A Milestone for the Baby Book

In order to survive in this family, one must be heard
- and sometimes being seen with a hard core
pout is tantamount to being heard

This pout is classic theatrics. Good job, Raia!

Raia's 8th month was a turning point in her life. She just started ticking off the milestones like they were simple bullet points:

• Sitting up unsupported: check
• Transferring from all fours to sitting: check
• Eating properly from a spoon: check
• Grabbing spoon and feeding self (in the eye): check
• Crawling(-ish): check
• Pouting: check
• Holding own bottle: check
• Discovering and then eating own feet: check

But the most important milestone occurred on Raia's last day of 8 months, which was Aug. 17. This milestone is unique to a third child and is one you won't find in standard baby books. But it is vital nonetheless:

MILESTONE ALERT: In a swift and deft move, Raia swiped a piece of bread from an unsuspecting Lucas and instantly shoved it into her mouth, proceeding to nosh the entire chunk.

Lucas dropped to the floor in a heap of tears. And Raia chomped, unaware of his theatrics but fully confident of one critical fact: She will survive as the third sibling. 

When Raia was born 9 weeks early, we were told to lower our expectations by 2 months, so that Raia's developmental age would be adjusted for her early birth. But that was a deceptive and covert bit of information that lulled us - her brothers - into complacency.

Raia can now hold her own. In fact, at her last weigh in, the nurse declared that she was completely normal for her chronological age. And with thighs like those, she would certainly give pause to any sumo wrestler.

Now we, her brothers, must also begin to learn to give respect where it is due. And we will guard the food in our hands with fervor!  

I am the glue that holds these sibs together.
And they both get their drama from me. 

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