Rolling!

She finally did it. Yesterday, three days before being five months old, my little monkey rolled from her back to her tummy… and of course, I missed it. I had decided to give her some “tummy time” yesterday afternoon, so I laid out a sheet on the floor, and put her down between two lines of toys to keep her entertained (something to distract her away from the fact that she was no longer in my lap). She lay there for a good couple of minutes, pushing her torso & head up with her arms and having a good look around, before getting fed up and lying her head down for a bit of a “Mummy, you’ve got to be kidding me” style whinge. Fair enough. I didn’t really expect her to stay there for long, but she needs the practise. So anyway, I flipped her over onto her back, a position she’s much more familiar with, to buy myself a little computer time. Maybe a minute later, I turned to look at her, and she’s on her tummy again, looking around at her toys as if nothing had happened. She even fooled me for a minute, having only just seen her on her tummy. Then after one almighty double take, I realised what she’d done. Was I excited? Just a little bit. :) Between calling her father, texting her Nanna, and using the most high pitched congratulatory tone with her, I flipped her over again and waited, video camera at the ready, for her to do it again. I’m still waiting. Maybe I should try tempting her with Schmackos? Maybe not. Well, at least that works with Barkley anyway…

Speaking of Barkley, he has really become quite attached to her, and she to him. Alexandra is thoroughly entertained whenever either Barkley the Basset or Basil (our ginger kitty) walk by. Eating, drinking, sniffing, rolling… who needs Fisher Price when there’s an animal around? It works a charm at dinner time, I can tell you, when I need something to distract her from putting fists full of pumpkin, potato & beef mash into her eyeballs or nasal cavities. So her fascination with the animals is obvious, but today I was reassured once again that Barkley really does love his new little sister. He used to act very concerned, doing a Lassie routine and coming to fetch and/or wake us whenever she would cry. He stills likes to lie beside her cot protectively. Today though, as she was have a bounce in her Jolly Jumper, he walked up to her, and after my having asked him as nicely as I could NOT to lick her face (she has access to quite enough germs as it is, thank you very much) he paused, then almost in slow motion leaned against her and did his “I really love you so much that I want to sit on you” routine, and tried to lie on her. Of course, suspended from the ceiling as she was, he just pushed her to the side as he lay down, so she then had a huge puppy at her feet to examine. Or kick. Both really. Yes, probably not the most peaceful place for him to have chosen, but who am I to intervene when they obviously love each other so much? As I type now, she lies sleeping in my lap and he lies sleeping at my feet. Aww my children are just so great, regardless of whether or not they have fur.