10 Months Old!

This month went by pretty quickly. Emma is changing rapidly (as always). Last week we drove up to Detroit to visit Grandma and Grandpa. Since Emma is an intensely active child, I dreaded it more than words can describe. Thankfully, I dreaded it so much that no matter how badly she behaved, it'd be better than what I was prepared for. She actually did pretty well. She was almost perfect on the drive up, and on the drive home she was pretty crabby but we dealt with it just fine.

On Saturday in Detroit, we went to the zoo with Grandma and Grandpa. It was a long hard day for Emma. She enjoyed being out and about, but had no interest in the animals. She was most interested in the people. People are a lot more visually stimulating than animals are, especially on a hot day at the end of July. Grandma bought Emma a stuffed monkey to help her remember her first visit to the zoo. Emma loves it.

As far as developments go, I am increasingly amazed at Emma's problem-solving abilities. I don't know what is normal for a child her age, but watching Emma figure something out is rather amazing. For instance, I've been teaching her to turn the bathroom light off after her shower each day. She always remembers (even when I don't) to do it. Recently, she started recognizing OTHER light switches throughout the house. She always asks to turn them off. I'm proud of her for generalizing so well!

Another thing she's begun to do in earnest is climbing. Today I was lying on the couch and Emma was on the floor next to the couch asking me to pick her up. Instead, I got down on the floor with her. She immediately climbed up my leg and got HERSELF onto the couch like she originally wanted. She was extremely proud and laughed with delight in her accomplishment.

Other things Emma is doing right now:

Emma likes to hand me things. Sometimes while she's playing with her toys, she'll bring me one and place it in my hand. She wants the toy back immediately after handing it off.

Emma is bashful. This is not the same as being shy (I have almost no tolerance for real shyness. I tend to think shy behavior is the result of an under-socialized or coddled child), but when Emma meets someone new, she'll put her head on Mommy or Daddy's shoulder and smile at the newcomer. Sometimes she'll bury her face and peek every few seconds. She grins the whole time. I find it adorable. Emma will let the new person hold her immediately and without complaint but she prefers to gauge the new person's reactions before being passed off. I can't blame her for that!

We've discovered ONE food Emma doesn't much like. Bleu Cheese! I gave her a taste and although she ate it, she makes some pretty ugly faces. What amuses me is that no matter how many times I offer it, she still doesn't have the willpower to refuse. Silly baby!

Emma is learning to hold her breath. I've started dunking her completely under the water while in the pool. While I can't say she appreciates it (especially if she forgets to close her mouth!), she is certainly not frightened. I've been pouring bowls over water over her head since she was very tiny. As a result, water doesn't really phase her much. Now, as we're about to go under the water, she'll take a deep breath. I've heard that doing this will help her to be more safe in the pool. That seems to be true. When it comes to pool safety, I am doing my best to take no chances.

While I think Emma is still a few months away from actually walking, she has started to try to walk between two pieces of furniture without using any hands to support her. She can usually take one step before she falls. She keeps on trying!

Emma is still sipping water out of a drinking glass. She's neater about it than she used to be and I am greatly encouraged by her ability to do this. I am still hoping to skip the sippy-cup phase altogether.

Still breastfeeding. Emma is probably about 90% breastfed now as opposed to the 95% I was estimating last month. She is allowed to sample larger portions of Mommy and Daddy's meals. I am not yet allowing her to feed herself much at this point. I probably should start soon. She is very good at picking things up off the floor and eating them. Several weeks ago, she tried dog food. "MMMmmmm" she said. I'll take her word for it.

This month, Emma seems to have back-pedaled a little with her talking. "Ish" has changed to "yes" so that is an improvement. She has hardly said her other words (Daddy, Hey, Hi, Ok) at all. She still likes to sing. The song I've been singing to her most often is this "That's What Faith Must Be", by Michael Card. I hope she holds this song close to her heart when she's older and more able to understand it.

Michael Card
Galatians 3 & Romans 3:22

Chorus
To hear with my heart
To see with my soul
To be guided by a hand I cannot hold
To trust in a way that I cannot see
That's what faith must be

When the universe fell from His fingertips
He decided He wanted some fellowship
But the man and the woman would not submit
So He made a better way
When the moment was right He sent His own Son
And He opened the way so that everyone
Could have hope and believe that when time was done
He'd be able to make us one

Chorus

Now I understand that there is a key
It's Jesus in me, a reality
That God is in Christ and that Christ's in me
That with faith I see what is unseen

Chorus

That's what faith must be