Learning Curve

Today was the craziest day. After a week of sleeping, feeding and fussing non-stop, I was pretty convinced that Snuzzler was going through a major growth spurt, but it looks like her body isn't all that's growing. Today, I swear it was like a whole string of light bulbs just came on at once, lit Snuzzler's brain up like a Christmas tree and suddenly she was perfecting new trick after new trick. And she is EXHAUSTING herself performing them, but she is LOVING it. She basically hasn't slept all day, too excited to close her eyes. This has lead to some periods of inconsolable crying, but they've been short and they've been immediately followed by more wide-eyed performances.

So what has she been doing?

She has been talking all day long - story after story after story.

Originally uploaded by chezpappy

I can't believe it! She has cooed and oohed and aahed and squeaked her way through the day, looking me right in the eyes and telling me a tale for the ages. I speak back to her when she pauses and her eyes get bright, she smiles, and then after kicking her legs, peddling her arms, and throwing her head from side to side, she finally manages to respond with a triumphant "Ahhh-oooooooh." And for the first time, she is getting out more than just one noise at a time. I mean she was putting together strings of ah-goos today, to the point that you honestly would have thought the kid was forming coo-sentences in her little head. She had me cracking up with her enthusiastic gurgles and the way she would focus on me like "Do you hear this?? I am doing this! Isn't this amazing? I said ahhh-ooooh ahh-oooh ahh-oooh, mama!"

Then she showed off her reaching.

Reaching!
Originally uploaded by chezpappy

She spent minutes upon minutes - up to 20 at one point, which is an eternity in Snuzzler Time, focusing on different toys and then stretching out her little arms so that she could bat at them with her hands. You could literally see the satisfaction on her face when she would manage to bat them. She even opened her hands a couple of times and looked like she might grab ahold of the toys dangling in front of her, but I think that skill is still a little ways off. The batting though...the batting she has down!




And then there was the Tummy Time.

Originally uploaded by chezpappy

As you know, Snuzzles HATES Tummy Time usually. She has had a super strong neck since birth, but for some reason she doesn't usually like being forced to show it off via Tummy Time. But today...holy successful Tummy Time, Batmom! She pushed up on those little arms, lifting not only her head, but her chest as well! And she then focused again on the dangling toys, even kicking her legs like she wanted to go for them.




She was amazing. I have never seen her so focused for so long. It's like all this sleeping and eating has just helped her clear some developmental hump that she couldn't quite get over before. She was just this whole new baby today - the smarts on this kid...makes a mama proud. It is truly amazing how proud you can feel watching your child accomplish even the smallest milestones. It is just so amazing to watch this little person grow, develop and learn how to work all the amazing body parts that adults just take for granted.

Mommy is so so proud of you today, Snuzzler. You are even more amazing with every passing minute.