We have had such fun times at the zoo! We have gone a number of times, and you seem to be adjusting to the Florida summer heat well, so long as you have a sippy cup full of water handy. So far, you have rode the carousel (you liked it for the first two go arounds, after that, you wanted off. Quick.), you have fed the giraffes (you didn't want to let go of the branch that the keeper gave us to give to them. He'd tug, you'd tug... I finally pried your little fingers loose of it, and you thusly looked very confused.), you have gotten splashed by a stingray (you were totally enchanted by them!), and you have rode the train. You have really come to love splashing around in the play park too! I sit you next to one of the small fountains coming out next to a manatee and a whale, and you splish splash away.
You are able to pull to a stand, not only from my fingers, but in your crib!! August 5, I watched you scoot over to your bumpers in your crib, you put one hand on the bumper, one hand on the crib bar. With amazing determination, you used every ounce of strength to slowly pull yourself, one fist at a time, all the way to the top rail! You stood so triumphant! You've since started pulling yourself up with my fingers and standing like it's your job. No longer are you very excited to sit up straight. No. You are a big boy. You are to stand!
You are now babbling at a consistent clip. da-da-da-da-da-da. Yep. After all the work on ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma. But when you cry, if your fist is anywhere near your mouth, you eek out mamamamama's like nobody's business. You like to spit out ah-da-ah-dat's like crazy. Your little mouth opens so you can see your gums from side to side as you talk to me. It's the cutest thing. You also laugh more freely than you used to.
You're still wanting to crawl so badly you can't stand it. You can get up on all fours and rock back and forth. I'm suspecting you'll figure it out in a week or two. If not, I can bet you'll be figuring out walking pretty soon!
You are eating a variety of foods! I still make everything from scratch, but here is what you have had so far that you like: peas, asparagus, pears, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, zucchini, avocado, bananas, plums, cheerios, banana puffs, veggie wheels. You get such variety! And you like most of it! That is what befuddles me since I'm such a picky eater. Apparently, you have taken your father's palate and ran with it. I couldn't be more proud.
But can I tell you what the sweetest thing that you do is? You reach. You reach for me when I get close to you. I love it. My heart swells so big when I walk over to you in your bouncer, you smile oh-so-big, and lift up your arms to me to be picked up. It'll never get old. Not ever.
