Wednesday, December 2, 2009

7 months and moving

Arabella is a crazy mover. She is amazingly strong for her age and literally will move herself out of a position she doesn't want or in a direction she'd prefer to go even if I am holding her. She can stand on her own at the play table or the side of the couch. She can't pull herself up yet but once she's there she's pretty sturdy. She's almost crawling still, just lots of rocking back and forth and scooting to get things. On Sunday, Justin and I took the girls to one of our favorite kid friendly spots in Rockwell Powerplant (one of our many malls): CPK (California Pizza Kitchen). No kidding. this place is delicious, way better than the one that was at Pentagon City down the road from our house in VA. Anyhow, both girls sat in high chairs at the table and I suddenly it hit me how close in age the girls really are. Two years difference really isn't that much. Bella's seventh month crept up on me and I'm not sure I like it. The second time around, the first year is going by so darn fast. So fast that I am behind on things. Bella is just now getting on a good cereal and first veggies routine and she still has to be rocked to sleep (for the most part) for naps-aw hell-for bed too. I am trying to put into words the way that I am underestimating what Bella can do at her age, as if with Addie I expected more. I think more likely I am not reading "What to Expect the First Year" and waiting for all the milestones with Bella, it's just happening. I am finding myself completely in love with Bella in a different way than I was with Addie at the same age. With Addie I think I was amazed at the very idea that she was my baby and that she was changing and growing and wow, what would happen next? With Bella I am just in love with her at every moment, not waiting for the next moment but really cherishing her right then and there. The smell of her hair, the big open mouthed gummy laugh, the deep belly button she is getting from her serious chub. Maybe because I know what is going to happen next I'm not so concerned. I look at Addie and how big she is and how she uses words like "somebody" or "crisscross applesauce" and I know that Arabella will be there in 24 short months. Maybe I'm just trying to slow the clock down and hold on to my baby for a bit longer. Today she grabbed Addie's sippy cup and tipped it up to her mouth and took a chug...what? Seriously how is this happening so fast and I must have not been looking when she figured this out.

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