The Liboirons: crib

Loops,

Your nickname keeps changing. Just like you. As I write this, you're busily working your way around the living room, moving from one toy to the next. That's right, moving. On Friday, January 10, I had some girlfriends over to play cards. Imagine my surprise when Buffy commented, "Hey, Olivia, how long has Lexi been crawling for?" I was floored. You've been working on it for at least two months. Your daddy and I were positive that you'd be crawling by Christmas, but the season came and went and you were still doing your butt-in-the-air wiggle dance, but you just couldn't master the knee-hand reflex. Now that you've started, it's amazing how quickly you've mastered it. I have to keep a constant eye on you, or you'll get into anything you see. I've already caught you putting grout from our crumbling floor tiles in your mouth. I'm sweeping the floors at least once a day. You still manage to find the strangest things to put in your mouth, though. I'm pretty sure you ate a dead maple bug the other day.

Not only are you crawling, you've mastered pulling yourself up, too. I think we anticipated the crawling so much that we didn't realize how soon after pulling yourself up would come. It's special: when you need your mommy or daddy, instead of waiting for us to come to you, you come to us, pull yourself up to the chair or couch, and give us those sad eyes and contorted little mouth. How can I not pick you up and snuggle with you? Speaking of which, here you come for some much needed snuggles after a particularly rough night.

You've been sick for just under a week now - cough, cold, and lots and lots of snot. The snot bubbles that form at your nose are hilarious. It's exhausting how needy you get when you're sick. You nurse at least three times an hour - even if it's just for 30 seconds - but you need your comfort. I get flak from people for not putting you on rice cereal to fill you up before bed, and I'll admit that I complain that you're still up at least twice a night to nurse, but in my heart of hearts, I know I'm doing the right thing for you. Sometimes, through my exhaustion, I wonder if it really is the best thing, but then you give me a seven-hour stretch of sleep and I know it's all worth it.

We finally moved you to your crib at the beginning of the month. I think the transition was harder on me than it was on you - immediately, you began flipping yourself over to your tummy to sleep, something you'd been unable to do in your bassinet. It scared me a bit at first because of the SIDS scares over tummy sleeping, but your sleep has gotten better - for the most part. When you're sick, you barely sleep. It's been really, really rough on me and your daddy. I am so tired right now - just as tired as when you were a newborn and we were adjusting to life with a lack of sleep.

We also had another big milestone - I left you overnight for the first time with your daddy. He wouldn't give me any details on the night except it went really, really badly, but the day apparently went well. I can't tell you how much my heart jumped when I came home, you saw my face, and you just SCRAMBLED across the floor to me. I almost cried.

This month we also had a family bout of what I think was food poisoning - it started on a Wednesday night when you woke up with throw up all over your crib and in your hair. It was heartbreaking, and I've never wanted to snuggle you more. I sat on my chair with you curled up in my arms, and you just stared up at me with sleepy eyes that eventually closed. I loved holding you in that instance.

Apart from these past few days of being sick, you're an eating machine. You love your little chicken strips and broccoli, and you'll try anything new. Giving you quinoa, however, may not have been the best idea. While the look on your face was hilarious, it was a horrible clean up job. Others are always amazed at how you'll eat anything!

Applause for you, my crawling, pulling, clapping, and waving baby girl. I'm so sorry for all the times when I'm not the best mom I can be. You are so full of life that sometimes I'm exhausted by it. No matter my mood, I always love you. And I know you love me - the adorable "mamamama"s tell me so.