I say this almost every day, but I can't believe it's been four months since Abby came into the world. I can barely imagine our life without her. The best part of these past four months has been the evolution of our little family.
Our new joy these days is hearing Abby laugh or giggle. One day two weeks ago I was playing with her on the floor, holding both her hands and jiggling her up and down against the Boppy pillow. She opened her mouth wide, into the biggest smile I'd seen...and then all of the sudden a giant giggle escaped! I laughed too, and that made Abby laugh again! And then she was so surprised by this interaction that she stopped and stared at me with wide eyes. That was the best sound I have ever heard. We went back and forth for a few more minutes and Abby laughed about a half-dozen more times. Over the past few weeks, she's repeated this, and every time I get as excited as I was the first time she did it. Nate has made her laugh a few times, too. She also repeated it for my very excited parents last night. My dad couldn't contain himself, he was so excited. He also caught it on camera, right before Abby noticed the camera and immediately stopped.
That's another funny personality trait about our little Doodle. She immediately stops what she's doing (usually something cute) when you put a camera in front of her face. She might be giggling or chatting or squawking, but as soon as she sees the camera, her face goes blank and she just stares at the photographer. It's hilarious. She's not bashful, just not interested in showing off or posing for the camera.
We've both been enjoying playtime over the past week or so. When I dangle her brightly colored key rattle, Abby reaches out both hands and pulls it close to her face. She loves her "Chewie" (a soft cloth with a frog head) and Sophie, her French giraffe chew-toy. When Abby is in her swing or is sleepy, we give her Chewie and she immediately puts it in her mouth and goes to town. (Everything goes to her mouth these days). After a few minutes, she is just holding Chewie and is vigorously sucking her thumb. When I hold Abby over my shoulder, she's usually got two or three fingers in her mouth, and I end up with a huge drool mark on my shirt.
Sleep is bliss these days - for the whole family. On Friday night Abby went to bed at 10 p.m. Nate and I stayed up for two hours to watch Gran Torino in our bedroom. Not only was the Doodle not disturbed by the loud TV, but she slept until 7 a.m. the next morning. I love it! We've had a little difficulty with daytime naps over the past few days, but I can't complain. At least I am getting a good night's sleep, so I can deal with the trials of the day. Plus, it's (sometimes) funny to watch her fight sleep because it's a reflection of the beginnings of her independence. I also think she can't sleep during the day because she moves around so much in her crib. Abby is on the brink of rolling over, and that is a more exciting prospect than sleep!
Our favorite Abby voice is her "oh, oh, oh" sound. Or sometimes its, "ooo, ooo, ooo." She usually makes this noise when she's content or tired or staring straight into Mommy or Daddy's face. We hear her talking like this when in her crib, waking up from a nap or going to sleep at night. Last night while at my parents' house for dinner, she was making this noise while in the pack and play. We were all sitting at the table, eating, and Abby was a happy little clam next to the table. I think she was content and felt secure hearing our voices and knowing we were nearby.
Joy is the word de jour for our life with Abby. Happy 4-month birthday little Doodle!
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