Having a baby in the house has touched us all. It has been especially endearing to watch the big brothers respond to their new little one. They have felt the satisfaction of putting her to sleep (and the resulting indignation when someone makes a loud noise capable of waking her.) They are infinitely curious about what milestones are coming next and when she will be able to reciprocate their outward signs of love.
They make constant observations of her progress that would no doubt impress Piaget. Mohamed has been testing her ability to turn to sound and 'training' her to turn his way when he calls. Unfortunately, he had been insisting on calling her Khadija for the first few months of life so any progress he made was probably also confusing for her. Truthfully, we call her all sorts of pet names- mostly food (I've even made up a song that includes all the cutsie food names I can think of) and bunny. I call her bunny so often that Nabih has picked up the habit as well. I don't know where this comes from and there is no reason I can pinpoint. Not sure where the
tradition of calling babies after
food comes from either, though the fact that they are simply delicious might be one natural reason. Sweet pea, pumpkin, cupcake, peanut, muffin....
Mohamed is also the one often to notice new abilities. "She fusses now if you take away her toy." He added a "here, watch' which made me laugh and admonish him at the same time. "Don't make her cry on purpose," I said, even if I admired the research aspect of his intentions just a little.
We've spent a lot of time waiting for her to be able to smile, to laugh, to grab things with intention. We've tested her to see if she has favorite toys and favorite places to be. Mohamed's other observations include realizing that she feels 'safer' at home and tends to coo and goo more often than when we go out to visit friends. With each small progress the boys set their sights higher. "When will she be able to sit up by herself?" "When will she be able to crawl?"
As much as they might like to hurry things along, I am in no rush. I am trying to memorize every sweet baby moment knowing how fast and fleeting and forgettable they are. It's also in good keeping with my constant struggles to remain in and enjoy the present moment.
I really love watching the boys watch her. I love their interest and predictions and amazement over everything she does. And I love watching her too. The latest development is rolling over. She's quick as lightning now but I managed to snap a few photos of her first efforts. They were truly efforts. I tried hard to recall this kind of effort from the other babies but I just don't remember it. Surely it was as magical, surely it was as celebrated but I find it a little sad that it's no longer as crystal clear to me.
So, sharing this one with a few photos. "Strong Girl," a series in the effort of attaining movement. Not just rolling over but lifting up her head and getting that toy in just the right position for munching on.
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| Reaching |
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| A careful study |
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| I'm just gonna lay my head down for a minute. Small break. |
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| I really do like those dots. |
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| The blanket- hinderance or help? |
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| Hanging halfway with my favorite |
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| Looks good, right? |
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| Except my arm is stuck |
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| And my head is kind of heavy |
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Got my arm out but now I can't actually reach my toy
and still keep my head up |
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| Stop cheering me on Mom, and help, won't you? |
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| You're right. I am a strong girl. |
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| I can do it myself. Oh, the satisfaction. |
