matching tracksuits

fun in threes, sometimes fours

the girl

Waking Up

Tuesday 22 January 2008 | 0 Comments

When L wakes up, she often will lie in bed talking to herself or playing. We often know she's awake because we hear the thump of her empty bottle falling to the floor. I guess she sometimes feels upset by being cheated: she woke up with a bottle, but the blasted thing was empty. Other times, she'll just suck on the empty bottle, perhaps wistfully imagining how nice it would be to have a bit of her warmed 10/90 juice/water mixture.

The point being, bottle tossed or no, L doesn't often wake up and begin crying. Which is pleasant enough.

Eating Alone

Monday 21 January 2008 | 0 Comments

L has begun eating by herself. Cheerios, small crumbs of bread with jam, and blueberries are her favorites -- they all fit perfectly in her wonderfully chubby hands.

Earlier this month, K was giving L some yogurt one evening earlier this month when she decided to let L have a go with a spoon. Of course the paparazzi was there.

Las Vegas

Saturday 19 January 2008 | 0 Comments

It's been some time since I posted any videos. That's because it's been a long time since I had access to the computer on which I edit them. It's in the guest room, which is now Dziadek's room, making the computer Dziadek's computer.

I'm so far behind, it's not even vaguely amusing. Still, I had some time today while the Girl slept and K and Dziadek were out, so I went through the footage I had and put together a little something from Las Vegas.

On the way: Grand Canyon, Sedona, eating with a spoon, and more...

Quick Development

Tuesday 08 January 2008 | 0 Comments

During the last few days this evening, L's begun doing several new things.

  • While cleaning up, L chipped in. She picked up blocks, brought them to the box, and dropped them in -- on request.
  • L loves yogurt. Today, she reached out for the spoon while K was feeding her. With a little help and about five or six practice runs, L was more or less daubing yogurt on her spoon and then smearing it in the vicinity of her mouth.
  • K bought L a little toy cell phone this afternoon. Say "Halo, halo" (you can probably figure out the translation) and L puts it up to her ear.

Her understanding of communication is simply exploding.

i boom! Update

Wednesday 02 January 2008 | 0 Comments

Every night, after I read to L, I put her in her crib and play guitar softly as she falls asleep.

The other night, a bit more about the "i boom!" mystery came into focus. In the midst of some early-forming nightmare, L suddenly woke up, popped up in the crib, and within a matter of a few seconds was climbing out, screaming and terrified. I grabbed her just as she was swinging a leg up, and she clung to me tightly. Within another second, though, she was awake, calm, and asking me to put her back down in the crib.

"It's probably nightmares," K said a few days ago. It seems she's right.

The Party

Tuesday 18 December 2007 | 0 Comments

Three hundred sixty-five days pass in a flash. Graduated development means that L seems to be walking almost as soon as she begins turning over. She's gone from barely noticing attention to enjoying being the center of it -- a perfect description of Sunday, L's birthday.

K baked a cake and cooked some lunch (I helped with the latter); we bought some decorations; and we invited some friends over (mainly our friends -- L is a bit short on friends right now).

L having finished her first year means that I have to stop dumping all our photos of her into the "LMS First Year" Flickr photo set. It means that, while we'll continue measuring in months for some time, we can now begin talking about L's age in years.

For L it simply meant a time of presents and cake. She enjoyed the former but didn't get much of a taste of the latter.

For us, it was the first of many reminders of how fast time passes. It brought to mind Malvina Reynold's "Turn Around"

Where are you going, my little one, little one
Where are you going, my baby, my own?
Turn around and you're two, turn around and you're four
Turn around and you're a young girl going out of my door

Turn around, turn around
Turn around and you're a young girl going out of my door

Where are you going, my little one, little one
Little dirndls and petticoats, where have you gone?
Turn around and you're tiny, turn around and you're grown
Turn around and you're a young wife with babes of your own

Turn around, turn around
Turn around and you're a young wife with babes of your own

Turn around, turn around
Turn around and you're the young girl going out of the door

Where are you going, my little one, little one
Where are you going, my baby, my own?

Nanci Griffith has a good version:

Happy Birthday!

Sunday 16 December 2007 | 3 Comments

The Girl is one year old today.

LMS at One

Such a change 365 days can make:

Almost triple what she weighed when she was born, and double the length. She’s walking, playing hide-and-seek with me, understanding “No” (imperfectly, but it’s a start), showing “zaba” and “kaczka” in her picture books when asked (“frog” and “duck” respectively), holding out her arms when being dressed — all within a year.

Enjoy the progress, L, because you’ll never grow — mentally and physically — so much in one year again.

No!

Monday 10 December 2007 | 4 Comments

Power outlets, books, and CDs are the only things we really say “No!” to with the girl. Oh, and plants and hot things and climbing on the stairs and so on. And the cat, when we had a cat. (He ran away some weeks ago. Some say he’s supposed to come back any day now.)

No!

Still, it’s the forbidden that’s attractive.

(I’m sure it didn’t help to send mixed messages by saying “No!” and taking the picture. But I just happened to have the camera and couldn’t resist.)

Fortunately, there are plenty of things in the house to hold her attention.

Curious

Signs of Development

Tuesday 27 November 2007 | 0 Comments

We’ve been working to teach L baby signs for months now. The books we read on the topic said the optimum age is usually around nine months, but we began from birth. Call us eager beavers or hopelessly optimistic about our daughter’s budding genius.

In the last few weeks, though, she’s really been picking up on the fact that we’re trying to communicate with her. The other evening, when L was reaching for her sippy cup, I sat down beside her and showed her the sign we’ve been using for “drink” — the motion of turning a cup toward your mouth, with thumb extended. She was fussy and whiny, but when she saw me point to the cup and then make the sign, saying “Drink,” she calmed down and seemed really to pay attention. I made the sign again, still pointing to the cup. She looked at me, looked up at the cup, then looked back at me. I balled up her little fist and helped her make the sign. In the past, when I’ve tried this, I got fierce resistance. This time, she relaxed and let me show her what to do. I made the sign again, then gave her the cup. The whole time, no tears, no whining, no fussing. I could almost see the thoughts bouncing around. “He’s trying to tell me something…”

Communication

Monday 26 November 2007 | 1 Comment

I was in the living room, working on a contract writing project that’s been plaguing (and entertaining, not to mention paying) me for many months longer that it should have. K and the Girl were in the kitchen.

“Go tell Dad it’s time for splish-splash,” K said to the Girl (po polsku, of course).

I heard the pat-pat-pat of L’s feet (Have I mention L’s walking now, and has been for about a month and a half?) as she came into the living room. She looked at me, smiled, and flapped her arms in the air, splashing at the imaginary water — the sign we’ve been using for “bath.” She began giggling as she signed.

I don’t think I’ve felt that awed in all my life.