and intensely out of her nose like she's hyperventilating and her whole face scrunches up while she does it.  it is absolutely hilarious.

when i read her books she's getting better about not trying to eat the pages but i still have to hold it far away because for some reason she always grabs it and tries to shut it so she can examine the front and back of the outer cover.  true of every book.  i can't figure it out.

i feel like she's always crying these days.  i know she probably still cries less than the average baby but oh my goodness she is always getting hurt!  never anything big but if she gets any scratch or bump she's a real drama queen about it.  i know it's just because she's learning and gaining awareness of things so it really doesn't bother me but poor baby girl, life must seem so hard for her.

she is officially bored with all of her toys.  nothing can hold her attention anymore.  she is constantly moving around the apartment.  thank goodness for that because exploring new areas seems to be the only thing (aside from scouring the carpet for inedibles to eat) entertaining to her.  it's also a plus that this makes her so self sufficient.

baby's sleep has also improved significantly.  more than ever before (except when she was on her newborn schedule of 1 hour awake, 3 asleep and little baby schedule of 2 hours awake, 2 asleep) she's on a schedule! typical day is wake up around 7 30.  nap from 10 to noon.  nap from 2 to 4.  bedtime around 7 45.  and she may wake up once during the night.  she went through a phase in there where she cried sometimes when she went down to sleep but luckily those never more than a week or so.

she's very cautious and likes for things to be sure.  she gets spooked if she loses her balance, even if she doesn't fall.  she pretty much refuses to walk around if you're only holding one of her hands.  when she pulls up on my legs she's very careful to grab my legs or if she's only holding on to my pants, she will make sure that it's secure before trusting it with her weight.  i'm trying to get her to be more daring but it's not working yet.

i think that's all of the main things that i can think of right now.  she's doing really well and is super happy and social.  she loves being around other kids and is more aggressive and assertive and much less shy than she used to be.  she likes to climb over and under things.  she understands "no" even if she isn't 100% on exactly what it's referring to.  she occasionally signs "all done" and understands the sign for "jump" even without verbally saying the word.  she prefers chili beans over black beans and makes a bee line for the bathroom anytime i put her down when we're upstairs.

oh, and she has the cutest pinchers ever.

EVER!