Hunting for eggs...with some help

We had a lovely Easter at my mom's -- it was a little cool, but that didn't stop the kids from enjoying the egg hunt. After being shown that she should pick the eggs up instead of just look at them, Estelle got into the spirit of things. She also got quite protective of her stash.

Eyes, Off, Hot, Mama

Okay, so maybe she's not stringing them together in that order, but these are four of Estelle's favorite words right now.

"Eyes" - usually accompanied by poking her finger in my eye or her teddy's eye.

"Off" -- as a statement, usually accompanied by an earnest look and holding her bare feet in the car after she's removed her shoes and socks for the 47 billionth time; as a question ("off?") after she's ripped off another flap in her lift-the-flap books. She hasn't quite gotten that the flaps don't go back on like the socks and shoes do.

"Hot" -- sometimes a truth, sometimes a fib when she doesn't want to eat something, in which case it's usually accompanied by a tongue thrust pushing all the food out of her mouth. Also when testing the bath water.

"Mama" -- only when she's really upset or trying to get my attention while I'm driving...and sometimes when she's looking at a picture with me in it. I'll take it though.

Winter Wonderland

Holy cow, we've got a ton of snow! It's so beautiful. It's really too deep for Estelle to play in - it's pretty much up to her eyeballs. She wants to take off her mittens to grab the snow, but then cries because her fingers are cold. Darien totally digs it though.

Ebb and Flow

Children are strange and wonderful creatures. Sometimes it seems like Estelle is changing all the time. But in reality, I think her progress is much more sporadic, reminding me of Stephen Jay Gould's theory that evolution occurs by sudden lucky leaps forward, separated by long periods of essentially no change (how about that for retention from my evolutionary bio class at Olaf, huh?). Except, in our case, the evolution occurs by sudden lucky leaps forward, separated by long periods of no change or regression.

Case in point: the last week has been a veritable multiple personality disorder of parenting for me. Estelle came down with some viral thing last weekend and steadily progressed to pneumonia. All of a sudden, she has completely forgotten how to play by herself -- it's all mommy, all the time...enter "Kid Koala" who screams bloody murder and maintains a permanent leg-clutch position when I try to set her on the floor (I HATE parenting!); On the other hand, she's cuddly and wants to be rocked, an activity she's shunned since she started walking (I LOVE parenting!); I miss an entire week of work (I HATE parenting!)

Then the antibiotics kick in and in the last two days, she starts to feel better. Suddently, she makes a developmental leap -- she starts repeating words we say, including "cold" "go" "eye" and "mouth" -- I LOVE parenting again!

I've decided it's my challenge to appreciate the mundane days as well as the days full of developmental progress. Though, that's been made demonstrably more difficult in the short-term, since I'm now suffering with her cold (I HATE parenting!). Actually, it's made me want to regress developmentally as well. How the mighty are brought low...

Wait for me!

I know -- it's overkill on the bathtub photos, but I swear it's her favorite thing right now. She can't quite climb her way into the big tub, but she makes a valiant attempt. You can see she's standing on her tippy toes.

New Year's Day SNOW! and other updates

So many things to report from the last 2 weeks...where do I begin? First, Christmas was wonderful. My brother, Eddie, and his family were here. His son is just a 1-1/2 months younger than Estelle, so the cousins had a chance to check each other out. They were mostly annoyed with having to share toys. I think in 2 or 3 years they'll really enjoy each other. Estelle's favorite part of the holiday was, not opening, but climbing on top of the presents. I think her favorite gift is a big stuffed dog from her dad and I. She likes to lay on it, give it kisses and have us chase her around the house holding it and barking. (And to your next likely question -- no, we are not getting a real dog anytime soon.)

We had a lovely break over the holidays. I took the week off and of course Bryan was home from school so we had lots of great family time. A favorite luxury of Bryan's is soaking in the bathtub. Estelle has discovered that she can easily persuade her dad to let her join him and she adores the bubbles. This picture is too cute (and Bryan will probably make me take it down), but enjoy the bubble merriment. She likes to take handfuls and eat them.


Finally, we had a beautiful snow that started New Year's Eve and made for a winter wonderland on New Year's Day. It was gorgeous -- sunny and warm (30 degrees) -- so everyone was out sledding and playing. We took Estelle to a hill in our neighborhood and she was tickled by going down the hill with one of us -- even more pleased with Bryan's antics when he came the hill by himself.


She's feeding herself almost all her own food now, and trying hard to says words that still don't sound quite right. I keep waiting for her to repeat things I say spontaneously without me prodding her. She's getting very good at her puzzles and likes to wrestle and climb. She also loves looking out her window -- here she is checking out the snow, but most of the time she's just watching for dogs to walk by so she can bark at them...she does do that without prompting.

Portraits

So the pictures aren't absolutely current (from October), but we just got the portraits back from our photo session. I'm really pleased with the way they turned out, even though Estelle wasn't feeling so hot that day.

You can also go to the photographer's Web site and click on the "contact" page -- one of Estelle's photos is featured.

Feeding myself

All of a sudden, Estelle is acting like such a big girl. They're training her into the toddler room at daycare, and almost instantly, she's acting older. She's "pretend" playing ("washing" the front of the dishwasher with a napkin, putting items in a little shopping bag and carrying it around the house, etc.), and she does not want to eat unless she gets to feed herself. So we snapped a few photos last night to show you all. Notice in this second one, the piece of food acting as a hair adornment (she went directly into the tub, by the way).

I love grandpa!

Estelle met her grandpa this weekend for the very first time. They were great friends by the end of the weekend. We're all sorry to see him go home!

Down through the chimney

They're not losing any time...

Through the window

I adore these photos -- Estelle loves to look out the front window of the house onto the street and sidewalk. Tons of people walk their dogs past our house and she completely freaks out and starts barking when she sees them. She uses my stepstool and clambers up to peek out the window.


So, imagine her delight when she saw her daddy working outside. Side note -- our mailbox was vandalized this weekend along with four others on our street (the down side of living near the high school) so Bryan spent an hour on Saturday putting up a new one. Estelle could not be budged from the window. She clambered up on the stepstool, started pounding on the window and gesturing wildly saying, "Da-da! Da-da!" It didn't stop until Bryan came in the house.

Second side note: does anyone else love the little pigtail? I couldn't stand her hair in her eyes anymore and all the other clips just fall out of her fine hair. I haven't quite gotten the hang of making it look presentable yet. Patrick says it looks like she has a palm tree on top of her head. I kind of like it that way.

Ride N' Roll

Boy, Darien and Estelle sure have fun together. I watched Darien on Saturday and they played together so nicely...until Darien wanted to color and Estelle wanted to put the paper in her mouth. In any case, Estelle had a grand time getting pushed around by Darien (and only in a good way.)

ROAR! Happy Halloween!

It will be downright cold in these parts on Halloween, so I don't know if I'll be taking Estelle out...especially since she doesn't eat candy and we had the chance to dress her up for the daycare's Halloween party on Friday. She wasn't in her costume long -- I'm sure she kept thinking, "Why am I so hot?" -- but it was long enough to snap this photo.

She actually does a really good growl when you ask, "what does the lion say?"

1 year pics

A couple weeks ago we had a photo session for Estelle and for our family holiday card (yes, for the first time in 9 years of marriage, we'll be sending out a card this year). The photographer posted a sampling of the photos on her blog. I'm not especially excited about Estelle's expression in any of these pictures, but the photography is beautiful.

Les Miserables

My fierce, tough, bounce-back girl has been down for the count this week. Poor thing started out with both ears infected last weekend. The first antibiotic didn't work, so the ears got lots worse. Then she picked up some virus that had her running a fever for the last 4 days. I know babies can run higher temps than adults, but sheesh! 104 for 3 days is enough to make even the calmest parent anxious. Even with ibuprofen it only came down to 101. Finally, she seems to be feeling better today, but not well enough to go on the plane. Consequently, we're cancelling our trip to New York to attend a dear friend's wedding. I'm so disappointed! I know it will be a fabulous party...congrats, Tami and Paul! We'll make a visit to NY happen soon.

Fore!

Estelle has certainly taken a liking to the mini-golf club set. She especially likes to carry the putter around, which has us all ducking for cover. She understands that the ball and the club go together, so she usually walks around with one in each hand. She hasn't quite gotten the hang of hitting the ball with the club yet, but her dad is sure she will.

Dancing queen/Drama queen

All of a sudden, Estelle has an opinion...and personality...and a mind of her own. It's fascinating and frightening at the same time.

On the "I like to make mommy smile and laugh" side: This week, when music plays in the car (Beyonce seems to be a favorite) she bounces her head and dances in the car seat. It's very entertaining...and distracting to my driving, I must say.

On the "I'm asserting my own will and giving mommy a headache" side: Lately, almost every time I put her down, her body goes limp, she arches her back, throws her head back and screams in the most dramatic fashion possible. Of course, if I walk away and ignore her, it stops almost immediately. Ah, temper tantrums...not liking this part of parenting so much.

It's interesting how she fluctuates between wanting to be a baby and wanting to be independent. She wants to be held, yet squirms to get down. As soon as I put her down, she does the tantrum bit. I just try to maintain a sense of humor and distract her as much as possible. I know that this is just another phase. But that knowledge doesn't keep me from marveling: she's only been on the earth for a year...how does she know to do this already (the fascinating part)? What more is in store (the frightening part)? I still love it though.

Bath bubbles

Estelle's love for bathtime grows and grows. She's discovered she can get in all by herself if she bends at the waist and lets the weight of her head take her over the side. Unfortunately, this has landed her in the tub fully clothed at times.

Her dad is teaching her not to be afraid of putting her face in the water. Click here to see how far she's come!

Three generations

I love this photo with the weird angles of Estelle, my mom and me.

This one of Estelle and her "Auntie Wanti" is pretty cute too:

It's a happy, happy birthday!

Estelle is 1 today! In honor of her first birthday, she got her first real taste of dessert -- cake and ice cream. I'll interpret the photos:

"I guess I may as well try some of this stuff..."



"Holy cow, this stuff is good!"



"Man, I shoulda known you punks have been holding out on me."



"From now on, it's cake and ice cream at every meal!"

...and drop it like it's hot

Click here to see a 15 second video of Estelle wobbling...I mean, walking...

Walk this way

Estelle started walking last week, and already she'll walk across the room, turn around, and walk back. Her balance is improving rapidly, but she's still quite wobbly. Her dad says she looks like a drunken sailor. I'll attempt to get some video and post it.

Another first: she waved bye-bye last night to much cheering and clapping from us. In fact, when she saw the response it garnered, she planted her feet in a wide stance and kept waving bye-bye like a crazy person. However, when I was actually leaving the daycare this morning, she refused to wave bye-bye to me. I guess context is a concept that will come later.

Summer vacation in exotic Brainerd

So this is what it's come to...well, at least for the next few years. But we had a great time relaxing and playing at the lake and the pool. Regina, Darien and Estelle were as happy as 3 peas in a pod. In fact, I think Estelle enjoys their company more than mine or her dad's.

Smart, strong and funny

Many of you know that I have an aversion (even before I was pregnant) to the pink-pink-pink obsession for little girls. Mind you, I'm not categorically opposed to putting pink on Estelle (or wearing pink myself, for that matter). I just believe that little girls should be able to wear ALL colors, and with the exception of a few retailers, all colors are not easy to find. And this is not girl-specific -- the gender stereotyping for boys is just as bad. I'd like to lay out my principle objections to clothing options for kids, girls, specifically:

1. Must everything be pink? For crying out loud!

2. If it's not pink, it's pastel. Perhaps studies have been done that if you dress girls in bright colors, they spontaneously combust. Ergo, all girls should be dressed in soft, soothing, nonflammable colors?

3. "Hi, my name is ________________ (fill in your favorite little girl's name). I signed a contract in utero to provide free advertising space for Disney, Baby Einstein, Dora the Explorer, Winnie the Pooh, Barbie and Strawberry Shortcake. Unfortunately, the only way to get out of a contract signed prenatally is to be a walking billboard for American Eagle and J. Crew as a teenager."

4. Note to clothing designers: can you wait until my kid is, say, at least 15 before you try to put her in a halter top with cups? Oh, wait, you've already got that covered.

5. (And this is, perhaps, my biggest complaint.) Daddy's little princess. Sweet. Cutie. Cupcake. Pretty Pretty Pretty. How can we be surprised when little girls grow up to be obsessed with their looks, obsessed with their weight, and more concerned about makeup than math? Again, I'm not against putting Estelle in something that says "Cutie pie" on it. If only I could find JUST ONE t-shirt or onesie that says Daddy's smart girl, or Strong, or Funny.

Look, I know it's just clothing and, in the end, it's way more important what behavior and attitudes you model for your child. But it bugs me... a lot. Thank God for Hanna Andersson. Otherwise, Estelle would be naked most of the time, and we live in a cold state so that wouldn't be a good thing.

So one of my favorite pastimes these days is to fantasize about designing a children's clothing line... a bit more empowering, a bit less nauseating, than practically everything you find in stores. Comments and suggestions about this idea are welcome.

My first BBQ

It was a special moment last weekend -- Estelle had her first taste of her dad's BBQ ribs. As you can see, she enjoyed herself immensely. It wouldn't have been my first choice to feed her ribs, but her grandmas (sitting across from each other at the table) were in cahoots. After she finished with this rib, she dove into her grandma's plate of food, shoving potato salad into her mouth with her hands. When she had a rib bone and half a piece of bread hanging out of her mouth at the same time, I had to put a stop to the feasting.

Salt n' Pepa reprise

Estelle is totally digging the push toys lately. The toys move a little faster than she expects so her little legs work like crazy to catch up with the wheels. As soon as she runs into something, she screams at me to turn her around, and off she goes again. She giggles the whole time.

The Climber strikes again

Say, Say, Oh Playmate

Estelle had a great time on Saturday playing with her friend, Annika. Annika's mommy and daddy were nice enough to watch Estelle for us for a few hours. The girls had a grand time playing in the tupperware drawer, eating dinner in high chairs side-by-side, and swinging at the park. Annika also showed Estelle that her puppy, Abby, was nothing to be afraid of. It's nice to have friends!

Next stop: Everest

On Saturday I was hurriedly trying to pull things together so we could head out to a destination and placed Estelle in care of her father, who was in front of the television. Rushing madly about upstairs, I heard Estelle babbling to herself as if she was getting closer to me. Strangely, I did not hear Bryan coming up the stairs with her. I peeked over the railing, only to see her making her way up the stairs to the landing at the front door. Bryan was contentedly watching his movie, unaware The Climber had escaped the TV room and was confidently making her way up to find me.

After scooping her up, I thanked my lucky stars that she didn't fall backwards on her quest to the top. Bryan was surprised with her first successful attempt at the stairs, but noted that, after all, he WAS the youngest kid on his block to make it all the way across the monkey bars...sigh...

Me and D

Darien and Estelle are such good buds. She's lucky to have a big cousin who loves seeing her and giving her hugs. When I drop her at daycare and Darien is there, he has to say hello to Estelle and give her love.

Hungry baby

This is the face that Estelle makes when she thinks she hasn't had enough dinner yet...often, it's after she's already eaten meat, vegetables, bread and fruit. She leans forward and screams, "EEeeeee!"

Have I mentioned that she has a mind of her own?

Before and after

A few of you who can't make the open house have asked for a final picture of the joint. Finally, we have grass, so I'm posting one. Please let us know when you'll be in town so we can have you over for dinner, or even better, Bryan's infamous "smoke-smoke" ribs.

I love dinner!

I cannot believe the quantity of food this child can put away...and further, the pitch of her scream telling us she wants more. No question that she's our kid. The daycare can't believe her consumption either considering what a little peanut she is, but they're convinced it's because she's so active. Friday is the nine-month checkup and we'll see what she weighs in at.

Bouncy Bouncy

Click here to see a quick video of Estelle...

The Climber

Estelle's newest thing is climbing. If there's something on the floor, she wants to be on top of it. She wants to climb into the high chair, or the tub, or up mommy or daddy. I came back into the room after stepping out for a second to find her on top of this wagon of blocks. Of course, with climbing comes crashing, so she's getting pretty tough.

Also, I just noticed this morning that she's finally getting her first tooth...coming in on the bottom. Which nicely explains the drool on her chin in this photo...

Splish Splash

Estelle LOVES the bath. Afterwards, Mommy is usually as wet as Estelle with all the splashing. As you can see, she doesn't even want to wait until all her clothes are off to get into the tub. Though she has very cute rubber duckies to play with, her preferred bath toy is an empty bottle. She crawls around the tub chasing after that thing.

The wind in my hair

I've lost track of how many colds Estelle has had this winter, but finally spring has sprung! Hopefully we're past the worst of the virus season now. In any case, the humidifier has taken up permanent residence in her room, and she is obsessed with it. Every time she's on the floor she makes a bee line for it. She giggles as the air blows into her face...it seems like it takes her breath away.

Now that she's crawling and pulling up she's discovering everything. Time to babyproof!