Update

A moment of freedom for me because Dessi has just learned that if she moves her weight forward and back, she can rock her little rocking chair. So I'm off duty for the moment. Every day something new -- she can sit up on her own almost indefinitely, and she is finally, finally, starting to move toward crawling or at the very least she will be on her stomach for three or four minutes before she starts to wail. (She wouldn't be on her stomach at all the first six weeks without crying. We figured it was because she was so potbellied (read: fat), but also it was probably because the babies at CHI don't really get exercise per se -- from what we could gather, they are wrapped in bundles of blankets to be held, fed or burped, and then laid back in their cribs. I don't think they were bounced on nannies' knees or jiggled around much. Dessi also could not, for example, support her head with her neck when we got her (at six months).



She seems more attached to us now, particularly since we left Montana, and whether that's a factor of just time or because it is more just her and us and not so many people coming in and out I don't know (and it doesn't matter either way), but it is good to see. Not that I was worried about it per se, but kind of I was / am. She's so independent; she only recently seems to need us around to play and have a good time or to look to us when she's upset or uncomfortable, versus actually looking away from us and taking care of it on her own. It wasn't until about two weeks ago that she was feeling sick and just wanted to be held and coddled all day long by her mama. My friend came over, asked to hold her and as soon as she did, Dessi started to cry. YAHOO!! (I know, I am a sad, desperate mama, and I am laughing at myself right now. But I want to be important to her! Not just some yahoo who's no better or worse than the next person who might pick her up.) :)

Here's a picture of Dessi and me at the beach in Dakar, taken on our first day back.