Plaid Jacket

Greta has changed so much this week.  She will use anything to stand up.  A wall, a box, our bed, the dishwasher, her crib.  She just wants to stand at all times.  My favorite is when she crawls over to me and starts climbing up my legs until she is standing. And then she is just there using me as her support, looking up at me with those big, brown eyes--smiling.

She also started eating Cheerios.  I really prefer giving her finger foods now because she always wants to feed herself.  It's a constant struggle trying to spoon-feed her pears and sweet potatoes and oatmeal.  She grabs the spoon and won't let go.  I mean, I should be strong enough to get the spoon out of her grip, but I am also smart enough to know that if I let go, the oatmeal is flying all over her and if I get HER to let go, it's going all over me.  See what I mean by struggle?!  Eventually, I just get some food on the spoon, put it in her mouth and let go before she grabs it.  This usually ends when she puts the spoon too far into her little mouth and gags.  Then I get the spoon back and we start again. *sigh*

She is a pretty pro crawler now.  She is getting fast!  And with all of this non-stop standing, it makes wonder if walking isn't too far away.  She isn't quite 8 months old yet, but my mom informed me that I started walking when I was 9 months old.  In my mind, I think that if she starts walking, then she'll start talking and forming complete sentences...that could be fun...in the meantime, I am trying to get rid of everything that's not baby proof.

For instance, behind that bin and box there is a glass TV stand.  Sharp edges.  Lots of cords.  The remotes and dvd player and, of course, our TV mounted on the stand.  I thought I was being clever by, literally, boxing it in.  Needless to say, I was completely outsmarted.  The girl has no fear.  And she definitely doesn't get that from her afraid-of-heights-mother.  You would not find me monkeying up a surface the same height as me (read: 6 ft tall)--nuh uh! This morning, the TV, glass stand and dvd player all went up for sale (They were all JUST purchased in February--the day my water broke actually). We decided that we don't need two TVs and we don't want one in our bedroom in the new house.  Unnecessary things become even more purge-worthy once they are deemed baby-dangerous.

This age is a lot harder than any other age we have been through.  I am sure there are mothers of teens and toddlers and adults rolling your eyes at me.  Hence the "we have been through."  Her bottom two teeth are in.  We had about 2 days of pure bliss and then the terror started all over again. However, it is also the most rewarding and the most fun.  Sometimes I do miss the days of setting Greta down and knowing she isn't going to move, because she couldn't.  But it is hilarious to watch her wiggle her way through things and crawl and climb--especially when it is all over me.  Which is often.