Jenny Jump Up

This weekend, we decided it was time for Mini to start using her Jenny Jump Up that we got as a present back in the day. Anyway, she didn't really know what to do but she did know how to pose for the camera.

Weaned

Mini nursed for the last time this morning. Mama is proud of baby for transitioning so easily. There was no fuss or strong attachment to overcome.

Almost Crawling and Another Good-bye

On Monday, I saw Mini with her arms straight actually lift her body up (such that her foot was on the ground). She's able to pull her body forward with her arms if I move her legs for her in a crawling motion. She can also propel herself forward if you put her feet up against something. Finally, I've been told she is actually able to move herself backwards although I haven't seen it myself.

Today, Grandma Fu left to go home. I wonder if Mini will remember her at all or if she even realizes she has left. It's hard to figure out what goes on in that little head of hers.

Seven Months

At seven months, Mini is far more dexterous with her body and cognizant of her surroundings. In the past weeks, she's accomplished...

• Pulling keys off laptop keyboards (actually broke Papa's V key). Now she's got her own fake keyboard but always reaches for the real thing whenever someone is typing.
  
• Dialing buttons on phones (cell and landline)/tv remotes. Cell phones can entertain her for at least ten minutes, especially the games on Papa's iPhone.
• Playing with toys. Toys have a new meaning to Mini now. She recognizes her toys and has favorites. She's also got us playing the idiot game where she throws a toy on the ground and we (the idiots) pick it up for her.
• Semi-crawling. She can pull her body weight to get around now, pretty stable when on hands and knees, and just getting to a full crawl. She's just learning that her knees can move in conjunction with the arms. But her backwards scoot is a reliable way for her to get around and she spins on her belly and back (like a turtle).
  
• Standing with support. Mini likes to stand against the coffee table and bang her fists on the surface. She's also reaching for everything in sight- cups, tissue, tv remote.
  
• Eating yum yum. Baby girl is able to hold and insert food into her mouth, drinks easily from the sippy cup, and is a pro at releasing the bottle nipple when it collapses.
  
• Showing preferences for people. Mini reaches out to be held (bao bao) and will lean toward the person she wants. She seems more comfortable with women because she cries around men (except for her daddy). Maybe the stranger anxiety is kicking in.
  
• Understanding kisses and hugs (in Spanish too! besos y abrazos). She comes at you with this open-mouthed, wet smackaroo. Sometimes, she chews on your face, heehee. Her stuffed animals get the most loving as she engulfs their noses with her mouth and hugs them close.
  
• Sleeping next to someone. Mini sleeps much better with someone than alone. She needs to reach out and hold a finger or face to fall asleep and then reaches out while sleeping to make sure someone is still there. Not a great habit to encourage but it's so touching to a mother. I love it when her tiny hands grab my ear or touch my cheek as I watch her squirm back to sleep. Then again, it's not so nice when she smacks my face in the middle of the night or pulls my hair in the mornings. Still cute though.

We also went to her six-month wellness exam to get these measurements:

Head circumference 43 cm (50th percentile)

Length 27 1/4 in (75th percentile)

Weight 16 lbs 10oz (50th percentile)

Mini's First Slide & Swing

We took Mini to the big playground in Golden Gate Park. Sue had just rediscovered it a few weeks ago and we thought she was just about the right age to start enjoying the playground. By the time we got to the park, we could tell that Mini was getting kind of tired. At first, she just looked at the other kids with nary an expression. We even took turns riding down a small slide with her but she didn't really show much emotion. We went to watch other parents and kids riding the carousel. Maybe next time we'll take her on it. Finally, we put her on the swing. At first, she didn't seem to enjoy it, but finally, we were able to get a smile out of her as you can see. I bet she can't wait to go back!

Mini Learns to Clap

Ever since she was a month old, Mini has always laughed when we made her clap her hands together and said "pai pai so". It's always been one of the things we can do to make her happy. However, she's never been able to do it herself. In the last couple of months though, she started to resist us pulling her hands but once we got her hands together, she would still laugh. A couple of weeks ago she began to take a toy in each hand and bang them together. I was beginning to wonder why she couldn't figure out how to clap her hands together especially since she enjoyed it so much. Finally, today, she started to clap...with her hands in fists...well, it's a start...

Baby Rhyme

For the past three Wednesdays, Mini goes to the Eureka Valley library and joins the Baby Rhyme and Playtime session. It's great because she sees and interacts with other babies very close in age. There are board books, toys, songs, and games. She loves it!

On another note, Mini can now turn from tummy to back. She hasn't started rolling but as soon as she realizes it's possible, watch out! She is also learning to push up her stomach with her legs which is closer and closer to an army crawl. And she really likes the "happy baby" yoga pose, her staple pose when it's bedtime.

Weigh-in

We stopped off at Natural Resources for a quick weighing. Mini comes in just under 17lbs. We thought she was closer to 20lbs since she is heavy to carry now.

Yummy Mush

Sweet potatoes, peas, carrots, hummus, avocado, steamed egg, squash, corn, pears, rice cereal - Mini's food choices are so plentiful now. She's really enjoying the new flavors and slowly learning to chew. She is also testing out sippy cups and straws which are not as easy to master. When she attempts the sippy cup, the spout hits her forehead so her aim is a little high. Not sure how to teach her sucking through a straw but she'll get it one day, most likely by accident.

With all this food, we've got solid poopies now! Mini's pretty cute as as she learns how to pass a BM. There's grunting, face scrunching, squirming, and sometimes giggling. But this is good news because there will be fewer yucky, smelly, wet blow-outs.