Samantha had her first real interaction with the kitties today. She picked up the wire thingy that has paper bits on each end. As with everything else these days, she starts waving it around. Hamlet and Talia watch this with great interest. Then Hamlet pounces, and Talia isn't far behind. Sam's face is wreathed in smiles at the kitties antics and she puts down the toy to go pet Talia. Talia takes off at this point, but there was a moment of fun for all of them. Usually the cats just ignore her. Sam crawled over to Hamlet tonight and grabbed a handful of fur. Hamlet just leaped away and wouldn't go near her. I figure chasing the cats is a great way for her to learn how to crawl and walk. The cats can always outrun her.

Food issues again. Little sweetling has not eaten much in three days, although she has been drinking a lot of formula. Matt and the nurse Susan both suggested that perhaps Sam has just decided to feed herself and she wants more textured food. So, Sam's first meal consisted of: orbs of peas, pats of squash, strings of spaghetti, and strips of cantaloupe. It was funny to watch her take the spaghetti in her fists and fling her fists around, bits of spaghetti flipping here and there around her wrist. Some were flung a bit further, like the floor. I thought Ella would help with this mess, but it turns out Ella doesn't eat food off the floor, well, in the kitchen, maybe, but nowhere else. She would only eat the spaghetti if I picked it up and hand fed it to her. Sam has a very strong grip. She took the strips of cantaloupe and squeezed them into juice and pulp. She seemed to like the peas much more in the whole version than the pureed jar version. I would have to agree.

Did I say Matt has the gate up at the top of the stairs? He says he's a dad now, putting up gates. That and giving her a bottle, putting her to bed, giving her a bath. He's a pretty special dad, particularly when he lets her run her hands through her beard. Those little hands can pull pretty hard!