My Baby Girl: Predictions

Nora's personality is really shining through now that she's got a little more independence and is able to express her likes and dislikes. It'll be very interesting to see if the same traits are as prominent as she gets older.

Setting aside the obvious (that she's brilliant and beautiful), here's what I see in my nearly-eight-month-old:

She's incredibly observant. People always comment that she seems aware and interested in everything that's going on around her. When I take her for a walk in the stroller, she sits ramrod-straight at the very front of the seat with her arms out to each side, forming a "w," and just watches everything.

She waits to pronounce judgment until she's really checked something out and weighed its pros and cons. She studies the new thing very seriously, which usually involves smacking it repeatedly.

She's persistent. Nora will work at a problem until she's solved it. I love this about her. Whether it's turning a big, heavy toy over, or reaching an object that's out of her reach, she'll focus on finding a solution until she's got things the way she wants them. She seems to have a very high frustration tolerance. And hopefully this signals high self-esteem too-- that she trusts herself to be able to do difficult things.

She's comfortable in a crowd. We've been taking Nora to parties and out to dinner wtih friends ever since she was only a couple weeks old, and she's always seemed to enjoy being out with people. She doesn't necessarily beam at strangers right away, but neither is she instantly afraid of them. As long as her daddy or I are there to reassure her, she's a good sport about being passed around.

She's funny as hell. She just is. She likes to laugh and to make us laugh in return. She thinks it's hilarious when I pretend to eat her foot. Truth be told, so do I.