Finding Yourself Despite Yourself

Today my sweet Saffaroo is 9 months old. She loves being in the mix, feeling like a part of the wild pack of kids that roam our home. She’s crawling all over, sitting with precision, and even maneuvering between crawling and sitting like some kind of balancing super star.

She reaches out to be held, hugs with purpose, smiles with her tongue, and if you are lucky she might grace you with one of her Miss America waves.

There is one lonely tooth sitting just below the surface of her gum. When she bites down, you can feel it but the torturous tooth refuses to fully break the surface- it can make a girl a little grumpy sometimes.

Food also can make a girl all kinds of grumpy. Saf seems to have no love for baby food, table food- food period. It’s not that she’s not ready. She doesn’t immediately force it out of her mouth, you see. Instead, Saffaroo moves it around her mouth, much like she’s sampling a fine wine, and then with a shriek and flourish, deposits it back onto the highchair tray complete with a look of utter disgust and contempt.

We’re working on it.

When not being plagued by mouth matters, Saffaroo is pleasant as pie. She often coos “Daddy” and “Hi”

She loves to smile and giggle. Anything that crinkles, jingles, has tags or looks like a specifically not designed for a baby is most intriguing. She may not like food but eating paper is tops. She’s a natural model and as a budding photographer, I’ve taken full advantage.

I’m fully expecting to wake up one day to her walking and talking.

Happy 9 months, my sweet Saffaroo.