Since we’re always trying to keep up with the Puddings, CootieDad made up this short little video of CootieGirl. Nothing exciting like MC Pudding’s video of her running around the house, but the Cootiepie nonetheless.

Enjoy the show!

Note: Since it’s a large file, it will only remain on our server for two weeks, at which time it will be taken down.

This weekend was a banner weekend for CootieGirl’s development! It all began when she began waving. Waving a lot. To anyone at any time. It was really cute to watch people’s face light up when they thought she was waving specifically to them. She has a variety of waves – from the floppy hand to the loose elbow to the royal Queen’s wave. All cute.

Then there was the nodding. Ask her a question, she nods. Doesn’t matter what the question is, if it has that question lilt at the end of it, she’ll nod as though she’s answering your question. For example, earlier tonight she was “kissing” my ring, and I said, “What am I, the Pope?”, and she promptly nodded, her eyes saying “Well of COURSE you are!”

Then there was the food. Lots of food. She tried a lot of new foods this weekend. She officially likes: pickles, cucumbers, potato salad, french fries, melon. She didn’t like the little tiny piece of lemon wedge that we gave her. There was a delayed reaction to that food. She had it in her mouth and seemed okay, then suddenly she made a funny face and gagged. I quickly gave her some potato to “clean” her mouth.

Then there’s the straw situation. She knows how to sip water through a straw. Jen and I took CootieGirl with us on our errands on Saturday, and stopped in to Chick Fil A to get lunch. That’s when CootieGirl had her first taste of pickles. Then she kept watching me drink my fruit punch through the straw in my cup. She was so curious, that on a whim I put the straw out for her, she promptly put it in her mouth and took a couple sips! I was impressed, considering she hasn’t really taken to sippy cups at all. When we got back to the ‘rents house later that afternoon, we showed off her straw prowess by giving her some water through a straw. She couldn’t get enough.

All in all, a great weekend for CootieGirl, and a nice weekend for my family since they got to witness all the new stuff.

Here is a new pic.

Mama is good at putting CootieGirlto sleep. She may not know that, but she is. Mama is not home tonight because she is out at the Meadowlands watching the NCAA basketball games. Normally, Mama puts CootieGirlto bed between 7 and 7:30 every night. I tried that. Ten minutes later, after ten minutes of screaming, I took CootieGirlback out of her crib. We hung out for the next hour without a tired eye in sight.

I put her back in her crib eventually where she cried again. This time I was determined to let her cry herself to sleep. Ten minutes later the crying stopped. I thought, “Great. She finally fell asleep.” I peaked into her room to find her sitting up playing with a pair of her socks. Not sure where those came from. Not from her feet, I know that.

She sat quietly playing with her socks and picking lint off of her feety pajamas. Very cute, but I wanted a sleepy baby. Silently, I crept into her room until I was at the corner of her crib. She looked up, smiled at me then started to cry again.

I took her out of her crib, and proceceed to cradle and rock her to sleep in about five minutes. And hour and 45 minutes after it all started, but she’ll get a good night’s sleep. Where’s a Mama when you need one?

So we knew the day was fast approaching. We just didn’t think it would be this soon. Last night CootieDad shared that he found CootieGirl sitting up in her crib. She had never been able (or had the desire) to bring herself to a sitting position before – the most she’d ever done is push up on her belly and crane her neck waiting for someone to pick her up.

However, this morning we laid CootieGirl in her crib for a short nap before we left for small group. I shut her door til it was practically closed after I laid her down. She went down relatively quietly – or so I thought. About 10 minutes later I can hear her making crying noises, and they are distinctly loud enough that I knew the door was partially open.

Figuring the cats had snuck in there to take their own nap, CootieDad went to check and quickly called me over. Sure enough – there’s our little Cootie STANDING IN HER CRIB, reaching over for the door and light switch. She learned to pull herself up all on her own!

I’m so proud – and also a little wary. This means that the potential is there for us to be sleeping in our room and suddenly be inundated with light at 3 a.m. as CootieGirl hits her lightswitch upon waking in the middle of the night.

Methinks we need to rethink the current crib location.

CootieGirl’s latest thing is sticking her tongue out. She does it all the time. She’s also teething again and it seems worse than the first eight teeth she got in.

I’m tired of looking at the same old pics. Here is a new one.

Yesterday, CootieMom had to go out for choir practice, but before she did, I had CootieGirlstanding on my lap, and I told her “Give me kiss.” And sure enough she fell face fowarded into my cheek with her lips. Yes! I asked it again. Same results. Then one more time. Another kiss. So cute. Then CootieMom asked for one she got cries. So I told her to hold her on her lap and then ask for the kiss, and sure enough, smack! CootieGirl gives kisses. Very sweet. She’s napping right now. Must be worn out from all those kisses she gave out yesterday.

CootieGirl also attempts to wave bye-bye when you ask her. She’s not great at it, but she’s trying.

You all wanted to see the haircut, but this is the best I can do. This was right after her bath. I’ll take some pics of her tomorrow to show it off.

So, as you all know from the 100s of pictures here at Cootiepie, CootieGirl has one lock of hair on the top of her head that is significantly longer than anything else on her head. When she was born it was a mohawk because she had almost no other hair, but now it’s just a dreadfully long piece of hair that results in the worst combover ever when it comes down to it.

So, should we take her in for a haircut and have her hair evened out? Or leave the lock until it’s 6″ long while the rest of her hair is only 2″ long and THEN cut it?

Please feel free to comment with your suggestions.

Update: CootieDad’ mom begs us not to cut it. My parents say, “Chop it off!” A few others say to keep it, yet others say cut it. I think we’ve decided to cut it. It’s just getting too long and hangs in her eyes most of the time, causing her to blink funny when it pokes her eyeball. Maybe we’ll just take off an inch, so she still has the mohawk, but it’s not as visually intrusive.

The Final Update: We did it. We cut her mohawk. It’s about half the length it was before, so now as her hair grows longer she’ll look more normal. We have pictures – her hair looks even more blond now that the red lock has been cut off, and her hair is CURLY.