Jane's May recap

Jane had a busy month! Here's a recap of the more significant activities.

May 1 - Jane is six months old now. She is rocking back and forth on her hands and knees, the pre-cursor to crawling. She will lie on her stomach and turn herself around, or roll to where she needs to be. We start baby-proofing the rooms of the house, knowing that crawling is imminent. She has started eating rice cereal as of this week, which she eats without protest and seems to enjoy.


May 6 - Jane tries homemade sweet potatoes. She is a very good eater. So far, she has rice cereal in the morning, and then rice cereal and sweet potatoes in the afternoon. Otherwise, she's still getting her primary nutrition from a bottle.

May 9 - While she is not fully mobile yet, Jane is dragging herself small distances. She will scoot herself in the direction of a toy placed just outside of her reach. (video)

May 12 - I lay a piece of yarn on the carpet to see if Jane has the manual dexterity to pick it up. I'm surprised and delighted when she not only picks it up, but switches it from hand to hand. (yarn video)

May 14 - Jane crawls in earnest today. It's only a few feet before she stops to sit, but she is crawling.

May 20 - Even though Jane has been crawling for less than a week, she will support herself on her legs in something of a downward dog position. We hope she will crawl longer than two months before she starts walking. She begins to go up the step from the living room to the entryway.



May 21 - Jane's first real road trip, from San Diego to Albuquerque. We spread the trip over two days to minimize the time confined in the carseat to as minimum as possible. Jane travels well, provided we stop to let her crawl around and have some time out of the car seat. In Albuquerque, the other children are not really on Jane's radar. She registers that there are other little people, and watches them intently, but does not really interact.


May 25 - Jane tries homemade peas. Rejected! I substitute the store bought "Garden Medley," which causes her to scrunch up her face, squint her eyes, and shake her head. I laugh long and hard, which catches Jane's attention. She continues to eat the garden medley, but also continues making faces and actually joining me in the laughter, as if she is suffering through these new veggies so that she can amuse me. I would not be surprised. She smiles and laughs often, and enjoys making others smile and laugh too.

May 27 - Kevin, one of the grandfather types at the cafe, teaches Jane to clap her hands. (clapping video)

May 28 - Jane is well-behaved for Ascension Liturgy, then is miserable and fussy all afternoon. I feel the first tooth break through on her bottom gum in the late afternoon and finally understand why she is so miserable. By the next day she is fine, and back to her happy self.

May 29 - A busy week for Jane, she closes the week by successfully maneuvering herself down the step from the entryway into the kitchen. (step video)

Jane plays by herself rather well, enjoying best her taggy dog toy and a little plush tiger that roars when squeezed. She likes music, and will usually quiet down to listen if she is protesting a nap in her crib and a classical music CD is played. She is very aware of her surroundings, and will often crane her neck to see things that catch her eye. If we go into a restaurant, she will usually notice the turning ceiling fans before we do. Most of all, she is a happy, curious, very contented child.