Seth's in Japan this week, so I'm going to try to post as much as possible. It seems like Niki is doing something new every five minutes, so I have lots to post. I wish that blogger would let me load video and pictures at the same time, but such is not to be. I guess this will be an all day post.
This video shows Niki's latest attempts at crawling. She isn't quite locomoting on all fours, but she sure manages to get around. She has three primary means of movement : rolling, a kind of caterpillar-like crawl in which she rolls onto her elbow in order to elevate her behind and get up on her knees, and this forward scooting that I haven't seen before today. I've put baby gates on the bathroom door and the laundry room, and I'm taking a second look at everything within two feet of the floor because there's no stopping this kid, and once she really starts crawling, she'll probably do it behind my back.
She does most of her accomplishments when I'm not looking, and the camera still possesses the capacity to stop her in her tracks, so I don't have a lot of video, but I do have a lot of pictures. She smiles now and seems pleased when I take a picture, but if I want video, I have to make sure she hasn't seen me.
As you can see, she's really starting to get into everything. She has a special fondness for my shoes. I suppose they feel good on her teeth (yes, teeth plural. There's another one coming beside the first. I saw it today.)
When she first started trying to crawl, I worried that our hardwood floors might be slowing her down because she couldn't develop any traction, so I attempted to make kneepads out of duct tape for her. First-time mother's folly, I know, but she's cute in them.
In solid foods, we have taken a step backwards. The only thing she'll eat right now is barley cereal. She won't each peaches, which just doesn't seem right, or peas or beans or applesauce or any of the good stuff. In fact, sometime I think she likes dinnertime just for the high chair and the spoon. But there's no doubt that she does indeed like dinnertime.
To be fair, I suppose I should post a couple videos or pictures of her crying, just so Daddy gets a full picture, but really, why would any mother in her right mind take a video of that? And what father would keep the recording? Tis not exactly something we listen to for kicks. The real thing is enough.
I was hoping to get these pictures posted a little earlier, but it's been one of those days. I think Niki has teeth coming in again. There are moments when nothing makes her happy, but Seth called me from Guam yesterday, which made Me happy, so that's something. If I had gotten these pictures up earlier, he would have been able to see them today, but now he'll have to wait until his next stop. Sigh. I guess he'll just have to be content with the memory of my voice.
I know I say this with every post lately, but Niki is almost crawling. She can get up on her hands and knees now. She just hasn't connected that idea with the idea of forward motion. She is also getting the notion of grabbing on to things above her, though I think it will be a long time before she begins to pull herself up. 
My parents came over for the weekend to attend a cousin's wedding shower and of course to see their grandbaby. My father was delighted that Niki is big enough to begin playing some of his favorite games. This one is called "Trap the kiddo between my legs and don't let her go." 
Niki was pretty impressed with herself and the general standing position. I was pretty impressed too. She's practically standing by herself right there.
On the way over to the shower, we stopped at McDonald's, and Niki had her first french fry. 
I think she likes apples better, especially if she gets to hold the whole thing and chew on it at her own pace. 
She's also doing things like waving bye-bye at unexpected moments, saying "pa-ta-ca" when she claps her hands, saying "Oh-ooooo" when the dog howls, and just generally making me wish that I had a video camera attached to my hand so I could capture firsts instead of fifteenths. 
Good-night, everybody. God bless you.
Niki tried her first whole apple pieces the other day. The apple was a little green, but she put it away pretty quickly, or so I thought until I took her out of the chair and found the whole thing jammed down in her seat.
We've also discovered the value of the Pak'n'Play since she started scooting. She's very fascinated by the dog bowls, which upsets the dog and worries me that she's going to end up face down or at least sopping wet in one of them. So into the playpen she goes, and most of the time she doesn't seem to mind. 
Niki was supposed to be a dalmation, but she overran her diaper all over that costume, so 
I mean, why wouldn't I want to show off a face light that? 
Or antics like this? (See, Mom, it's still too big. :) ) 
Here she's trying to catch sunshine. 
She still likes my shoes, as you can see. Don't worry, I disinfected them before I let her chew on them. 
She also likes my hair,
and books,
And the odd assortment of boxes, plates, milk jugs, garbage cans, ladders, and other household items that she really shouldn't be getting into. 
This video is kind of dark because it was taken in the dark. Niki was playing with the flashlight, and she had figured out that the light at the end of the flashlight was connected with the spot of light on the wall. I thought it showed significant cognitive development.