Dear Danicka

Quirky things that make you, YOU.

Dear Danicka,

As I watch you grow more and more each day, I find myself full of mixed emotions.  Happy and proud to see you grow, develop and become more independent, but a little sad, anxious and nostalgic that you are growing so quickly right in front of our eyes.  I find myself trying to cling onto every little, cute thing you do so that I never forget.  So, I'd like to take a few words to let you know, and to remind me, of the quirky things you do that make you, you! :)

When you're eating on my left side, you always instinctively bring your left hand up to start rubbing your left eye.  Whether you're tired or not, you do it every time.  It's very cute, but it makes your eye very red, so I've gotten into the habit of holding your hand while you nurse, which seems to satisfy you.

We knew from Day One that you would be a sleeper like I am, but as you get older and more mature, you are starting to show more and more similarities to my sleeping habits.  If the lights are on and you're trying to sleep, you always have a hand over your eyes, and you usually prefer to sleep sprawled out on your back with your arm, or arms, above your head - just like me.

It's so hard, but I'm going to try to explain:  You've done a flutter with your tongue when you're sleeping since the beginning.  If you have your pacifier in your mouth, it makes the pacifier wiggle rapidly - almost like it's vibrating.  It's a very nice skill you've acquired with your tongue.  I'm fairly certain you're doing it because you're dreaming about eating :)

You've always been a wiggler - always on the go - however, just recently, you have gotten very mobile especially considering you don't crawl or walk yet.  Just in the last week - the week of the Chicken Pox as it will always be named - you have regularly starting sitting on your own for long periods of time, you tried to crawl out of your infant/sink bath tub last night (if that's not a sign to start putting you in your big girl bath tub, I don't know what is), and you have successfully made every diaper change a good arm work out as well as a good test of my alertness to make sure you don't crawl right off the changing table.  I have found that giving you a toy to play with helps...a little.

Also, you started 'scooting' awhile back, but recently if I put you on your play mat so I can go do something else around the house - when I come back in two minutes, you have rolled and/or scooted yourself across the floor to the other side of the room!  It's amazing!  Along with this, in the last week or so, I noticed you started getting your knees under you (the precursor to the beginning of crawling!)  Well, it seems like we just blinked our eyes, and now you're not only getting your knees under you, but you're pushing up onto your hands so that you're on all fours.  I have a feeling it will be no time at all before you're all over the place - a crawling monkey!

You're really loving all of the baby foods and homemade purees we're giving you.  We love trying new things to see your reaction.  We just started sitting you in your big girl high chair (which sits on top of Papa's high chair from when he was a baby), and I can tell you really like it.  You like to hold your own spoon when we're feeding you so I can tell you'll be wanting to feed yourself - probably before I'm emotionally ready for you to do so.

They say around six months is when you start to realize that you and I are separate beings.  As much as I hate to admit that we are separate beings, it is true, and you have started to notice.  I secretly love it because I love knowing that you need me - especially with your new, daily independent moves that you're mastering!  My favorite is when either Papa or I are walking around the house doing things, and you crane your neck around every which way to track us like a hawk as we move around the house - observing everything we do with the precious, intent look on your face that you have had since you were a newborn...Always processing everything and everyone around you!

More and more people are saying that you're my clone, but you are not - you are your very own person with a unique personality and precious traits and features...You just happen to look a lot like me.  You are, in fact though, 50% Papa and 50% me, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

With all the love in my heart,
Mama