Alice, at 13 1/2 months old, is just a smiley as ever. She even kinda smiles as she’s whining, believe it or not. Anyone who’s spent any kind of time on this blog has seen oodles of baby smiles from this little one. So just to mix things up, I decided it was high time to point out that she’s not always smiley. Sometimes, something other than a grin graces her chubby little face. Here are some of those instances.

1) When she’s reading a book.

2) WHEN, FOR A BRIEF, MAGICAL MOMENT IN TIME, FAT ANGRY BABY RETURNS.

Sorry for blast of all-caps, but I’m just so excited.

I love Fat Angry Baby. She fills my heart with sugarplums.

3) When she spaces out in red-balloon-filled wonder.

4) When the hand reaches forth to grab.

5) When she decides to do her Baby Senator: Elect Me! pose.

She’s almost got it down–except for the hand in the mouth part.

Though perhaps voters would find that endearing.

6) When she’s stuffing something or another in her mouth.

She’s been a fierce eater from day 1.

7) When it’s time to brush teeth.

She’s very serious about dental hygiene.

Her dentist grandma might have something to do with that.

8) Anything involving keys, after the initial smile of delight, requires 100% focused attention.

9) We just started giving her whole milk the other week, and she LOVES it. As soon as the bottle is in her hands, she gets down to business.

This baby’s love of milk is no laughing matter.

10) Strangers . . . they don’t always get a smile. Not even Mama Kitty.

Who, by the way, dubbed Alice “Little Apple Cheeks” over Thanksgiving. It melts me. I’d always secretly wanted Mama Kitty to pick a nickname for Alice.

11) When she surveys her kingdom from on high.

12) Must. Grab. Sparkly. Thing. From. Tree.

But we’ll end with a smile. When a little person in a little robe greets me every morning, I remember that life is capital-G Good.