Anjali Sage: Social, Joking, and Laughing

laughing!

Life, in general, and now more than a week of "technical difficulties," mean that I haven't kept up as well as I would like. The computer that we store photos on ~ the smarter, faster computer ~ has been having troubles. But I have been working, little by little, on several entries at once for a while now, so when you check in you might need to look further down on the page for entries that show up that were actually started on an earlier date.

This week Anjali laughed in earnest for the first time. We have been doing tickly-type things ~ blowing on her belly and "zerberting," raising her up above our heads, and making funny faces at her for months. At first, we figured she at least tolerated them, because she didn't cry. Then she began smiling when we did them sometimes. That was encouraging. And now, this week ~ laughing! It's so gratifying and heartwarming.

It seems to me that, with her laughing, Anjali is also developing a sense of humor. Sometimes she will babble something and then look up at me and smile hugely or laugh. It feels so good, and I always smile or laugh back, but I wonder what it is she said that she thinks is funny. Today we stuck our tongues out together and got a huge laugh. Fun!

After her social debut in Kentucky with family and friends, Anjali keeps attempting to befriend strangers as we are out and about. People seated at the table next to us at restaurants are the most likely candidates. No matter what I do to turn her body toward us and away from the neighbor, she manages to get turned around again to face them. Then she calls out to them, "Huuu!" (as in the word "book", not "boot.") Or else she makes an adorable squealing noise, and then looks in their direction with a big, bright smile. It usually works its magic. Playing on the bed with the cats snoozing nearby, she has tried it on them, too. Her smile is so sweet, I feel bad when they don't respond. She has made headway with Kitty, however (but I don't think it had anything to do with her cute smile. ha ha.). I think Kitty: a) has some kind of maternal instinct, or b) realizes that, to get close to Tiffanie, she has to put up with the furless kitten. I try to play intermediary to protect them both, but I am impressed at Kitty's tolerance for those quick grabs that I am unable to buffer. Anjali was extremely satisfied the other day when she was able to get her mouth on Kitty's fur for the first time the other day. She'd been trying for weeks.

Anjali has officially eaten her first foods. Several times we offered her egg yolk, recommended by our trusted sources as the first food. I was impressed with how thoroughly she expelled every last morsel out of her mouth the first couple times. Then she tried cod liver oil. She took right to it, and even sucked the napkin where it had dribbled! Considering I grimace and wince every time I take mine, I am so glad she has started so early. Hopefully this will stand as a solid precedent for future doses. And she now has accepted a little bit of egg yolk, although she didn't seem as enthusiastic as with the cod liver oil.

finishing up the egg yolk

Sitting on her own is a skill she is polishing. I have not felt confident to take my hand away to brace her toppling yet, but I see it in the near future. I think I have failed to mention that Anjali has perfected leaning in the sling or in my arms to get to a desired location or object. She might not be able to get to everything she wants, but she communicates it effectively to her carrier.

sitting, and doing something funny with her mouth

This week we have also learned how to carry her around in the sling so as to avoid her grabbing every object in sight, and have had to exert persistence in the face of her complaining about it. Speaking of, I have noticed that sometimes after Anjali whines, she will continue her diatribe in a high-pitched and trailing squeaky voice that makes me laugh and forget the whining ~ I don't think this is her intent, but it nevertheless has this effect.

Oh, the time, how it flies! Anjali will soon pass her five month birthday. It's so much fun to witness new development and the budding of our daughter's personality. But, oh! How I wish the time would go a little more slowly!