There's not much to report this week - Madeline's doing plenty of fun stuff but its mostly the same fun stuff she's been doing. She seems to enjoy her new Exersaucer, but for short periods. She still prefers playing with me or Lacey on the floor, where her toys are strewn about. And we're trying to give her lots of tummy time so she can work on those crawling skills.
Today Madeline took her first spin in her new Exersaucer - an utter cornucopia of sensory delight. It's got mirrors and dangly things and buttons and, once we put batteries in it, lights and noises. It's a retina-searing display of color and activity. Madeline seems to love it, or at least is thoroughly confused by it. She can stand and bounce and play all at the same time.
And, although it's not the (only) reason we got it, hopefully it'll allow us to leave the room for more than 5 seconds while Madeline plays alone.
Sure, she's all smiles here, but wait until mommy or daddy leaves the room. As suddenly as a desert thunderstorm she'll erupt in an ear-piercing shriek when she thinks she's going to be left alone. And when you return to her field of view she calms just as suddenly.
This, of course, is what they call separation anxiety. In an odd way it's actually gratifying to know that she wants us so badly and that she feels happy with us (when else does someone weep when you leave them?). It can make certain things, like a quick trip into the next room, a little more difficult, but it makes me thankful that we don't have to leave her for longer periods or in the care of someone else. 
We're getting to the point where we'd like Madeline to start learning how to feed herself on occasion. She already sticks everything in her mouth, so she's working in the right direction.We were finally able to find some teething biscuits for her to chew on. She's still a little young for smaller finger foods, but the biscuit gives her a chance to experiment with something that's a little tastier than a plastic toy (but a lot messier).
Madeline's laughing a lot more these days, and more often because she really finds something fun or funny. It's almost as if her earlier laughter was somewhat involuntary, but now she'll laugh at a silly face or an odd noise (or a tickle from mommy).
Over the last few months our home's decor has been shifting. Our living spaces were once filled with the baby chair, the swing, the playpen and other places where we could put Madeline down. But now that Madeline can sit and play on her own, those furniture-like devices are giving way to toys.
It's kind of nice, not only because the toys take up less space than the furniture but because Madeline is so much more portable. Instead of carrying her chair from room to room and strapping her in while we work in the kitchen, for example, we can just plop her on the floor and give her one of the many toys that's invariably lying nearby. 
It's a rule in my house - if you have teeth, you've got to brush them.
