I’ve been getting some ideas from the senior members of my Infant II, my daycare class. Some of my fellow babies seem to have come up with a technique for locomotion. I haven’t quite mastered it yet, but I’m getting very close. It involves straightening my arms and tucking my knees up underneath me and then coordinating the movement of my right arm and knee in the forward direction, followed by the same movement of my left arm and knee. It’s a lot easier said than done!
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I’ve been hinting for weeks that my palate is ready for something a bit more sophisticated than milk, making eyes at my parent’s plates and sometimes even being so bold as to reach out and try to grab a morsel when they’re not looking. A couple weeks ago during a visit to Metropolitan Market, when a man at the cheese counter offered a sample to Dad, I nearly managed to snag myself a piece of goat cheese. I thought my interest had gone unnoticed. But, today, my parents sat me down in my Bumbo on top of the table, strapped on a bib and with camera in hand, began feeding me some green soupy mixture that I was told was avocado. Thankfully, it tasted a lot better than it looked. I especially enjoyed rubbing it all over my face; I’ve heard avocado is good for the complexion. After five days of avocado, my parents moved me on to yams. I have one word to describe my thoughts on the yam: yuck! I’m not sure how it happened--but I have mastered the art of sitting! Just to see what would happen, my mom sat me up on the bed today, taking care to arrange my legs so they splayed out a bit to give me a wide base. And, surprise, surprise--I stayed in that position for a couple minutes before eventually loosing my balance. When Dad got home, I demonstrated my new found skill for him and sat up even longer! For the first time ever, I spent the night in my very own room (well, technically, it’s also an office, a.k.a. the nurseffice = nursery + office). I did this without any adults present (except for those monitoring my every breath via video baby monitor--see below). Prior to last night, I had been sleeping in a bassinet next to my parent’s bed. However, now that I have demonstrated the ability to roll-over (see 2-11-10 blog entry), my parents, having very responsibly read the fine print on the bassinet’s warning label, decided that it’s time for me to spread my wings by moving into my crib in the nurseffice. They actually tried to move me a few days ago. I did ok, but Mom missed me so much that Dad had to retrieve me. Despite this setback, they both agreed that it was time for me to make the move, so they took the plunge again last night. Without Dad’s snoring, Mom’s talking in her sleep and both of their restless thrashing around, I got a much better night’s sleep, not waking up until around 5:30am (my usual time when I deign to sleep through the night). I don’t think Mom and Dad slept quite as soundly, though. Being neurotic first-time parents, they actually set the alarm to wake them up at various times during the night so they could watch the video monitor to make sure I was still breathing! Sometimes parents are silly. So, I was on my back in my crib yelling and furiously kicking my legs back and forth trying to communicate to my mom just how completely disinterested I was in napping. The next thing I knew, I was rolling and rolling some more. You can imagine my surprise and horror when I suddenly found myself on my belly! This is of course a very disfavored position for sleeping (and, I might add one of my least favorite positions when awake). Naturally, I immediately voiced my concerns about this. When I lifted my head up, there was my mom--smiling gleefully! The nerve. Little did I know, she had watched the whole incident, never lifting a finger to prevent this disconcerting 180° flip. I have since performed rolls on 3 other occasions (the second one for my dad alone). Each time, my parents have practically applauded, and I have been less frightened by my new powers. I’m starting to get the feeling that this rolling over stuff might just turn out to be fun given time... In honor of Grandma Bonnie’s visit this weekend, we decided to head for Canada on the Clipper: my first opportunity to set stroller on foreign soil and immerse myself in a new culture! Getting on the boat, I got to use my passport for the first time. My father couldn’t resist telling the border official that she was about to see the cutest passport picture ever (so true, though). On board the Clipper I got my own seat, which I mostly used for napping. Unlike the adults, I was actually able to be completely horizontal in my seat. On arrival, I slept some more. In fact, I think you could safely say that I snoozed my way through most of Victoria. However, I did wake up long enough to recognize that Canada is not exactly what I would call exotic. Perhaps my next international adventure will be somewhere a little less familiar and a little more foreign. I love my hands! I discovered them several weeks ago, but I have completely fallen in love with them over the past week. They are soft, scrumptious, delightful morsels. They make me salivate and coo with pleasure. However, like any love affair, there are some limits: try though I might, I cannot fit both of them into my mouth at the same time, and I’ve learned it doesn’t feel good when I shove one too far back into my mouth--gag me with a finger! When I was born, my legs were spindly sticks. Now, thanks to a healthy diet and regular exercise (bicycle legs and wiggle worm are my favorites--best done when my parents are struggling to change a dirty diaper), they are like tree trunks, strong and stout. I’ve become very fond of practicing my standing. I can balance myself for a millisecond when my parents move their hands, and I enjoy leaning against things, although it’s not long before I’m slumped over. Nonetheless, little by little, I’m determined to improve (baby steps, right?). After all, I have a goal to meet: Mom was walking by 8 months. I’m sure if I keep up this pace, I can beat her! I made my first pilgrimage to Willow, Alaska--my namesake--for Christmas and New Year’s 2009. I got here by taking my first flight (more on that in my entry “First Class All the Way Baby”). Then, we drove for an hour and fifteen minutes to Willow. It seemed like a long way, but it was worth it. On my first trip, I found that much like me, Willow is small and cute. Other than seeing Bibi and Babu, the high points of the visit were getting to play in the snow (more on that in my entry “Snow Angel”), seeing Denali on a clear cold day, watching fireworks on Florence Lake on New Year’s Eve and like my parents, doing lots of sleeping and eating. I made my first foray out into the wilds of Alaska today. Mom and Dad put me in my very adorable pink down snowsuit with faux fur ruff. Then, when I was sufficiently hot and bothered, they shoved me into the Bjorn, grabbed Dozer the dog and out we went into the 0°F temperatures. Brrrr! Although, the weather was frightful, the inside of my snowsuit was warm and quite delightful. I fell asleep a few minutes into the walk. When we got back to the house, Mom and Dad decided they needed some pictures of me actually in the snow. They plucked me out of the Bjorn and plopped me down, flat on my back in the snow. Apparently, at that point, I was supposed to start flapping my arms and legs to create a snow angel. But, the warmth of my snowsuit left me feeling a little lethargic. So instead, I did my abandoned baby impression.. |
AUTHORWhen I first started posting, I was a highly intelligent and exceptionally cute infant and the milestones were coming fast and furious.. These days, I'm a precocious nearly 5-year-old and my babybook blog has been retired to serve as a window to my early years.. Archives
October 2014
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