The grumpy grimace face of trying food for the first time. Trying to eat hands free, carrot dangling like a cigar.
The gurgles sounding more like words, more distinct. Grinning when daddy gets home.
At 6.5 months, sitting up playing, over reaching for your toys and folding right over at the waist. Your little Bollywood dancing hands, twisting at the wrist. Your arms and legs wiggling madly in whole body excitement at yourself in the mirror
At 7 months, kissing your food, lips smacking at every bite, daintily lifting little finger.
Tipping your head on one side coyly, being cute, trying to get people to smile at you.
Recognising special people, reaching out to them. Starting to wave.
Being able to make you belly laugh by kissing your tummy, or clapping your feet together or turning you upside down or mnumming your cheeks
Saying good morning to the baby in the mirror everyday. Sitting up to peer out your carseat or buggy.
Missing feeding you lying down in bed and being cosy together now you're in your own room.
At 8 months, gently running your fingers through my hair as you feed, smiling happily.
Making faces at guacamole and curry but coming back for more
At nearly 9 months, just about clapping, delayed waving a few seconds after someone actually leaves, taking every hat off, pulling herself up on your hands or bars of the cot.
At 9 months, backwards crawling, especially getting yourself stuck under our bed or the armchair. Studying the pages of books intently then trying to eat them. Declaiming your food. Waving goodnight to daddy whilst you feed.
At 9.5 months, proper crawling at high speed.
At 10 months, waving and clapping completely sorted now. Occasionally standing up on your own when cruising the furniture and toy in hand. Sometimes special noises of 'Ba' for balls and books, 'mumum' for food, 'nanana' when singing to yourself. Kissing yourself in the mirror.
I can remember the time before these pillow fort feeds with your cheeky grin in the gloom and "nahnah" when you wiggle off deciding one boob is done and it's time for the other, the painful and yet not painful pinching of your exploring other hand on my neck.
Absolutely gleefully and violently clapping the face of mummy or daddy to get them when they pick you up after a day apart.
Missing the cradle by the bed.
We're approaching your first birthday rapidly. You're a bit under the weather today, a bit of cold and fever hopefully nothing serious. So you've been feeding more and needing cuddles, and you had tea watching TV on the sofa with daddy. A while a go, Tom and I were talking about what it is to be a parent. The absolutely fierce love for your child, like no other kind of love, and you can't fully explain it. Perhaps you can only understand if you have child of your own in the future.
It makes us think about how our parents must feel about us. How they were with us when we were babies. And how grateful I am to them for all the times they looked after me when I was poorly when I was little. Because it's hard even though you want to do it. How much joy babies bring. The joy of watching your friends and family play with your child. How you can feel so content and happy whilst feeling knackered and bored in the middle of a random 4am feed.
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