sit, paw, roll over...

Kids are amazing. One day they can't do something, the next they can. It's like a little light flicks on in their head, connecting one thought to another that says, "hey wait a second, I CAN do that!" Sometimes, lights are flicking on left and right and over the course of a week or two, new things are popping up all over. Then there are the times where you sit and wait for that next light. Maybe shake their noggin' to see if the bulb is broken? Those are the times when you go online, as your parents or friends, or look at other babies to figure out where she should be. And of course, as I said in a few other posts, that's the worst thing to do. They all develop differently. Different sized bulbs set on different timers. I almost didn't post this for fear of another mommy thinking, "wow, her daughter sucks."

Not only are those connections in her mind important, but so is muscle tone (or let's say muscle strength, as tone conotates that she's tight and svelte, and that's definitely not the case - check out her new stats on the right). What's funny is often times the head and body don't mesh. She thinks to herself, "huh, look at that, I think I can sit right here on my own." Then she tries but suddenly that huge head of hers tips to the right, the body starts to go with it, and while you can see the valiant attempt to correct it, down she goes." Same with rolling. "Wow, I can grab my toes and eat them if I'd like, and if I let myself, I can tip over to each side and maybe roll." Then suddenly an arm gets in the way or a knee doesn't tuck in and she's stuck on her side, wondering what's next.

She did roll though! A little while ago we had her on her tummy (which she detests...all the more motivation to roll to your back.) A few times we assisted...help her tuck and let her roll. And then the muscles and brain aligned, and she did it on her own! When we went to my parent's house for dinner and showed them, she really had it - my dad had grabbed the camera and before he could snap the shot, she was on her back.

However, babies are very good at making liars of you. Somehow a light went back out (or maybe it was simply the lack of practice?) and the daycare said she was tipping back and forth but not rolling. Hmmm...are they stupid and don't know what a roll l0oks like? Expensive liars. So I tested it at home. No roll (only screams of, "get me off my stomach!") So now we're back to assisted rolling and am sure that in the next day or so she'll do it again.

Practice makes perfect and, as the dogs have shown us, so does positive reinforcement. That's it! I'll take the Beggin' Strips upstairs with us! If Ripley will bow, paw, jump, lay and roll (all in the same string of tricks...she's awesome) for a meaty treat, then why not a baby? I'm waking Alexis up and grabbin' the bacon. Roll Alexis. Good girl!