4 months old!

It's been 4 months since her birth! WOW!

She. is. so. cute.

Her personality is beginning to show, and I love it.  It makes her seem more human, and we love to pick out the bits and pieces of that personality that we think we get credit for.

We also like to accuse each other of passing on less than desirable character traits.  Either way, she is definitely our kid!

Acquired skills and such:

• Giggling.  *Swoon*
• Her mouth is large enough to consume a small animal when she smiles.
• Floating (with our help) in the pool
• Deliberately touching my face while nursing 
• Deliberately touching Darren's face when receiving the bottle
• "Talking".  Make no mistake about it, the girl knows what her voice was intended for.
• She seems to take an interest in music.  I'm in a small Relief Society choir, and she sat on my lap like a champ for the majority of yesterday's practice.  She was totally chill with it without being bored.  The singing was fascinating for her (she watched Aunt Ruthie's face and her sheet music a lot!).  We also played the piano last night while she was fussy (Daddy sang and I played), and she calmed down.  He held her at the piano most of the time, and she was totally chill. Musician? I say yes!
• She toots a lot. Like a man. And believe you me, they smell terrible! (incidentally, I'm pretty sure she gets that from her dad...mommy never has gas... ;-) )
• She is becoming more comfortable being held by other people, which is nice
• Flipping from her tummy to her back while sleeping
• She has started reaching for things, though not very consistently and almost nonexistent accuracy.  It is pretty cute
• Focus. She observes more than any other baby I know (granted, I've never watched any other baby with quite the same interest).  She is always watching people around us, follows everything with her eyes and whole head, and is even getting better at looking the right direction when I call her name from a place where she can't see me without turning her head a lot. 

What was my life like before she was born? (besides a lot less spitty and significantly more free...).  But I mean, seriously.  She IS my life.  

I can't believe I'm saying this, but we were watching an episode of Star Trek recently in which Tuvok was giving parenting advice.  One statement stuck out to me: "Expect paradox". 

That about sums up my take on motherhood.  I love it, even when it is awful.  (nothing quite like a screaming baby, among other things, to make you use words like that to describe something that is also so beautiful).

And just so you know, Darren is likely to say something dumb like, "You're so hot when you quote Star Trek," after reading this.  

My husband is a dweeb.

Anyway, here's a little bonus happiness from yesterday after church:

Grandpa asked if he could hold her, and as soon as he had her snuggled close in a sleeping hug he closed his eyes and said, "Ooh, that's it...", like he was savoring that moment.  I'm so glad she gets to know my grandparents.  I need them to live forever.

The burp rag on his shoulder is a nice touch.  =)