Bouncy Baby

Tiggers like to bounce. We all know that. What I'm unsure of is whether or not Kaylani is a Tigger. Early results seem to indicate that she is, but I'm hoping the verdict is still out. I don't mind that Kaylani likes to bounce. In fact, I think it's pretty damn cute when she bounces...in her jumparoo. It's the fact that she likes to bounce everywhere that struck me as different.

We went out to dinner with Makayla (and Dorothy and Tom of course) tonight, and we couldn't help but notice the difference in mannerisms between Kaylani and Makayla. Makayla is 6 weeks older than Kaylani, and far better behaved in public. Actually, that's not fair. Both Kaylani and Makayla didn't have any sort of meltdown tonight, so "better behaved" isn't the right comparison. "More calm" I guess is what I meant to say.

We were at dinner for just about 2 hours, and for the first 1.5 hours, Makayla sat in her carseat playing by herself with her toys or looking around. By comparison, Kaylani only spent the first 20 minutes doing the same. For the rest of the time, Kaylani was in our arms bouncing up and down and looking all around us and the restaurant. It's like she was listening to the cheer "stand up, sit down, fight fight fight!" and instead of clapping or cheering along, she was going through the motions. And the whole time, Makayla sat in her carseat or in Tom's lap and stared at Kaylani (or tried to eat her own foot).

Now, since Kaylani was well behaved, I don't want to seem like I'm complaining because I'm not. It just struck me how different babies can be from one another. I mean, I've obviously known that babies are different from one another, but what makes one baby so active and the other so calm? I can't help but think that we influenced this personality somehow by the amount we used to rock her, sway her, and swing her. Did all that movement get engrained in her head so much that she loves to move? Or maybe it's just the fact that she's half Puerto Rican. That's my other explanation.

Whatever it is, she's an active little baby, and she's not even mobile yet. I guess we better get used to her activeness now, because if we don't, we're gonna be in for quite the shock when she gets older. And to make sure we're living in the moment, here are pictures to round out week 20. Enjoy looking at my little girl. I know I do!

We've gone from glide to bounce

The glider's broken. It's lost its magical powers. The aura around it has apparently worn out. And I want it back.

Fortunately, we've found a workaround. But it's a temporary workaround. I hope. Everything used to be so easy. Once Kaylani was clean and fed, if she needed to be calmed down, I could take her in my arms, head for the glider, and then just glide the night away. But now, it doesn't work like that. It's not simple anymore. I guess it couldn't last forever. Could it?

Alright, the workaround isn't the worst thing in the world. It's not like Kaylani only quiets down if I balance on one leg with my left arm in the air, but for me, it's not that much more comfortable. She likes to bounce. Not bounce like a basketball, but she likes it when Daddy bounces with her. Doesn't sound like the hardest thing to do right? Well, it isn't, except Daddy has bad knees, and bouncing is a bit hard on the knees. And Mommy? Well, Mommy has a bad back, so bouncing doesn't really work for her either. But we do it, because that's what parents do...anything.

Everything ties back to poo, well in this case, Pooh, because Kaylani is kinda like Tigger. After all, Tiggers like to bounce! And you know what? If Kaylani likes to bounce, then so do Mommy and Daddy because bad knees, bad back, or bad anything is totally worth seeing a happy Kaylani, or more specifically, a sleeping Kaylani.

So, while we try and find the glider's mojo, we'll bounce and bounce and bounce. And let's just hope that the bouncing phase doesn't turn into the stand on one leg with the left arm out phase. But if it does, I'd be the first to buy stock in Motrin.