Baby Champuru is just over 5 weeks old now and this week she has added smiling and cooing to her repertoire. At her last well baby checkup, the doctor said that she would start smiling and cooing at 8 weeks. I guess she’s getting a head start.

Baby’s smile melts my heart. Add cooing and I become a big blob of mush right on the spot. I’m not normally a baby person. In fact, babies used to scare the heck out of me and I’d go as far as to feign being infected with a deadly contagious disease whenever anyone tried to get me to carry one. So, I find it amusing that almost overnight, I’ve become one of those people that shove their face a foot away from baby’s and speak in parentese, in a sing-songy tone, two octaves higher than their normal voice.

Right now, her smiling and cooing are rare morsels of happiness for us — occasions to call out to Hubby in the other room and announce, “she’s smiling!” or “she’s talking to me!” Granted, I know she’s not really talking to me, but when baby makes sounds that are not blood-curdling screams, it’s reason to celebrate!