Matney's new tricks

Check this big girl out! Matney has started holding onto her own bottle. FINALLY! She won't take it if she's sitting up but if she's rolling around on the ground and I hand it to her she'll grab it from me. I think when she is on her back and she doesn't have to tip it up it is easier and she is willing to try harder. What freedom I am gaining!

Also, and I am so scared to type this because it will end tomorrow, she is NAPPING!!! I put her rainforest music toy back in her crib and made sure she understood how to turn it off and on by herself. I was trying to teach her that when she wakes up she doesn't have to start screaming the minute her eyes open. Then last Wednesday we had lunch with a friend and she wouldn't take her morning nap before we left. By the time we got home she was SO TIRED and went right to sleep...and woke up just like usual after 20 minutes. I knew that wasn't enough so I left her crying. She eventually turned on the music and after a couple minutes it stopped and I heard NOTHING. I eeked up the stairs and peeked in her room and she was back asleep. Ever since then when she wakes up for her normal 20 minute routine I've just left her and today she fussed for a minute and went right back to sleep for another 20 minutes. AMAZING! Did I mention I was gaining some freedom?!?!? She still wakes up for a bottle around 4:30am but since Christmas we sleep through the night and are starting to nap. I may be a new woman in another couple weeks!

Our other big M news is that she is finally starting to crawl. She will get up on all fours and go backwards. Then she gets really mad as she gets further and further away from what she was going after! Yesterday she started "swimming" forward. She's still on her belly but will push and pull with her knees and elbows until she makes it somewhere. So far I think its only been 12" away but that is progress! And means my freedom may be heading back out the door because I will be chasing her for the next 18 years!

Jared and I go to bed every night realizing how blessed we are to have a healthy, thriving little girl. We are so in love with her!