– Grabbing for mom’s food and drink! Solids are just two weeks away!

– Accidentally got a mouth full of apple juice (see above). She was not impressed. She spat it all out and made a face.

– Squealing! It is adorable and annoying. And loud. I keep reminding us both that she is just exploring all that her vocal cords can do.

– Passing objects between hands

– Sitting unsupported for extended periods (not quite indefinitely: she eventually topples, but it can be 5-10 minutes!)

– Stepping with purpose while someone holds her standing. I call this the “step step game” and every time she takes a step I exclaim, “Step!” It’s a great deal of fun for everyone except my triceps.

– Crawling is just around the corner. During tummy time she will reach for thing she wants and kick her legs a lot. If she were on a more slippery surface I think she’s be able to move. She tries very hard

– First bath in the sink, and also first bath in the tub! Sink bath was frustrating because I forgot to clear off the counters first (grab ALL the things!). I got into the tub with her for bathing in the tub and she loved it. She played with (read:nommed) some foam bath toys, as well as floating with her head supported. I also dribbled water down her face and she wasn’t bothered in the least.

– first drool rash :(. She’s constantly sucking on her lower lip these days, and is developing a rash from the constant wetness that leaves on her lip and chin

– discovered tags! Tags are amazing! Better than all the rest of the toy! I bought her a tag blanket just in time.

20 weeks, wow! It’s been a week full of rain and snuggles. Not many new skills.

– Slept on her stomach at night for the first time. Technically it’s a bit early. She isn’t rolling reliably. But she has no trouble lifting her head and moving it from side to side, and she cried when I put her down on her back. I rolled her over and bam, asleep. So I decided to give it a go. Which led to her next accomplishment:

– Slept 5 hours in a row. Just one hour short of that amazing “sleeping through the night” of which parents speak.

– Not really a milestone, but she has taken to flailing her limbs wildly when she sees me, with a huge smile on her face. It is beyond precious.

– She also loves watching Dad as he moves around the room.

– Also, this has been happening for a while, but I think I’ve forgotten to mention it. She’s fascinated with screens. This week, she is even fascinated with them when they’re off. I used to be able to distract her from my phone or ipad simply by turning the offending device off, but not this week. She knows what they are, and she wants them!

– First day home all day with just dad! They both did great.

I am so thankful for every sweet moment with her. For my sweet, beautiful, healthy little baby girl. I didn’t know that motherhood would be made of this. I thought it would be full of first steps and exciting changes, but it’s not. It’s about the little moments every day that gradually accrete into the deepest bond I’ve ever felt with another human being. It’s about learning each other and enjoying just being together. She gets excited when we head to the bedroom to nurse, and my breasts start dripping too. She smiles like I’m made of sunshine when she sees me, and I know I do the same when I see her. The smells and sounds and feelings of just cuddling with her make me feel complete.

Motherhood isn’t all big dramatic moments. It’s being home base, being safety and comfort and joy to someone just learning about the world. It’s treasuring one small moment at a time. It’s amazing.

Edit: ps. And mom, you’re still home base to me 🙂

– Rolled over by herself, both back to front and front to back! Front to back is more popular, with 5 rolls so far compared to one.

– Slept 5 hours straight. Sleeping through the night is so tantalizingly close!

– First restaurant excursion! She was extremely good. She did manage to pee all over everything she was wearing while on the awkwardly located changing table (it blocked 2/3 stalls in a busy bathroom), necessitating a complete outfit change. That only sucked because she was afraid of the hand dryer so she cried every time someone dried their hands. Also the people waiting for me and my naked crying daughter to get out of the way. Otherwise she didn’t cry or make a scene at all! She was very pleasant for 4 hours in public without eating or sleeping. It was nice to catch up with my uncle, aunt, and cousin.

– Reaching for food? I couldn’t tell if she was reaching for my strawberries because they were red, or because they were food. She is, however:

– Watching mom eat. Avidly.