Month Seven - Funky Butt

I knew it was only a matter of time... we've been playing with solids for a little while now and Carmen is finally getting the hang of it! Of course, now that her tastebuds have developed, the rest of her body needs to catch up - in this case, it's her digestive tract that has recently proven that it's ready to handle the grown-up stuff!

PEEEEEEEEEEEEE YEEEEEEEEW!

I went into the nursery yesterday morning and noticed a tang in the air quite unlike anything I'd smelled before in Carmen's vicinity. I immediately opened the diaper pail, expecting to find a mountain of unwashed diapers. Nope, nearly empty. Maybe something rotting underneath the change table? Nada. The stench drew me towards the crib, towards my daughter, happily playing with her Linkadoos. Bingo.

As I uncovered her funky butt, I recoiled in shock and horror - gross doesn't begin to describe it. You see, not only do I have to change it, but then I have to go and rinse it out as well since I wash my own cloth diapers. I've picked up a fair amount of dog pooh in my day, but this just seemed infinately more disgusting.

So I decided that this was not the life for me! Now, for Carmen's morning constitutional, we both get naked from the waist down and I sit her on top of my lap on the toilet. And whaddya know - she actually poops in the toilet!!!!

Yep, my daughter's a genius.

There is a girl named Carmen She is a poop machine She poops into the toilet And keeps her diapers clean OOOOOH, she keeps her diapers clean She keeps her diapers clean Carmen Jade sits on the can and keeps her diapers clean!

In other news, Carmen is sitting up pretty much on her own - a skill she picked up from all the older kids in her sign language class. She is eating apples, bananas, pears, avocados, yams, rice cereal and even butternut squash! She still hasn't cut any teeth, though. She's bald n' toothless just like an old man.



Cousin Ashley also visited with Auntie Karen for a week a while ago. Carmen and Ashley were the best of friends, sharing some tub time together, spending a lot of quality time with Grandma Wolff, and holding hands in the back seat of Grandma's pickup while sitting beside each other in their carseats. It's really cool to see them with each other - makes me remember how much fun I had running around in my Grandma Wolff's house with my cousins!



Everyday there are new sounds coming from Carmen's mouth, she also seems to understand more of what we are saying. New toys to play with, new corners of the floor to explore - she is always on the move. Things change so fast.