4th month

Ila is now Four and a half months old! Though we will always treasure her days of being curled up and tiny, now she is really becoming her own person. She is a very happy baby who seems to be more serious than silly. Her smiles are huge and her laughs are like music. This baby is certain to smile when playing flying baby, dancing, playing in the exersaucer or seeing you for the first time in the morning or after work. Laughs are a sure bet when blowing rasberries on her tummy or attempting to eat one of her limbs. Everyday she is more fun and engaging than the last. And we swear she is bigger each morning.



Big developments this month:
Shakes a rattle and is fully aware that she is making the sound. This delights her!
Can single out her thumb to suck on but prefers the taste of her giraffe's face.
Met her Sit-Sittoo who has been hibernating in 30" of snow.
Attended her first hafli and danced the night away.
Has toys and it seems she would rather be playing with them than be held.
Flips all over the place as if it is her job.
Attends official play dates (she is on one with Georgia, below).
Gives long monologues in the language of coos.
Now goes to daycare and seems to love it.



At the same time we do miss a few of her old habits, as she no longer:
goes cross eyed
hiccups daily
does the "crab-claw" startle reflex

She is getting to be a big girl.



When we returned from the Poconos, Grandma Dye came to town to watch Ila. We had a blizzard with 19" of snow while she was here so the walks outside were few and far between. But, she and Ila had a great time together singing, playing and talking the days away.



After Grandma Dye left, Grandma Vivie & Grandpa Doug took a one week shift. They helped us begin Ila's first transition week at daycare. She started with one hour a day and is now up to full time. All in all, we've had a harder time adjusting to her in daycare than she has. The ladies there all love her and she loves the variety of toys and other babies. Here she is with Candice, the daycare director.



After them came Papa & Grammie. They had beautiful weather during their stay. Once they noticed that Ila was chewing on everything in sight they surprised her one afternoon with a variety of beautiful teething toys.



At the end of the week we packed up the car - Pop's car that is - and headed north to Sittoo's house. That's Sit-Sittoo to Ila (Great-Grandma) We spent the weekend with her and visited with our cousins Ed & Barbara, Ashley, Chelsea, Cathy, Donnie, Christy, Becky and Aunt Cathy & Uncle Tim.



Ila also met our friends Denise & Mitch who recently fled NYC and bought a home just 11 miles from Sittoo. Ila attended their wedding back in May but she was in utero, so has no recollection.



While in Worcester, Sittoo treated Ila to her first hafli (basically a Lebanese dinner and dance party) at the Syrian Orthodox Cathedral of St. George. Ila absolutely loved the arabic music and did her own dabke dance on the table with Becky's help. Guess we'll be playing more of our Port Saiid music at home for her! If only Giddoo could have seen her dance. We know it would have made him overflow with happiness.


Video!



After about two hours of fun she feel asleep in our arms and slept the rest of the hafli. She was peacefully passed from one set of arms to another.Ila did wake up back at Sittoo's long enough to watch us all devour the baklawa we had brought home from the event.