Summary of beautiful things in life!

Jasmine laughs! She knows how to laugh! This is the most exciting development yet. One of the things I really worried about when I was pregnant was Jasmine's potential personality. Would she turn out to be the kind of serious, solemn person who makes big ol' goofs like me feel stupid? Not that I wouldn't love her if she turned out to be a Wednesday-Adams-style stone face, but family dinners might not be such a hoot. But as it turns out, Jasmine not only can laugh, she does — all the time. Steven and I must be the most hilarious people on earth, because Jasmine spends an awful lot of time chuckling her meaty little infant chuckle. It sounds like this: "huh huh, heh."To Jasmine, the most amusing things are the completely stupid noises we make. Here's how to make her laugh: Lay her down on her back with her head propped up on a pillow. Then tickle her belly or nibble on her neck, her ears, or the fat little rolls on her thighs, while saying something like "a boo" or "chiki chiki chiki chiki choo choo." Repeat 9,000 times. It's a laugh riot, according to Violet, who giggles while grinning so hard that the smile might wrap all the way around her head and cause the top to fall off. Here's how to stop Jasmine from laughing: Call Nana or anyone else over and say excitedly, "Listen, Jasmine learned how to laugh!" Suddenly Jasmine's staring up at them instead of chuckling. "I swear she was just doing it. Jasmine! Jasmine! Chiki chiki chiki chiki choo choo." Nope, no laughter, just me making lunatic sounds. We had a terrific moment yesterday, though. I was watching Scrubs this week and I was laughing, suddenly, Jasmine starting laughing out loud too. My baby and I can laugh together! It's like I gave birth to an amusing friend. Jasmine has also learned how to reach out for stuff with quick and sometimes dangerous precision. She is deliciously gorgeous. She is also getting a bit spoiled. I have to hold her a lot. I generally have to hold her when I eat. And lately, her little hands will sneak out before I even see them (the hand is quicker than eye!) and do something like grab the plate, grab the remote and change teh channel as she puts it in her mouth. She even attempts to overturn my coffee. Everytime I pick her up, she grabs my nose or my lips and tries to literally eat me. .Life is pretty satisfying right now. I go out most mornings to do some errand, even if I have to invent stuff, or to the gym. In the afternoons I like to just sit there with Jasmine and make her laugh. I lie on my right side, snuggled around the warm baby. She grabs her bottle, coos, and drifts off to sleep. Sometimes Vicky even joins us, stretching out by my left side. So I have the baby snoozing on my front and the dog against my back, both of them warm and sweet and peaceful. It feels like everything I want in the whole wide world.