Mikayla's Many Favorites (8 Month Update)

Wow kids, I haven't blogged in forever. Want to know why? The current reason for not blogging began on July 11 when we found out that I'm knocked up again. Hello, baby #2! Since we decided to sit on the news for awhile before announcing, I basically forsook the blog because what else was there to write about?

Well, yeah, I mean Mikayla is still cool. But. Another pregnancy? Was definitely going to slip out somehow. But now that it's Facebook official, I am back baby! (babies?)

And this post is not actually about 2P, as we are calling him, until we find out via ultrasound whether it is maybe what we have been calling her. My gut is saying boy but I think it is because my sister just had a boy, and I have been following in her footsteps for oh about two years now in all things baby.

Nothing like waiting until the fourth paragraph to introduce the actual thesis statement of the post, eh? Since it is not about 2P, it is quite safe to assume that this is an update on Mikayla. I found myself composing a Facebook status update a few minutes ago that made me think, hmm, this is one of those stati that a) about three people will be excited to read, and b) is going to annoy the remaining 273 friends who will see it because it is so long. So. To the blog!

Mikayla is just in a fantastically cool stage right now. I know, we have said that about every stage so far, but seriously I really mean it this time guys. She is eight months old and SO active and inquisitive! For the past week or two she has been pulling herself up to stand - you read that right, she is cruising around her crib and standing to play with her toys. I had to Craigslist a few things because all of her toys so far have been small, handheld jobs and this girl is needing something to hold her interest (and her weight as she learns to balance!). She is the proud new owner of an activity cube and mail car walker as of about a week ago. My favorite is the delight she finds in turning the wooden gears on the side of the cube - with her foot. She started to use her hand once, but decided it was WAY neater to use her little toes.

In addition to standing and taking steps with help, Mikayla acts like a big girl by eating more than her dadda does. A typical breakfast is an entire pear or banana, a generous 1/2 cup (plus) of yogurt, and as much oatmeal as she wants til she's full. Usually at least a 1/2 cup. Dinner tonight was half a sweet potato, a cup of oatmeal, and probably 1/2 cup of Greek yogurt. A strange combination, perhaps, but we really need to get groceries again, apparently...We work on baby signs, in the spirit of cousin Khloe, but so far Mikayla asks for her sippy cup by yelling and banging her hands, and indicates that she would like "more, please" by panting and opening her mouth wide enough for a bus. She has made momma's life a freer place by eating three meals a day plus nursing at bedtime. Sometimes she is up for a snack in between meals, but most days she eats enough at her big-girl meals to get through. So nice!

Diaper changes have become less fun because they are BORING, even when Mikayla gets to hold onto a chosen toy while she lies there. But folks, bath time has moved on up to a favorite activity! Since she has become more stable in sitting, I've scrapped the baby tub and just been bathing her in a few inches of water in the regular bathtub. Not to mention RUBBER DUCKIES. Oh my goodness. We have this nifty mama duck that was a gift from my friend Michele (and the frontrunner to be Mikayla's husband, Jacob). She has three baby ducks that sit on her back as she floats around in the water. Mikayla has enjoyed them SO much that she adopted one of the baby duckies as her very own, to be toted everywhere she goes. It becomes more and more realistic throughout the day as it gathers feathers (well, cat hair...creativity is key when you have kids).

My favorite bath moment occurred yesterday, as Mikayla was playing with said duckies. She was just so taken with the idea that there are THREE baby duckies that she can play with all at once!!! She picked up the first ducky with one hand, picked up the second with her other hand, and looked at the third ducky intently. I could practically see the light bulb above her head as she popped ducky #2 into her mouth (head first, rest assured) so that she could reach for the third ducky. Unfortunately, holding duckies in her hand and mouth simultaneously seems to take a fair amount of concentration, so the third ducky kept bobbing just beyond Mikayla's clumsy grasp as she tried not to lose the first two. She adjusted the ducky in her mouth several times, holding it by its wing, then by its tail, but never quite found the perfect tooth hold that would allow her to hold all THREE duckies. It broke my heart, but I was so proud of her perseverance. Maybe next time, little girl. Maybe next time.

And yes, most nouns in our home end with "y" or "ies" at this juncture. Why do you ask?

Another current favorite occurrence is going to pick Mikayla up after her naps, and anticipating what position she will be in. My favorite so far had her lying on her back, sucking her thumb, sprawled out in a devil-may-care sort of way. Her legs were flung through the crib rails, basically using the bumper as a footrest for one foot and dangling her other leg casually toward the floor. The look on her face said, "Hey momma, what's up?" LOVE this girl! Sometimes I will find her draped over the bumper head first, as though she's been using it as a pillow or peering over it at the floor (like today, when she realized she had lost her ducky at some point during her nap and gazed longingly down til momma rescued it).

Mikayla is a huge fan of our black cat, Niko. When she sees Niko lying on the floor, or nearby on the bed, or crossing the room in the distance, Mikayla lets out a gigantic shriek of happiness. Niko is generally pretty patient with her, and even walks up to Mikayla fairly often to allow a few quick strokes (read: fistfuls of fur). I think this is why Mikayla thinks they are such great friends. However, Mikayla's shriek of happiness tends to be emitted at the same volume regardless of how near or far Niko happens to be. And is repeated frequently as long as Niko is in sight. A fact which, unfortunately, does not cause Niko to stick around for very long. But Niko is hungry enough for adult attention that she comes around even when Mikayla is present, and like I said, she has surprised me several times by nuzzling up to Mikayla for a few moments. Niko, thank you for making a baby's dreams come true.

I am realizing that there are so many "favorites" with Mikayla: moments, activities, sounds, faces. It would take a sweet forever to chronicle them all, and I seriously doubt that you had slated enough of your day to read through a much longer post than this (in fact, are you still here?). So I will stop here and let you know that you should simply hang out with my daughter sometime soon. K?

Up next: In Which Momma Learns of 2P's Existence (Or: Mikayla's Very Interrupted Nap).