That's what Shannon, one of the daycare ladies, said in describing Rachel's ability to transition to Toddler I, the next group at St. James. Since she appears to be almost ready to walk, they're thinking of moving her before the end of the year. At the very least, she will go to Toddler I for "visits," much like she did with the mobiles section of St. James. I am not as thrilled with the setting of Toddler 1 as I am with infants and mobiles -- there are no windows, it's in an older part of the church and I've heard mixed reviews of the teachers (although Shannon reassured me that the current set of teachers are pretty good. She should know; her own son, Jahmari, is there).
Anyway, at the same time she will head to Toddler I, we are probably going to switch to 5 days of daycare instead of 4. The expense makes me wince, but she's moving to one nap a day, for about 2 hours, and that doesn't give Drew enough time to work a half-day on Fridays. I asked Shannon whether it was wise to move Rachel to a new section AND switch to 5 days from 4, but she said not to worry, that Rachel was "such a mellow baby, she probably won't have any problem with the transition."
Shannon said Rachel had a great day today. Apparently she spent a good amount of time in a corner, by herself, giggling. I am constantly amazed at her ability to make herself laugh.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Shana tova!
That means "Happy New Year"! for our non-Jewish readers.
We had a friend and her two boys over last night to break the 24-hour fast from Sunday night to Monday night. Susan works with me at the newspaper; her 9-year-old, Harrison, and 3-year-old, Davis, stormed through our small house with boyish energy. They were extremely well-behaved and didn't run or break anything but, oh, the energy! It was a preview of what Drew and I will experience in about a year or so...
I roasted a chicken, some potatoes, made a pear/spinach/gorgonzola cheese salad and, for dessert, pound cake with chocolate sauce and strawberries. All homemade. Harrison, upon first tasting the pound cake, pronounced it "heaven on Earth." Needless to say, I was delighted!
Susan kept remarking what a well-behaved baby Rachel is. She is developing some issues with sharing her toys, but otherwise she did her own thing, looking intently at all the action around her. Her latest cute/funny trick is to take a knit doily we have on our living-room coffee table (made for me by my Spanish tutor in Guatemala before I left), pull it over her head and wrapt it around the back of her neck, like a shawl. It looks like a lace mantilla. She grins hugely when she does that, which always gets a laugh. She also wraps bibs around the back of her neck, toys...anything to get a reaction.
Another recent discovery: She no longer needs me to cut soft foods into teeny tiny pieces. I used to do that with cheese sticks, but Drew gave her half of one the other day and she just bit through it until it was all gone!
We had a friend and her two boys over last night to break the 24-hour fast from Sunday night to Monday night. Susan works with me at the newspaper; her 9-year-old, Harrison, and 3-year-old, Davis, stormed through our small house with boyish energy. They were extremely well-behaved and didn't run or break anything but, oh, the energy! It was a preview of what Drew and I will experience in about a year or so...
I roasted a chicken, some potatoes, made a pear/spinach/gorgonzola cheese salad and, for dessert, pound cake with chocolate sauce and strawberries. All homemade. Harrison, upon first tasting the pound cake, pronounced it "heaven on Earth." Needless to say, I was delighted!
Susan kept remarking what a well-behaved baby Rachel is. She is developing some issues with sharing her toys, but otherwise she did her own thing, looking intently at all the action around her. Her latest cute/funny trick is to take a knit doily we have on our living-room coffee table (made for me by my Spanish tutor in Guatemala before I left), pull it over her head and wrapt it around the back of her neck, like a shawl. It looks like a lace mantilla. She grins hugely when she does that, which always gets a laugh. She also wraps bibs around the back of her neck, toys...anything to get a reaction.
Another recent discovery: She no longer needs me to cut soft foods into teeny tiny pieces. I used to do that with cheese sticks, but Drew gave her half of one the other day and she just bit through it until it was all gone!
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Words? Soon?
Rachel was quite the conversationalist last night during Shabbat dinner. We fed her beforehand but included her at the table as I lit the candles. We gave her some challah, and when she was tired of that we gave her one of her small board books, "The Very Hungry Caterpillar." She pointed to nearly every page while keeping up a running commentary of gibberish.
At one point, though, Drew & I thought we heard the word, "caterpillar." It really does seem as if she's speaking another language. It's a shame she has to give that other language up for ours, but I'm looking forward to the day when we can have great mommy and daughter conversations!
At one point, though, Drew & I thought we heard the word, "caterpillar." It really does seem as if she's speaking another language. It's a shame she has to give that other language up for ours, but I'm looking forward to the day when we can have great mommy and daughter conversations!
Why I cried
Drew and I had such a good time with Rachel on Thursday night. She was so playful, crawling toward Drew, pretending she was going to end up in his lap, then crawling to me and doing the same thing. Both of us lifted her upside down and tickled her, which made her laugh and laugh and laugh.
That night as I went to sleep, I told Drew that there will come a day when she won't want to play with me anymore. In fact, there may come a day when she won't want to even be around me. I started really crying.
It made me aware, for the first time, how fast things pass. I thought she'd never stop being an infant. That she'd never sleep through the night. Now it feels as if she'll never walk or talk. But I'm sure that, someday, we'll put away the changing table, and the crib, and the diapers and the toddler clothes.
Now I know why it's so hard for parents to let go, and why so many of us end up wanting grandchildren -- so we can experience it all over again.
That night as I went to sleep, I told Drew that there will come a day when she won't want to play with me anymore. In fact, there may come a day when she won't want to even be around me. I started really crying.
It made me aware, for the first time, how fast things pass. I thought she'd never stop being an infant. That she'd never sleep through the night. Now it feels as if she'll never walk or talk. But I'm sure that, someday, we'll put away the changing table, and the crib, and the diapers and the toddler clothes.
Now I know why it's so hard for parents to let go, and why so many of us end up wanting grandchildren -- so we can experience it all over again.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Three cheers for Rachel Rachel!
We were so impressed tonight when Rachel GRABBED THE SPOON IN HER JAR OF CARROTS, SCOOPED UP SOME OF IT AND PUT IT IN HER MOUTH!! (in fact, we were so impressed that Drew prounced this momentous occasion "blog-worthy.").
It wasn't a perfect scoop, it was messy and some of it ended up on her face, but still...at least we know she can master eating with a utensil. What a relief. I thought I'd have to spoon-feed her in kindergarten.
We applauded her like mad, which made a big smile spread across her face and she tried to do it again before giving up and scooping out the carrots with her fingers. Sigh. We applaud the behavior we like and don't react to the behavior we don't like. Or we'll talk to her sternly. Result: She rarely throws food on the floor and has learned how to set her sippy cup in the cupholder on her high chair rather than toss it overboard.
I am trying to remain sanguine about the mess and figure that my treat to myself after she and perhaps a sibling are grown up enough to eat properly will be a complete re-do of the kitchen. So, let them fling food with abandon, I say. It will all be covered up with new paint, cabinets, appliances and fixtures.
Ha-ha-ha! Who am I kidding? We will NEVER be able to afford a new kitchen. Maybe my treat to myself will be to hire someone to paint it someday. Perhaps we will be able to at least install new cabinets and buy a refrigerator that won't leak.
Rachel does seem to love spoons. She'll put them in her mouth the wrong way, then grin mischievously to see our reaction. Wait 'till I tell her that Grandpa and Grandma taught mommy how to balance spoons on the end of her nose when she was a kid. I never quite mastered it. But I bet that Dad can still demonstrate how.
It wasn't a perfect scoop, it was messy and some of it ended up on her face, but still...at least we know she can master eating with a utensil. What a relief. I thought I'd have to spoon-feed her in kindergarten.
We applauded her like mad, which made a big smile spread across her face and she tried to do it again before giving up and scooping out the carrots with her fingers. Sigh. We applaud the behavior we like and don't react to the behavior we don't like. Or we'll talk to her sternly. Result: She rarely throws food on the floor and has learned how to set her sippy cup in the cupholder on her high chair rather than toss it overboard.
I am trying to remain sanguine about the mess and figure that my treat to myself after she and perhaps a sibling are grown up enough to eat properly will be a complete re-do of the kitchen. So, let them fling food with abandon, I say. It will all be covered up with new paint, cabinets, appliances and fixtures.
Ha-ha-ha! Who am I kidding? We will NEVER be able to afford a new kitchen. Maybe my treat to myself will be to hire someone to paint it someday. Perhaps we will be able to at least install new cabinets and buy a refrigerator that won't leak.
Rachel does seem to love spoons. She'll put them in her mouth the wrong way, then grin mischievously to see our reaction. Wait 'till I tell her that Grandpa and Grandma taught mommy how to balance spoons on the end of her nose when she was a kid. I never quite mastered it. But I bet that Dad can still demonstrate how.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Brown bear, brown bear
what do you see? is Rachel's favorite new book. It's a great one that introduces colors and big, colorful things like bears, ducks, frogs and teachers. (Drew tried to tell Rachel this morning that purple is the color of Willy the Wildcat, the mascot of Northwestern. Personally, I hope she does better than we did:)).
She had a brief bout last week with foot, hand and mouth (disease? syndrome? who knows?). Bottom line: it consists of blisters in the mouth, on the hand and on the feet and comes with a low-grade fever. She blew through it in half a day and is now back to her smiley self and healthy appetite intact. I am hoping this bodes well for future bouts with various illnesses.
She has started to point to ducks, pigs, cats and dogs in the books we read, and I obligingly make duck, pig, cat and dog noises. She has been babbling up a storm the last few days and some of the gibberish comes out as weird words, like "jimmy" and "mommy" and "baba." I am really looking forward to the day we can understand what she's saying!
She had a brief bout last week with foot, hand and mouth (disease? syndrome? who knows?). Bottom line: it consists of blisters in the mouth, on the hand and on the feet and comes with a low-grade fever. She blew through it in half a day and is now back to her smiley self and healthy appetite intact. I am hoping this bodes well for future bouts with various illnesses.
She has started to point to ducks, pigs, cats and dogs in the books we read, and I obligingly make duck, pig, cat and dog noises. She has been babbling up a storm the last few days and some of the gibberish comes out as weird words, like "jimmy" and "mommy" and "baba." I am really looking forward to the day we can understand what she's saying!
Monday, September 21, 2009
Daredevil, part 3
I was away yesterday, and Drew took Rachel for a ride down the long, curvy, scary-looking slide in the park. She whimpered a bit at the beginning, but then went down -- headfirst -- all by herself! A group of parents clustered around the bottom of the slide waiting for her to go down. When she did, they said, "she's a little daredevil!"
Drew is clearly delighted at the way she's turning out. I guess that means no ballet and tea parties for my little girl.
Drew is clearly delighted at the way she's turning out. I guess that means no ballet and tea parties for my little girl.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Fourteen months
and I almost missed it...Sept. 11, 2009. (Consider the date, and perhaps you won't blame me). Our girl is:
--standing up, but only briefly. It's as if she wants to feel totally and completely confident before she tries to take a step by herself. She is very comfortable walking holding mommy's and daddy's hands.
--babbling in a way that tells us words are near. We thought we heard her say, "Rachel" on her birthday. She says "dada" regularly and "mamamam" semi-regularly. It really does sound as if she's trying to talk, but the words are getting lost in the Babel Fish (those of you who are fans of "Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy" know what I'm talking about).
--showing an interest in puzzles, at least ones that are musical when you put the pieces together. She also loves putting things in bags and taking them out.
--a real comedian. The other day at the park, she put the empty toy bag on top of her head and I cracked up, she looked so funny!
--not throwing food to the floor as much as she used to. She will give something she doesn't want to eat to me or to Drew. And recently she figured out that we really, really like it when she puts her sippy cup in the cup holder on her high chair.
--having occasional meltdowns, which is frustrating because we can't always tell what's bothering her.
--growing teeth by the minute, it seems -- she has 12, including molars and incisors. Wow!
--still very interested in books, especially when mommy provides sound effects. She knows the page where mommy makes the most fun sound effects, and turns right to it to skip past the boring parts. We are very impressed.
--interested in everything that goes on in the kitchen, where she has a front seat from her high chair. The other night she couldn't take her eyes off me as I made a tomato tart. And when our friend Molly's daughter, 5-year-old Camilla, helped me make strawberry bread, Rachel was totally absorbed. She didn't fuss to get down at all!
--very cuddly. She has taken to leaning her body against mine when I read to her or when she's finishing up her last bottle of the night. I can't wait to read really long books to her when she's older and we can cuddle up on the living-room couch together next to a roaring fire...
--a daddy's girl when Drew is around. At those times, she shows very little interest in me unless she feels she needs a hug. Then it's back to daddy's chest. She stretches out his shirt to climb up.
--dancing. She rocks out to the music that her toys play. And sometimes she bounces when she's sitting on the floor. It's so cute!
--developing the oddest adult expressions. She's really beginning to look more like a girl and less like a baby. She still resembles Drew more than me, but her wavy brown hair is mine.
--waving goodbye. It's kind of a loose, hippy, see-ya-later-man kind of wave. Yes, she's an Oregonian.
--standing up, but only briefly. It's as if she wants to feel totally and completely confident before she tries to take a step by herself. She is very comfortable walking holding mommy's and daddy's hands.
--babbling in a way that tells us words are near. We thought we heard her say, "Rachel" on her birthday. She says "dada" regularly and "mamamam" semi-regularly. It really does sound as if she's trying to talk, but the words are getting lost in the Babel Fish (those of you who are fans of "Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy" know what I'm talking about).
--showing an interest in puzzles, at least ones that are musical when you put the pieces together. She also loves putting things in bags and taking them out.
--a real comedian. The other day at the park, she put the empty toy bag on top of her head and I cracked up, she looked so funny!
--not throwing food to the floor as much as she used to. She will give something she doesn't want to eat to me or to Drew. And recently she figured out that we really, really like it when she puts her sippy cup in the cup holder on her high chair.
--having occasional meltdowns, which is frustrating because we can't always tell what's bothering her.
--growing teeth by the minute, it seems -- she has 12, including molars and incisors. Wow!
--still very interested in books, especially when mommy provides sound effects. She knows the page where mommy makes the most fun sound effects, and turns right to it to skip past the boring parts. We are very impressed.
--interested in everything that goes on in the kitchen, where she has a front seat from her high chair. The other night she couldn't take her eyes off me as I made a tomato tart. And when our friend Molly's daughter, 5-year-old Camilla, helped me make strawberry bread, Rachel was totally absorbed. She didn't fuss to get down at all!
--very cuddly. She has taken to leaning her body against mine when I read to her or when she's finishing up her last bottle of the night. I can't wait to read really long books to her when she's older and we can cuddle up on the living-room couch together next to a roaring fire...
--a daddy's girl when Drew is around. At those times, she shows very little interest in me unless she feels she needs a hug. Then it's back to daddy's chest. She stretches out his shirt to climb up.
--dancing. She rocks out to the music that her toys play. And sometimes she bounces when she's sitting on the floor. It's so cute!
--developing the oddest adult expressions. She's really beginning to look more like a girl and less like a baby. She still resembles Drew more than me, but her wavy brown hair is mine.
--waving goodbye. It's kind of a loose, hippy, see-ya-later-man kind of wave. Yes, she's an Oregonian.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Watching mommy sing
I spent most of this morning singing at a fundraiser at Pioneer Courthouse Square, Portland's wonderful open-air square downtown that is also known as Portland's Living Room. Pride of Portland got $3,000 from our local transit agency for our quartets to sing at the opening of the Green Line, the newest light-rail line that opened today.
It was festive, perfect weather, made even better by the fact that Drew brought Rachel and most people from chorus got to see her -- they always ask how she's doing when I go to rehearsal every week. Everyone admired how cute and tall (long?) she is. We went over to our fundraising table and noticed a picture of me holding Rachel during international competition in Hawaii. She looked so little! And unformed! Was she really ever that young?
I could see her practicing her latest trick: She stands up on her own for a couple of seconds, and then, instead of lurching forward and trying to walk, she plops back down. She does this several times a day. It's as if she's saying, "OK, mom and dad, I can stand up. Now I'm done impressing you for the day."
It was festive, perfect weather, made even better by the fact that Drew brought Rachel and most people from chorus got to see her -- they always ask how she's doing when I go to rehearsal every week. Everyone admired how cute and tall (long?) she is. We went over to our fundraising table and noticed a picture of me holding Rachel during international competition in Hawaii. She looked so little! And unformed! Was she really ever that young?
I could see her practicing her latest trick: She stands up on her own for a couple of seconds, and then, instead of lurching forward and trying to walk, she plops back down. She does this several times a day. It's as if she's saying, "OK, mom and dad, I can stand up. Now I'm done impressing you for the day."
Rachel's eating fruit!
Not just berries, or slices of nectarines and plums. Yesterday, Drew called to report that Rachel was eating a whole plum for lunch! He had cut her some slices but she seemed to want the entire fruit. He gave her the plum, she dropped it on the high chair tray, then picked it up and ate it. The whole thing. Drew watched her closely to make sure she didn't swallow the pit.
Now I know why she won't eat the slices I cut up for her when Drew's gone. I thought it was because it was me feeding them to her rather than him. Now, I'll just hand her whole fruits (although I'll have to de-pit them before I hand them to her) and let her go to town.
Now I know why she won't eat the slices I cut up for her when Drew's gone. I thought it was because it was me feeding them to her rather than him. Now, I'll just hand her whole fruits (although I'll have to de-pit them before I hand them to her) and let her go to town.
Laughing girl
Drew came home on Thursday with a cute story from daycare. A little girl there, Sloane, made a funny face at Rachel and she started laughing. Rachel's laugh is so infectious that she made Sloane laugh. So then Sloane made another funny face at Rachel, and Rachel began laughing...the daycare ladies ended up watching them make each other laugh the whole afternoon!
Rachel's laugh IS infectious. She loves to throw back her head and invite us to tickle her neck. Then she throws her head into my chest and laughs. Then bends her head back again...I could spend HOURS making her laugh.
Rachel's laugh IS infectious. She loves to throw back her head and invite us to tickle her neck. Then she throws her head into my chest and laughs. Then bends her head back again...I could spend HOURS making her laugh.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Rain, rain, rain
Right now my friend Molly and her two kids, Calvin and Camilla, are asleep on the couch. Marigold, the baby, is asleep upstairs. Rachel is asleep in her room.
We had a great day at OMSI yesterday. I only wish I'd had my camera because Camilla looked so cute climbing into the letters spelling out OMSI! She, Rachel and I spent most of our time together there while Molly and Calvin discovered the kids' play center on the second floor. As soon as we found them there, we joined them. Rachel had a ball diving into the plastic pool with balls inside. She was extremely cuddly yesterday -- kept crawling into my arms to be held!
We had takeout Mexican food for dinner, then the kids and Molly crashed. I crashed about two hours after putting Rachel down to sleep. She cried out once at around 1 a.m., but otherwise slept until 8 or so this morning.
It is still raining today -- I didn't quite expect to get the torrential blast that has been pounding the windows this afternoon -- and I've just finished researching our play options. Turns out there are at least three cool playparks within manageable driving distance of the house. Yay! As my friend Dan says, "tire them out." That's my goal today, so all of us sleep well tonight.
We had a great day at OMSI yesterday. I only wish I'd had my camera because Camilla looked so cute climbing into the letters spelling out OMSI! She, Rachel and I spent most of our time together there while Molly and Calvin discovered the kids' play center on the second floor. As soon as we found them there, we joined them. Rachel had a ball diving into the plastic pool with balls inside. She was extremely cuddly yesterday -- kept crawling into my arms to be held!
We had takeout Mexican food for dinner, then the kids and Molly crashed. I crashed about two hours after putting Rachel down to sleep. She cried out once at around 1 a.m., but otherwise slept until 8 or so this morning.
It is still raining today -- I didn't quite expect to get the torrential blast that has been pounding the windows this afternoon -- and I've just finished researching our play options. Turns out there are at least three cool playparks within manageable driving distance of the house. Yay! As my friend Dan says, "tire them out." That's my goal today, so all of us sleep well tonight.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Dancin' Rachel
My daughter can't walk alone yet, but she can DANCE! She'll press some buttons on her toys that make music play, and she'll bounce -- either in a sitting position on the floor or standing up. It is so cute! My baby has RHYTHM!
Maybe she'll be my dance partner when she grows up, instead of Drew.
My friend Molly is coming to stay with us this weekend with her 7-year-old son, 5-year-old daughter and baby, who is one month younger than Rachel. Drew will be up in Seattle working a weekend shift, then relaxing at Bumbershoot.
Four kids, two mommies. Which side do YOU think will win??
Maybe she'll be my dance partner when she grows up, instead of Drew.
My friend Molly is coming to stay with us this weekend with her 7-year-old son, 5-year-old daughter and baby, who is one month younger than Rachel. Drew will be up in Seattle working a weekend shift, then relaxing at Bumbershoot.
Four kids, two mommies. Which side do YOU think will win??
Thursday, September 3, 2009
No thank you, mommy
Rachel's latest trick: Shaking her head vigorously when she means "no." She started doing that Monday night and has kept it up ever since. I hold the food out to her, she shakes her head and lowers her eyes, and sometimes turns away.
No, I haven't seen the nod for "yes" yet.
We are trying to teach her not to throw her food on the floor and we have made some progress. When she doesn't like what I hold out to her, she puts it in my hand. Sometimes she's fickle -- if I leave my hand open, she'll sometimes take the morsel back and eat it. Most of the time, though, she means business. If she thinks I'm not getting the message, THEN she'll throw her food on the floor.
I think that's fair.
She also tends to throw her sippy cup on the floor - hurls it, really. But I've noticed an improvement this week. Now she'll hand it over nicely.
Whenever she behaves well, I'm always sure to say, "thank you, Rachel!" We are doing that to reinforce the behavior we approve of. When she has temper tantrums or does things we don't like (short of seriously injuring herself), we try to ignore the behavior or, at least, respond with a firm "no."
So far, it seems to be working.
No, I haven't seen the nod for "yes" yet.
We are trying to teach her not to throw her food on the floor and we have made some progress. When she doesn't like what I hold out to her, she puts it in my hand. Sometimes she's fickle -- if I leave my hand open, she'll sometimes take the morsel back and eat it. Most of the time, though, she means business. If she thinks I'm not getting the message, THEN she'll throw her food on the floor.
I think that's fair.
She also tends to throw her sippy cup on the floor - hurls it, really. But I've noticed an improvement this week. Now she'll hand it over nicely.
Whenever she behaves well, I'm always sure to say, "thank you, Rachel!" We are doing that to reinforce the behavior we approve of. When she has temper tantrums or does things we don't like (short of seriously injuring herself), we try to ignore the behavior or, at least, respond with a firm "no."
So far, it seems to be working.
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