My parents’ visit ends tomorrow. They leave on the 10:30 p.m. red-eye. Yesterday and today I found myself verging on tears. It has been an intense and happy visit. There have been many “firsts” in the past week that I’m thrilled my parents were part of experiencing.
I need to keep myself together, to focus on the moment, so I can enjoy them. There will be time for tears later.
Today is my mother’s 75th birthday. Here she is with Bean on her lap, reading a book to her. It’s difficult to articulate the precious feeling inside me when I see my daughter and mother together. Happy birthday, Mom!
Bean loves to vocalize. She keeps herself company with her talk, and enjoys engaging in games of fishmouth or other silly face games. New words emerge daily. Lately she says moon, girl (gul), goat, down (dow), star (tar), all done (aw duh) owl (ow), moo, baa, giraffe (gaff), banana (nom na), sky (ky) and Okay. (The way she says that last word is adorable to the ear.) She also has another sign, the one for more, which is how she communicates her wish that a book be read to her yet again.
Wearing her big girl shoes, she took a stroll with us. The sand and the items on it captured her interest more than the huge waves did. We had lunch in Ben Lomond, and it was a lovely day for a little tour.
Bean loves her grandma and grandpa, and they love her. And today was extra special; Bean got her first pair of big girl shoes. (And yes, they did cost as much as you see on the web page; they will also only last her about three months.) Her feet are so small that she could not wear a regular shoe for walkers; we had to buy pre-walkers, even though she’s been walking for almost two months. Still, they provide support and protection.
And here’s a photo of her. There are more on Flickr too.
The much-anticipated visit is happening! My parents arrived late last night from the east coast to meet Bean. Right now they are still sleeping to recover from a very long trip, but very shortly there will be the first encounter. I plan to take lots of pictures and videos this next week.
My good friend Ambrosia just welcomed her little girl, Gwendolyn Rose, at 6:33 this morning. (I worked with Ambrosia at Hands On Bay Area, and she hosted my baby shower.) I’m thrilled for her and her husband and excited that Bean will have another little friend to play with.
Congratulations to Ambrosia, Spencer, and Gwendolyn!
As a child I liked to collect small items and keep them stored in a little box. Periodically I would open it and look at each item, one by one, remembering where I had found it, or from whom it came. These things often were little souvenirs (mostly found, not purchased) from our many camping trips. Other times, they were small items given to me from someone special.
Bean has received a few similar items from her grandmothers, and until recently I was wondering where and how to store them until she is old enough to appreciate them. I decided it had been too long since I’d been crafty, so I transformed a shoe box into a treasure box. This is how I spent all my free time from Saturday until today, and it brought hours of pleasure that I hope will be paralleled by Bean’s. The image on the top of the box is a drawing I made when I was pregnant for her, called Mama Moon. She has a copy of the print hanging on her bedroom wall, and she says goodnight to Mama Moon every night. Here’s the box:
She also knows how to say the name of Husband’s employer, because we have a bib with the logo on it. (Yep, our kid is totally branded.) I say the name of the company because I also wear t-shirts with the logo/name, and since the logo is colorful and interesting, it captures her attention. One day she just said the word when I put on the bib.
Saturday we went to a friend’s first birthday party. There, Bean discovered that she does like cake and frosting. She just wasn’t interested two weeks ago, on her birthday.
And today we went to the Oakland Zoo. She was thrilled to see giraffes, elephants (her favorite animal as far as we can tell), snakes (a close second), zebras, birds, lions, tigers, monkeys, and otters, among other animals.
I didn’t take a lot of photos because I wanted to actually experience the outing and see the animals, but I did love the vivid colors of this Blue-and-Gold Macaw.
We are tuckered out and going to bed!
Busy watching backhoes dig holes and scoop dirt into dump trucks. Busy going to parks to swing and playing our sandbox on the patio. Busy reading dozens and dozens of books over and over again. Busy cuddling someone who is teething. Busy cooking. Busy buying groceries. Busy cutting up fruit into child bite-size pieces every day. Busy singing songs, dancing, and playing instruments. Busy trying to finish reading a novel for my own pleasure. Busy writing thank-you notes. Busy doing laundry, folding clothes, putting them away, only to get them out again. Busy changing diapers, outfits (sometimes more than twice a day), and helping with baths. Busy cleaning the cat box and dumping the Diaper Genie, and feeding the cat. Oh, and petting her. Busy pointing out birds, trees, cats, and dogs. Busy taking walks. Busy thinking about the menu for upcoming visitors. Busy watching the garbage truck and waving at the garbage man. Busy following the news of folks in Houston, because we have family and friends who are coping with Hurricane Ike’s destruction. Busy glancing at news headlines about politics and the financial crisis in an attempt to keep one fingertip connected to the world outside my own home.
And very, very tired.
Bean starting say “ow” when she sees a picture of an owl. She sometimes makes a Grrr sound when she sees a picture of a lion (a male lion — the big mane helps). All felines — domestic or wild — are ca. So are dogs and many other animals. And cows, trucks, cars, and ducks. One of her books — How a Baby Grows — she calls Coo, because the first sentence is “These are the things that babies do: cry, wet, sleep, coo.” One of her favorite sounds to make lately is “dub dub dub.” It’s really cute.
My parents arrive in two weeks. Then in December, my other older sister, Aunt EP, is coming to meet Bean and bond with us. November is free. Anyone want to stop by?
Financial market news is so bad I had to give the post that title; otherwise I’d be depressed. And here’s something cute to smile about.
He’s turned his life around. He used to be depressed and miserable. Now he’s miserable and depressed.
–David Frost
Today was Bean’s 12-month doctor visit. At her 9-month visit she weighed 16 pounds, 5 ounces and was 27 inches tall. Today she weighs 17 pounds, 10 ounces, and is 29.5 inches tall. My little bean sprout. Everything else is normal. The poor child received four vaccinations today (two in each arm). She has the remnants of her cold and I think her gums hurt. Considering all this, she’s been in a cheerful mood today.
I do remember what this day is. My body remembers; I’ve been tense, agitated, irritated, tired, and I suddenly realized at mid-day why this is the case. But I’m going to focus on the good in the day as a way of honoring what was lost in 2001.
From this:
To this:
The party was great fun! But our little girl surprised us. She has zero interest in eating cake. She played with the frosting, but even though I put frosting on my finger and in her mouth, she wanted no part of it. She turned her nose up. She’d rather eat fruit! (I’m not complaining.)
It’s estimated that babies get between four to ten colds in their first year. Up until yesterday, Bean had caught nine colds since birth. And now she has a cold again.
It appears that this one is quick and she has no fever; a friend’s daughter had it and was symptom-free in three days, so perhaps she will be well enough that our little guests can join us for her birthday party on Sunday. I also have two Very Pregnant friends who may not be able to come, although since they don’t put her toys in their mouths and won’t hold her, it may not be an issue. We’ll let them know and they can decide.
She’s in pretty good spirits despite the sneezes and runny nose. Her grandma and father are out buying a sandbox for her birthday (which is Monday, but the party is Sunday).
It is as difficult to keep a child out of a mud puddle as it is to bathe a cat.
I’m holding Bean, giving her the afternoon bottle of milk. She is dawdling in my arms while her father and I chat on this quiet Monday afternoon. I look up from Bean’s gaze and ask, “Do you think Bean loves me?”
“Of course she does,” answers Husband. He pauses. “Her feelings are so big she doesn’t even know it’s love. It’s just raw MOM-meeeeee!”
I let the words sink in, and then I rapidly blink to clear my teary eyes. What a beautiful and apt perception.
Mother is the name for God in the lips and hearts of little children.
–William Makepeace Thackeray
Bean is an amazing little person. She is walking (toddling) pretty steadily now. When you ask her, “What does a snake say?” She replies, “SSSSSssss.” If she sees a picture of a snake in a book, she’ll point to it and make the sound. When you ask, “What does a rhinoceros say?” she responds by sniffing hard through her nose (we do it when we read Boynton’s Moo Baa La La La). And when you ask her what an elephant says, she lifts her arm up like a trunk and makes her best approximation of an elephant sound (imitating me).
She is applying the sound ca to cow, cat, milk, clock, and truck. She is obsessed with clocks and will point them out everywhere. Da is for dog. Tee is for any green bushy thing like a tree, bush, flowers, and see is for sheep. She says “Hi!” and waves at trucks, people, cats, dogs, her mirror image, the decorations on her bedroom wall, and especially in the morning when I get her from her crib. Mama and Dada are increasingly applied intentionally to the correct person. She points to other babies and says, “Bay-bee! Bay-bee!” If you tell her to go get Teddy, she will retrieve him. She adores soft, huggable, squishy toys.
I asked her to point to the blue fish in one of her books, and she did! I happen to say, “I see” many times a day in conversation with Bean, and she has started to copy me. I’m sure she doesn’t really know what it means; it’s simply a fun sound to make. The list goes on. She is also having me read the same few books about three dozen times in a row daily. How many times can you read Baby’s First Counting Book or The Jolly Barnyard without going insane? I’m pushing the envelope on finding out.
Lastly, she flatly refuses to eat pureed foods and baby cereal now. She eats green beans, lots of different fruits, toast with jelly, and tiny pieces of chicken, fish, and ground beef. Every day is different. I’m trying to let food be food, and find it a challenge. Must not make food a power struggle!
They came bearing gifts. They arrived at the doldrums of 103-degree afternoon. Bean chatted up a storm with them and generally delighted us all. Georgia entertained us with her talents (amazing eyebrows!) and was so sweet with Bean. It was very special to meet Karen and Georgia, as both of them are close to my heart and have helped me in many ways. Since I seem to be increasingly economical with words (forgive my laziness), I’ll let a photo speak for me. We would love to see them again, and I’m certain we will.
