Illi-noises

Granny did a lot of holding and feeding. She took advantage of every moment she could get with this girl, even when her granddaughter was asleep. Granny successfully taught her how to identify a nose on verbal cue.


Temperatures were hot; the air muggy. Claire reportedly got a heat rash. Early morning was about the only time to expose Claire to the great Midwestern outdoors.


Mom and daughter didn't sleep terribly well in the heat and the unfamiliarity of their surroundings. It was a tiring trip, to some extent, especially after their flight got delayed nearly three hours and they arrived home at 2:30 a.m. But who could blame this face for any of that?


Dad didn't get to go along on this trip. Although I missed her, there was a distinct advantage to not being there, as I learned when she returned the first morning she woke in her crib. I couldn't believe how much she had changed in one week. Her hair had grown. Her face had lengthened slightly. Her sounds had changed; she had much more inflection in her voice. She now carries little conversations with herself, running commentaries on whatever she sees that fascinates her -- flowers, a new toy, dad's gray hair. Our babysitter made similar observations. It was as if she'd turned from a baby into a little person.