big pictures

New Tricks this Week:
Grabbing, shaking, throwing! Karen seems to have perfected her grabbing technique this week. She can get her and around the rattle most of the time, and if we put something big in front of her, she holds it between 2 hands. Either way, it's straight into her mouth. Snoopy gets a pretty soggy nose sometimes. I think she knows that if she shakes the rattle it makes a noise so sometimes after she's done licking it, she shakes it for a while. Then, inevitably, she throws it--this, I presume, is the main down-side of the grabbing and shaking. The next phase must be where she cries until we give it back to her. Meanwhile, we haven't been giving it back. Maybe this way she'll learn when she throws it, it's gone. Yeah right! Karen is also getting good with her feet. If we put the ball between her legs, she'll kick it around and smile as she watches herself. This is extra cute with the small soccer ball, and I took some video of her showing off her early soccer skills. Karen likes to grab her own shirt and pull it into her mouth. Some clothes (looser ones) are more condusive to this than others, so it's funny to see what she does when she can't get the shirt up to her mouth. It's just now starting to get cool here (70's) so we are starting to have an opportunity to put her in her long clothes (I'm going to miss seeing those thighs all the time). She's wearing 3, 6 and sometimes 9 month sizes, depending on the brand, and she's got a ton of cute new clothes. And, the best part, she's been doing a LOT of smiling and talking. You're going to have so much fun with her when we visit this month.
 

Karen riding with Ari in the sling. I think she looks extra-cute riding with Aba...my two loveys.

  Eating her shirt.

Climbing on Aba. She pushes her feet against the sofa and tries to get up on him.

Somehow Karen got herself into this position in the sling.

Karen is just starting to hold herself up on her elbows.

Holding her favorite rattle, and showing her delicious cheeks. We put the towel behind her on the bouncy seat so it's easier for her to reach the toys on the bar.