8 Months Old and Still Kickin'

(more than kicking, actually)

Somebody turned 8 months old on Monday, and to commemorate the occasion she decided to do her first official "crawling." Previous attempts included the shifting of a hand or a knee or two, but never in concert with one another and never with real forward motion or without reverting to tummy surfing right away. This time, however, went something like this: hand... hand... knee... knee... hand...hand... hand... knee...hand...knee...knee.... hand... toy... aaaaaaaand tummy. Granted, she got about a foot, but still, I know this means the end of many things for me: The end of playing on my computer while she happily and safely plays on the rug behind me (out of immediate view). The end of putting her down and leaving her for a minute to go to the powder-room. The end of keeping chemicals in below-the-waist cupboards and drawers. The end of a free and clear opening to the stairwell. The end of my slovenly floor maintenance (or lack thereof), wherein I avoid all activities involving a broom. The end of our current dvd/stereo system setup, which I affectionately think of as "The Leaning Tower of 'Ponents" -- a tall stack of precariously perched heavy, sharp-cornered, fragile, expensive stereo components all connected to a tangle of enticing electrical cords and cables which dangle colorfully and temptingly to the floor and go trailing off every which way.

Other fun things to note about the 8 month old:

She had her first trip to the Zoo this week. With the exception of the moment brilliantly caught below, she was far more interested in whatever was in her hand and available for sucking on than the exotic animals I was trying to point out. (Me: "Look Seville! A rare, exotic asian elephant!" Seville: "I wonder if this piece of stroller strap tastes different than the other one." Me: "ooh! Seville! Look at the Sea Lion! He's swimming right up to us!" Seville: "dangly earrings!! mmmmm!" Me: "See the leopard Seville? See him? He's pacing back and forth right in front of you!" Seville (looking up for a second): "What's mommy pointing at? Meh. Another thing I've never seen before like 95% of everything I see every day. ho hum. Hey! My toes!")

She also got her first real teddy bear, which she loves. Or loves to suck on, anyway.

Favorite teether: A green bean. This started one day while I was harvesting in the garden with her in my arms. I had to hold the picked green beans in the hand that was around her while using my other hand to pick new ones, so I couldn't really keep them away from her. I eventually gave up and just carefully watched her gnaw on it. Turns out it's a really great teether and one of her favorite things. I give her a new one every day. I love the way her little gums sound squeaking on them -- you know how really fresh green beans squeak when you eat them? Like that.