It’s been too long since I’ve done an update, and it was tricky choosing the photos for this post – way too many. Note to self: update more often.
I remember when I was studying psychology, one of the things I most looked forward to with regards to motherhood was getting to witness my baby’s personality take shape before my eyes. I have always been fascinated by human behaviour and getting to witness the development of a new human is truly as good as it gets from an observational point of view in my opinion. I am savouring this time with our little one, as she discovers the world and embraces it with such curiosity and wonder.
At 5.5 months, little Penny is making it very clear what she likes and doesn’t like. There is such a joyful spirit within her.
She absolutely loves playing on the floor, and squeals with glee when we flutter a blanket above her.
She is loving her kitties. Every morning starts by giving Smoke and Peanut rubs. She is learning to be “gentle” and not yank their fur. The cats are missing the attention they got when they were the only ‘babies’ in the house, so they tolerate some grabbing.
Penny loves to cozy up with a soft blanket, especially when mommy reads her stories. We read together every day – with the hope of instilling the love of literature that we have. I’ve started taking her to Babytime at the library and she really enjoys the songs and stories and seeing the other babies.
Her most favourite thing by far is practicing her rolling skills. Her one leg always has a pointed toe – she’s a bit of a dainty girl.
She loves to see herself in the mirror, smiling and laughing at herself. We’ve been working on sitting up. Her balance is still a bit unstable, but she’s getting there.
Though you can’t tell from her expression, she loves walks in the stroller (especially now that she’s forward facing!) and visits with grandma and grandpa. We get outside almost every day and are so happy to have the riverside trail so close.
Daddy plays with her with such enthusiasm and she just absolutely adores their time together. It’s amazing having him work from home because he can take short breaks during the day from work to be with her. A lot of dads don’t get a lot of time with their babies during the day when babies tend to be the most playful. We feel very fortunate to have this opportunity for extra moments together as a family.
Penny loves visits with friends, especially the baby ones.
She enjoyed showing Scott her rolling prowess – even rolled right into him a couple times. He showed her his moves in the pool, which he finessed in Mexico over the holidays. At the time of these photos, she was almost 5 months and he was almost 6 months and this was the first time they actually noticed each other.
And here they are at the end of November – amazing how much they grow and develop in only six weeks.
Over the last few days, we have started teaching her about solid food. She’s still a little unsure about the whole experience.
She’s showing her independent side – she definitely prefers to control the spoon herself, though it’s pretty messy.
She’s really not sure what to think of this baby cereal business.
She’s growing extremely quickly. She’s already outgrown her playmat and I teared up when I packed it up – her very first toys! … She giggles when we cuddle at bedtime and I never have known such intense joy as that which I feel when I hear her laughter. I’m looking forward to continuing to watch her grow and develop, and doing my best to enjoy every moment.