Looking For Love in All the Wrong Places

It has been far too long since I have sat down and blogged. I blame this on the massive amount of time I sit in my daughter’s bedroom on the floor doing my best impression of a jungle gym. I tend to get crawled all over, poked at and smacked all in the name of fun by my daughter who is growing at inconceivable rates.

At 11 months, she tips the scales at a whopping 23 lbs—yes she is kind of, just a little bit chunky; OK, she muffin tops her diapers, but geez those rolls are so cute. At the ripe old age of 11 months she has begun to learn the meaning of the word ‘no.’ Now, understanding ‘no’ and abiding by ‘no’ are two totally different concepts. I know she understands that ‘no’ means to not do whatever she is doing when the dreaded word tumbles out of mommy’s mouth, because she will quiver her lip, fill her eyes with tears and give me the look that almost—yes almost—melts my heart.

The last episode of this dramatic event occurred while I was on the floor doing what I do best; being a moving climbing apparatus. Amidst torrential giggles, Ocean, being at that stage when everything she loves goes in her mouth, decided that she loved me so much she wanted to put me in her mouth as well. With a huge grin on her face, she looked at me adoringly, opened her mouth, and proceeded to attempt to fit my thigh in her mouth.

This attempt was of course met by an “uh-uh, No Ocean, don’t bite mommy.” She jumped back, looked at me like I was crazy, and with her eyes still glued to mine, went in for a second attempt. “No, Ocean, don’t bite.” Indignantly, she looked at my thigh, then at me, back at my thigh, and went for it—fast and hard. She pulled out all the stops, wrapping her chubby hands around my thigh, and shrieking as she went in for the kill. I removed her hands from my thigh, told her No one more time, and set her down in front of some of her other, much more bitable toys.

She turned—gave me that look; the one that makes her face look like you just took away her puppy, contorted her face up and loudly lamented the ending of her ability to show affection to my thigh. I am quite sure that she was simply letting me know “Everything I love I put in my mouth and I love you so much I want to put you in my mouth as well,” but I simply will not be eaten. For now, I will leave you with this photo of Ocean playing on the movable jungle gym, otherwise known as Daddy. Be well!