Thursday, February 15, 2007

Important Milestones

It frustrates me to no end that my mother has so little detailed recollection of my infancy--indeed, she asked my sister, on the occasion of my most recent birthday, just how old I was, exactly. In her defense, she doesn't want to remember how old she needs to be in order to have a 34 year old daughter, and this forgetfulness is likely one I too will develop as the years pass.

Still! It's not much help, when Miss Baby is red-cheeked and crabby, for me to ask when I cut my first tooth and be met with: "Well, it was before you were one, because we can see your teeth in the photos from your birthday." Umm, thanks Mom.

So. I'm not going to let the milestones get past me! No sir! But I'm going to try to focus on the really important stuff. Yada-yada, teeth (2, both at once, on November 17), yada-yada rolling over (December 1, both directions), yada-yada solid food (December 12, and chronicled right here!). Phooey. I'm sure Gramma, making up for the deficits in record keeping in my own youth, is charting all this quite carefully.

Here's what I want to remember:

on Sunday, February 11,
Miss Baby learned how to splash in her tub,
deliberately, for effect, and to her great delight.


Pynchon and I were bathing her together on the kitchen counter. Yes, she's still, at 8 months, 29 inches, and near 20 pounds, still bathing in her newborn tub. She won't sit up by herself. It's not our fault. Yes, it's more baby than water at this point, and yes, we do have to scoop around her to find enough moisture to dribble over her little body as the molded plastic creaks and groans under the weight. But she has a great time. And we don't have to bend over.

Anyhow. Pynchon and I were bathing her together on the kitchen counter. We got to yakking away to each other, as we do, when our attention was summoned by some truly vigorous giggling and squealing. Miss Baby drew her left arm straight up. Miss Baby smacked her left arm right down. Much water was displaced, largely onto her own face. Laugh. Repeat. And repeat and repeat and repeat.

We were just entranced--our baby daughter learning cause and effect with such evident pleasure. It's like we could actually see her getting smarter. And the laugh. You know, you know how once you hear that laugh, it's in your heart forever. I don't need to tell you.

9 comments:

Beck said...

Aw. I always feel with my babies like I can capture something of their fleeting infancy in words, make them stay if only on paper.

NotSoSage said...

This is why blogging is so great. I can't seem to sit down and put this stuff into a baby book (and the one we have basically makes it seem as though nothing happens after the 1st birthday - 50 pages for 0 to 1, 25 pages for 1 to 5), but blogging, that I can do.

I *love* the splashing...and it gets MUCH wetter soon.

Mimi said...

Sage, my mom is always razzing me about doing up the baby book, and I will, I swear, but what with my constantly hooked up to the computer, and the digital photos all right there, I find I blog a lot of it, and I also run a public web page of captioned photos, month by month, of Miss Baby, and I send the URL to all the friends and family. A new kind of documentation for new times!

Guess I'll have to dig out the raincoat now, eh?

Mad said...

I was number 5 of 6. I don't think my mom even remembered having me let alone what I might've done when. There's only a couple of pictures of me in existence under the age of 5.

As for those special little milestones, I love them: dancing, choosing to be naked, saying "I love you" and meaning it (last week, my friend, and my heart is still in a puddle somewhere at my feet).

Karla Zamora, Digital Analyst said...

I so know what you mean...I love her laughter, my heart burst when she laughs.

Such a beautiful sound.

Run ANC said...

My mother can't seem to remember a thing about my childhood, which is exactly why I am keeping a blog. I hear you. The good moments go by so fast and their sweetness should be remembered.

Jenifer said...

Yes, yes, yes! May these moments live on forever.

*Smile*

Her Bad Mother said...

NOTHING is quite so soul-restoring as a baby enjoying her tub. Nothing.

ewe are here said...

What a great memory to note down. Bathtime is sooo much fun around here, especially when daddy's in charge (and then things really get wet!)

I understand about wanting to remember everything. I do wish I'd started blogging a bit sooner... there are some 'firsts' I really should make more of a note of.