I haven't given a real Lila development update in a while, so here you go:

You know how babies around this age like to "stand up" (you hold them upright, but they support their weight with their legs)? Well, Lila won't do it. She *can*, but she chooses not to. If I can get her to stand at all, it is only with her body bent over. That is, her legs are straight and holding her weight, but she's bent at the hips so her upper body is parallel to the ground. Silly girl! :)

However, she's a pro at sitting unsupported and has been for several weeks now. She's a very busy girl! If there's something anywhere near her that she wants, she goes for it! (and you'd be surprised how far she can reach when you're trying to keep something away from her) She hasn't figured out getting from laying down to sitting yet though. Now that she can roll over, she won't stay on her belly long enough to learn how to push up to sitting or onto her hands and knees.

She's already very good with her hands too. She can pick up and manipulate even the smallest things (like little lint balls or strings that i'd really rather she not play with). She can bring a sippy cup (or any cup with handles) to her mouth, but hasn't yet figured out that she has to tip it up to get the liquid out. She just sucks and wonders why nothing is coming out! :) She can also drink from a regular cup with assistance (she prefers cups with nice colors, like blue or red).

She is still exercising those vocal cords by making loud noises - surprisingly loud at times. She's also beginning to discover the joy of banging two objects together. I'd rather her do that than shriek though! She can also travel around even though she's not crawling. She rolls, of course, but she can also cover amazing distances just by wiggling and twisting around!

Lila occasionally goes through a whiney period where she doesn't sleep well (like right now) that I'm assuming is teething, but no actual teeth have been sighted. All in all, she's still the most beautiful and smartest baby around! :)