Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Dear Edie,

Today you are 10 months old. We are starting to think about planning your first birthday party. Life seems on fast forward these days and it is SO fun to watch you turn into a person with interests, opinions and things to say.
Your biggest accomplishment this month is probably the fact that you are taking steps on your own sometimes. This business of walking is one that you are approaching without much caution. A few times a day you let go of whatever is supporting you - be it the crib, your Dad's knee, or the wall - and painstakingly take 2-3 steps before abruptly sitting or lurching forward. The balance will come, but for now we are mostly impressed with your fearlessness.

You spend much of your time playing with toys while in a kneel type crouch that Dad calls your soccer team pose.
You'll often then take off in a crawl with the toy still clutched in your hand, frequently with another toy in your mouth, reminding me strongly of the "And That's All I Need" scene from The Jerk where Steve Martin tries to leave his wife but needs to take his ashtray, remote control, ping pong paddle, and a few other acquired items. While playing, you also like to hold toys up to show us and say, "Shazaaa!"
You have also become an active climber this month. You can use a footstool to climb onto the couch, you regularly attempt to climb your Father and me to reach our laps, you like to climb up the stairs by yourself to your room each night for bedtime, and on more than one occasion you have climbed your (or another baby's) stroller until you are sitting in it by yourself. It's gotten so that I can't leave you with any sizeable toys in the crib during my shower for fear that you will use them as a stair to climb out. A purchase of a crib tent will likely be on our list for next month.
I am also pleased to report that you have finally started showing a real interest in solid foods. We had a few false starts these last few months in which I got my hopes up over one jar of carrots happily consumed, or a few bites of apple here and there, but the last week and a half have shown a definite change in your eating habits. You still have no interest in being fed by someone else, but will happily feed yourself blueberry halves until the cows come home. You also enjoy yogurt melts, puffs, Annie's mac and cheese, broccoli, whole grain raisin bread (preferably slathered in cream cheese like your Dad), peach chunks, hummus, turkey meatballs and an assortment of other items. You self feed yourself three meals a day now, and while the quantity consumed isn't massive, the consistency with which you stuff food in your face is very exciting for us after such a long wait.

I don't know if I mentioned it and I can't remember exactly when it happened, but you now have 4 teeth, with your top two teeth the newest and almost entirely grown in. You've developed a terrible habit of grinding these four teeth when focused on something.

You love adult music (you still share a special love of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club) but will also stare mesmerized with a frozen grin on your face as I sing The Wheels on the Bus or The Itsy Bitsy Spider. Your verbal skills (as well as your sheer volume) are increasing each month, with imitations of sounds and words being your favored form of conversation. You often make a sort of "psst" noise and then giggle hilariously when I do it back at you; this exchange can be repeated endlessly and you will find it funny every time.
Unfortunately, you've also developed the ability to scream. Sometimes out of nowhere you just let out a scream that's so ear piercing it makes your Dad and I both cringe. On a more positive note, we think you might be trying out one of my favorite phrases, "Taa daa!" which we say a fair amount in our house. This phrase pairs perfectly with your enormous sense of pride in everything you do.

Books have become of major interest to you this month. Whereas in the past you've tolerated me reading to you, you were definitely more interested in eating the pages than hearing a story. Now you take great pride in turning the pages all by yourself and pointing at different things on the page with great intentionality.

You started waving this month. It was particularly cute when you waved at everyone we passed in the Goodwill yesterday. You were in the grocery cart waving to everyone like a princess on a parade float. A princess on a parade float with a runny nose. And the fuzziest head of hair I've ever seen on a baby. The other day someone who thought they were out of my earshot said to her husband, "Did you see that baby's hair?!"
You've had a snotty nose for over a week now, but aside from the charming new ability to blow snot bubbles you seem otherwise unaffected. Your personality remains enthusiastic bordering on frantic, proud, and funny. Your Dad calls you his Charming Caveman. It's okay. He calls me Big Legs Bruton.
love you Bubs,
Mom

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

It Came

Jeff made me wear the helmet.



Monday, June 28, 2010

Cool Rider

Jeff and I bought a Vespa! It's RAD. Quite possibly the only thing that could make it cooler would be a side car, but alas I am destined to ride backseat as a side car isn't really in the budget (and the guy at the Vespa store said that side cars are okay, "If you're trying to be a one man parade." Which was said with a snear. But dude, technically it would be a TWO MAN parade so who's the sucker now?).

I've been meaning to write about the Vespa for a while now, but kept hoping my super cool PINK VESPA JACKET would arrive so I could be photographed in all my pink glory. But the jacket has been delayed time and again and I couldn't resist posting these pics of us taken on our 6 year anniversary this weekend. My Mom, Aunt and cousin took Edie out for a steak dinner while Jeff and I took the scooter to a nearby gastro pub for an anniversary date. I enjoyed a lemon drop and moules frites, and then we took the scenic route home, scooting around town in the evening sunshine.

And PS for those of you not in the know - the post title is a Grease II reference. Shout out to Taylor Erickson! We watched this movie so many times in middle school that I'm almost certain I could still recite all the words. In fact now that I think of it, I'm pretty sure Michelle Phiffer wore a PINK JACKET while singing Cool Rider, no?


Saturday, June 26, 2010

6 Years



Happy Anniversary Honey.

Friday, June 25, 2010

Hummus

Someone likes hummus.






Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Mosquito Side Up

Earlier tonight a mosquito was buzzing around Edie's nursery. Jeff killed it by thwacking it with one of our nice folded towels. Flash forward three hours. I walk into the bathroom to find said towel (with dead mosquito adhered) laid ceremoniously on the bathroom vanity. Mosquito side up.

Jill(Assuming Jeff wasn't picking up after himself): Do you want to explain to me why you left that dead mosquito for me in the bathroom?

Jeff: Maybe it's like when Maurice leaves a dead mouse on the front porch. Maybe it's a gift. Or maybe it's to call attention to the fact that maybe I'm not getting enough acknowledgement for my contributions to this household.

Jill: Are you sure it's not because you're lazy?

Flip Wednesday

We can't keep the rocking chair in her room anymore.


I've been playing Peek-a-boo with Edie using a dish towel for ages, yesterday she figured out how to play it back.

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Father's Day Weekend

You guys. Edie is WALKING. She won't be popping over to the neighbor's for a cup of sugar anytime soon, but... wait... I shouldn't say things like that because this kid knows no limits. Maybe she will! My point is just that for the moment, her max distance travelled is approximate one foot, but YOU GUYS. My child is WALKING. Like taking 2-3 steps by herself to get from one person to the next. It's amazing.

Oh, and our night away from Edie went swimmingly. Edie had a blast and slept through the night for my parents (cue sigh of relief). She ate a few bites of food, screamed with horror when my Mom hula hooped, stepped by herself from Grandma to Great Grandma,
About to let go!

took a bath with their lavender rubber duckie, strolled around the neighb in their pink umbrella stroller in her pjs, and fed Puffs to their dog Toby (and Kona - my brother's dog who happened to be in town as well).

Just about the only thing she didn't do was miss us.

But I missed her. That said, we had a wonderful time as a couple - imagine that! Turns out we still know how to have adult conversation that doesn't all revolve around our baby. We drank wine. We ate tapas. And gelato. Drank sangria. We (okay I) secretly (and not secretly) looked at pictures of Edie on my cell phone. Strolled -sans stroller- the new Bellingham boardwalk. Slept in! It was lovely. And to top it all off, we got to reunite with the Bubs this morning for lunch with my parents
Me and my Dad this morning.

and then dessert with Jeff's family where she stepped from family member to family member at Aunt Kathleen and Uncle Javi's house.

Happy Father's Day Beaner. Thanks for going to Target on your special day to buy more diapers which I let us run out of. Love you.

Playing her drum with Dad this morning.

Friday, June 18, 2010

Progress

Edie's bedtime routine involves a bit of naked time in her nursery (which also involves me chasing her with a towel to catch her nude pees - boy does that girl like to pee in the nude). Tonight Jeff was with us during naked time, sitting in the rocking chair while I sat on the floor with Edie (towel at the ready). When Edie pulled up using my knee and let go to stand by herself we didn't think much of it. It's exciting, but she's been doing that for a while. She'll be supporting herself on the couch or bookshelf, but then get distracted by something exciting and let go and stand solo for long stretches before crouching back down into a crawl pose. But this time she actually took a step to reach Jeff's knees WITHOUT EITHER OF US HOLDING HER HANDS. It was literally just one step, but it was still very exciting. And terrifying. She repeated the process a few minutes later by going from holding onto the dresser to trying to step over to me without support - with slightly less success (knees buckled) - but it would appear Edie is gaining confidence in the walking department. I do have a small fear that she's going to walk sideways for a while, side stepping to the right the whole way - you saw the video we took on the ferry. That girl has a dominate right leg like nobodies business.

In other news under the label of Progress, Edie has started to take a very small interest in food this week. I had been avoiding buying cereal puffs because I couldn't find any natural versions but caved this week when our next door pediatrician suggested them as an eating aid. He said some babies hate being fed and refuse to eat until they can feed themselves and that puffs are less slippery than chopped vegetables or fruits (which makes them easier for self-feeding). They also dissolve in your mouth so aren't hard to swallow. I bought some sweet potato flavored ones as well as apple strawberry and they do seem to be helping. She is very intent on perfecting her pincer grasp and tries to pick up each puff and put it in her mouth. Many end up on the floor after either being let go before her mouth has closed over them or being spit out, but some are definitely being consumed.

I've also had some minimal success with chopped avocado, TJ's turkey meatballs, and tiny cooked noodles filled with hummus (these were HILARIOUS as she would put one in her mouth and then shudder and made bug eyed faces while eating and swallowing them, but then pick up the next one and cram it in). The peas were inserted and then regurgitated with a face that said, "Seriously, what WAS that?" but she ate a few chopped pieces of cherries after lunch and one or two bites of scrambled egg yolk at dinner. Mind you not all of these items were fed at one meal! These were offered over the course of 2 meals per day in the last 5 days. All of this is peanuts compared to other babies this age, but MAJOR progress for Edie. Perhaps the key has resided all along in self-feeding. I gave up long ago trying to get a spoon anywhere near that kid's mouth unless clothed in a full-body-sneeze-guard-like-device, but couldn't figure out how to let her feed herself purees. Maybe we're just going to skip purees?

The last bit of news I have for you is that Jeff and I are going to spend our first Edie-free night tomorrow. We are taking my parents up on a gift given to us ages ago at my baby shower. We will head to Bellingham tomorrow for a free wine tasting, tapas dinner out and hotel stay while Edie sleeps at my parents' house. Jeff's primary request for Father's Day was to sleep in so this will definitely be granted. On Sunday we'll meet up with everyone for lunch and a visit to the Culver side of the fam. We are so looking forward to this. We've been lucky enough to have quite a few date nights with friends and family watching Edie either before or after she goes to bed, but this will be the first time someone else does the entire bedtime routine without us. Wish my parents luck!

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Whipping Cream

She hated it. Like everything else she eats. Sigh.

Also - I'm fully aware of the recent lack of insightful posts here at Jill's Daily. Apologies all around. I'll make it up to you soon.

Monday, June 14, 2010

Rocked Out

The other day, Jeff was rocking out with Edie in the early evening. Rocking Out consists of Jeff playing his favorite songs on the computer in his office upstairs and making Edie dance super hard to the music. She LOVES this activity. So after rocking out for 15 minutes or so, He sat her in his lap and checked his email quickly. When he looked down, this is what he found.

Before we woke her, we had a tiny photo shoot.




Friday, June 11, 2010

A Playdate with Danny

This photo shoot would have been immeasurably cuter if Edie would just HOLD STILL for more than half a second. She could learn a thing or two from Danny's posing skills. Edie is a total blur in pretty much all of these, but what can I say? The kid knows how to have a good (if slightly manic) time.
I believe this is when Edie ran over to Danny in order to tear out his pacifier. Danny isn't quite as mobile as Edie yet (likely the result of his ... ahem ... girth) so Edie mostly spends their playdates mauling him and taking his toys.
Edie was pretty excited to sit in Danny's tiny chair.

Trying not to let it bother me that Edie is ruining what could have been the cutest picture ever with her constant movement. It's like she's a ghost baby.


Sunday, June 6, 2010

Home again

We had a wonderful weekend on Orcas. Before photos and details: a brief shout-out must go to Amy who kindly looked after our first born (Maurice) while we were gone. Thanks Amy!

After driving to the ferry Friday morning in a torrential downpour, we planned a wintry menu; assuming we'd be curled up inside with a fire. But as the ferry left the Anacortes dock, the clouds slowly disappeared and we had nothing but summer sunshine and June-appropriate temperatures (for Seattle) until Sunday morning when the rain returned with a vengence. So while we may have been dining on smoked salmon and corn chowder in 70 degree weather, it was totally worth it to have this view on our walk:
Edie had maybe the best time of her entire life on Saturday. She was allowed to get filthy at the beach, eat sand, pet a dog, be constantly entertained by 4 different adults, and spent much of the day wearing nothing but a onesie while riding on Dad's shoulders.

Friday night, Tikka and Edie watching Beth make chocolate cream pie.
Saturday morning, post shower:
Edie's favorite toy of the weekend was this pair of safety goggles:

I love this picture of Chris entertaining Edie:Breakfast - french toast, bacon and peaches with raspberries. Fewer things have hit the spot like this meal did for me.
Post-breakfast nap, about to be plunked into her pack n play:
The view out back as the temperature warmed up:
The view up front on the deck:
Heading down to the beach:

Left to right - Tikka, Chris, Beth and Jeff holding Edie:



Then we strolled inland a bit:

Later, Jeff and Chris took Tikka and Edie for a walk while Beth and I napped. When I woke up, I realized they'd been gone for a while and wandered down to find them on Shell Island...

Guacamole on the deck during E's afternoon nap:
Somehow the photos drop off at this point, perhaps that glass or two of wine during dinner prep contributed to the cause. I'll leave you with this photo of Edie watching the skylight leak on Sunday morning: