8 months

Spring is here and Kumi is now 8 months old. She's gone beyond scooting and is crawling up a storm, beelining for the most dangerous corners and dirtiest areas full of dust bunnies. She's also developed a disconcerting love of banging her head. On purpose and multiple times. Crib rails, walls, boxes...I'm sure she would bang her head against the floor if she could figure out the mechanics of it.

Still no luck with solid foods and sleeping. I don't remember the last time I slept more than an hour at any given stretch. And food? I watched with envy as Kumi's 10-month-old friend happily chewed on a piece of bread and asked for more. I've never seen Kumi chew on food -- though she's a champion chewer on anything inedible. I told her to observe and learn. She pursed her lips and pulled my hair.

But oh, she is so cute. She does this sitting happy dance involving a lot of head shaking and arm flapping. She looks like she's grooving to techno. What's not so cute is a literal anal retentiveness that has traumatized both M.F. and me. In a word: suppositories. I won't go into details, but it was so not pretty.

With warmer weather, we've been taking more walks and frequenting the neighborhood park. I stick Kumi in the baby swing and she hunches over and looks befuddled while I push her. And then out of nowhere she'll flash me one of her gorgeous smiles and suppositories and sleeplessness and wasted baby food are completely forgotten...