Rested

It's amazing how much of it difference it makes to get consecutive hours of sleeping at night. Tuesday and Wednesday nights (both nights) Froglette managed to not wake up at all until after 5 am. And on Wednesday morning, she even went back to sleep after PEter brought her in for her morning snuggle/nursing. He eventually had to wake her up to get ready for school - amazing! I'm hoping for a third night in the row, but I'm not counting on anything. I've learned that lesson at least!

Froglette learned a new word. This morning she said [tʃIti] (which might sound like "chitty" if you don't speak IPA). So, that's "kitty"!! PEter read her Nini Here and There last night before bed and she was enamored with the kitty in the book. This morning we ended up reading it twice before leaving the house and she kept herself entertained with it while I was getting dressed. So, finally she has a word for kitty! I also forgot to mention that she has [bʌk] for "book". She learned that word as well as the sign for it in the same day (or at least first demonstrated that she knew the sign and word. She's signs some - we aren't hard core into signing by any means but she seems to enjoy it and she acquired signs for things well before her first words.

In personal news, I found out that I was cited (an article I coauthored quite a few years ago actually) which is super cool. It's the first time I've known about, and I just happened upon it after googling myself (ironically to try to find an electronic copy of said article, which, no luck). So, that was a nice feeling. Plus, the presentation I co-presented yesterday went fairly well too, so a big sigh of relief. Now to prepare for the one I'm REALLY freaking out about!

So, that's the news from here. It's cold again and dreary. But, the cardinals and robins are out so hopefully it's just a matter of time before the weather warms up.

Happy 15th months!

Whoops, so we neglected the blog here for a few (many) months. Sorry about that! Life just got in the way and we were busy playing and singing and running around like maniacs. But, blogging is back!


Today is the little girl's 15th month birthday. I can't believe how big she is! Check it out!

It seems like just the other day she was nestled in her little plastic box at the hospital.

Not only does she have a smile and an evily little grin, but she also has a rapidly expanding vocabulary. She can say "more" [mo], "mama" [mama] and "dada" [dada'], "no" [no] (which is often nononono in rapid succession). She also uses "whoof" [w^f] for dogs. Her passive vocabulary is vast (by this I mean that she clearly comprehends much more than she produces). When we get her from school each night, we ask her to sit down outside her classroom door so that we can change her shoes. She happily* follows directions and will go find her boots and try mightily to get them on her feet. 

The chickadee also has 6 (6!) teeth now. The first four are fully through but the last two on the top are still struggling to fully descend.**

She got to jump in puddles for the first time last week as we had a spell of weather in the 50s and 60s so the ice and snow melted. Apparently puddle jumping is an innate behavior because she just knew exactly what to do when confronted with a puddle! Splash! She's also been begging for rides in the stroller. When she sees it she starts trying to climb up in it to go out! I think she's has cabin fever too. She's also a fan of dancing and will nod her head (a headbanger in training?) and do cute little gyrations to the music. She just started spinning in circles too - so maybe she's a fan of hippie dance?

Things have been a bit better for Cole recently as well. The pinching and other painful behavior is mostly gone. Now she tries to hug him (which, granted, does often end up in a body slam to the floor, but, well, she tries) and kiss him. She likes to rest her head on his belly which he tolerates for much longer than one would expect. She still worships him and we can't get over how excited she is by his existence. 

We have some adventures coming up soon. We head to southern CA in 10 days for a quick vacation/wedding of a friend. We're hoping to take Froglette to  the ocean and the zoo. And then it's spring break (we're staying here but hoping to play hooky a bit and go have fun as a family) and then we're heading to Chicago so I can present at a conference. Busy busy!

*Okay, so not so happily recently. We seem to be having a grouchy streak. Sigh.

** We think that these teeth may be the cause of some of the grouchiness. We hope. Or maybe it's other new teeth?

Knee high

by the fourth of July

We hear from our corn geneticist neighbor that this doesn't apply to corn any longer here (it better be much higher than your knee!) but we were pleased to see that our own little corn is more than knee high!

Happy Birthday Peter!

Happy Half a Year

Can you believe that little thing has been around for 6 months already? The incessant crying, and yelling. And now she wants to move, and pulls my tail and my hair. I'm not so sure how I feel about this little thing sticking around much longer.

[Seriously though, its been 6 months! Half a year! She's so much bigger, it's amazing. Happy Half Birthday, baby - PEter]

water

Do you remember this story? Go check it out, I'll wait.

.

.

.

.

Well, we think that our baby might be part cat.

On Monday, we were relaxing at home. PEter was drinking some water, as he is prone to do. Little Froglette was intrigued. What is this? she asked.

Peter let her investigate his glass.

Ooooo, I want that! she exclaimed. (I'm translating here, a direct quote would be "ffffbsbbbvvv [spit] [spit]"

She "daintily" slobbered on the outside and grabbed the glass tightly. Of course, when she did finally get a little water in her mouth, she wasn't a big fan.

Perhaps this means a sippy or straw cup is in our near future? Or our baby is part cat? Or the cat was part baby? So many unanswered questions...

Phil - 5/3/1942 to 5/24/2006

Happy Birthday today Dad.

You'd be pretty excited by all the changes around here. Your granddaughter Froglette has your smile and I think of you whenever we get her to break out into a big, gummy grin. There's still some chance that she has the Alice gene too - her eyes are awfully blue and her hair is coming in much lighter. We go for walks most afternoons when we get home from school and I tell her little stories about home. We saw a black and orange caterpillar a few weeks ago and I got to tell her the story of the caterpillars! I was laughing so hard remembering that story.

I'm also almost done with coursework for my PhD. I promised you I would - and although for a time I wasn't sure I could do it - I'm getting closer and closer. You'd still be a bit puzzled I imagine, but what I'm doing now would be so much easier to explain! And I think it would be clear how much I enjoy what I'm doing.

Froglette and I will be home for a bit in July to see everyone. Except you of course. I miss you all the time. We're all taking care of each other - I think you'd be proud of what me, Mom and Sis have managed. We're a strong trio. And now there are four women who share your name.

I love you.

Growing bigger every day

Today I picked up the cat and realized with a start that the baby weighs more than the kitty. When did that happen!? She's getting big and strong and older every day. I'm a bit amazed that I've made her. And really, I have. She's completely composed of me plus air and whatever water she can suck off a washcloth during her bath. It's odd, really, to realize that you've not only created someone but are also continuing to help her grow. It'll be strange to start the transition to food in another few weeks.

The New York Times has a story about a study out that shows that fewer than 75% of women start out breastfeeding their babies and only about 40 percent were still breastfeeding at 6 months. Just about 21% were still breastfeeding at one year. You can find the link to the CDC publication here it's the second article in the publication). And those rates are not for exclusive breastfeeding but for moms doing at least some breastfeeding. I'm for some reason surprised at these numbers. On the one hand, 75% seems fairly high given the lack of moms I know who breastfeed around here. But I think it's particularly interesting how quickly the numbers drop. I'd suspect that work plays a big part of this. I'm fortunate that not only is my schedule amazingly flexible but that there are a few other nursing moms in my program. A retiring professor has loaned us her office to use for pumping which is nice. FarmU has lactation rooms across campus, but it's much easier to haul my stuff up one flight of stairs instead of to a different building. Continuing to pump without this support would be much more difficult.

We got permission from the pediatrician to start Froglette on solids at her four month check up, but he also said that there was no need to start her at that age. The AAP recommends exclusive breastfeeding for approximating six months and then a slow introduction of food at that time. She got a pea sized amount of avocado Monday night - and made the most ew-yuck face I have ever seen. She kept smacking her lips (not in a good way) trying to figure out what was this thing in her mouth. She did swallow it so it seems that she's lost her tongue thrust reflex which is useful. We don't have a clear plan for how we're going to start food at this point. There are a lot of useful websites that provide information about different approaches to introducing solid foods. Based on my reading, I think that we'll play with introducing avocado again in another week or so after the semester ends and then go from there. I'm not expecting her to all of a sudden love avocados (although seriously, why wouldn't you! yum yum) but to figure out how the whole eating thing works. I'm in no rush to get her eating more and more food and I'm happy to read that foods should be complementary to breastfeeding rather than replacing it. So - our next adventure is FOOD!

Enjoying the sunshine

We sat outside for a while in the shade Tuesday night. As you can see, Froglette had a great time. Our neighbor and his dog joined us for a while which gave Froglette plenty of things to look at. This girl likes being outside! We've been lucky and the weather's been nice enough to get a good walk in almost every day. They've even played outside at daycare and yesterday they took all the kids on a walk through the "forest".

I got this new wrap to wear her in while walking.

It's a woven wrap so it has less stretch than the Moby (the orange one). Our next thing to try is to wear her on my back!! She's getting a little less squirmy, so I'm hoping to give it a try in the next few weeks.

Peter wore her in it during our trip to Minneapolis over Spring Break. She slept a lot in it and we were able to walk and explore the area near our hotel.

We also have a mei tai. Here's PEter testing it out with the help of Cole.

I've worn her in it a few times, but keep reaching for the wrap first. We'll have to keep trying it out. It also allows you to wear the little one on your back too.

So much fun! We haven't used our stroller much yet, but I love going for walks this way.

We have a roller!

This was her second roll of the night. We turned the light on overhead and Peter filmed this

Roll #3!!

And then she rolled for a fourth time! She rolled from right to left and from left to right. She seemed pretty pleased with herself!

by the numbers

1 Baby

4 months

14 pounds 7 ounces

24 inches

61 children's books

4 baby carriers (wraps)

50 kagillion loads of laundry

+6 hours of consecutive sleep

So corny...

(Little Froglette in her corn on the cob outfit from L at Winter in the Cities)

giggle, giggle, snort, hahahah

So, the baby is laughing! She's been giggling for a few weeks now, but over the weekend those giggles became full on belly laughs! I haven't had this much fun in years, if not ever. We spent an inordinate amount of time trying to make her laugh! Weeeeeeeeee!

Giggles-McGee is getting older and bigger these days. She's definitely showing sides of her personality, likes and dislikes, and has strong preferences for how she likes things. I'd expect nothing less from my daughter, but I'm surprised at how clearly (read: loudly) she expresses her opinions about things.

Grandma and Aunt K are arriving Thursday for a quick visit during Spring Break and my birthday. They've suggested that they might babysit for a night and Peter and I could go have dinner on our own, by ourselves. That's such an amazing idea I don't even know how to contemplate it! We'll have the schedule this early on, before they realize what they're signing themselves up for!

I'm busy working on my three concurrent projects and Peter's working hard at finding us a neat place to go for the summer (anybody know anybody with leads for an internship for him?). Of course, we're also up to our ears in laundry, house stuff, and a lonely cat. It's busy these days.

More pictures when I get some time.

3 month snow bunny

3 months (already?) - no longer a fetus!*

Happy 3 month birthday Froglette!

To mark the occasion, yesterday she discovered that she has feet! She spent an inordinate amount of time contemplating her little feet with very serious expressions on her face. It's apparently hard and important work to study one's feet. She can reliably get her hands to her mouth and her little fists are slowly starting to open up. She's grabbed things a few times, but I think it's been more accidental than purposeful.

In last month, she flew on her first plane (a trip out east to visit Nonnina (her east coast grandma) and her cousins M & M. She's a great flyer and made friends with all of the people on the plane and in the airport. Probably helped that I was wearing her in the Moby - people thought we were a strange looking sight! We discovered that we don't need quite as many clothes for her as we had packed, but we did need all the diapers!

She's also apparently developing some skin sensitivities. There are several diaper brands that we can't put her in any longer due to the bright red rash she gets. Boo. Just like her mom unfortunately. I'm hoping she grows out of this, cuz it's a pain to have skin allergies. Not life threatening or anything - but the itching... ouch.

In loud news, she's discovering her voice. She lets us all know right away if something isn't to her liking. Yesterday she was distressed for so long that Cole came to see what the fuss was about. This is the first time he seems to have noticed that we had a baby! Grandma's cat heard her over skype and came over to the computer to check her out too!

I can't believe my little baby is getting so big so fast. We pulled out all of her newborn and much of her 0-3 month clothes yesterday, some to set aside for the future (maybe?) and some to resell. The 3 month stuff is a teeny bit big (except for the carter's 3 month, their stuff runs long and she's a short girl) but she's going to be wearing it all very soon.

We're all having a bit of cabin fever here. I'm hoping for some decent weather soon so we can go for a walk. We used the stroller twice right after she was born, but then the snow came and we haven't been out since. Unfortunately, the weather people just said that we'll be having more record lows (but no more snow) for the rest of the week. Sigh. Maybe we need a vacation in Aruba?

Grandma and Aunt K will be out in a little less than 3 weeks to visit for spring break/my birthday. I can't wait to show off our little girl!

And finally, I can wear my wedding rings again! Only 6 months after I had to take them off! Hooray!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*Some argue that the first three months of life for baby are really its fourth trimester and that it's also the fourth trimester of pregnancy for mom. Baby is figuring out what it's like to be out in the world and mom's body is slowly changing away from its pregnant state.

BFF

they make a cute pair, don't they?

Flower Dress

Sorry for the light posting. We're all recovering from a cold (sniffles and congestion mostly). Little Froglette is doing well - she's discovered that she loves the bath. Her Aunt and Grandma made her curtains for her room and she's fascinated by the way that the light shines through them, turning the room orange and red.

Here's a new picture.

Smiles

look how you've grown

A quick series showing Froglette's rapid weight gain!

With Grandma at the hospital 3 days old

With Grandma 13 days old

You can see how in just 10 days, her face filled out! This was the day we went to the pediatrician too. She weighed 6 12 at birth and was 8 pounds even 13 days later.

my new best friend

My friend Kari loaned me the most amazing baby device when we went back west in August. I was talking on the phone with her a few weeks ago, lamenting that little Froglette wouldn't let me put her down for hours at a time. Kari reminded me of the Moby wrap and told me that it saved her sanity at the beginning. Boy was she right! We love the Moby!

It's a million miles (I guess 20 feet?) of stretchy fabric that you wrap and tie around you before slipping in baby. The first few times I used it were a little confusing, but thanks to the helpful videos While Froglette loves it when she sleeps, we haven't yet mastered using it when she's awake. But, you can see by the smiles on my face how happy I am to use my hands again.

Remembering childhood

I'm resting on the couch at the moment, enjoying a quiet moment with Froglette and letting my mind wander. I'm struck by the unbidden memories that float to the top.

When I was little, we lived in the country in Idaho for a while. My parents bought a house with some acreage and we farmed alfalfa while my dad was a computer engineer for HP. I have the mostly hazy memories of a young child, but one of my favorites is of the pheasants. They loved to nest in our field, and our dog Tinker would go out and bring home their eggs. Pheasant eggs are beautiful things, large (maybe the size of duck eggs?) and lovely shades of greenish brown. Tinker could bring home the eggs completely unblemished in her mouth - an impressive feat it always seemed. I brought them to kindergarten at least once to share with the teacher. I wonder know what Mrs Heart must have thought of that. Was she appreciative? Was it a strange act?

We have pheasants here in the Middle as well. I saw many of them last spring while driving back and forth to the SLAC I taught at. They were so beautiful with their white ringed necks and shiny green heads. They must like nesting in the corn and soy fields as well.

I wonder what stories and half formed memories Froglette will have of this time in the Middle? What stories we'll tell seven bajillion times until Froglette can repeat them without having experienced them first hand? I'm sure that stories of Miles will figure prominently. I can tell stories of at least 2 cats that were around before my time as if they are my own memories. And I know stories of my parents' dating and college days, building houses, and traveling on the motorcycle. I love how these stories and memories come floating to the surface unbidden, triggered by random thoughts and associations.