Time marches on, and despite all the things that man can do in these modern times, we can't slow down time, speed it up, nor have any control of it whatsoever.
In our household, time is currently going at warp speed, and try as I might to hold on to these months, they are slipping through my fingers and flying away into the wind. A few things which we lovingly prepared for the arrival of our baby are now packed up or put away, already outgrown.
It brings both joy and sadness at the thought. I miss my little newborn, all curled up on my shoulder. The months have taken my helpless newborn and replaced her with a strong and growing baby girl. Oh, but I love this girl, too! How can I not? She gives me the most delightful slobbery kisses that make me feel like I might have been kissed by an angel, in spite of the wet cheek she leaves behind! My Anna-Girl giggles with me. Oh, we don't even need much of a reason! Just a little eye contact and some lovin'! That's good enough for us to start the giggles!
Anna is observant, and with that, easily distracted. She notices an awful lot! She can sometimes be hard to put down for that reason. She's definitely gaining strength in her upper body, and holding her close these days usually results in some baby-assaulting-mama moments. She's grabbing anything and everything these days. I've had my nose grabbed, a hand pressed into the part of the neck below the Adam's apple (hello suffocation), my hair pulled (no matter if it is pulled back), and I am currently training her not to pull off my glasses. I dare not wear dangly earrings for a while yet!
She is sitting up on her own, but she still topples. So if she's not in her Bumbo, then I'm sitting on the floor with her. I certainly don't keep a death grip on her, but it is good to stay near. Just yesterday she fell over before I could grab her, her face thankfully hitting a soft toy. This is my third baby, and I finally purchased a baby bath tub just yesterday. Long story short (we did have a hand-me-down tub for the sink but it was not as suitable for the bathtub), she just isn't strong enough yet to hold herself in the tub, and it took Brian holding her while I was scrubbing her, and it just was getting to be too much slipping and sliding. Tonight she was in her new bathtub (in the adult tub) and she was as happy as a clam. I should have bought this baby tub ages ago!
Anna still isn't all that into eating yet. What can I say? I offer it. I offer both spoon-fed purees as well as the baby-led weaning style of bits of things like mashed banana or avocado or whatever on the tray. She does like my homemade yogurt, which is very healthy and loaded with probiotics (much more than store-bought by far), and as long is she is in the mood (key words being "in the mood"), she eats it pretty well. She sometimes likes a little bit of avocado. Maybe. I'm still not certain. She will gag on it a bit here and there, but she doesn't completely reject it. She seems to like carrots, but she tends to go up and down, so who knows. Yogurt seems to be the big winner right now. Sometimes I get scared, because she is definitely behind other babies and what they are able to eat, but I certainly can't hold her down and force it in her mouth. My gentle mother always listens to my woes and gives me comfort, saying, "Don't worry; she'll come around." A girl never outgrows her need for a mama, at least, this girl hasn't. When my mama tells me it is going to be all right, it feels like it is better already. I pray I offer that same comfort for my Anna-Girl someday.
I plan to nurse for a while longer still. Do you know that the worldwide average weaning age is 4 1/2? Folks in the Western culture like to get it over and done asap, and people tend to look at you askance if you keep on going. I nursed Caleb until he was 2 years and 2 months, as I prepared for Silas's arrival the following month. We both cried together and I held him tight as we said goodbye to that chapter of our relationship. I nursed Silas until he was 4. I kind of let him decide and he eased off gradually, and I was ready to be done since I was pregnant with Anna. Breastfeeding provides great immunities for babies and children, and my boys rarely get sick, or if they do, it is very minimal (like minor sniffles). Anna is a chubby baby girl, and though she is behind on solids, she is by no means going hungry, and I will continue to be there for her.
Our girl is clapping and waving, and she is beginning to get an interest in books. I read to her before bed, and she is already anticipating the books and looking for them. Problem is, we need more books! Silas singlehandedly ruined the majority of all our old baby books, and we had some darling classics that have long been sent to the trash heap in tatters. So I need to start hunting down books starting NOW. (Note to self!) In the future, I cannot wait to introduce her to "Little House" books and "Anne of Green Gables", and someday, someday, ahem, my beloved Jane Austen. But we have a little time before that yet. :) :) :)
It goes without saying that our hearts have been caught: hook, line and sinker. We are in love with her darling blue eyes and her silly grins. We pray for her to know Jesus someday as her Savior, that her name will be written in the Book of Life.
I am honored to be her mama!
