This isn't boring, I SWEAR.

Leah has started standing recently. She's been pulling herself up in her crib for some time, but inspiration struck one day when she realized most furniture is good climbing fodder, and since then she's been climbing everything. Child development is amazing, how it can be both sudden and slow.

No one really wants to hear you go on about your baby though. A friend who is a boy even mentioned yesterday that all women talk about are kids and babies and it "must be a girl thing." I politely disagree, since this isn't the first time I've heard that complaint, but it's the first time I've heard it from a non-woman. My friend Heidi refers to children as "The Worst STD." I choose not to dissect this statement, because I think it's fucking funny. Being a parent does not mean losing your since of humor.

I understand where baby-complainers are coming from, though. I feel the same way about people who drone on about their pets. They are a huge part of your life (as are babies) and you're going to mention them, and I won't mind, especially if it's genuinely interesting or funny, until half an hour later when we're going through the inventory of dead knick-knacks your schnauzer ate.

I try not to bore people outside of my obviously interested family and immediate friends, but I do like to mention Leah's developments here and there. I'm around her constantly, I don't have much else going on in my life. The thing is though, every moment is precious to you as a parent, but all babies start crawling. All of them start walking. It does not make them exceptional. Not trying to downplay the loving feeling I get from Leah babbling at me while propped up on the couch as she is now, but other people aren't going to find that remarkable. Her 6 of 10 total teeth coming in the last 6 weeks have been more Hell than awesome, but damn, am I proud of her for doing what her body is programmed to do that she has no conscious knowledge of. That does not mean everyone else thinks it's cool.

That said, I would like to share some more humorous advancements Leah has made in the last few weeks:

Dancing. Hot Damn, does that kid love to dance. At anything. Lapping dog water gets her hips shaking.

Fear of the vacuum cleaner. Hysterical. Probably not for her, but it's usually brief. I have friends who've gone on and on about their pet's fear of household appliances, so I'm allowing it a few sentences.

Screaming with manic delight at the sight of cats. She gets that from me.

Beast Mode Affection Attacks. Leah will hurt you from hugs and kisses, like a squeezing, spitting machine of unstoppable love. Painful and adorable.

She can say "poop."

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After writing about how people don't like it when you talk about your kids, followed by me talking about my kid, I think this was a successful hypocrisy blog.