Yom Kippur 5766

HG's first Yom Kippur went pretty well. We all went to Kol Nidrei, where she behaved very well and charmed the men sitting near Abba. She was somewhat restless, though, and wouldn't stay in one position for long. It was a challenge to get through the silent Shmoneh Esreh while shifting her from shoulder to shoulder so she could get a better view of whatever it was she wanted to look at. She enjoyed the machzor, though, with several of her senses: looking at it, touching it, turning and grabbing its pages, and ultimately (of course) also tasting it.

Later, at home, she played with her parents loudly and energetically, a sharp contrast to how quiet she was at shul. She enjoyed one of Abba's noises so much she laughed harder and harder, with deep, rolling laugh which sounded like a small child's.

In the morning, she and Ima stayed home to rest and feed, and later everyone headed back to shul for Mincha and Neila. She wasn't quite as quiet this time, and Abba had to take her out of shul a few times to calm down. A sweet little girl who sits nearby with her father helped keep HG occupied for a while too. Overall, she was still pretty good in shul, but Yom Kippur is clearly a challenge for her as well as her parents!

Old Man River
In other news, she keeps getting more agile. Last night when she was done nursing on Ima's lap in bed, she leaned her head way back until it was upside down, and kept it that way for a while, looking at the world around her. Then she gave a sudden push with her legs, pushing her head down onto the bed, with her legs continuing over and back into a complete backflip! We're still not quite sure how she did it. Good thing she was on safe territory.

Like Old Man River, she just keeps rolling along. She's managed a full 360, rolling smoothly from her back to her stomach and to her back again in one motion. Her playmat is increasingly looking too small for her maneuvers, and she quickly ends up slipping off one side or another with some part of her body. Today, she was lying on her back in the center of the mat, playing with one of the toys on the arch, and a few minutes later she had shifted herself forwards, still on her back but with her legs past the edge of the mat and her head halfway to it, playing with the mirror.

Her sitting play is improving too. She can balance herself for longer in a sitting position, leaning on her hands. Sometimes she can even play with something with one hand while balancing with the other. Eventally, though, she'll either tip over or get fed up with the position. She certainly can't sit up by herself yet. But she usually seems to prefer it over her back or stomach.


Happy things
She actually seems to like being put into her stroller now, often smiling when we strap her in. She apparently associates it with going for a walk. (She doesn't care for the car seat at all, though - who can blame her! She's strapped in tightly and she can't see anything the whole ride.)

She greatly enjoys examining interesting patterns, such as on cushions, pillowcases or clothing. She can spend a great deal of time exploring an intricate print, especially a colorful one.

She's also started smiling at Abba when he comes home from work. She never really seemed to notice before. Now she seems to be aware that Abba is away for a long while and then comes home. She certainly seems happiest when both parents are around.