Not so happy baby :(

S hasn't been her normal, happy self the last few days. :( She's not nearly as smiley, she isn't responding to our voices or faces as much and she isn't really babbling or cooing. There's probably a good explanation - perhaps she's feeling a bit under the weather (lots of sickness going around recently), she may be starting to teethe or she might just be focusing on honing some new skills. Or perhaps a combination of the above. But as a mommy who's used to her little girl smiling and cooing at kisses, silly songs and goofy games, it tugs at the heartstrings a bit when these "old standbys" instead produce wary looks or no reaction at all.

I just talked to my mother-in-law who said that I worry too much, and that if I'm feeling down that li'l girl will pick up on it. But it's hard not to be affected by this sort of thing. I can't help but have some concern that I've inadvertently "withdrawn from her emotional bank account" or that she's sick or experiencing some sort of developmental regression. And I hear that this is not only natural, but a neverending process. Even when your children grow up into adults, they're still your kids! I feel a lot of sympathy for my grandmother who has lost 2 of her children. She said there isn't a day that goes by when she doesn't mourn for them.

Well this was a bit of a downer post! Time to pep things up a bit and get this week's giveaway roundup going! S's asleep right now and it's her short nap period of the day so I probably have another 20 or so minutes - let's see if I can pull this out! (Likely will need to finish during her next nap.)