4 posts tagged “smiles”

Show us a smile.

I've posted this one before, but it bears repeating.  Petra was having a very fun time!

Petra's 23 weeks old now.  There continues to be more of her almost every day.  More flesh, more noise, more movement, more personality.

She's grabbing at things we don't want her to grab now, things like the TV remote, my glass of orange juice, freshly washed clothes, my cellphone, books, and magazines (she tore Charlton Heston's obituary out of The Economist the other day and threw it on the floor - I guess she didn't approve of his stance on gun control).  But she's not yet at the stage where she cares when we take things off her.  She just moves on to the next thing.

She's developing physically all the time.  She sits like a pro, leaning over, red-faced and precarious, to get at escaped toys and straightening herself up again.  And she topples like a pro, falling onto her back with her legs in the air or onto her face.  She's very nonchalant about these sudden changes in position, although she expects me to sit her up again promptly and complains when I'm not quick enough.

Her face has gotten more expressive and it's fun to watch her delighted reactions to things she sees and hears.  If I produce a particularly favoured toy for her she beams at me.  And when I start singing, especially if it's The Teddy Bear's Picnic, she turns to watch me and smiles those whole body baby smiles.  She's a wonderfully uncritical and enthusiastic audience, appreciating my efforts no matter how quavery or off key I am.  Poor old thing doesn't know any better yet!

Here's Petra playing with her toys and to the crowd.   She's become quite the flirt, smiling and wriggling to attract our attention.

 

Petra's engagement with the world continues apace.  She seems to be hearing more now.  She pulls off my breast these days if there's noise or movement in the room to see what's going on.  She also takes breaks from feeding to attract my attention so that we can smile and chat to each other.  I fear for my nipples but love the confidential little conversations. 

She's become more inclined to startle at sudden loud noises like her dad's laughter and she's also more likely to get frightened if strange people get too close or too loud.  If the chef from a couple of weeks back approached her now, I think she'd freak out.  Currently, she'd rather that people stand back and talk quietly to her - if they do that she smiles at them and everyone's happy. 

Baby smiles are wonderful things.  People are so flattered and pleased to get them.  The other day I watched a young man's whole body lift and relax when Petra smiled at him.  He'd been sitting hunched over his laptop but when Petra caught his eye, he leaned forward, his face lit up and he gave Petra the kind of open, unselfconscious smile that you only give to people you really trust and love, or, it would seem, to babies.