Leila

It's been quite awhile since I've given an update on the kids. I'll start with Leila since hers is most ground-breaking news to share: she has begun, this very day, to crawl!! She is hesitant but determined. She's not quite sure what she has just discovered but she wants more! Fortunately I was able to catch her first "steps" on video. What an exciting moment. Talia was right there next to her, cheering her on.

Let me back up a bit for those who might be confused about the timeline: yes, she is now 13 months. I guess she's taking the "laid back" approach like her sis. We've never had reason to be concerned about her gross motor delay, just as we were never really concerned about Talia's, but I have been a bit perplexed. With Talia we were sure that her constant ear infections were the major factor in her nearly complete stand-still in gross motor development from about 6? 9? months on. Since ear infections/fluid affect the inner ear, which of course is related to balance it seemed that she was simply unable to progress in movement until we finally resolved the ear issues with an ear tubes surgery. This has not been the case with Leila. She has only had 3 ear infections in the past 13 months, 2 within the last 3 months, but her delay can be traced back farther than that. I guess we can just chalk it up to her doting big brother & helpful big sister who get and/or do everything her little heart desires. She really is the princess of quite a lot. :) We will be working, starting next week, with our beloved "Miss Aimee" (the physical therapist we had for Talia), but at this rate we may not be with her for long. (Since I started the process of pursuing the PT 2 weeks ago, after months of little progression, she has decided to start rolling over, getting up on her hands & knees, and now crawling!)

In other Leila news, she turned one last month. We had a "Once Upon a Time" themed party for her, complete with a pink castle cake. Separate post with pix to come.

Growth-wise she has been following the same general curve as the other two with a huge drop-off in weight percentile around 6-9 months and a slow climb back onto the chart since then. At 12 months there was much rejoicing at the pediatrician's office: she was back on the chart at the 3rd percentile after having gained only 1 lb. between 4 & 6 months and 10 oz. between 6 & 9 months. She may be small, however she is mighty in appetite! I have never seen a baby put away food like this girl! Last month she was eating 1 c. of cereal, 20 oz. of fruits & veggies (that translates into 5 jars of baby food), and up to 4 cups of milk a day!


I don't know that I have recorded yet the happy fact that I FINALLY have a cuddler and a bit of a Mama's girl to boot! :) Don't get me wrong, she loves her Daddy, and squeals loudly with the best of 'em when he walks in the door at the end of the day, but she always has a cuddle for Mama and often "leans" toward me when I come within hand-off distance from whomever is holding her. Sigh happy sighs. After 4 1/2 years of selective (at best) huggers, I am completely in love with the novelty of a cuddly baby!

Truth be told Leila sort of has us all wrapped around her adorable little pinky finger. Sometimes Seth & I just can't put her down! Benjamin loves to do tricks for her, read books to her, and make her laugh. Often he will just stand nearby and say "Leeeeeeeee-la!" over and over in a sweet little voice. Talia also adores her baby sister and dotes on her a tad more than is strictly necessary (also a bit more than is sometimes appreciated by said baby sister). She loves to get her paci, her blankie, her cup, her toys.... I think for her it's like having a real live doll. Unfortunately I frequently have to put a stop to some of these "helpful" activities, such as the sudden snatching of her sippy cup with the announcement, "I think you're all done!"