Yesterday we had to go and register as "aliens" here in Japan (actually a normal international description for foreigner, but I can never really get used to this term). Anyhow, while sitting in the carseat at the back, she took a deep breath and let it out again with a loooong "aaaaahhhhhhhhh" while bopping her head back and forth at the same time. It was actually a happy sound for her. But our Japanese agent looked into his review mirror in fright saying with his strong accent "Oh! She sounds like the Japanese ambulance!"
Evie is crawling like a maniac. You can see she's thoroughly enjoying the power of going on her own steam. She likes to show off with it. Sometimes, it's a "cool crawl" ...an amble of a crawl. As if to say...guys, this is so easy...it's almost boring. Othertimes, she gets into her determined crawl. Actually her body language shouts. Just watch her eyes...you can see them getting bigger and focused on an object she wants. And she then puts her head down, eyes looking up though and crawls with a purpose. Focused baby, yes. And then, there's the turbo-boost-crawl. When she sees one of us as she comes around a corner...she lights up and puts on her super fast crawl just showing us what she's made of.
And she cruises. At first she was holding on with 2 hands, little feet rolling in (flat footed still as per all babies this age), but now she's comfortably cruising along the side of a table or couch with one hand while the other is free to grab any interesting objects (including Josephine's ponytail) within reach.
Climbing is however the latest. And the coolest. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw her scaling our couch. Up onto the seat and sitting there on her feet bopping back and forth with pride. I just caught her. And that's not all. The worst is, she thinks it's mega cool to nose dive back towards earth. So far, I've been there to catch her. So with me wanting to save her cute nose and so-far-straight teeth, I've at the same time taught her that there's absolutely no pain involved in the action. So leaving her alone in the lounge at the moment is a no no as it would be a bit much to learn that lesson through a fall. And to take it one step further, she also tries (and succeeds) in scaling the back of the couch, sitting on the top...bopping again with pride on the brink of life and death. What a dare devil. Not my genes there. I have heightfright.
Then the less pleasant part of this report is that baby tantrums are escalating. She beats herself up (literally) in frustration when she can't get something she wants (eg Josephine's doll which she's playing with). She pounds on her chest, does a dramatic flop to the floor (like a typical football player), then rolls to her stomach and beats the ground with her fists and kicks out her little baby legs in total anger. I don't remember Josephine doing these things at this age. Or was I blind? Or did she not do them as there wasn't competition then for the same toy/attention? Oh dear. And, she bites her own fingers when she's really cross. Why would anyone do that? I ask you.
Besides that, she's a very affectionate baby. I say to her: "Evie, go give Jozie a kiss.". She switches into her "determined-crawl-gear" and heads for Jozie with an open mouth. Jozie usually obligingly offers her her forehead or the top of her head to avoid all the slobber that goes with it.
She's a good sleeper - sleeps right through. She's a good eater - munches on brocolli, potatoe, carrot, apple, banana, virtually anything you offer her. Sometimes if she can't chew it enough she spits it out, but that's not the rule.
She loves bathing. Fascinated by the running water. Today, she sat in front of the running water with her hand under the tap spraying it everywhere. She got her eyelashes and face all wet....pulled herself up onto the side of the bath blinking the water away. Sat down but landed so her head was right under the tap. Got really wet. Blinked it away big eyed with her open mouth all oval and cute...surprise written all over her face. But liked it!
She says "touch" and "shoes" and "juice" too. Perhaps not 100% clear to an outsider, but clear to us.
That's it for now!
