It's official! I am walking now!
When I started crawling a couple months ago, Mommy stopped putting dresses on me for the most part, since it was hard to crawl in a dress.
Since I've been close to walking but "choosing" not to go more than a step or too, Mommy decided to put dresses on me starting last week. Everybody thinks I look very pretty in them, so I decided to make the best of the situation and perfect the "dress crawl." (For you jobbernowls, probably of the male gender, that's crawling with one knee and one foot.)
Well, I still prefer crawling, but today I decided it was time to stand up and walk. So I've been walking to people - albeit not too far, but far enough to apodictically call it walking.
And every time I do it, I get a big hug and lots of cheers. That's the best part!
In fact, this is so exciting that I don't want to sleep! I skipped both my naps today because there is just way too much to see and do now that I'm walking! The whole world awaits me!
Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a lot of shank's mare travelin' to do . . .
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Sunday, January 27, 2008
All Alone!?
Mommy Dearest here: This isn't a blog debating the pros and cons of a family bed – every parent can decide the best option for himself. To set the record straight, it was never my intention to have baby sleep in the big bed. But for many reasons, some legitimate, Esme has been mostly sleeping in our bed for the last 4 or 5 months.
And cuddling up next to such a sweet little snuggler at bedtime has its perks. Even waking up to her pokes and prods starts the day off with a smile.
But the last couple of months have become increasingly painful as Esme has "regressed" in some ways, like waking up three times a night for a snack, made very easy since her food source is right there next to her. Even more painful is the fact that she now refuses to sleep in her crib even for naps. And since the bed isn't childproof by any means, that means someone has to be with her 24/7, even during the "non-bonding" moments while she is asleep. So when is Mommy supposed to get anything done? Even showering has become a challenge again as Esme tries to climb in with me and cries when the soapy water hits her eyes.
As Esme gets longer, her Mommy and Daddy get pushed farther to the edge, since she persists in sleeping lengthwise between us. We are both about half off the bed now. I was just reading that after the age of 3 months, it only gets harder and harder over time to move the baby to another bed, for the baby as well as the parent.
So NOW is the time. Tonight she is going to sleep in her own crib. NO DEBATE. It is Friday night, so we have all weekend to recover from any lack of sleep.
Esme here: Don't I get some say in this? It is very lonely in my crib. I may never see my Mommy and Daddy again if I fall asleep in here!
First hour (8 p.m.): Mommy keeps reading and reading to me while I stand in my crib. It's okay, but I'd rather be sitting next to her. Daddy puts up the bedroom door (which got taken down five months ago when we moved in so we could fit the crib through the doorframe). I start getting fussy near the end of the hour.
Second hour: Now Mommy is singing to me. Daddy gets the stereo system from downstairs in the living room and moves it into the bedroom. (MD: Is that a reflection on my singing abilities?) At one point Mommy leaves to do an errand elsewhere in the house. I cry and Daddy rescues me out of the crib. Then Mommy comes back and puts me back in the crib.
Third hour: Daddy disappears to the living room to sleep on the couch. (MD: Now we comprehend the reason for the bedroom door going up – it blocks a little sound!) If only he were here – I might stand a chance with a sympathetic ear around. We get the music on: some Dallas Holm alternated with Dick Tunney's keyboard playing. It is very relaxing to lie here with Mommy scratching my back and head. But why can't I lie with Mommy and Daddy in their bed??? (MD: Is this really worth it? It would be so easy – and Esme would be so happy – just to put her to sleep in our bed. I have to keep reminding myself that this is for Esme's good as much as for ours – that I'm not just being selfish in wanting her out of my bed.)
Fourth hour (up til midnight): I'm battle-weary and war-worn, but I have fought a good fight. Sorry, all you other babies; I've given it my all and can't give any more. I am succumbing to sleep . . . Tomorrow is another day . . . Zzzzz . . .
MD: And she sleeps – amazing – all the way until 7 a.m.! No nighttime snacks! Can it really be this easy?
Sabbath naptimes – she slept in her crib for both of them! The first one for about 2 hours; the second for half an hour! You can say I cheated by nursing her to sleep first, but you must understand that I've tried this before – MANY TIMES – and she ALWAYS wakes up and cries the moment her head touches the crib mattress!
Saturday night: OK, tonight I'm really tired. I still don't want to sleep by myself. But Mommy reads to me again, and sings, and plays music, and rubs my back. And so far she has always been right there with me when I wake up and cry. I'm asleep in two hours this time.
MD: This night she sleeps until 4 a.m. and then wakes for a snack. An hour later, with some coaxing, she's back asleep in her crib. She's awake at 8:30 – ready for the day.
OK – we can do this! She's slept two nights in her crib! Soon she won't give it a second thought!
Sunday morning nap: I fall asleep on Mommy's lap as she's nursing me. She picks me up and sets me down in my crib. NO, NO! I know this trick! It's not going to work this time! Get me up and OUTA HERE!
I jettison everything out of my crib as Mommy tries to coax me to sleep again and gets the music going. (MD: We changed Dallas Holm to The Gaither Vocal Band – maybe that's the problem?) Then I go for my crib mobile. I force two animals off and jettison those, too. (MD: Uh oh – the animals appear to be baby proof, but not sure if the plastic and music parts are.) I would stop all this kerfuffle if Mommy would just let me sleep with her in her bed.
Finally Mommy gives up, but she doesn't get me out of the crib like I want. She sits by my crib and starts typing on the computer while I moan and groan. I even jettison my dummy (pacifier). Doesn't she know I need my dummy desperately? Where's my Daddy? DADDY?!!!?
MD: I get her dummy back to her and pat her back some more. Where did we go wrong? I KNOW she's tired. I've got three options – (1) keep trying to get her to sleep in her crib and see who's more stubborn, (2) let her out of her crib so she can play, even though she's tired, and (3) get her to sleep on my bed and take a nap with her – and then we'll BOTH feel better.
I call her Daddy (who is at work at the fabrication shop). He hears her complaining in the background and says she can't understand why she's being punished, and neither can he. That's NOT what I needed to hear.
I give up. I'm hungry, and we're getting close to two hours of unproductive crib time. We go downstairs and get some lunch. She comes close to falling asleep in her high chair.
When does this end? Will she ever sleep happily on her own? Or will she be crying about being alone at the age of 3? 7? 10? 13? 22? 48? 92?
How can I teach her that she is never, ever, truly alone?
And cuddling up next to such a sweet little snuggler at bedtime has its perks. Even waking up to her pokes and prods starts the day off with a smile.
But the last couple of months have become increasingly painful as Esme has "regressed" in some ways, like waking up three times a night for a snack, made very easy since her food source is right there next to her. Even more painful is the fact that she now refuses to sleep in her crib even for naps. And since the bed isn't childproof by any means, that means someone has to be with her 24/7, even during the "non-bonding" moments while she is asleep. So when is Mommy supposed to get anything done? Even showering has become a challenge again as Esme tries to climb in with me and cries when the soapy water hits her eyes.
As Esme gets longer, her Mommy and Daddy get pushed farther to the edge, since she persists in sleeping lengthwise between us. We are both about half off the bed now. I was just reading that after the age of 3 months, it only gets harder and harder over time to move the baby to another bed, for the baby as well as the parent.
So NOW is the time. Tonight she is going to sleep in her own crib. NO DEBATE. It is Friday night, so we have all weekend to recover from any lack of sleep.
Esme here: Don't I get some say in this? It is very lonely in my crib. I may never see my Mommy and Daddy again if I fall asleep in here!
First hour (8 p.m.): Mommy keeps reading and reading to me while I stand in my crib. It's okay, but I'd rather be sitting next to her. Daddy puts up the bedroom door (which got taken down five months ago when we moved in so we could fit the crib through the doorframe). I start getting fussy near the end of the hour.
Second hour: Now Mommy is singing to me. Daddy gets the stereo system from downstairs in the living room and moves it into the bedroom. (MD: Is that a reflection on my singing abilities?) At one point Mommy leaves to do an errand elsewhere in the house. I cry and Daddy rescues me out of the crib. Then Mommy comes back and puts me back in the crib.
Third hour: Daddy disappears to the living room to sleep on the couch. (MD: Now we comprehend the reason for the bedroom door going up – it blocks a little sound!) If only he were here – I might stand a chance with a sympathetic ear around. We get the music on: some Dallas Holm alternated with Dick Tunney's keyboard playing. It is very relaxing to lie here with Mommy scratching my back and head. But why can't I lie with Mommy and Daddy in their bed??? (MD: Is this really worth it? It would be so easy – and Esme would be so happy – just to put her to sleep in our bed. I have to keep reminding myself that this is for Esme's good as much as for ours – that I'm not just being selfish in wanting her out of my bed.)
Fourth hour (up til midnight): I'm battle-weary and war-worn, but I have fought a good fight. Sorry, all you other babies; I've given it my all and can't give any more. I am succumbing to sleep . . . Tomorrow is another day . . . Zzzzz . . .
MD: And she sleeps – amazing – all the way until 7 a.m.! No nighttime snacks! Can it really be this easy?
Sabbath naptimes – she slept in her crib for both of them! The first one for about 2 hours; the second for half an hour! You can say I cheated by nursing her to sleep first, but you must understand that I've tried this before – MANY TIMES – and she ALWAYS wakes up and cries the moment her head touches the crib mattress!
Saturday night: OK, tonight I'm really tired. I still don't want to sleep by myself. But Mommy reads to me again, and sings, and plays music, and rubs my back. And so far she has always been right there with me when I wake up and cry. I'm asleep in two hours this time.
MD: This night she sleeps until 4 a.m. and then wakes for a snack. An hour later, with some coaxing, she's back asleep in her crib. She's awake at 8:30 – ready for the day.
OK – we can do this! She's slept two nights in her crib! Soon she won't give it a second thought!
Sunday morning nap: I fall asleep on Mommy's lap as she's nursing me. She picks me up and sets me down in my crib. NO, NO! I know this trick! It's not going to work this time! Get me up and OUTA HERE!
I jettison everything out of my crib as Mommy tries to coax me to sleep again and gets the music going. (MD: We changed Dallas Holm to The Gaither Vocal Band – maybe that's the problem?) Then I go for my crib mobile. I force two animals off and jettison those, too. (MD: Uh oh – the animals appear to be baby proof, but not sure if the plastic and music parts are.) I would stop all this kerfuffle if Mommy would just let me sleep with her in her bed.
Finally Mommy gives up, but she doesn't get me out of the crib like I want. She sits by my crib and starts typing on the computer while I moan and groan. I even jettison my dummy (pacifier). Doesn't she know I need my dummy desperately? Where's my Daddy? DADDY?!!!?
MD: I get her dummy back to her and pat her back some more. Where did we go wrong? I KNOW she's tired. I've got three options – (1) keep trying to get her to sleep in her crib and see who's more stubborn, (2) let her out of her crib so she can play, even though she's tired, and (3) get her to sleep on my bed and take a nap with her – and then we'll BOTH feel better.
I call her Daddy (who is at work at the fabrication shop). He hears her complaining in the background and says she can't understand why she's being punished, and neither can he. That's NOT what I needed to hear.
I give up. I'm hungry, and we're getting close to two hours of unproductive crib time. We go downstairs and get some lunch. She comes close to falling asleep in her high chair.
When does this end? Will she ever sleep happily on her own? Or will she be crying about being alone at the age of 3? 7? 10? 13? 22? 48? 92?
How can I teach her that she is never, ever, truly alone?
Friday, January 25, 2008
The Highchair
See the photo . . . Need we say more?
The Highchair
-by Steve Chapman
Who is that little fellow
With ketchup on his nose
Spaghetti in his hair
And a Kodak pose?
Who's sitting in that highchair
Keeping rhythm with a spoon?
Who's got your full attention
And you're crazy as a loon?
Well, he might be the doctor
Who finally finds the cure;
Or the one who leads schools back into prayer;
Or the one who'll be your friend
When you're old and all alone;
You don't know who's sitting in that highchair.
Who is that little lady,
Charming as a lamb,
Painting like an artist
With that pudding in her hands?
Who's sitting in that highchair
With her supper on the floor?
Who's got you saying things
Like "I can't take it anymore"?
She might be the first lady
To fly beyond the moon;
Or the one who changes history with her prayers;
Or she might be there with you
When you're old and all alone;
You don't know who's sitting in that highchair.
Step back, take a look;
Take a picture of this moment in your mind;
That dirty face, in heaven's book
Is where the future treasures always seem to hide.
He might be the doctor, who finally finds the cure;
Or she might change history with her prayers;
Or they may be there with you
When you're old and alone;
You don't know who's sitting in that highchair.
Space School
I don't got to be Cinderella anymore. Ms. Catherine started working here yesterday and is cleaning the house for us now. Hopefully she will come back on Monday. She likes to play with me and makes me laugh.
So I got to do space school instead. Mommy and I made a rocket. We posted a picture of it – check it out.
I did the important parts like chewing the ribbon for the tail to make it curl and licking all the toilet paper off the toilet paper roll.
Then we drew a picture of Mars, the red planet. I colored myself red, too, so I would blend in when we got there. Did you know Mars has days of 24 hours like Earth?
After that we played that I disappeared in a black hole (aka peekaboo).
I wore a diaper just like the astronauts do.
I banged my head at least twice so I got to see stars. Then we put my plastic ice cube on my head so I could feel how cold Mars is. (Thank goodness we weren't trying out Mercury's temperatures.
We played ring-around-the-moon with my ring set and a ping pong ball. Then Daddy tried to help me moonwalk on the ping pong table, but I like mooncrawling much better.
Then Mommy and I put together a mnemonic so I could remember the eight planets in order. We used my picture dictionary to find words. Here's what we came up with: "Mouse visits elephant man. Jack-in-the-box sings under nest." I wanted to use "noon" instead of "nest," but Mommy said that didn't make sense. I don't think "nest" makes sense, either.
So I got to do space school instead. Mommy and I made a rocket. We posted a picture of it – check it out.
I did the important parts like chewing the ribbon for the tail to make it curl and licking all the toilet paper off the toilet paper roll.
Then we drew a picture of Mars, the red planet. I colored myself red, too, so I would blend in when we got there. Did you know Mars has days of 24 hours like Earth?
After that we played that I disappeared in a black hole (aka peekaboo).
I wore a diaper just like the astronauts do.
I banged my head at least twice so I got to see stars. Then we put my plastic ice cube on my head so I could feel how cold Mars is. (Thank goodness we weren't trying out Mercury's temperatures.
We played ring-around-the-moon with my ring set and a ping pong ball. Then Daddy tried to help me moonwalk on the ping pong table, but I like mooncrawling much better.
Then Mommy and I put together a mnemonic so I could remember the eight planets in order. We used my picture dictionary to find words. Here's what we came up with: "Mouse visits elephant man. Jack-in-the-box sings under nest." I wanted to use "noon" instead of "nest," but Mommy said that didn't make sense. I don't think "nest" makes sense, either.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Abundance vs. Self-Denial
Written by Esme's mommy – thanks, readers, for allowing this deviation of format from time to time . . .
My cousin Mike recently started a blog of his thoughts on being daddy to his three girls (ages 3 & 4). Here's an excerpt of a post that stuck in my mind:
I really enjoy telling my children "no" when they ask for things. It's just that I think they need to learn to deal with negative responses to their requests, to grow out of their egocentric sense of entitlement. But something in the way I relish the denial of their petition seems wrong in light of "Ask, and you will receive....If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" Help me to learn a spirit of abundance rather than scarcity, even if it is best not to indulge my kids' every cry of "I want..."
http://whosyourdaddydiary.blogspot.com/2008/01/weak-of-prayer-part-2-confession.html
Now, my first thought on why this stuck in my mind was the use of the word "no." I wonder if Esme will learn any other words, since it seems that this is the only one I say from sunup to sundown, as she travels from toilet brush to computer cords to trash can to dog food to steep stairs to knife drawer to carpet lint to cookie crumbs and back again. Out of context from Mike's point, but it seems that I too enjoy the use of the word "no" and need to allow for more discovery on Esme's part!
Today's experience highlighted a different aspect of what he wrote. Today's Mommy's Group meeting was at a beautiful house I hadn't been to before – at least 4 stories overlooking the ocean. We met in the lower level, which was completely set up for babies like mine – mats and low couches and pillows on the ground, and every toy imaginable neatly organized to keep a baby entertained for months.
I watched Esme giggle as she wrapped a pink feather boa around herself. She softly sang as she picked out her unique melody on the xylophone and made marks on the MagnaDoodle. And the list of new adventures could have gone on forever with that fascinating array of toys.
As I watched her face light up during her toy exploration, my mother heart got a little green. Some of you have heard me complaining recently about my boredom with Esme's "traditional" toys – which incidentally fit into a Medium UHaul box. And of those, only one was purchased with money from my pocket.
Caveat: Please don't think her deprived in the way of toys. As Esme's Daddy accurately pointed out, it isn't every baby who has her own scooter, boogie board, skateboard, kayak, surf board, table tennis gear, and rock climbing harness.
I was all ready to stop and shop for toys (lots of toys) at the nearest store on the way home, but fortunately Esme decided it was naptime, and from experience I know shopping with a sleepy baby is not pleasant. So we postponed the shopping trip.
And as I was putting her to sleep at home for her nap, ( I have a couple of books that I try to read a chapter a day during the baby down time when I can't do anything else) the chapter that just happened to be up for reading had to do with teaching your children self-denial. It even suggested a self-denial jar where you collect the money you would have spent on yourself and then do something meaningful with it. So the shopping trip got totally cancelled.
Now I have two questions for myself:
1) Am I passing on my martyrdom issues to my daughter?
Looking at my past, I have a great history of self-denial interspersed with splurges. I'll go for more than a year without buying any clothes (I'm not worth it) and then say, "What the heck?" and buy myself a $200 dress I wear once. Or I'll forego buying any kind of beverages for months because they are "too expensive" to include in my grocery bill, only to start a $5-$10/day Starbucks habit that I have to kick after several weeks.
It's that way with time as well as money. I will cram every moment of my busy days with work and activity and exercise and classes and stay on top everything for weeks, and then just cut back and do nothing until my dirty laundry pile overflows the bathroom and I'm getting past-due notices in the mail.
Do I want to put my daughter through the same cycle? Am I doing this already?
2) How do I balance an abundance mentality with a spirit of self-denial?
How do I convey to my daughter that God wants to give her the desires of her heart, and then deny her the time she is demanding while I am trying to get my work done so other people can have churches?
How do I say "No" and still portray a Father who has already said "Yes" to all?
Are we even talking about balance, or are these two separate realms?
Any advice from the experienced parents out there?
Monday, January 21, 2008
Editorial Duties
Today Mommy was writing a work email to ask for money, and I decided she wasn't asking for enough, so I changed $5,000 to $52,002. And she wasn't asking for it fast enough, so I changed "ASAP" to "ASAPQQQ" (as soon as possible QUICK QUICK QUICK). Good thing I was helping her out, huh?
Let's see –what else is happening? I still got to be Cinderella every day. I work real hard. When Daddy comes home I get to play, though. I ride the scooter a lot and sometimes play table tennis. That table tennis ball is really cool – it fits into lots of things!
I have taken a few baby steps (one or two at a time), but crawling is a much easier method of travel than walking.
The mangos on our trees are done. Mr. Antonio picked the last ones off and they are all gone now. Now we just need the avocados on our avocado tree to ripen soon before we get fresh-fruit deprived.
I've been visiting my cousins Janelle & Marquelle some. They just got a cool new dog. They help me do all kinds of things, like play the piano and dance.
Let's see –what else is happening? I still got to be Cinderella every day. I work real hard. When Daddy comes home I get to play, though. I ride the scooter a lot and sometimes play table tennis. That table tennis ball is really cool – it fits into lots of things!
I have taken a few baby steps (one or two at a time), but crawling is a much easier method of travel than walking.
The mangos on our trees are done. Mr. Antonio picked the last ones off and they are all gone now. Now we just need the avocados on our avocado tree to ripen soon before we get fresh-fruit deprived.
I've been visiting my cousins Janelle & Marquelle some. They just got a cool new dog. They help me do all kinds of things, like play the piano and dance.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Cinderella Story
Cinderella Story
Wow – I have gotten way behind on blogging. That's cuz I've been workin' like a dog. Let's see – what has happened?
Skateboarding. Last Sabbath I stood by myself while skateboarding. I'll have to get a video of this posted soon. I have been standing lots and lots by myself. I ride the scooter lots, too.
Bye Bye. On Sunday we had to say bye bye to my cousin Justin. We went to my favorite Indian restaurant for lunch. I tried the cashew curry and had to drink some water. I really like roti and papadams.
Teeth. I now have eight – four on top and four on bottom.
Pin Cushion. Still lots of mosquitos. At one time I had FIVE bites just on my face and lots more elsewhere.
New Games. I have got lots of new games I like to play. One is pulling hair (like on Daddy's chest) to see what reaction I get. That is almost as good as biting Mommy to see what reaction I get.
Another new game is "Give 'N' Take." I give you something, and then I take it back. I can do this for hours!
My very favorite game is to pull clothes out of my suitcase faster than Mommy can put them in. She wins every time, but only because she cheats – she moves me into another room and gets the suitcase filled and closed before I can crawl there.
Sleepy Time. Mommy put me down to sleep in crib and tried to time how long I'd stay asleep. I was awake before she could look up from the timer.
Supposedly I'm supposed to be going through separation anxiety and really clingy to Mommy right now. In reality – I love going to other people and lift my arms out to EVERYBODY!
Maybe the separation anxiety just manifests itself in my sleep – I hate sleeping by myself and cry and bawl and scream if I wake up and find nobody right there.
Cinderella Story. Now as to why I'm too busy to blog. Rutendo quit her job here and went back to Zimbabwe. That means we have no one to help clean the house anymore.
Mommy read to me about Cinderella, and that's me to a T.
I have to help Mommy with a load of laundry every day. I hold the dryer open and take the clothes out and put them on the floor one at a time.
Then I have to stack measuring cups while Mommy makes bread.
When she's washing dishes, I have to bang my wooden spoon on a metal bowl to scare away the spiders. And then I have to take all the cloth napkins off the shelf and unfold them and put them in a pile on the floor.
Then I have to clean the whole floor on my hands and knees by crawling around in my onesie.
I help dust with the feather duster, but Mommy doesn't let me climb to the high spots.
I grab the toilet brush whenever I can get to it to remind Mommy she needs to use it.
Last but not least, I have to help declutter by pulling the tablecloth off the table and breaking a few dishes and dumping milk and oatmeal all over the floor. At least the floor and the table cloth get clean that way. I've done this twice now! That's me - always being supererogatory!
I wish my prince would hurry up and come so I wouldn't have to work so hard. Am I glad it's Sabbath - sigh!
Wow – I have gotten way behind on blogging. That's cuz I've been workin' like a dog. Let's see – what has happened?
Skateboarding. Last Sabbath I stood by myself while skateboarding. I'll have to get a video of this posted soon. I have been standing lots and lots by myself. I ride the scooter lots, too.
Bye Bye. On Sunday we had to say bye bye to my cousin Justin. We went to my favorite Indian restaurant for lunch. I tried the cashew curry and had to drink some water. I really like roti and papadams.
Teeth. I now have eight – four on top and four on bottom.
Pin Cushion. Still lots of mosquitos. At one time I had FIVE bites just on my face and lots more elsewhere.
New Games. I have got lots of new games I like to play. One is pulling hair (like on Daddy's chest) to see what reaction I get. That is almost as good as biting Mommy to see what reaction I get.
Another new game is "Give 'N' Take." I give you something, and then I take it back. I can do this for hours!
My very favorite game is to pull clothes out of my suitcase faster than Mommy can put them in. She wins every time, but only because she cheats – she moves me into another room and gets the suitcase filled and closed before I can crawl there.
Sleepy Time. Mommy put me down to sleep in crib and tried to time how long I'd stay asleep. I was awake before she could look up from the timer.
Supposedly I'm supposed to be going through separation anxiety and really clingy to Mommy right now. In reality – I love going to other people and lift my arms out to EVERYBODY!
Maybe the separation anxiety just manifests itself in my sleep – I hate sleeping by myself and cry and bawl and scream if I wake up and find nobody right there.
Cinderella Story. Now as to why I'm too busy to blog. Rutendo quit her job here and went back to Zimbabwe. That means we have no one to help clean the house anymore.
Mommy read to me about Cinderella, and that's me to a T.
I have to help Mommy with a load of laundry every day. I hold the dryer open and take the clothes out and put them on the floor one at a time.
Then I have to stack measuring cups while Mommy makes bread.
When she's washing dishes, I have to bang my wooden spoon on a metal bowl to scare away the spiders. And then I have to take all the cloth napkins off the shelf and unfold them and put them in a pile on the floor.
Then I have to clean the whole floor on my hands and knees by crawling around in my onesie.
I help dust with the feather duster, but Mommy doesn't let me climb to the high spots.
I grab the toilet brush whenever I can get to it to remind Mommy she needs to use it.
Last but not least, I have to help declutter by pulling the tablecloth off the table and breaking a few dishes and dumping milk and oatmeal all over the floor. At least the floor and the table cloth get clean that way. I've done this twice now! That's me - always being supererogatory!
I wish my prince would hurry up and come so I wouldn't have to work so hard. Am I glad it's Sabbath - sigh!
Friday, January 4, 2008
Nelspruit Trip
Verdict's out and baby rolls are going! I gained no weight (21 lbs still) and grew 4 cm (75 cm) this last month! Now I'm at the 95th percentile on height, but only 80 or so on weight. Mommy wants to know my secret. I think it has to do with my daily workout of keeping Mommy on her toes, or with my hunger strike while riding in the car over the holidays. Not sure how she can add to her height though – that just comes naturally for me.
So Mommy and I made our first solo voyage to Nelspruit today. We navigated the borders fairly well, getting all the right papers filled out and stamped and not getting sent back to any lines for doing something wrong. The most challenging part for Mommy was holding a fussy me while trying to fill out a vehicle form in Portuguese.
We went to Mommy's doctor first, then had a mother/daughter lunch (Mommy ordered me some litchi juice, which I drank with a straw for the first time), then went grocery shopping, then went to my doctor in the afternoon.
Cuz I didn't get my regular naps, I fell asleep in the shopping cart a couple of times and banged my head on the front handle. That wasn't much fun. Everybody that saw me felt very sorry for me.
The doctor was okay. I didn't like it when he inspected my ears, and the vaccination was nothing to write home about, either. Those things should be "anathematized" (my word of the day). I guess I passed all the inspections.
I slept during most of the driving. Mommy saw a giraffe next to the road but didn't wake me up to tell me about it. When we were almost home, I screamed for about 10 minutes. Mommy explained that it wasn't safe to stop where we were especially around dark, but that didn't make sense to me – I just wanted my dummy right now!
So Mommy and I made our first solo voyage to Nelspruit today. We navigated the borders fairly well, getting all the right papers filled out and stamped and not getting sent back to any lines for doing something wrong. The most challenging part for Mommy was holding a fussy me while trying to fill out a vehicle form in Portuguese.
We went to Mommy's doctor first, then had a mother/daughter lunch (Mommy ordered me some litchi juice, which I drank with a straw for the first time), then went grocery shopping, then went to my doctor in the afternoon.
Cuz I didn't get my regular naps, I fell asleep in the shopping cart a couple of times and banged my head on the front handle. That wasn't much fun. Everybody that saw me felt very sorry for me.
The doctor was okay. I didn't like it when he inspected my ears, and the vaccination was nothing to write home about, either. Those things should be "anathematized" (my word of the day). I guess I passed all the inspections.
I slept during most of the driving. Mommy saw a giraffe next to the road but didn't wake me up to tell me about it. When we were almost home, I screamed for about 10 minutes. Mommy explained that it wasn't safe to stop where we were especially around dark, but that didn't make sense to me – I just wanted my dummy right now!
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Back Home!
Yesterday I celebrated the last day of my eighth month by standing on command for long periods of time. And - if you count balancing, then one foot in front of the other, then balancing again - as a first step, then I took my first step - before the age of 9 months . . . Got a ways to go before I'm walking by myself, though.
After all that celebration, we got back in the car and headed home. Not a bad trip, though we spent a considerable amount of time at the Swaziland-Mozambique border trying to talk reasonably with an unreasonable person who didn't want to let Mr. Ismael OUT of Swaziland because he didn't have a visa to get IN. (Did I mention he had no problem getting IN - just getting OUT.) Even I know the difference between IN and OUT. He finally signed an "admission of guilt" and paid R60 and they let us out of the country. Shame - such a beautiful country, too.
So we're back home, and here are the things I left behind at various places on my trip for people to remember me by: 1 plastic spoon, 1 fuzzy warm blanket, 1 light cuddle blanket, 1 tooth brush, and 1 rubber ducky.
Mommy says she is overwhelmed with work, laundry, and emails right now. And Daddy's dealin' with issues from the robbery at his shop Saturday night. Rutendo is out sick. I'm just glad to be out of my car seat!
After sleepin' so well this trip, I absolutely didn't want to sleep in my crib today. I fell asleep in my chair while eatin' lunch, but didn't stay sleepin' until Mommy came and worked beside me while I was on her bed, and then I slept a long time. The problem with that is she can't get up to get work done (on account of I might fall off the bed again), and internet connection in the bedroom is really poor. That's her problem, though, so I won't stress over it.
Oh yes, I am officially 9 months old today. I'll give you my measurements tomorrow after my doctor's appointment - assuming they aren't too revealing of all those cookies I've snitched.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Happy New Year!
I am having lots of fun playing with my (third) cousins Hyu and Michaela. Hyu is two months younger than me, and Michaela is LOTS older (donkey's years!) and can swim like a fish.
Michaela has lots of toys in her room, and sometimes she lets me play with some of them, like her balls and her books. I like to cook with her kitchen set. I have also been riding round and round on her scooter bike. I don't like to get off it - it is so much fun!
We had a lovely New Year's Eve dinner, only I was sleeping through most of it so only got in the act for dessert. Then we had braiied mushrooms and tomatoes and veggie sausages today for brunch. Tannie Olivia and Oom Hennie are marvelous cooks and hosts.
I had my first motorcycle accident today. Don't worry, anybody, I wasn't going anywhere on it. I was just sitting on it and got my foot pinched when the front wheel was turned. So I got to play in ice water for a while until it felt better.
I started the new year off with a sneeze and was wheezing later in the day. So Tannie Olivia organized for me to see a doctor and I got some medicine. I really don't like the mask I'm supposed to breathe through, but the sprinkles I eat aren't so bad. Nobody knows if I have a virus or just allergies.
Michaela has lots of toys in her room, and sometimes she lets me play with some of them, like her balls and her books. I like to cook with her kitchen set. I have also been riding round and round on her scooter bike. I don't like to get off it - it is so much fun!
We had a lovely New Year's Eve dinner, only I was sleeping through most of it so only got in the act for dessert. Then we had braiied mushrooms and tomatoes and veggie sausages today for brunch. Tannie Olivia and Oom Hennie are marvelous cooks and hosts.
I had my first motorcycle accident today. Don't worry, anybody, I wasn't going anywhere on it. I was just sitting on it and got my foot pinched when the front wheel was turned. So I got to play in ice water for a while until it felt better.
I started the new year off with a sneeze and was wheezing later in the day. So Tannie Olivia organized for me to see a doctor and I got some medicine. I really don't like the mask I'm supposed to breathe through, but the sprinkles I eat aren't so bad. Nobody knows if I have a virus or just allergies.
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