Tater-phant

Tater makes baby elephant noises.  At first, we thought she was congested, but if you listen closely, you can hear her breathing strong and clear.  The sounds are, "Just for fun," as the Nugget would say.  She toots, trumpets, snorts, and grunts.  We'd been debating what sort of lovie to get her, and the Nugget claimed it should be an elephant, of course.

When Tater naps unswaddled, she brings a fist up to her chin or cheek, Glamour-Shots style.  When she eats, she stretches her long slender legs straight out.  Her hair curls after a bath, but dries straight as a pin.

Tater is a sneezy girl, and she sneezes in threes-es.  She sneezes when she wakes and after each burp.  She has an uncanny way of turning her head just so, so that her sneeze will go right up your nose.

Tater's grip is improving.  She had almost no grasping reflex when she arrived, but now she can seize your finger like a vise.  While eating, she likes to hold her bib with one hand and the bottle with the other.  Her cry is getting stronger too, although she still sounds like a sad, bleating lamb.  She, "Wahs," when she wants to be held, and she, "Lahs," when she's hungry.

The almighty binky is becoming more important to Tater.  I have mixed feelings about binkies, but now doctors are recommending that every baby get hooked on them to decrease the risk of SIDS.  My personal theory is that binky babies drop the darn thing every 10 minutes, forcing the parent to retrieve it.    If no one is sleeping, there is no SIDS risk.  Yay?  Anecdotally, the Nugget was a binky baby (actually he used it until he was over 3), and once he learned how to retrieve it himself, he slept like a log.  So maybe there is light at the end of this tunnel, assuming she stays with us that long.  She has also become a big fan of the sleep sack.

Tater is a tummy time champ.  She can do upwards of 10 minutes, although she usually falls asleep.  She is determined and is starting to hold her head up for a few seconds at a time.  She is small but mighty.

Tater makes a little lemon face when she's alert.  She purses her lips, "Like a fish!" says the Nugget.  She is also starting to bless us with her little gummy smiles, and not just when she's pooping.  Of course, she smiles the most for that big brother.  She tends to pair the smile with furrowed brows, which makes for a very comical effect.

We continue to pray that she lands in the best forever home for her, even if it's not ours.  Loving every minute until then.