Onto some serious Bugsly news (not for the faint of heart)

We are trying to get back on the blogging bandwagon after taking it easy several weeks. However, the truth is, we have just been busy in other areas of our lives. Brian has been accepted to dental school and has been busy figuring out prerequisites and student loans, and I have been busy finishing up my first semester at UNO. That said, it is time for a serious Bugsly update.

Zoa seems to have new tricks every day. They are becoming so frequent that it is actually hard to recall them all. Most notably, she has been sitting up on her own (see photo) for about a week or two now. She does very well, but tends to topple over head first when she reaches to the side. This has meant that she is doing more playing in the upright position, especially with her favorite toys: the music table and car. These toys still do occasionally cause bouts of crying due to frustration or being ripped from them to eat.

The bug also seems to be making progress towards crawling. This weekend I witnessed her pull one of her knees up under her as she scooted along the floor. She is also an expert pivoter as she can change her direction using her arms. Finally, she can scoot herself backwards while on her belly as well. So, I have a feeling that crawling is not far off.

Zo also has new sounds all the time. She now can make all of the stops; although, her /p/ involves much bubbling and spitting. Now that she has mastered them, she is moving onto the fricatives (consonants produced by forcing air through a narrow channel made by placing two articulators close together). She is making one sound right now that may evolve into an /s/, but it is hard to tell.

Finally, she is eating solids like a champ. She is thoroughly enjoying the fall/winter vegetables, her favorite being butternut squash. She also has been eating sweet potatoes, pears, and rice cereal. We have found that she is not a big fan of avocados, but may try her on peas this week. We received a baby food grinder from my parents over Thanksgiving and it has been great for making our own baby food. We are starting to pack our freezer with Zoa-sized servings. In fact, our freezer is so stuffed with baby food and breast milk that I fear there will soon be no room left for food for Brian and me.

Well, those are all the developmental milestones that I can remember at the present. I am looking to spending some more time with my girl over the next couple weeks of the holiday season.

-Melanie