Penny may have finally figured out that she can, in fact put food in her own mouth.

Last night, after she woke up from her nap, I offered her a graham cracker. She opened her mouth, so I put the end of the cookie in her mouth, and let go when she closed her mouth on it. She looked very disturbed that this cookie was half-in and half-out of her mouth, and reached up to grab it.

After she took it out of her mouth (mm, soggy graham cracker) she looked at it, considered briefly, then put it back in. She wound up eating all but the very end of the cracker (which was clenched in her chubby little fist) by herself. Matt and I cheered.

We offered her some Cheerios with dinner. She picked one up and tried to put it in her own mouth, but she hasn't quite figured out how to let go, yet. And the Cheerios aren't big enough to eat while holding on to them.

Matt said, "Well, I guess we'll see if this is like rolling over, where she does it once and then doesn't try again for months; or if it'll be like walking, where she takes her first steps and then two weeks later is trying to run."

This morning, while Matt was in the shower, I sat on the floor of the kitchen and offered her some Cheerios. I put one in her mouth for her. She picked up another and fed it to me. Then she picked up a third, and just as I was about to explain that I didn't really want another Cheerio, but thanks, she brought it to her own mouth.

She still hasn't figured out how to let go of them, yet, but she did that one even without any encouragement. I let her try a few times, then picked it up and put it in her mouth for her. For three or four more Cheerios after that, I let her try to feed them to herself before rescuing her.

She'll get it sooner or later.

Also, progress on the cognitive comprehension front: While I was getting dressed this morning, I said, "Penny, can you say hi? Say 'hi' to Mommy. 'Hiiiiii...'" Out of curiosity, I did not - as I usually do - wave to her in demonstration.

Penny looked up at me for a few seconds, then lifted one hand and waved at me.

I then proceeded to mightily confuse her by waving back (reinforcing the "hi" = "waving" link) and saying, "Yay, Penny!" ("Yay" is usually accompanied by clapping, not waving.)

She's been sort of low-grade fussy, especially in the evenings and whenever she's just woken up, for the last five or six days. And fidgeting with her ears a lot.

I pried open her mouth yesterday and saw her upper gums bulging. So I might have to take back my blithe dismissal of Karen's suggestion that perhaps she was teething. I mean, she just broke those top teeth a few weeks ago; it should be too soon for more. But those were pretty prominent bulges.

She's got a followup appointment with the Ear/Nose/Throat guy later this morning, though, so at least we'll find out for certain whether she's fussy because of the teeth, or because she's got another damned ear infection despite the tubes.

And last, and least...

After more than a month of Penny actually sleeping through the night (well, most of the time), I'm going to take down the Sleepwatch starting next month. It was only really up there for my own future amusement, anyway, so I'm pretty sure no one is going to miss it.

Have a great weekend, and I'll see you on the other side!

--Liz