The Latest on Lily

There's so many little things that change on a daily basis with Lily that sometimes you just have to marvel at how extraordinary this little being is. Summed up in a word, I would say that Lily has become much more engaging. She communicates through sounds, gestures, and games in a way that is totally new. She is very ticklish, and you can pretty reliably make her "belly laugh", given that she is not too hungry or too tired. She loves when we imitate her noises and movements, and conversations are created through these repeated exchanges. We've been signing with her on and off for a while now without any expectation that she would understand or make any of the signs any time in the near future. However, she has been making the sign for "milk" lately. I highly doubt that she understands what it means yet, but I've been trying to reinforce the sign by feeding her, and when I do, she smiles. I honestly think that she's just amused that she has created an all-you-can-eat 24-hour buffet with a simple hand gesture.

Lily also engages other people but has increasingly become selective about just who exactly she wants to engage. I wouldn't say that we are experiencing full-blown stranger anxiety yet, but there are definite preferences about the company she keeps. Whenever she is unhappy with someone (or some situation, or some food, or some toy...), she sticks her tongue out while blowing, vocalizing, and getting teary-eyed, resulting in a "plu, plu, plu" plea for help. This can be considered a warning and if the unacceptable circumstance is not changed to her liking, a real-deal crying fit is guaranteed to follow.

Lily has seemingly stopped any progress in the crawling arena. She seems content to spin around on her belly, as if she were on a record on a turntable. She can slither up to an object that is slightly out of reach, as long as it is desirable enough (usually one of Terra's toys - the forbidden fruit). She can also push herself backwards, usually resulting in her legs going under the couch and becoming frustrated because she does not have enough clearance to roll over. She also has started to attempt to pull up on things and generally prefers to be held in a standing position.

In regards to eating, Lily has tried a couple of new foods with very different reactions. She gives papaya and applesauce a big thumbs up, while peas are about equivalent to a dirty diaper in her book. So far, the green veggies are not her cup of tea. We are going to try asparagus soon, and I can only imagine the reaction that I'm going to get. Related to this topic, Lily has also decided that she does not like her high chair. This is not surprising, considering the her school does not use them. The RIE philosophy is practiced in the infant cottages at her school which means that there is nothing in the classroom that confines or restrains children, including bouncy seats, swings, and high chairs. Lily eats in a little chair at a little table that is about 2 inches off the ground at school. It is pretty adorable to see; I'll try to get a picture of it to share with everyone. Although I very much like the philosophy, it has made dinner time a bit of a challenge. But, we adjust and move on.

And so it is that we are watching this amazing creature grow and change every day, and I'm so grateful to be along for the ride.