when isla smiles, all is right with the world. she is (almost always) a very sweet, very calm, bright and happy little girl. she loves her brother a lot, and laughs at him when he's silly. she also tries to munch his nose when he gets close enough.
actually, these days she tries to munch everything: my finger, my shoulder, my cheek, her finger, her toes, her socks, her booties, the straps on the ergo carrier, the straps on her hat, any toy or toy-like item within reach, spoons, paper, books... you name it, she munches it. which i'm pretty sure means she's teething. which i'm pretty sure is the reason we've had a rough little while.
since the weekend, isla has not been herself. she's been extra needy and fussy, not nursing well, wanting to be held constantly, sleeping a lot less, and crying a lot. the crying is the hardest thing. i'm just not used to it! we've been spoiled with how sweet and mild she's been so far, and i feel totally undone by her vigorous little cry. i pray that this issue really is a very sensitive girl getting teeth...and not a total and permanent personality change. i know that there are a billion phases we'll go through and that surely this is just one of them, but it's hard to remember that in the moment. i always think, "oh lord, this is how it's going to be now. how will i manage this forever?" this time around, though, it's definitely helpful to be able to look at noah and see a very real example of the fact that nothing lasts forever. and that someday instead of clinging to me, isla will be running off away from me, and i will be calling to her to return.
isla is on the verge of so many things: teeth, eating real food, sitting up, scooting around, going after and getting what she wants...
noah sometimes asks me, "is isla big yet?" he is pretty eager to have a playmate. (though i don't think he's thought this through enough to see the potential threat she'll pose to his train set-ups!)
isla started out big and strong, and continues that way. often on her changing table she will maintain a stomach crunch at a 45 degree angle for a minute or more! she doesn't love being on her belly but is able to lift her head really high and even lift her legs off the ground at the same time. (this is boat pose in yoga, i think. noah tried to imitate her and failed.) she arches in attempts to escape the confines of the bumbo seat and prefers to stand up in the exersaucer.
nursing isla has not been a cinch. we have periods of ease and then periods of fits and starts, and i still don't really know why. noah often fell asleep nursing, and isla rarely does. maybe she just has more important things to do. but she is still topping the growth charts, so she must be getting what she needs.
my little redhead is still pretty much bald, but i have high hopes for giving her cute ponytails and braids sometime in the future. as it is, i'm definitely enjoying dressing her. i'm really not making any attempts to tone down the feminine in her clothing. i think she looks lovely in pink and i'm having fun with layered dresses and leg warmers. i can't wait for summertime sundresses and sandals!
isla is my teammate now. she is a very fun little friend. and a great big rosy-cheeked blessing.
when isla smiles, all is right with the world. she is (almost always) a very sweet, very calm, bright and happy little girl. she loves her brother a lot, and laughs at him when he's silly. she also tries to munch his nose when he gets close enough.
actually, these days she tries to munch everything: my finger, my shoulder, my cheek, her finger, her toes, her socks, her booties, the straps on the ergo carrier, the straps on her hat, any toy or toy-like item within reach, spoons, paper, books... you name it, she munches it. which i'm pretty sure means she's teething. which i'm pretty sure is the reason we've had a rough little while.
since the weekend, isla has not been herself. she's been extra needy and fussy, not nursing well, wanting to be held constantly, sleeping a lot less, and crying a lot. the crying is the hardest thing. i'm just not used to it! we've been spoiled with how sweet and mild she's been so far, and i feel totally undone by her vigorous little cry. i pray that this issue really is a very sensitive girl getting teeth...and not a total and permanent personality change. i know that there are a billion phases we'll go through and that surely this is just one of them, but it's hard to remember that in the moment. i always think, "oh lord, this is how it's going to be now. how will i manage this forever?" this time around, though, it's definitely helpful to be able to look at noah and see a very real example of the fact that nothing lasts forever. and that someday instead of clinging to me, isla will be running off away from me, and i will be calling to her to return.
isla is on the verge of so many things: teeth, eating real food, sitting up, scooting around, going after and getting what she wants...
noah sometimes asks me, "is isla big yet?" he is pretty eager to have a playmate. (though i don't think he's thought this through enough to see the potential threat she'll pose to his train set-ups!)
isla started out big and strong, and continues that way. often on her changing table she will maintain a stomach crunch at a 45 degree angle for a minute or more! she doesn't love being on her belly but is able to lift her head really high and even lift her legs off the ground at the same time. (this is boat pose in yoga, i think. noah tried to imitate her and failed.) she arches in attempts to escape the confines of the bumbo seat and prefers to stand up in the exersaucer.
nursing isla has not been a cinch. we have periods of ease and then periods of fits and starts, and i still don't really know why. noah often fell asleep nursing, and isla rarely does. maybe she just has more important things to do. but she is still topping the growth charts, so she must be getting what she needs.
my little redhead is still pretty much bald, but i have high hopes for giving her cute ponytails and braids sometime in the future. as it is, i'm definitely enjoying dressing her. i'm really not making any attempts to tone down the feminine in her clothing. i think she looks lovely in pink and i'm having fun with layered dresses and leg warmers. i can't wait for summertime sundresses and sandals!
isla is my teammate now. she is a very fun little friend. and a great big rosy-cheeked blessing.
3 comments:
Isla is SO beautiful, Jess. It's fun to get to know her a bit through this series of photos- I can't wait to meet her in person. Also, Henry loved the pictures of Noah's train set ups!
She's getting so big! She seems so much bigger than when we last saw her just a month ago!
She is SOOOO sweet. She makes the funniest face if we hold her and she isn't sure who we are at first. First a look of alarm, then a pout, then she really screws up her face and starts to wimper. Then she decides Grandma or Grandpa are okay after all. And all is well.
We love this little girl.
Grandma B
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