Abi thought the World Cup final match was pretty funny. I’m not sure what, exactly, caught her fancy, but every so often she would stop playing at our feet, look up at the TV, and giggle. We were rooting for Spain because we happen to have a Spanish flag in our house (thanks, Gav!) but she was rooting for Netherlands because she liked the goalie’s checkered jersey. She herself has just learned how to kick a ball; we spend a little time each day with me holding her hands while she repeatedly kicks and chases one of those big rubber balls you can find at the supermarket. Best one dollar I’ve spent in awhile. Whenever she gets a good solid kick on the ball, she says, “Dat,” her term for any moment of satisfaction, such as putting a lid on a box, falling dramatically onto a pillow, or turning the pages of a book. She has a few other invented words as well. Her universal question is “uh?” which she employs when she wants to know the name of something or wants to know what is going on. I don’t hear that one as much as the emphatic “Eh!” which means “I want” and is usually combined with a pointing finger. She wants a lot, my sweet Abi does. She has started some beta testing of temper tantrums when the “eh” doesn’t get the desired results. She ramps up the high-pitched scream, falls on the floor, arches her back, and cries real tears. Pretty good for a first timer. I’ve only seen a few tantrums so far; they happen when she is tired or hungry, so here’s hoping that they stay rare events and easy enough to avoid with basic parenting.

Which reminds me that she is making very good progress on her biting. We had some setbacks when the top teeth came in and she was excited to test them out on everything she could, but since then she has returned to showing her affection with sloppy kisses and zerberts. The only times she really fails are when she is very tired or very excited. I’ve got a few bruised, teeth-marked spots on my shoulders and face. I’ve learned to just keep her mouth away from me during those times. It’s interesting to see the fundamentals of human nature so clearly on display– many of us are least able to control our most destructive desires when we are experiencing intense emotion or physical distress. The fact that Abi has trouble not biting during those moments actually makes me feel really proud of her; for most of those dozen other kisses I get throughout the day, she is probably making some kind of deliberate baby choice not to bite. Good girl, Abigail Ruth! Self-control is the key to avoiding a life of crime!

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