Takes a Licking and Keeps on Ticking

Well, our Baby Brigid has her first facial bruise as a result of a fall. Yesterday she was cruising the furniture and her reach fell short, causing her to fall face-first into a small table in the living room. I saw it happen; I was just too slow to grab her as she was going down. She didn't cry very long, but the crying she did do was genuine. She has a small round bruise the size of a pencil eraser on her right cheek. The first of many, I am sure, as she feels her way to bi-ped navigation. The fall only compounded her woes, however; she has been congested and bleary-eyed for the last couple of days. The fever she was experiencing has waned but its been replaced by a cold. She was a real cranky crank last night at Granddad's birthday dinner at their home. She started out strong, eating as she sat in her new portable high chair (we got this cool baby seat that attaches to the table). But soon she started screaming and crying. She didn't know what she wanted until the ice cream came out. Then she certainly knew what she wanted, at least for a few minutes. After we got home, she just wanted to nurse and fall asleep, but it was so early -- only around 7 p.m. -- and I knew if she fell asleep she'd be up only a few hours later. I was able to wake her with a bath and then she didn't want to go back to sleep. took until 10 p.m. for her to really fall asleep. When she's not feeling well, her whole schedule is thrown off. She joins big sister, Margaret, who is also experiencing cold symptoms and is home from school today with a low-grade fever and overall congestion. Her first day home since starting in middle school. She didn't want to stay home; Margaret is enjoying her first year at Stafford. So she really isn't feeling well.

Brigid has started giving real kisses -- or at least as real as a 10-month-old can give. She puts her mouth on yours then pulls away and makes smacking sounds with her lips. It's adorable and she was doing it over and over again to me this morning. She seems very proud of her accomplishment. She has also started waving not just bye-bye but she'll wave at people, and her own reflection and photos. She waved at some kid in Wal-Mart the other day and at first I thought it was a fluke, but then she waved at other people and then at her reflection when I said, "Say hi to Brigid." She waved and laughed.

This morning, she woke in good spirits and didn't seem to be congested, at least not to the extent she was last night. We'll see how well she holds up throughout the day.