...and we're back.

Hello all. You may have noticed that we took a brief intermission. I took a general break from the interwebs because my computer attempted hara kiri, which was thwarted by the lovely repairpersons at Apple. So what's new? It seems like a lot and nothing. What's on my mind this morning, as I sip my cup of over-brewed tea? Bathing. This isn't just because I'm thinking that I should go shower myself, but because I realized I have a lot of cute Lily bath time pics that haven't made it out yet.

Is there anything better than a freshly bathed baby? Those five minutes or so right after Lily is bathed and she's slathered in lotion and free of spit up and general grime are so sweet. Okay, I know that it's not half as bad as it will be once the girl is fully functional--eating people food, crawling around-- but still, with the constant drool effected by her teething and her penchant for finger gnawing, her face and hands seem to have this perpetual sheen.

Lily has her bath in the evening. I've tried to do the baby massage thing, but it seems to really amp her up rather than calm. It makes sense, though. She always rallies during her bath, so once she's free of the tub and all covering and Mommy is warming up her little muscles, of course she assumes it means it's time to party.

The bathing itself is becoming more of a chore. In the beginning, I was terrified of bathing her. She was so small and slippery, and I couldn't shake the mental image of a whole raw chicken while I was soaping up her froggy little body. The task was easy enough, but I was so worried that it seemed to be an undertaking. Lily is much more substantial now, and the fear of hurting her has mostly dissipated and been replaced by life-guarding.

Lily is starting to explore cause and effect, and right now her ability to cause water to fly up out of the tub brings her much joy. She can sit unsupported for brief periods, and she uses this new skill to lean over, bring her face very near the water's surface, and slap the bath water repeatedly. Potential for a face plant: high. Funny factor: also high.

Lily also enjoys creating little tidal waves by doing athlete quality leg presses off the end of her tub and shuttling her whole body back and forth. While the potential for her to go too far and dip her head underwater is moderate, the funny factor is high. She will be transitioning out of her infant to toddler tub soon, and I can't wait to see what she does once she gets in the big tub. Stay tuned!