If I had to pick one word to describe Allison right now it would be busy! When she is awake, she is in constant motion. Always. She is also curious, playful, funny, determined, observant, thoughtful, feisty, creative, entertaining, cuddly and genuinely happy.
I love how she mimics with her voice and body the things she sees and hears around her. A nearby dog bark is lost on me, but she hears and follows with her own barking sound. The roar of an airplane overhead is no different. She's also discovered that she can mimic our everyday activities and that our everyday tools have a singular purpose, that she is learning to master: she likes to brush her hair, put any hat on her head, dig with a shovel or spoon, drink from a cup, wash her hands. I think she's already discovered that these tools and activities are the gateway to independence!
Allison also finds new and interesting ways to play and use the things that surround her. Boxes and plastic bins are far more entertaining when not storing toys. Paper is for eating. Blocks are noise makers. Almost anything is for chewing or peek-a-boo.
She is not drawn to her bright and shiny, soft and plushy, large and plastic baby toys. Her interest is in the things that we use. Peyton's toys, blocks and trucks are perhaps the most interesting to her. The more intently Peyton plays, the more interested she becomes. He's really very sweet and can usually keep his cool and calmly try to distract her tell us, "Sister is trying to get [this or that] and I don't want her to. I need my own space right now." I see his frustration building in syncopation with her determination. Foreshadow to future conflicts.
Communication is improving both verbal and non. Her signs include: hi, bye, light, book, kiss, all done, more, milk, eat, sleep, fan, spider, sun and rain (from the itsy-bitsy spider song), peek-a-boo, bath, hand wash. She also is showing indiction of understanding our verbal cues by pointing to things that we ask her to find and/or shaking her head, blowing kisses when we say "night-night" or the word "kiss." Verbally she can now say: dada, mama, brother (dih-duh), kitty (tih-tih), turtle (tuh-tuh), all done (ah-duh), mwah (the sound you make when you kiss the air), yeah (in response to almost every question or statement).
Peyton and Allison enjoy "talking" and laughing together. I often overhear them in the backseat of the car or across the dinner table having a conversation - Allison says something in baby babble, Peyton repeats it - followed by a good laugh. Peyton also loves to sign with and for Allie. They are really starting to interact and enjoy each other's company. As Allie is more mobile and seeking out her own entertainment, I'm finding Peyton drifting away from his play to observe and narrate what he sees his sister doing. Sometimes he wants to join in, briefly, before trying to control and direct her according to his needs and wants. Often, she still scans the room until she finds him and motors herself straight towards him, of course.
Mobility is improving by the day. Her crawl is steady, confident and fast. She's learned to crawl up stairs. More and of her movement and focus is moving upwards. Her balance is improving and she is starting to cruise/walk using the furniture or holding my hands for balance, although I notice a bit of caution in her step. She's beginning to let go and stand independently for a few quick seconds at a time. This is a game for her. She is delighted when she finds some stability and laughs at the impact of her little behind when it finds the floor. Somehow, she also discovered yoga pose, downward facing dog. This started when she arrived in this position unexpectedly in an effort to peer at her brother upside down and backwards, through her legs. At the first recognition of music, she starts to bounce and bop up and down. She can't sit still when there is music playing. Who can?
She loves the water - both the pool and the bath. Our vacation offered several days in a row of swimming in the big pool, which was a treat for us all. We've also had hot weather these past few weeks at home and have had plenty of time to splash-splash in our baby pool as well. I do not see her exhibit any caution in the water, however, and find this to be dangerous at times - especially in the bath when I'm awkwardly reaching over and in to keep a steady hand on her slippery and squirmy little body.
Her first tooth broke through and is now quite prominent. She knows this and uses it. Allison is a biter. Everything goes in the mouth and I'm constantly fishing non-edible items out. She has also tested her new tooth out while nursing on several occasions, which is not only painful, but a sure fire way to abruptly end a feeding. I've learned when she's about to engage in fierce bite. He eyes focus on me with a bit of a twinkle while the corners of her mouth turn up ever so slightly in a wicked little smile. I have no doubt that she knows exactly what she is doing. A pleasant giggle follows. Then a loud protest cry when I set her down and walk away. My goal is to make it one year. We're almost there. Of course, our feedings don't always end so abruptly. There are many times that she surrenders her body entirely, limp and drowsy, woozy really, from the milk, my milk. It is at these times that she nuzzles her head up into the crook of my neck, sometimes even slinging her arm up over my shoulder offering a gently back rub or pat, if she's not too tired. The warmth and weight of her body, the smell of her hair, the rhythm of her breathing and knowing that she fully and completely loves and trusts me unconditionally are intoxicating and powerful enough reasons for me. My time to forgo breast feeding has not yet arrived.
Realizing that Allison's first birthday is upon us, fills me up with so much mixed emotion. I'm so proud of the baby-almost toddler before me. I look forward with eagerness and anticipation at the milestones we have still to reach and the possibility that lies ahead for. Admittedly, I'm also longing and searching for the sense of freedom and liberation and self that I seem to have lost in the land of everything baby. Yet, it also chokes me up and feels so incredibly sad to let go and move on. I love Allison and Peyton exactly as they are and I want to freeze time in this exact moment. Well, exactly except for the part of the day when Peyton brought a trail of dirt in the house and down the hall to his bathroom (again) and then there is the still not sleeping through the night part of my reality. No sense freezing those moments in time. But, then again, when I'm old and bored, I just may wish I had a trail of dirt to clean and grubby hands to scrub and company during all my sleepless nights, so yeah, I guess that even though I expect that life will get somewhat more manageable with more sleep in my future, and even more fun as the kids get older, I feel so incredibly blessed and happy right now and can't imagine myself in any other moment except this one, right now. I guess this is one reason why some people have lots of babies!
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