Half a year

Esther was half a year old last week.  And, might I add, super adorable.

My Vacation

Today was day one of my 11 DAY VACATION.  A few people have asked where we're going, or what we plan to do.  I'm going nowhere- except maybe Eugene for an overnight next week.  And I plan to do as little as possible.  I want to relax, play with baby, drink champagne, and take naps.  So far, here's what's been going on:

Esther helping her dad roll out cookies

Hope, the pro, showing how it's really done

Scarlett playing with kleenex and paper

Charlie and his new chainsaw. Oh dear.

Scarlett wants YOU to have a happy Christmas.

WALKING! WALKING!

Holy eff, our little girl took her first steps today.  There are no words to describe how happy/proud/surprised I am.  There were a few trial runs- several times she took two steps, then sat down and crawled.  Or took two steps, then started to faceplant right into the ground with Charlie catching her at the last moment.  But finally she took a few more steps, and we have some video of about 7 steps in a row- and I must warn you, this video is very umm...crotchy- but I'd like to share it with you. 

Oh Ffffffudge

Only I didn't say fudge.

No, wait.  I did.  Fudge!  Thanks for the recipe mom!

Fudge.

Rules

Before we were parents, there was only one rule in our household: Charlie is not to whistle while Emily is napping.  This rule was broken constantly.  More often than it was followed.  But now, we suddenly have LOTS of rules.  Most of them, Scarlett disagrees with- loudly.


Household Rules that Scarlett Finds Unreasonable

1. No touching or licking the compost bin
2. No chewing on shoes that have recently been worn outside*
• *exception made for Scarlett's own shoes
3. No chewing on electrical cords*
• *exception sometimes made if the cord is unplugged and we really, really need two minutes to finish making dinner or use the bathroom
4. No licking the oven when it's hot.  Licking the oven when it's turned off isn't recommended, but is usually allowed.

There are a few more- they mostly involve not putting her fingers into places and not eating inedible things.  Most these issues arise because we have an old house, so there are a lot of things that can't be hidden- a fireplace, vents in the floors, etc.  And it's also because she follows us from room to room, so if we are doing something at the kitchen counter, she's suddenly there next to the oven and she CANNOT RESIST touching it.  Then we're at the dining room table, and she sees a laptop cord and she is immediately drawn to it.

She is doing surprisingly well with the Christmas tree.  She likes to reach out and touch it, and pull her hand back really quickly.  But otherwise, she likes looking at the ornaments and lights, but doesn't seem too entranced. 

Overall, I love that she's exploring, and I don't want to put a damper on her adventurous spirit.   I just want her to survive childhood with all 10 fingers intact.  Is that too much to ask?  Scarlett seems to think so.

"Yeah, my fingers are in the heater, what's it to ya?"

Action Shot: Cousins

I wanted to make a caption with the funny thing they're each saying, but I'm too tired.  Anyone care to help?

Come Sail Away

I'm looking forward to two things coming up early in the new year.  One is Scarlett's first birthday.  The other is the arrival of the unnamed baby Parker, sometime in January.  Erin is due almost year after I was- so her pregnancy has been especially fun for me to watch, because I remember feeling similarly at the same time of year.  Sometimes, just a little bit, I miss being pregnant.  So Erin tells me about her birthing classes, about the new weird thing happening this month, and I can to reminisce a little, and I like it.  Plus, she's the most upbeat and agile mama-to-be ever.

It took a village to throw the perfect shower for Erin and Eddie.  The self-imposed party planning committee met a few times to talk over details and make a plan for decorations and games.  And because we met at A BAR (the type of place where you don't have a high chair next to you), our little committee meetings were especially fun and freeing.

The theme was 'come sail away' and we made some flags to decorate.  I kept thinking 'don't go overboard' and giggling to myself because I LOVE PUNS.  We hung the flags all across Erin and Eddie's living room, which is a long, narrow room, so it felt a little like I'm On A Boat.

While we decorated, we also drank mimosas.  You know, in preparation.  What event wouldn't be even better with the addition of a little champagne?  The answer: there isn't one.

Biscuit was eager for people to show up.  Apparently Biscuit has been very protective of Erin's belly- growling if anyone moves their hand too quickly toward it.  When I'm around Erin, I can't help but pat her belly every few minutes.  My hand is like a magnet to that thing.

We started with a Scavenger hunt for the parents-to-be, before the guests started to arrive.  It began with a series of nursery rhymes leading them around the house and yard.  Rockabye baby in the tree top led them to a clue hidden in a tree, for example.  The end of the hunt found Erin and Eddie talking to their friends in Phoenix, via Skype, as a surprise.

There were games for the guests too- which included melting ice cubes with plastic babies inside, and reenacting pirate vs. viking fights for the video camera.  Ohhh, I should post some footage of that!  Okay, stay tuned.

What would a baby shower be, without the opening of a Bob Dylan onesie for the little one?  The other onesie in this picture is supposed to be a roller skate, but my onesie-making skills are not as polished as Charlie's. 

And of course, there were babies.  Eli, Lucy and Scarlett are anxious for the new baby to arrive, so they can show off their sweet skills. Eli has started walking, Lucy is talking up a storm.  Scarlett spent most her time trying to eat things- edible things like hummus, and other, less-edible things like plastic bags.  Then, she napped.

I remember this point in my own pregnancy- I was so excited to meet my baby, everytime I saw a mom carrying her newborn, I would stare longingly.  I was jealous.  I wanted my baby and I hated to wait.  But it was also kindof magical, because I knew our life was about to change, and all the parents I knew were just so in love with their kids that I knew it would be fantastic.  I am so excited to see Erin and Eddie as parents.

Thanks Amber for supplying so many of these pictures, because I appear to be incapable of taking a good photo lately.

10 months

Today my baby girl turns 10 months old.  She has seen her first Christmas tree and worn wool pants for the first time.  We took her to see the Christmas lights at the zoo and learned that other, more prepared parents put their babies in gloves and hats when they're out at nighttime.  She now takes two longer naps each day, instead of three short ones.  

She's spent most of the past month pushing around her little toy cart, from the living room to the kitchen and back, over and over.  When she gets to a wall, she stands there waiting for us to come turn the cart around.  She gets onto her feet so quickly, then sits back down and crawls super fast across the floor.  She isn't walking yet- she doesn't have the balance- but she really likes to move.

She has eaten a lot of new food this month, I can't even remember them all: steel cut oats, mango, potatoes, green beans, beans of all kinds, cantelope, kale, cranberries, pumpkin, parsley.  I love giving her new food, it's really fun to watch her expression.
 

Double-digit months.  I cannot believe how close she is to being one year old.

Nostalgia

So I'm looking through some old pictures for a Christmas project, and I found a few that I couldn't help but post.  I cannot believe how old Scarlett seems, when I look at her a few months ago. 

Look, no hands!?

5 months old and very cynical

Loved the Velvet Underground from a very young age

O' Christmas Tree, O' Christmas Tree

We'll decorate you tomorrow.

Some post-nap stretching

My, how times have changed.

Last year, during the first week of December, we assembled a crib and matching dresser. Charlie sanded and painted the nursery walls and baseboards.  Our plan was to paint the walls purple, even though neither of us really wanted them purple- when we had our hands on my belly and were running through the colors, the baby kicked on 'purple'.  We decided not to leave town again until she was born, because we didn't want to get stuck giving birth on the side of the highway.
By this point in pregnancy, my hips hurt at night so much that I had to turn from side to side every half hour.  It was a difficult feat- involving a lot of grunting and trying to move my big belly really slowly so I didn't hurt my back.  But, overall, I really loved being pregnant.  Sometimes I miss that feeling of anticipation, not knowing exactly what was in store for us but knowing it'd be amazing.

32 weeks:

This year, I get to put my sweet daughter to sleep at night- lately, she's been falling asleep on my lap while I hum Christmas songs, then I set her down on her belly in that same crib.  I say a silent prayer of thanks every night while she's falling asleep- thanks for giving me this perfect baby, thanks that she's healthy and happy, thanks that she is so affectionate.  She's recently started kissing the polar bear in one of her books.

And this year, there's something new to look forward to, coming up soon.  Erin, 33 weeks:

We made ice cream last night.

Scarlett helped pick out the recipe.

Don't Worry, It's Clean...

Scarlett playing in the laundry basket.  The outfit she's wearing was mine when I was a baby.  She wears it much better, though.