Jenny On the Spot

In the chaos that is life, I neglect to post a post of Lucy’s newest accomplishments during the time it was happening. As I looked through my “drafts” this morning I realized how far behind I am; and it is not just drafts. I am behind in most everything these days.

Lucy is 10 months old. She is the third child. As intentioned as I was to be as record-keepingly thorough on her developments, I have not stayed on the proverbial-ball. Her “first-year” calendar is virtually empty. This would not be so frustrating if the other kids’ calendars were the same. By far, Joel (the oldest) has the most comprehensive chronicles of his life. I don’t want to get too deep, or crawl too far into the cave of regret. So, Lucy - here is what you were like when you were about 5 or 6 months old. Maybe 4 months, but probably not. You are certainly a genius-baby, but I also want to be accurate…

The stage that is “baby” is quickly passing. There are months of preparation for Baby but, the actual “baby” period is quite short. For the third time, I am reminded how short it is.

Lucy is taking on new things, new adventures. The most life-altering is her drive to grab, hold, and mouth anything within her growing reach. Even one-handed typing has taken on a new life… She kicks, reaches, giggles, smiles, squeals, and is on her way to scooting. So begins the quest for all that lies before her. Those shiny blue eyes are watching… waiting…

Sitting-up is on the horizon. The reclining car seat is no longer a place to rest, but a place to practice

“…practice” Practice what? I have no idea. That is where I stopped. Somebody probably spilled something, hit something, needed to be wiped, or needed to be comforted. I think Lucy was working hard to sit-up while in the car seat. Yeah, pretty sure that was it…

Lucy is 10 months now. She is crawling everywhere. She pulls up on anything - she does not discriminate - it needs not be sturdy or clean. She can sign “all-done” with one hand (usually the right). She can also sign “bottle” as she says “babababa” with a very soft “ah”. She waves “hi” and has her own way of saying it too. Her favorite word is “Bah!” It’s so quick, it almost sounds like “Bahp”. If I say it back, she always smiles. I don’t know what it means, but it obviously means something good!

Cruising! She will cruise along the surfaces she pulls up to and has been known to stand without help for moments at a time. She has been known to crawl through every room crying, “mamamamama” until she finds me. She says, “dadadadada” too, but it is spoken more often with a rejoicing tone. Mama is comfort and Dada is fun. My favorite new thing is grunting - in frustration - as she pulls or frees a toy that is stuck. All these new methods of communication are so fun to see.

Her reputation: easy baby. It’s true. She’s a baby, don’t get me wrong. However, in the whole baby-career - the girl is pretty smooth. She’s generally happy, generally quiet and generally content, but when awake - she is always on the go. Recently, when with a group of friends, Lucy began to babble. The room quieted. My friend said, “She’s just so quiet, that when she does make a noise, everyone wants to listen!”

Maybe I need to make less noise. Imagine how cool it would be: You enter a room full of people, buzzing with conversation. You listen. You put your index finger to your chin. You laugh politely… Awhile later, you speak. The room becomes hushed all eyes fixed on you, waiting for the honor of your voice… Too bad Lucy’s too young to appreciate it :)