she is....

talking! well, as far as i am concerned she is! Zaine is now babbling such things as "buh-buh" as she waves ever so slightly, and my favorite "bububu" for burp. Im not kidding. when she starts making the "buh" sound i go to her and pick her up, burp her and she eventually burps! then she stops making the sound. i really think this is because she has been struggling with burps her whole life, even waking at night because of them, and each time i go in i say "do you have burps?" or "let's get those burps" and im forever saying "burp" this and "burp" that. she tells me she has a burp! it is the sweetest thing.

she is also on the verge of crawling, choosing for now to roll everywhere rather than get up on her hands and knees. this is totally different from luxie who crawled way before 8 months. but then again, they are so different in so many ways. ive always heard moms say that every child is different, but i never realized just how true that is until now. different looks, for sure, but also different styles/stages of sleeping, eating, moving, learning, etc. what an adventure it has been!

Luxie is finding new ways to get my attention, like, um, misbehaving. Wow, she is testing me like never before. The sly looks directly in my face while she does what i just said not to do. Jumping on me from every direction while Im precariously balancing Zaine in a squat position on the floor. Coloring on her clothes with markers. Spitting food on the floor. Oh, the list goes on. And yet she is still such a good girl! She just tries these things a few times to get my attention. And I try to give her lots of attention as it is. REALLY, I think I may have given her too much before Zaine came along and now she doesnt know what to do with herself. And i find myself losing my temper out of sheer frustration at her behavior coupled with the neediness of a baby. I know I know, she's a kid. She's acting normal. And I am learning to just accept that. The funny part of it all is that I would LOVE to spend time with her somewhere away from home, just the two of us. But it isnt real easy right now. Summers stink in the deep south--you are locked inside for a couple of months and that does something to a kid....and a mom...! She's bored stiff and let's face it, I am too! But fall is just around the corner, and so is preschool. And my beautiful girl who is growing up so fast will soon be taking cues from the rest of the world.

We have such a short time to mold and shape them. "They" say that by age 6 you lose the greatest part of your influence on them. How crazy is that? Of course we have so much more to teach them and train them in, but they are no longer in the shelter of the home. They are off making friends, learning from others, watching the world, absorbing all that surrounds them. And I keep reminding myself of this as I struggle thru this season. Now is what really matters. Ive got to do my part now, and not waiver. They grow so quickly.