Motor Skilz

Copper has been doing really good eating table food. Out of her three meals and snacks yesterday, she only ate baby food once (veggies at dinner). Otherwise it was everything that we ate. She now likes to take her spoon from me and attempt to feed herself. I've been giving her a fork to use too. Some food, such as bananas are hard to pick up and a fork makes it easier. Every once in a while she manages to stab a piece of food on her own and expertly forks it into her mouth. No injuries yet.

Time to start baby-proofing

I had threatened Copper a couple weeks ago that she couldn't turn 1 until she learned how to crawl. So she started to crawl. She's been plugging away at it for a little over a week now and I already miss the days of immobility. She's not very fast yet, but she can get around. I have to put the water dish on the counter every time she's in the Dining Room and she's obsessed with hovering around Mel and Flea while they eat. I need to start cleaning my floors on a regular basis. The other day she crawled into the kitchen and ate something off the floor. Even if it was food based, it was still quite questionable. It is fun watching her crawl and it really feels like she has progressed so much in just these last couple weeks. On Thursday she stood all by herself for about 20 seconds. Yesterday she moved about a foot around the coffee table. Next up...walking.

Cornered

What happens when you can only crawl backwards?

You get backed into a corner you can't get out of.

What do you do in those circumstances?

Make the most of it and find something to chew on.

Do Not Feed The Animals

This morning's feeding frenzy.

After lunch today I picked up about 12 pieces of egg, 6 pieces of banana, 2 Puffs, and 2 pieces of pancake (that I had missed this morning) off the floor around Copper's chair. Copper is obsessed with feeding Melvin. Mel doesn't even have to sit up and beg. Last night he was half asleep under her chair with 3 kidney beans on his back that Copper had tossed down. At lunch today I even put him outside and she still tried to chuck most of the food off her tray onto the floor. If I say "no" to her she just laughs at me. Granted we've done minimal to discourage her from throwing her food on the ground. We laugh at it about 90% of the time and when I tell her I'm going to beat her if she throws one more Cheerio onto the floor, she just grabs another Cheerio and lets if fly. She has so much fun doing it and she's so damn cute. What are we to do?

Germs, it's what's for dinner

Copper picked up a Cheerio from her tray and reached out to Melvin, who is always hovering around her chair, as if to feed it to him. She didn't let go of the Cheerio. She held it while Melvin gently licked it. She then withdrew the Cheerio and ate it.

10 Month Stats

I know that she turns 11 months in a week, but I need to get her 10 month stats posted. Better late than never.

Copper had a check-up 3 days after she turned 10 months (Sept 15th) and here are the results:

-Weight: 18 lb, 10 oz (25-50%)

-Height: 29" (75-90%)

-Head: 44.5 cm (50%)

Her head has stayed average, but now she's tall and skinny. The pediatrician suggested I give her more table food to fatten her up. Otherwise she's doing great.

Hobbies include:

-Sliding backwards on her belly

-Giving kisses (it's way freakin cute!)

-Hitting (not so cute)

-Throwing fits when she doesn't get what she wants (also not so cute)

-Feeding Melvin from her high chair

-Pulling herself up onto her knees

Still no teeth. She also has a pretty strong sense of her own personal space and will quickly swat you away if she doesn't want you too close. Or if she doesn't like the food you are offering, which often results in a mess.

Cuteness note: At the doctor Copper took her sock (which was off) and placed it on her foot. She's since done this a few times. Smart kid.

Night Night with Daddy

About a week ago, Copper went to bed without my assistance for the very first time. We're talking 10 and a half months of mommy only putting her down. Almost every single night of her life I have nursed her to sleep. On the nights when she woke up while I carefully attempted to lay her in her crib, I would pick her up, nurse her again, and if that failed, lie down with her in the guest bed until she fell asleep. For 4 nights in a row last week Copper refused to fall asleep while I nursed her. She would eat till I was empty and then struggle to sit back up. I would look at her with annoyance, lay her in her crib in the hopes that just maybe tonight would be the night that she fell asleep by herself in her own bed, listen to her cry and fuss for 10 minutes and then bring her to the guest room and lie down with her. Within 10 minutes each night she would fall asleep. Without the boob. In a way it seems like progress. I believe on the 5th night of this new routine, she woke up when I tried to carry her from the guest bed to her bed. I was a little over this process since it was greatly reducing the amount of alone time I got in the evenings so I brought her downstairs to her TV watching Daddy and suggested he try laying with her in our bed. He was ready for bed and since I'd recently learned that she does not need to be attached to my boobs to fall asleep, it seemed like we may as well try it. Lo and behold, it worked! I laid on the couch and watched TV while Copper snuggled up next to her Daddy and went to bed. An hour later I carefully picked her up and carried her to her bed, where she happily slept through the night as usual. So tonight when Copper finished her final meal of the day and sat up wide eyed I carried her downstairs and handed her to Daddy. I don't hear a sound so it seems like it worked again. Aubrey is finally starting to come in handy.