Bye, Bye Baby

Tomorrow I'm flying to Germany to attend Ulrike's wedding. How casual that sounds! Mom is off to party. But the trip is linked to a lot of emotions, separation anxiety included, which is normal at this stage (for a mom too, I keep reassuring myself). So I'm leaving my baby behind for the first time ever. In the best of hands, of course! Thiemo has taken a few days off to take care of Peanut, and the two of them have already made secret plans. They won't let me in on their plans, but turning Lia's schedule upside down is a big part of them. Looks like there is some serious party time lying ahead of us!

Hocus-Pocus

We will probably never find out about the tooth's mysterious whereabouts, but the tooth fairy is definitely innocent. Lia's third tooth has reappeared. And this time it will hopefully stay for at least six years. (Besides, there was no money to be found anywhere near Lia's bed.) The tooth is working itself through Lia's gums again, causing a lot of discomfort. Lia is already practing dental care by brushing her dad's teeth. By the time she will have to deal with her own crumbs, this will all be a piece of cake.

Tooth Recall!

Lia's new tooth disappeared! Today's inventory came as a shock, because Lia's sparkly new tooth was no longer there... Announcing that tooth was not a proud-mom-thing! I swear there was a tooth. And we even have our friend Brandy as a witness. Did the tooth fairy come too early? It's inexplicable, but all I see is gums.

I guess Lia's shirt really reads 'disappeared' and not 'diapered'.

Breakthrough

Lia's third tooth is out! Her upper right lateral incissor came in today. Wow, that sounds professional. It's her upper tooth on the right side. Lia is much more relaxed and laid back, and she is in excellent form again and walks alongside the table with a happy smile that shows a teeny, tiny tooth, all shiny and new. And barely visible.

And here she is, all happy and relaxed:
Lia sending her feet flying

Funny Faces

Luckily Peanut's mood has improved quite a bit, despite the teeth that are obviously bothering her. After being overly tired for a couple of days, Lia agreed that napping at least twice during the day does indeed make sense. And when she wakes up, we are always there to greet her, which seems to be a big relief. Thus, the funny little faces she makes are on the bright side again. At least most of the time! We do get that reproachful look from her when we don't pick her up quick enough. Sour and so sweet!

Lia's most lovable face on video:
pears, love, and kisses

Little Miss Clingy

When parents don't know what's going on with their babies, they tend to blame it on the teeth. I'm pretty convinced Lia is teething. She is sabotaging her schedule by refusing to nap during the day. That's because she is busy pulling. Pulling herself up, pulling things close, pulling at my shirt. And if I dare move an inch, our baby doll turns into a mad monster. Lia needs to be held and cuddled, entertained and cheered on. And occasionally she likes to play hide and seek, or rather hide and sneek. Whoever tries to sneek away, is tracked down by the other player. Somehow, I always get tracked down...

Watch Lia standing up and sitting down:

Lia's daily workout

Swan Lake

Only a ballet dancer can beat this ellegance! And it actually seems like Lia is striving for a career at the State Opera House, the way she is pointing her toes and practicing her pliés and relevés with such precision. Lia's toe dance naturally captures her audience. Every performance is acknowledged by loud applause and standing ovations. And just in case Lia has inherited her Daddy's legs, we would be equally proud if Lia decided to become a professional soccer player. A swan with shin guards can look elegant, too.

Lia Is Eight Months Old!

This morning Lia sat up with a straight back and looked at me with a proud smile that seemed to say: "Hooray, I can balance myself!" And then she got entangled in her pajamas and fell flat on her back. The PJs can be blamed entirely, as Lia is now able to sit up straight without any support. But it's not that we intend to ever let go.

Dedicated Dads of All Sorts

Lia and her Dad. I always refer to them as 'the twins', because when Lia was born she resembled her father like 'two drops of water', as a Hebrew saying goes. Especially when you compare baby pictures of the two, the resemblance is pretty amazing.

You know how you always look at babies and try to see whom they look like? Well, for the last couple of weeks I've seen this one Dad from afar, who usually takes his twins for a walk at the same time when Lia and I are cruising the block.We've always waved at each other from afar, but two days ago we actually ran across each other. I excitedly peeked into the stroller to see what his babies looked like. I was pretty much taken aback by the fury look of his two precious ones: The man was taking his cats for a walk! Dear God, some people are just weird. At second glance, an affinity could not be denied. The natural law of owners and pets.

Here's a video of our own cuddly little pet:

Lia on tiny tootsies