Who's a big girl?

*WARNING*
Okay, so maybe this is a brag fest, but let's all be honest here, when's it NOT going to be? Plus, I don't have a whole lot going for me right now besides being a mom so indulge me! Or at least don't rub it in... =)

Reagan's a big girl! I cannot say why, but this is a conversation that Baby Penny and I been having a lot lately. Maybe it's because deep-down, I think that if we can talk about her growing up too fast openly with each other, then maybe it won't happen so fast? I don't know. Anyway, as much as I resent the fact that she is no longer a sweet newborn always willing to cuddle in my arms and nurse all day long, she sure is getting fun. Here are some things she likes to do these days:

- She has recently learned to wave, and it just seems funny to me for her to be doing such a grown-up thing, especially since it's not a typical "baby wave," but more like a "Miss America Wave." Baby pageants, here we come...yikes!
- She has also learned to clap. Nana and Bum-Pa (my parents) taught her to do this during Stake Conference - such good examples of listening and being reverent! But I am grateful to them because it's pretty cute when she does it, which has been all day long lately. We've been playing lots of patty-cake, which brings me to the next thing she loves...
- "Toss it in the oven!" When we get to this part, she throws her arms up in the air and gives me a big, now-toothy (four - can you believe it? WEIRD) grin.
- She loves to make "scrunchy faces" and breathe in and out of her nose really fast. I don't know where she gets this, but it is really funny. She seems to do it most when she knows she is being mischievious.
- Drinking from a sippy cup. At last! I am so grateful for this because she has not taken a bottle since she was 8 weeks old, and now it is possible (though not likely) for me to get a break from her every once in a while to go run errands or just spend some much-needed alone time!
- Eating (a little) better. This has been a constant struggle for us, but we have finally found things she likes. I pretty much gave up with the Gerber stuff and we have started making our own out of most of the things that we eat for dinner, and she has been doing so much better. Maybe she just didn't like the packaged stuff? Most of it IS pretty yucky. She really loves beans of any kind - garbanzo, black, you name it. I think it's very weird but I'll take what I can get. And let me tell you, what they say is true - beans really are the "magical fruit." I'll let you interpret the meaning of that...

- Pulling up on things and standing - She loves to do this, but I'm not so grateful for it because now not only is she crawling everywhere, but she gets herself in the most precarious of situations and is such a disaster-waiting-to-happen it's not funny. She is pretty proud of herself though.
- She still loves nursing, but mostly at night when it's dark and there's not much to do or look at. (Much to my dismay) She gets most of her nourishment at night, which I am becoming more and more aware of by checking out the large dark circles under my eyes. We've got to do something about this.
- She still loves hugs and kisses, but they are fleeting, so I enjoy every moment I can get cuddling her before she launches off of me and on to some new adventure. What am I going to do when she is walking??
- Here is a picture of her newest favorite thing:

Lounging on a bean bag chair, sipping her sippy cup, and cuddling with a slightly creepy baby doll. She looks so grown up here! Where has the time gone? Luckily, she still isn't grown up enough to know you are supposed to be "sweet" to the baby, and spends most of her time with it poking its eyes and sucking on its hands. I'm sure it's only a matter of time though...