More adventures with Rachel

Well, she definitely prefers going down the slide headfirst, as Drew discovered this weekend. If he let her, she'd pitch herself down the long curly slide at Grant Park. One of the daycare ladies told me today that's highly unusual!

She shared breakfast with Drew on Sunday -- and he does mean share. She had part of his hard-boiled egg, his scone (she seems to have developed a fondness for scones, which we both eat) and WHEATIES. He was very pleased about the Wheaties, since up until now she has only eaten Cheerios.

At the farmers market on Saturday, the vendors kept remarking how great it was to see Rachel eagerly eat all the fresh fruit Drew kept handing up to her. She sits in the backpack while he does the marketing, hands samples to her and she goes to town. We are so lucky she loves all the fresh produce Portland has to offer.

And, Drew reports, she can crawl UP the stairs. No progress yet on crawling down. Or walking unassisted. We are holding our breaths.

Solicitous Rachel

When Drew tried to give Rachel some food last night and she didn't want it, she pushed it into his mouth, as if she was concerned he was giving up his food for her!

She still frustrates us by tossing food to the floor, but before she does that she usually offers it to us if she doesn't like it. We think it's her way of saying, "thank you Mommy and Daddy, but I don't care for it." If we're smart, we take it from her fingers and put it on our plates (this does not, of course, apply to jarred baby food). If we're a little slow on the uptake, she throws it to the side.

Last night while she was on the changing table, she grabbed my arm and wrapped both of her baby arms around it, as if she was trying to give me a hug! She has done that with Drew before, but not with me.

I came into work an hour early today (6 a.m. instead of 7 a.m.) to help with coverage of a forest fire in the Columbia River Gorge. I am very tired and eager to go home in less than an hour.

Drew reports that he is having a great day with Rachel, that they're "eating our way through the Farmers Market." (i.e., she's eating all the fruit samples he keeps handing her). He's a little worried that she hasn't napped yet. I'm hoping she takes a nice, long one this afternoon so she's not cranky tonight.

Dinnertime

This is what happens when I'm actually able to leave work with Drew and Rachel after he has picked her up from daycare:

I whip up a quick dinner of basil with cherry tomatoes and spaghetti, salad and dinner bread. Drew plays with Rachel upstairs. I have on KMHD, the local jazz radio station, as I prepare the food.

Drew brings Rachel downstairs to the kitchen, puts her in her high chair and assembles the salad. He has the genius idea of warming up frozen pasta shells, which she loves. He feeds her some pieces of tomato from our salads, which she also loves. Then she gets a cheese stick and two jars of baby food. We're just about finished with dinner when she starts tossing the pasta shells and tomato seeds to the floor.

I play with Rachel in the living room while Drew cleans up. It's limited play because I have somehow managed to pull a stomach muscle and can't really bend down or pick her up. After playing a bit, she nestles into the crook of my arm and I rock her back and forth while we sit and listen to a CD of soothing lullabies -- mostly African-inspired and Enya.

Then Drew puts her to bed while I finish cleaning up dinner, making my lunch for tomorrow, putting some baby laundry in the wash, washing the baby bottles and cleaning out the diaper bag. Drew calls me a "stud extraordinaire."

And now, dear readers, I'm about to leave to perform karaoke at a bar tonight. It's for another reporter's story on Portland's karaoke scene. Every one of the reporters (and editors -- we believe in equal opportunity when it comes to embarrassing ourselves singing) on the Portland team must sing "I Will Survive" at a karaoke bar of our colleague's choosing. The results will be widely available when the video goes live.

Hey, maybe I'll be discovered. Or kicked out of Sweet Adelines. Wish me luck that I don't completely blow it.

Adventure Girl!

While I was gone, Rachel apparently discovered CLIMBING. Drew says he took her to the park on Sunday and she somehow figured out how to climb the toddler monkey bars on the big climbing structure at Grant Park. At one point, she was ready to slide down the baby slide head first if he had let her!

She is a very good eater, the daycare ladies say. Tonight for dinner, she ate: Half of a Gardenburger, 2 jars of baby food, half a stick of cheese, half a cracker, two fistfuls of Graduates and a cup of applesauce. PLUS most of a bottle of milk at bedtime.

She is beginning to look like a little Buddha, slapping her plump baby belly while she's on the changing table. Slap, slap slap, with both hands. Kind of like a frat boy with a beer belly who's had too much to drink.

The joys of a few free hours on Friday afternoon

I took some comp time today that I had built up the last two weeks, left work about three hours early (later than I had wanted to leave, but still earlier than 6), hopped the bus home, changed clothes and took Rachel to the park while Drew checked his work e-mail and did some other things from home. Rachel took a monster 3 1/2 hour nap today, which meant lunchtime combined with snacktime was more like 3 p.m. than noon!

We went to Grant Park and I swung her for a bit, then we hung out on the blanket with her toys. Rachel has a grass phobia -- she seemed to think her blanket was the end of the world and every time she threw a toy off it, she expected me to fetch it. Which I did, of course.

She has also been intermittently cranky the last two days, really pitching a fuss when we've tried to make her eat by herself at 7 (it seems she prefers 7:30, hopefully tonight with us), or when we wipe her nose, or take things like cell phones and the like away from her. Baby temper tantrums! And they'll only get worse until it gets better. SIGH.

Rachel loves climbing on the sofa, trying to get to the top by using the cushions as ladders. She can't quite make it, and sometimes gets frustrated in the process.

At the park she was really cuddly. She leaned against my chest in the crook of my arm while I sang "Oklahoma" "Heigh Ho" and "Sunrise Sunset" to her. I just about got through the last song until I started crying, quietly. Right now it feels as if she'll never grow up, but I'm sure I'll look back on her neediness very fondly. Someday.

Tomorrow I head to LA for Aunt Kay and Uncle Jack's 50th wedding anniversary. Bonus: I get to meet my cousin Joel's kids, Ben and Isaac, who are older than Rachel but still young.

Sick AGAIN

Rachel had the sneezes and a runny nose for, oh, approximately 6 hours or so, but still found time to pass it along to Drew and me. She, of course, never stopped moving.
I, on the other hand, stayed home from work yesterday, downing NyQuil and sleeping much of the time. I didn't leave our air-conditioned bedroom except to go to the bathroom and eat lunch around 4:15 and dinner at 10:30.

Rachel waved excitedly at me last night and tried to hand me Mr. Potato Head. Unfortunately I couldn't do much more than smile and stagger off to bed.

I will say this: During the worst of it, on Tuesday night, I was lying on my side next to her as she played in the living room. I started coughing and sat upright. She probably saw the look of misery on my face and then did the strangest thing: She raced over to me (it was the fastest I've ever seen her crawl) with an anxious look on her face, heading straight for my lap. Then she lay her head down on my leg as if she was trying to comfort me! It was so sweet! "Oh, sweetie, it's okay!" I said. "Mommy's not going to die, she's just sick."

I'm feeling a little better today, still tired and with a sore back, but here at work. I am hoping we can take her to the pool tonight. Drew and Rachel went there last night, and he reported that she had a great time splashing around. We've decided not to give her swim lessons until age 3, when the American Pediatric Association recommends it.

Helpful Rachel

Last night as I was giving her a bath, I put her next to the tub, which she leaned against as she watched the water fill up her smaller, baby tub within the big tub.

I handed her the washcloth, she dropped it into the tub. I handed her a rubber ducky, she dropped that into the tub, too.

"Thank you, Rachel, for being so helpful!" I exclaimed.

This morning on the changing table she said something that sounded a lot like "baby." It came out, "bay-beh." "Did you just say BABY?" I asked. She just smiled.

And she is now realizing there are many more books in the world than the three I've been reading to her. The result: She only wants me to read one or two pages of each book before she pushes it away and looks for another.

"I think you should start her on Crime and Punishment," Drew said this morning. "She's obviously bored with the current offerings."

Exciting developments...

--I took Rachel up to the attic to play this morning while Drew slept. (This is our Sunday morning routine; since I'm gone every Saturday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., my gift to Drew on Sunday mornings is to let him sleep in a bit. Then he staggers into the kitchen and makes a fabulous breakfast. Love the smell of bacon wafting up the stairs). I was at one end of the attic, tossing a ball to her, when she said what sounded like, "play"! Could this be her first word??

--She stood by herself for at least 6 seconds today, after leaning on my hip for balance. It's clear she's getting more and more comfortable with this walking thing.

--On Friday, after Drew finished changing Rachel's diaper, she grasped his arm and put her lips to it -- several times. Drew said it felt as if she was trying to give him a kiss! Is she really ready to kiss us back?

--She ate part of a hard-boiled egg this morning. And Rice Krispies! She's still not quite self-feeding yet, although she continues to try to guide the spoon with her hands...

Rachel, 13 months

..I haven't had time this week to commemorate Rachel's 13-month birthday. Here's what she's up to these days:

--She points to what she wants. Sometimes she points for no reason, really, other than that she wants us to take her hand or interact with her.

--She has really, really big hands. Or maybe it's just her incredibly long fingers. That's Drew's influence. I am hoping she has his long, elegant fingers, which would be perfect for piano, guitar or championship softball.

--She shrieks -- mostly with joy, or sometimes just to make a lot of noise because she knows she can.

--She has proto-tantrums, screeching and arching her back if she doesn't want to be on the changing table, in her high chair or in the car seat.

--She's rapidly outgrowing her 9-month-old clothes and looks awfully sweet in sundresses.

--She's getting more independent. Sometimes she crawls into the living room while we're in the kitchen because she wants to play with her toys. She can get completely absorbed in a task, then look up as if she wants reassurance that we're still there, then get back to what she was doing.

--She has three favorite books she loves for us to read to her over and over and over and over and over and over and over again: "Ten little fingers and ten little toes," "Chicka Chicka boom boom" and "Clip Clop." The last two I read to her with sound effects and movement, which she loves. She loves "Ten little fingers" because it's about babies. When I read it to her, she gets a big smile and reaches out to touch the little baby faces!

--She's walking a lot with our help. More than 40 steps at a time!

--She has the most infectious giggle I've ever heard. I'll do anything to coax it from her. It saddens me that it will mature into a real laugh someday.

--She's chattering away, but in an unrecognizable language.

--She's getting more teeth! Molars, incisors...I stopped counting at 9.

--She loves it when I pretend to disappear around a wall or doorway, then pop back inside and say, "peek-a-boo!"

--Every once in a while, when she's really glad to see Drew or me, she claps her hands.

Mr. Potato Head

...is Rachel's latest discovery, thanks to Drew. Every part except the nose, which she has a disturbing tendency to put in her mouth and try to swallow. We're going to use it as her mealtime toy to keep her distracted while we eat.

She also loves the yellow rubber duckies that our friend Charon got her for her 1st birthday. She even takes them back to the changing table after bathtime. And before bathtime the other day, I handed one of the duckies to her and she tossed it in the bath. Ditto with the washrag. I thanked her for being helpful.

We went to Congregation Beth Israel's 2nd Shabbat Under the Stars last night. Much cloudier and a little drizzly, but otherwise we had a nice time. Rachel kept shutting the prayer book. She also showed great interest in the little boys who kept coming to our blanket and looking at her toys. I am trying to convince Drew that a sibling would be good for her, but so far no luck.

Drew's bad influence

Yours truly got Drew a key chain while she was in Spokane at the Sweet Adelines regional competition. It spouts phrases from the old Dr. Who TV series such as, "Exterminate! Exterminate!" and other obnoxious sayings.

So guess who Drew gave it to this morning on the way to daycare? And guess who couldn't get enough of pushing the buttons to listen to what each one had to say? And guess how mommy felt trying to have a conversation with daddy while Rachel gleefully pushed each and every button on the keychain?

(I almost got Drew a keychain with lines from "The Big Lebowski," with the immortal phrase, "I don't roll on Shabbos!")

Get used to it, Drew told me, this is life with a kid.

Oh, I can't wait until we take a multi-day driving trip somewhere. If we buy a DVD player and allow her to watch a movie, it will be one that we ALL enjoy listening to, or else I will go bonkers.

Everything old is new again...

At least, when it comes to food. Rachel now is back in love (or at least like) with the raisin-granola jarred baby food she gobbled up months ago and turned her nose up at when we introduced her to yogurt. She is starting to tire of Gardenburgers and only ate one slice of American cheese last night. Usually, she can't get enough.

I can tell that keeping up with her changing tastes in food will be a challenge!

Rachel's "walk"

with Mommy is up up to 40 steps, holding both my hands. She has a very stiff gait, kind of like a drunk college student trying really, really hard not to flunk a Breathalyzer test.

She is no longer safe, unstrapped, in her high chair. I was reading the Sunday New York Times while Drew was washing up breakfast last weekend and all of a sudden, out of the corner of my eye, Rachel was...standing! In her high chair!

I need to keep a closer eye on her in the kitchen. Tonight she discovered she could move the lower shelf of the dishwasher back and forth.

The Ten Plagues

Last night they were: poop, ants, and mold.

--The poop: I had just gotten Rachel out of the bath and was about to lay her on the changing table when I notice it was wet. Very wet. She had peed all over it at some point, probably when I took her diaper off before the bath. I couldn't hold her and change the cover of the changing table, so I set her down on the carpet. She crawled over to the floor near the door and proceeded to poop all over the hardwood. I quickly lifted her up to the changing table, whereupon the poop continued...all over the new changing table cover. And the floor in front of the table. And the corner of the carpet nearby. While I was cleaning up, Rachel got busy pulling the baby wipes out of the container. She had yanked out at least eight or so before I noticed and stopped her. Some days it feels as if I need four hands!

--The ants: Thankfully she went down to sleep pretty easily -- although she's gotten very squirmy during song time; maybe I need new songs? -- and I walked into the kitchen to clean up from dinner. That's when I noticed ants all over the Girl Scout cookie boxes, the Bisquick box, a small box of perfect little cookies I had bought at a bakery called Two Tarts...I squished all the ants I could, dumped everything they had been on into the garbage, then took the garbage bag out to the garage (2nd garbage dump of the day). Then I sprayed Raid into the corner of the counter where I had seen the ants. This morning I noticed no resurgence, so I hope they are all happy in ant martyr heaven and will no longer visit my house.

--The mold: I noticed the pastrami we have been eating for the past month or so looked a little odd, and upon closer inspection, it had turned a pale green in places. So I tossed it all. Now maybe my tummy won't hurt at odd intervals, as it has for the past few weeks.

What's next? Locusts? I'm waiting to see what hits me when I come home after work.

Sunday block party

Reason #789 that I love Portland: Block parties. Anna & Judy, our friends who live three blocks away, always invite us to theirs. Our block can't have one because we are on a bus line. Anyway, Drew took Rachel over there last night while I was out on the Willamette River with a bunch of dragon boat paddlers for a story I'm working on that will probably run on 1A sometime this week. I got to the party late, to find most of the food gone -- including my chocolate-covered toffee bars, which Drew said were a hit!

Rachel was unimpressed by the fire truck and was kind of whiny until we figured out that her diaper needed a change (it's still a guessing game with her moods, which I know will only get worse when she gets older!). At the end of the evening we played the blanket game, which consists of Drew & I grabbing opposite ends of the picnic blanket with Rachel in the middle and swinging her back and forth. She LOVES it, and always giggles. She never wants us to stop!

She had kind of a fussy night, so we let her sleep late -- very late -- this morning. She got up at 8:15 and Drew had barely enough time to see her before he had to leave for Seattle. So I took her into day care, fed her breakfast, and was just about to leave when she tucked her head under my chin and snuggled against my chest. Rachel hasn't done that in a while, and I was so touched that I just stood in the center of the room, swaying back and forth with her in my arms. I was just about to go to a rocking chair and stay with her a while when one of the daycare ladies got free and took her.

It's funny -- when Rachel has been alone with Drew most of the time, she doesn't seem to want to be with me that much beyond her first excited realization that "mama's home!" But when it's just us, she really responds to what I'm doing and we have such a delightful time. I wonder if that will continue into toddlerhood, puberty, adolescence, beyond...

Summer Saturdays

If every Saturday summer night could be like this one, I would be one happy mama.

We took Rachel to Grant Park just after she awoke from a huge, almost three-hour nap. She woke up in just enough time for us to get our sandwiches, drinks and fruit, the picnic blanket, stroller, toy bag and diaper bag together. (I love this current stage of Rachel's but I will be really glad when we don't have to lug Napoleonic Army provisions everywhere). We had a leisurely walk to the park, getting there just as the concert started, and set up the blanket right near a tree that a dozen kids were simultaneously trying to climb.

Rachel spent the evening trying to climb on Drew and act like she wanted our food, but when we offered her some, she wasn't interested. Too bad -- I had hoped she would like plums as much as nectarines, my two favorite summer fruits.

She couldn't keep her eyes off the bigger kids, who were running and screaming and throwing grass at each other. Every once in a while she would make a little disappointed whine, as if to let us know that she really, really wanted to run with the kids but just can't yet. But she stood up a lot, using our legs for balance and even standing for a second or two on her own.

We saw two girls laughing and rolling on their dad's chest while he kissed them on their heads. Turns out one girl was his daughter, the other his niece; their mothers are twins. The girls looked like sisters. I looked over at them and their dad and told Drew, "that'll be you someday." Next year we figure we will spend the concert chasing after Rachel, who no doubt will be bored by the music and will want to run and explore.

We met a little boy, Simon, 15 months, who thought nothing of marching over and grabbing Rachel's toy car and cups. She kind of looked at him with puzzlement, then buried her head in Drew's lap. Simon's grandma remarked how generous Rachel seemed. I am sure that will end when she figures out the concept of other kids taking what's hers. I just hope she doesn't get whacked too much, or that she doesn't decide to do too much of the whacking.

The concert ended with a "toy symphony." The kids in the audience were given plastic flutes and got to play them with the Portland Symphony. Drew noted that if Rachel ever wants to get into music school, she can honestly say that she spent several summers playing with the symphony (as soon as she is old enough for one of the flutes).

Ha ha, I said.

We walked her home through the cloudy, slightly cool night. Perfect weather. The rain in the air and the smell of charcoal grills reminded me of Africa. Someday, no matter how tightly we have to squeeze our pennies, I will take her there.

What? Me, worry?

Drew was out and about with Rachel yesterday (they went to the Oregon Children's Museum, which she got more out of this time than the last time we were there during the winter) and I asked Drew to pick up a copy of "What To Expect...The Toddler Years," part of the "What To Expect When You're Expecting" series. After dinner last night, I paged through it compulsively.

"If you use this book to look for things to worry about, I'll take it back," Drew said sternly. "I'm serious."

I had to laugh. But I still worry that she's not walking or saying anything discernible lately. Does this mean she's not a little genius??

We had a nice dinner last night...I made a new dish, orzo pasta with baked zucchini, walnuts, lemon and olive oil. Simple and fast...I had it on the table in 30 minutes. We had about 15 minutes to eat it before we had to start getting Rachel down for the night. At least we were able to light Shabbat candles and say the blessing.

Next week we plan to attend the second "Shabbat Under the Stars" this summer at Congregation Beth Israel. And tonight, after I get off from work, Rachel & I have a playdate with a new friend. Later we plan to go to a free concert by the Portland Symphony on the lawn of Grant Park. It starts at 6 p.m., lasts two hours and features Haydn.

I can't help thinking how different things are from the last time we went to this free concert a year ago. I was crying compulsively, thinking that Rachel would never stop being a baby and that I'd be sleep-deprived and worry-burdened forever. I was actually calculating how long I'd be kid-free until I had to start worrying about dying (my count: 10-12 years).

Now she is really a little person and I am really looking forward to having her crawl around on the blanket and cuddle up with us tonight while we have our picnic and listen to great music!

Adventures in self-feeding

That's what Drew wants me to call this blog entry because...drumroll please...Rachel began feeding herself tonight! (well, sort of). For the past two nights she has grabbed our hands as we held spoonfuls of her baby food, and guided the spoon toward her mouth. So, tonight we decided to dump a bunch of applesauce into a little plastic bowl Drew bought months ago in the shape of a turtle. We handed her a spoon to see what would happen.

Well! She dipped the spoon in and took a little applesauce and PUT IT IN HER MOUTH! (yes, all my mom friends, you are probably hysterical with laughter because your kids are doing pre-calculus already, but we think this is pretty cool. Even though, because we're approaching our mid-40s, we're supposed to be blase and bored with life). She then proceeded to try to turn the bowl upside down. Drew stopped her, but after that it was a losing battle. It's as if she wanted to do this new thing a couple of times, then stop because, well, she proved she could do it once, right? So why bother to keep doing it? Mommy and Daddy might start taking her brilliance for granted...

She then started whining for the cordless phone. When I gave it to her, she stared at it intently while pressing the buttons. I swear it looked as if she was texting all her baby friends. ("Hey guys! Now I get the spoon thing! Now if I can only figure out how to open these stupid cabinets -- anyone know how to break the baby locks?")

Feeling a little blah

..after yesterday's announcement at work that we'll have to take more furlough days next year, I'll have to contribute more to my health care premium, our job guarantees have been eliminated...

Rachel was very playful last night, according to Drew. She found that she could crawl into a tub we have that is filled with plastic balls. She loved that.

I'm looking forward to seeing her tonight, swooping her up in my arms and playing with her in the living room while Drew heats up lasagne for dinner. Simple things. I hope we'll be able to keep everything we have -- house, health, jobs, each other -- for as long as we can.

Sad moment

I was at the library today checking out big new picture books for Rachel because I am getting really tired of reading the same ones over and over. The exception is "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom," which besides teaching about the alphabet has a really cool jazz rhythm. I was reading it to her tonight after we got home from the pool, bouncing her on my lap, and she kept looking at me and smiling!

Anyway, in the winter Drew would take Rachel to "book babies," a free program at all Multnomah County libraries where you can take take your baby in for storytime. We stopped as summer approached and we didn't want to be cooped up inside, and the times interfered with Rachel's nap schedule...

So now, she is too old for "book babies." She would be in the next reading group, which is for toddlers (i.e., kids ages 1 and up). I had a momentary stab of regret. This must mean she's growing up. When she starts walking, we won't be able to call her a baby anymore.

Rachel's nicknames

are "Small fry" and "Half Pint." These courtesy of Drew, who was forced against his will to watch "Little House on the Prairie" with his mom and sister when he was growing up. That was probably why he turned to punk rock and snarky TV. I just read today that Melissa Gilbert, who played Laura in the original TV series, is starring as "Ma" in a musical of the same name at the Paper Mill Playhouse.

He came up the with the nickname "Wumpus Gallumpus" as well. Last week my non-Jewish husband put a Yiddish twist on it (maybe he got the inspiration from listening to "The Yiddish Hour" on KBOO Radio Sunday mornings at 10). He now calls her "Wumpusha Gallumpusha."

At daycare today when I asked how Rachel's day was, Shannon (mom of Jahmari) said Rachel was happy as usual. "It was Monday, the usual chaos after the weekend," she said. "When the other kids were having their meltdowns, Rachel was just happily playing with the toys by herself." It seems she's pretty self-reliant except when the other kids get in her space (oh, aren't we all like that...). She's different from the other kids, who are always tugging on the daycare ladies' legs to be lifted up. When Rachel wants something, like a nap or a bottle, she makes a little whimpering noise like "uh" and then they know to attend to her. And because she's so happy by nature, they can tell right away when she's sick or feeling "off" for some reason.

Two more things Rachel likes

--nectarines. I gave her a bite of a juicy fresh nectarine in the park today and as soon as she tasted it, she wanted more! I had brought it as an afternoon snack for myself, but ended up giving half of it to Rachel! A sign of things to come...

--the baby backpack we bought today. It's called a Sherpani and looks way modern and high-tech, with about a million straps to keep her positioned and a seat we can lower as she gets bigger. Drew tried it on at REI, which was very crowded, and adjusted it to his specifics because he's the one who will be wearing it. While he did so, he had Rachel in it. We thought that was a sensible idea, to buy one after she had tried it out, but it was hard going. Oh, how she screamed and cried! You'd think we were trying to torture her. When I got nervous at her shrieking, Drew said evenly, "Imagine how that screaming sounds right in my ear." He was right. As soon as we had her positioned correctly and she could see clear over Drew's head, she started getting interested in things around her. When we were in line to check out, she actually started flirting with the guy ahead of us in line, who told us he loved the Sherpani and used it until his kids were about 18 months or so. After he said that, she gave him a cute little smile then reached out to touch his arm. It was so sweet!

This morning we were cleaning up breakfast and Rachel was in the living room, chattering away to herself as she played with her toys. (No discernible words yet, but she was quite the little chatterbox today!) It felt odd to be in the kitchen alone with Drew, without Rachel underfoot or trying to crawl toward us.

"I don't know if you've noticed how independent she's become," Drew said. "First, we walked away and she shrieked. Then we walked away and she crawled after us. Now, SHE crawls away from US to go play on her own!"

What great insight.

Summer Shabbat

Rachel was snoozing last night when Drew came to pick her up at day care, and the ladies were kind enough to let him stay until she woke up. They told him to just close the door behind him when he left.

She still hadn't awakened when I arrived at 6:15. So Drew and I sat down in two rocking chairs and had just started a conversation when she began to stir. She looked discombobulated when she opened her eyes and saw only mommy and daddy, and kicked up a huge fuss when we tried to put her in the car seat. She also has a disconcerting habit of arching her back unexpectedly, scaring me that she will fall out of my arms that way and onto the floor.

But we got her home and fed her. Then I played with her while Drew grilled sirloin and made his fabulous mashed potatoes. We tried to coax her into trying them, but no go. However, she seemed to enjoy the challah, which Drew wants to include every Friday night. She liked the crusty part best.

I love saying the blessing over the candles, with one hand on Rachel's head. I need to dig up the special child's blessing for Shabbat. Or at least the one that mentions Rachel, Rivka, Sarah and Rebecca....

I got her down for the night while Drew cleaned up. I try to be the one to bathe her and rock her to sleep on Fridays, since that's my chance to sing her Shabbat songs. I hope she absorbs them and realizes what a beautiful tradition she has been born into!

Looooong Saturday

I usually work a 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. shift on Saturdays, but when my replacement failed to arrive by 3:15 I asked my editor what was up. Turns out the usual 3 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. reporter was on vacation and her substitute didn't realize he had to work for her.

So the upshot was that I volunteered to work a double shift. I'm here for 2 more hours, until 11:15. I am doing this because I have been promised overtime and, frankly, we could really use the money.

I expect to spend lots of time tomorrow with The Little Girl. Drew had hoped to replace his car's bald tires today, but that will have to wait until very early Monday morning when he's on his way to Seattle.

I think we'll buy a kid's backpack at REI so we can take Rachel on hikes and she'll be up high, away from the crowds. Then I think a visit to the pool is definitely in order! I want to keep going as long as the temperatures stay in the 80s and 90s in the hope that the more Rachel is around water, the more she'll love it.