The daycare center keeps telling Matt that Penny is getting up on her hands and knees and rocking - something babies do as they start to figure out how to crawl.

I don't think they're paying very close attention. What she does at home is get up on her hands and one knee, with the other leg is still folded in front of her as if she's sitting. I have yet to see her get up on all fours for more than a couple of seconds.

Or maybe it's just wishful thinking on my part - we still haven't babyproofed the house. At all.

Penny decided to wake up an hour earlier than usual this morning - a few minutes before 5.

Matt was wonderful and got up with her so I could get some more sleep, but she was not interested, thankyouverymuch, in going back to sleep after she'd eaten. She was, in fact, Wide. Awake. And talky.

"BABABABA! AAAAH?! BA! BABABA!"

"Sweetie, shh, let's let Mommy get some sleep."

"BABABA! AH! AH-AH-AH! BABABABA!"

So I gave up and got up around 5:30.

I'm hoping desperately that all the stuff that has to be done will get done early today, so I can leave work a little early. Since I was here almost half an hour earlier than usual.

Though we generally dress her like a bit of a tomboy, Penny is wearing a dress today. It's a dress that we got from the Brandts - Braz bought it on eBay for Emma, and it was supposed to be a size 2T. (That is, for those of you not initiated into the world of children's clothing sizes, a 2 Toddler - it should fit a 2-year old.) But it was way too small for Emma, so he gave it to us for Penny to grow into.

Penny fits in it comfortably right now. At just shy of 8 months. And I know she's pudgy enough that we had to move her up to 9-12 month clothes early, but the arms on the dress aren't unusually long...

2T my ass.

Anyway, while I was combing my hair this morning, Matt decided to dance around the bedroom with Penny, and let the Jaret in him sneak out.

"So, what brings you to the king's ball? ...I'm hoping to be granted an estate, too! What's that? ...Of course I'll keep dancing with you so you won't have to dance with the mean baron. No, I shan't let him cut in. ...Let's dance over this way and give Mommy a kiss! ...Oh, you're so kind."

(You know, Matt never actually calls Penny a princess, but it's not hard to tell that she is one, somewhere in the back of his mind...)

--Liz