Development

Ellis is a big baby.

At her 2 month checkup she weighed in at 5.6 kg and measured 58cm which puts her above the 97th percentile of weight and height for babies her age. Her head circumference is actually off the chart!

Currently at 3 months, I'm not sure what she weighs but I know that she's bigger than my friend's 4.5 month old, and her head is the same or larger than another friend's 6 month old boy!

Somewhere from the 2nd month onwards, she became much more aware of her surroundings - she would look up at her moving cot mobile, and the play gym toys we put in front of her bouncy chair - staring at them for extended periods of time. And of course, she realised that there was us, her parents.

Over the last three weeks she has grown progressively interactive - it's so amazing to see her learning and doing something new every day. Now she reaches out to touch and explore her toys, like the teddy bears that whirl on a bar in front of her bouncy chair, and to tug at toys in her playgym.

When she first realised that we existed, she would just stare at us, I guess wondering who or what we were. Now that she's aware of us, she will look us in the eye and cry or scream - indicating that she's bored or wants to be carried.

She's also discovered that she can make sounds - many different ones, including loud shrieks and screams. Her vocal repetoire has grown rapidly and she amuses herself with lots of gurgles, coos, "ahs" and even "acks!". No longer are her cries just for food, a burp or dirty diapers. She's learned to "complain" - an angry cry or wail to tell her parents in no uncertain terms that she wants to be carried, or talked to.

I think we have quite a sociable creature on our hands - she will wail when left alone in her chair but once we start talking to her, she will stop, look at us, smile and "chat" in return.

But best of all are her smiles and laughs - at the very beginning she would smile in her sleep. Then she would break out in that rare smile at us. Nowadays she loves to laugh - talk to her and she will chuckle or laugh heartily.

We, like any other parents, are intensely tickled whenever we see Ellis laugh - I can't help but want to pinch her chubby cheeks each time it happens. I certainly hope this is an indication that she will grow up a cheerful person!