It seems parents of little ones are forever caught between two ways of thinking. On the one hand, you can't wait to see what your little girl is going to look like in a few years! Will she have curls, like her mama had when she was little? Will she love dolls or teddy bears more? What kinds of things will she enjoy doing the most? What skills will she develop? What will her personality be like? Will she enjoy hanging out with her mama, just as much as her mama is going to absolutely love being with her?
And then, you think, oh, no! That means she's going to grow! I want her to stay a baby forever, thank you. All of the answers to those questions can wait!
So, while I wish I could see a picture of her face in the future, I am more than content with the adorable baby girl right in front of me, and I'm in no hurry to rush the process!
But despite my efforts to pause time, she continues to grow! She's a chub, our little girl, that's for sure! She looks a bit older than she is, and at the doctor's last month, she was off the charts for height and in the 90th percentile for weight. She is rolling around all over the place, and probably would end up in Nebraska if our living room wasn't so crowded.
We started putting her in her exersaucer a couple of weeks ago, and at first she just stared around at the toys and gadgets, and her brothers joined her on the floor, happily figuring out all the toys, and soon she joined in. She still falls over if left to sit on her own, so I always sit on the floor with her with my legs propping her up, or I put her in her Bumbo. She loves it when I sit with her the most and she stays content like that the longest.
I had to put eating solid foods on the back burner for a time. Say, what? Yes, I know. I am a little surprised here, too. When I first fed her solids on her very first day, she did fine. Then, the days after that, there was no interest. I started with homemade food, and no matter how hard you try, you can't get that as smooth as the store-bought baby food (yes, even with a food processor). She had a couple of gagging fits (one very bad), even though there was nothing to actually choke on. I decided to try the store-bought just to see if she did any better. And, well, not really. She just didn't want it and had no interest, and it was like pulling teeth trying to get her to eat it.
So, I did what any mother would do and took to the internet. I actually found that this is not as uncommon as one would think, and that some babies still have such a strong gag reflex that the food is seen as a foreign object. I found some suggestions about desensitizing the gag reflex by letting the baby gum a large carrot stick, brushing the baby's gums with a baby toothbrush, and using special teethers that get to the back of the mouth.
So, this is where we are. I am still trying to give food, but the move forward is very slow. However, my milk is still enough at this point, and she is not starving by any means.
Anna has moved up to her next size car seat, and let me tell you that probably the worst thing about having a baby is installing the car seats. It is the chore I dread the most. Those metal clasps that go over the latch points are awful and trying to get the thing level, all while climbing around the backseat like a monkey... Anyway, the deed is done and she's comfy cozy. Along with that, she's facing out in her stroller now and it's a whole new world!
Our Anna Lynn is bright-eyed and beautiful. She's observant and getting smarter. And if we've turned the ceiling fan off, she will notice and wonder why it isn't moving. She knows her panda bear is on the changing table, without even seeing it. She just reaches back and grabs it. She loves belly rubs and crazy tickle kisses.
She is loved. I pray she knows it, and not just that we love her, but the God of all creation loves her, too. Now, that is something worth living for!
I stumbled over this quote recently, "God knew I needed a lifelong friend, so He gave me a daughter." Amen, I say! Now, don't misunderstand me. I'm Anna's mama, first and foremost. I will mother her in love and prayer and guidance, as my mother did me. But if we should so happen to be friends someday, too, so be it. I won't argue!
