Hello, friends!

Shirley and Ada read a book.

I know I haven't posted in a while because we've been very, very boring at our house so there hasn't been much to report.

Ada isn't yet crawling, though she seems so close we think it could be any day. She can get up on hands and knees and hold it there. She can even get a hand and knee forward just a smidge and she does the telltale rocking back and forth, but so far, no actual mobility. I used to be happy about this, but she's so frustrated and angry about it not working that I just want her to get on with it. I know, I know ... all in due time...

Still no teeth! She has these little gum bumps that are for sure going to be teeth entry points and she is frequently uncomfortable in a way that suggests teething, but so far, no nippers have made an appearance. Hasn't stopped her from enjoying some new foods ... ice cream, mac and cheese, banana lumps vs. mash, she really seems to enjoy potato soup, and yesterday she had a bit of yogurt.

I guess there is one thing to report on, but since we don't photo it I never posted much more about it. She's sleeping through the night. I mentioned last time that after her checkup with the pediatrician, he and I discussed it and he talked me into trying the Crying It Out (CIO) method. I had been so turned off of this idea because every parent I talked to about it acted like it was successful discipline of the child. It always came out harsh and combative and I've never felt that way towards Ada and didn't want to start. Luckily for us, Ada really did just want to be left alone it seems.  It has been about two weeks now, and she hasn't put up much of a fight and although we still hear her (actually just me ... Jeffrey has gone back to his dead man sleep habits) whimpering and cooing in her bed occasionally, it never has become the pained hysterics I was fearing. In fact, for a bit there before we did the CIO, we'd pop into her room when we'd hear her, and rather than easily going back to sleep, she'd start wailing. I think we were disturbing her more than we thought. The CIO hasn't proved to be much of a CIO but rather a "stop worrying and just let me be I can do it myself" method. We also didn't lose our easy bedtime -- I had feared that she would start having trouble going to sleep at night if we did CIO -- something that we were really pleased to have so easy -- and that fear was needless. She still curls up with her blanket and goes to sleep in her crib, almost gratefully, every night.

Update: since I wrote that sentence, she has started bawling when we put her to bed. I'm hoping it's the cold and that when her sinuses are clear, we go back to easy bed times. Or maybe that ship has now sailed. Damn.

Another thing she has started to do is play to the camera. She can be crying, tired, or playing with great focus but the second she hears the camera turn on, she perks up, and the moment the focus light comes on, she starts grinning. We'll try to get video of this soon ... once Ada and I get over our colds and our noses are less red...

So that's about it. Shirley came to visit after Christmas and she and Ada had a great time playing together. In true Grandparent Gautreaux style, Shirley kept her entertained beyond tiredness and Ada would nearly collapse into her crib for naps. Shirley and Terry should consider a post-retirement careers as audience hype men.