The Number Field

This evening, we were all in the living room watching our TiVoed episode of The Amazing Race . As usual, Jenny was trying to figure out who, among all of our friends and relatives, would be the best partner for me--as in, with whom would I have the best chance of getting on the show. Today's candidates: Matt and Ben.

Anyway, Jenny was on the couch and I was on the ground with Elena. She decided that she wanted to get closer to Jenny, so she scooted over next to the corner of the couch and assumed a sitting position. All of a sudden, she decided to grab onto the armrest and start pulling. Then she got her other hand into the action and slowly pulled some more. We had to watch her closely, because the outcome was in doubt, but eventually she got her legs under her and pulled herself all the way up to standing, completely unassisted! Elena was so excited by the achievement that she started giggling and forgot entirely why she had done this--she didn't want Jenny to pick her up any more.

Jenny had been working on getting Elena to pull up to standing, but this was her first successful solo attempt. Even though she still doesn't crawl, this is a sign that she'll be cruising (the technical term for supported walking) soon enough. It's also a signal that we need to lower her crib mattress. After she wakes up happy, Jenny usually finds her sitting and clapping in her crib, but with this newfound ability, she'll probably try to make it out.

On an unrelated note, I have started a week of birthday gifts for Jenny. Yesterday, I had homemade chocolate and caramel candies ready for her upon their return from Houston. I have a specific memory of someone giving me homemade caramels before, but I can't remember quite who. Was it one of my sisters? Perhaps a reader will set my memory straight.