Day 31: Sneaky Girl

It is so much fun watching Michal grow - I know I've said that before, and I am sure I will say it many more times.  She's in that discovery phase now; grabbing at things, playing with her toys, and initiating that age-old game of "Play with toy then drop on ground - FUN!"  Today was another funny discovery, one that I'm not even sure Michal was totally aware of.  See if you can figure out what is wrong with this picture:

Just two girls, hanging out at mama's work.  I turn around to this idyllic scene, only to discover her sock is off.  Not so unusual - keeping a sock on her foot has been a trial, especially given the apparent inability of the garment industry to manufacture a sock that stays on a baby's foot.  But, look a little more closely at the picture... where is the sock?  Usually when she kicks it off, it would be somewhere around her feet.


Ah, THERE it is.  IN HER HAND.  Talented.

Day 30: Smiles

Those who know me well might know that I am a bit of a night owl.  That might even be an understatement given the insomnia that has plagued me for a while now.  So far, though, it seems as if Michal has been spared this, as she is a brilliant sleeper.  She exceeds our wildest expectations, and I have to admit that we are quite spoiled.  Even if I cannot/am not able to take advantage of it, I do hope that she continues to get good sleep every night.


Despite the sleep issues, I have found a sudden and new found love and appreciation for mornings.  As I struggle to wake and wipe the sleep from my eyes, I experience a moment, most mornings, where I cannot wait to jump out of bed.  I love getting Michal up first thing in the morning.  Usually she wakes up before us, hanging out in her crib until we realize what she has already realized - it is time to get up and experience a brand new day.  I love opening the door to her room, walking over to her crib, and asking out loud, "Is there a baby in here?"  She senses my presence, looks up, and this is what I see...

Wildly happy baby.  There is nothing better than those first moments of a new day, learning this lesson she has already taught us - it is good to wake up, smiling, happy, and excited to see us, her penguin humidifier, her Bailey dog, and especially her bottle.  We sing her morning song (Modah Ani, for those in the know), and somehow the cobwebs cease to exist for a little bit for me.  Sure I am tired, but it doesn't seem to matter any longer.  


One quick disclaimer - I took this picture right after her late afternoon nap, but it is the same face as first thing in the morning.  Absolute joy to see you.

Day 29: What's in a Name?

For those of European descent, it is Jewish tradition to name after a relative who has passed away.  We always knew our first-born child would be named for Josh's father, who passed away too soon, just a few weeks after Josh's bar mitzvah and a couple of months before Josh's thirteenth birthday.  His name was Michael, so we knew the baby's name would be connected to that somewhat, most likely starting with an "M."  While we had not finalized a boy name (Micah was a favorite), I had Michal in my head for years.  It is one of my favorite names, a popular Israeli name for baby girls, and the name of a female role model from the Bible - Michal was King Saul's daughter and King David's wife and was not afraid to stand up for what she believed in.  The meaning was appropriate as well, as Michal is translated as "Who is like God?"


With the baby's first name set, it was on to her middle name.  The next obvious choice for a family member for whom she would be named was my paternal grandfather.  I probably felt the closest to him of all my grandparents, and since he passed away only a few years ago, it seemed to be a good fit.  There was only one problem - his given name was Bobby and his Hebrew name was Baruch (or at least this is what everyone thinks it was) - there was not a single name in Hebrew, starting with a B, that we liked for our girl.  We wanted a Hebrew name for her, and since the letter B was proving to be a non-starter, we decided to get creative.  We narrowed it down to two names, one that had a creative connection to my grandfather having to do with his personality, and the other that had both a letter tie to his name (it started with a "K," as did his middle name) as well as a tie to the land of Israel.  This second qualification was important to us - we both have a strong connection to Israel and hoped to transmit this to our daughter through her name.  Names have significance and meaning.  While there are some perfectly lovely names out there for potential parents to choose, there are some that simply does not feel right given their meaning.  Mara, for example, is quite a nice name, but it means "bitter."  This doesn't matter to some people, but for this former English major (think: lots of classes on symbolism and hidden meaning in words and literature), it is important.


We chose Kalanit as her middle name - the K for Kahn, my grandfather's middle name (and his mother's maiden name).  The kalanit is a wildflower that is native in the north of Israel, with bright colored petals - often red, less frequently purple - with a black center.  It seemed to be a perfect choice and has become a bit of a theme - it can be found adorning the mezuzah in her bedroom doorway.  


I recently asked a friend, who makes beautiful headbands and other creative items for children and adult - to try her hand at making a headband with kalaniyot for Michal.  After much back and forth (I can be incredibly indecisive), she came up with the following, an absolutely beautiful headband called "The Michal" - it's apparently become quite popular!

Here is Michal modeling "The Michal" - forgive the funny face.  We had a tougher time than usual with our photo shoot and my timing was off, missing each smile by just a bit.  Since I missed the smile that came right after this moment, I like to think she's attempting to ward off anyone who might approach - "Don't come too close or I'll gum ya!"

Day 28: All Elbows

I have a secret to share: I just love choosing outfits for Michal.  Okay, maybe that is not such a huge revelation.  It is just that I've never thought of myself as a girly girl, so I'm a little surprised at how much I love playing dress up with her.  I amuse myself in figuring out who gets to see which clothing - what will she wear to day care, what will she wear to my work.  When you add in the diaper coordination, well, then I start to feel silly.  One of my favorite pieces in her wardrobe?  Her jeans.  They're too cute.  


One of Michal's new "things" are her elbows.  The past week, she has this tendency to prop herself up on her elbows.  Time to get in the car seat? elbows.  Hitch a ride in her stroller? elbows.  A warm comfy bath? elbows.  Everywhere she goes, her elbows somehow end up behind her, propping her up.  It's amusing, because I am not sure she has an idea of how this could help mobilize her, it's just this thing she does.  It does allow for funny poses, as if she is impersonating someone a bit older.  


Oh, and her other funny thing - sometimes, when she really wants to smile, she ends up just opening her mouth really wide.  It makes for a strange gaping smile, but you can tell she's just thrilled beyond belief.  

   "Hey, guys!  What's going on?  Want to come hang out?  

Well, just come pull up a seat and let's chat!"

Day 27: Snow Day

We have had a year of extreme weather, and since the first massive snowstorm - Snowpocalypse (December 18-19, 2009 - roughly 24 inches of snow) - blew into town the day after we discovered we were pregnant, we decided to blame it on the baby.  That decision was further strengthened by the arrival of Snowmaggedon (February 5-6, 2010 - 22 inches) and Snowverkill (February 9-10, 2010 - another foot of snow).  We thought for sure this baby was going to be quite a  handful, and after a summer that achieved the ignominious title of hottest summer on record in the Washington DC area, tying the record for the most 90+ degree days, she even was given the nickname of Sizzle (Sizz, for short) from one of my teachers.  All of this, coupled with what I thought could possibly be one of the easiest pregnancies ever, well, I was convinced all signs were pointing to devil child.  Of course, if you read this post, you won't be surprised to know that "Sizzle" has been downgraded to "Chill."


After the insanity of last winter, we adopted an all-or-nothing attitude towards snow - either snow a good 5"+ or don't snow at all.  A dusting or an inch was really just insulting.  We had a few annoying snow dustings, with no storm system really gearing up for anything impressive.  Until last night.  For the first time, we anticipated having something worth digging up the shovel, which meant finally getting a nice snow picture with the baby.  

She was definitely game for it first thing this morning, allowing us to triple bundle her (note the fuzzy bear suit beneath the lavender) before heading outside.  She seemed intrigued by the snow, so we left Daddy to begin the long, arduous process of digging out our cars and walked around the neighborhood, saying hello to neighbors and checking out the snow.  After a few "attempts" at snow angels, she let it be known we were done, so we headed back inside.

Day 26: Best Baby Friends

While I try to approach the day with an open mind for the picture of the day, sometimes I do have an idea of what I would like to capture.  For example, I already have an idea of what tomorrow's blog post might hold.  Some days, though, prove to be tricky, especially on a day care day when we only have a few hours to spend with her, and crafting a photographic opportunity is not always top on my mind.  Sure, I can take pictures of her very messily eating carrots... again... but I prefer to leave that to Facebo.ok and keep the pictures showcased here as varied as possible.

Today was one of the unplanned days, but fortunately I have the weekly theme to use as a guide.  This blog is part of a larger project, and my subgroup has weekly thematic or photographic challenges.  This week's challenge is the focus of today's post: best friends.

While Michal has some baby friends from near and far (shout out to her August baby friends!), as well as her first boyfriend, she has not created lasting friendships - yet.  There are some people in her life that are more familiar, and of course, she is still enchanted by her Bailey Dog.  But there is only one baby in her life that gets a smile every time they meet...

What a good looking baby!  They meet regularly - most often around bath time, but they do run into each other from time to time.  Sometimes she is too intrigued by the light switch to even spare the Baby in the Mirror a glance, but once their eyes meet, huge smiles emerge.  While I was not able to capture the absolute glee that often accompanies their meetings, you get an idea of the pleasure they take in each other's company.

Day 25: New Tricks

While I have been away at my conference,  Michal and her daddy have spent a good deal of quality time together.  I love that they have the opportunity to hang out all day - I hear Michal is quite the contributor on some of Josh's conference calls for work - but I have to admit that I am a little jealous when I get a text in the middle of a session, mentioning that Michal is working on a new skill.  It's so exciting, but I would love to be there with them, encouraging her on in this new trick, laughing at her mishaps, and clapping at her successes.  Today's 365 post is an action montage, if you will.


For the past month or two, Michal has really preferred to be upright.  None of this babyish laying down for her - she'd rather be up and standing, or up and sitting, if possible.  The only problem is that while she has great head and neck strength, she hasn't had the total upper body strength to really control her movement.  But she's been getting better - exhibit a) sitting up in FRONT of the Boppy (i.e. no cushy crutches here)...

Uh oh.. the picture looks a little blurry...

Faceplant.  I guess we're not ready for the Baby Olympics yet!

Day 24: Bottle Eyes

Sometimes it is nice to have a narrative thread that weaves through this blog, connecting posts and continuing the story of Michal through the year, and sometimes it is nice to have cuteness.  Tonight is a night for cuteness.

Day 23: Cheeky

Michal's most prominent feature are definitely her cheeks. People comment on them all the time. They are humongous. Otherworldly, even. In fact, here's a chance to see how well you've been paying attention over the last twenty-two days. Only one of the three pictures below is of Michal. The other two are of aliens with similarly large cheeks: Nien Nunb, the co-pilot of the Millenium Falcon in Return of the Jedi, and Wak, the teenage alien from the Ethan Hawke/ River Phoenix film Explorers. Good luck!

Day 22: Busy Day

We had a busy day today.  We enjoyed our Shabbat morning relaxing around the house, although our plans of enjoying some challah French toast were not realized.  The afternoon was spent with friends, helping one of Michal's older friends celebrate her first birthday.  The party was great fun, with a house filled with kids of all ages.  Michal is a quiet and calm baby and spent most of the party hanging back and watching everyone else, but after a while the fun and noise started to get to her.  This, coupled with a much needed nap, had us beating a departure earlier than when we had intended.  It is hard to believe that in a blink of an eye, we will be celebrating her first birthday - true, it's just under seven months away, but it will be here before we know it.  


Here is the girly, sitting with Daddy and watching the big kids open and play with birthday gifts.

After the party, we enjoyed Mongolian BBQ for dinner before heading to the home of friends for a shiva minyan.  Now we are warm and bundled up at home, as I prepare for a brief work trip for a conference.  The current plan is to keep the 365 Project going, with Josh filling in on the blog.  Check back to see how he and Michal do without me!

Day 21: Winter Winds

One of the best parts about having a baby in August is the ability to spend time outside, taking walks with the dog and the Babes.  While it took us a few weeks to actually get our act together, get me down the stairs from our bedroom to the main level, and get the stroller assembled, it was not too long before we were out and about our neighborhood.  Well, relatively out and about - my endurance levels were much lower than anticipated.  Despite that, the weather made for outside time with the baby a possibility.


Not so anymore.  Now that it would be nice to be able to take long walks, introducing our incredibly observant baby to the neighborhood, pointing out trees and sky and squirrels - you know, those brown things jetting off because the dog is in hot pursuit - and watching her take it all in.  Unfortunately, the weather is just not conducive, and outside time is usually relegated to the 30 seconds it takes to get from door to car to door once again.  Today, for example, the mercury barely got above freezing, and the wind chill knocked it down to unbearable levels.  Nonetheless, I decided that we were going to take a walk, bundling Michal up in 13 layers (give or take a few), leashing up the dog, and setting out.


We got as far as the end of our street.  We turned onto the next street and walked about a block, all the while I silently begged the dog to get to his business so we could turn around and go home.  It hurt to be outside, as the wind cut into the exposed skin of my hands and face (I, of course, was not appropriately bundled and embarked without hat or gloves), so as soon as Bailey was done, we turned around and hightailed it home.


Michal is normally on the quieter side, so it was hard to gauge how she was doing with the cold.  I took several pictures while we were out, taking advantage of the natural light, but here she is once we got back inside.

For a "fun" bonus, here is outside face...

Day 20: Bathtime

As someone who practically grew up around a pool (often spending five days a week at my community pool from about the age of five through high school), I am looking forward to sharing my love of water with Michal.  Given that we do not experience the tepid winters of my childhood here in the Washington DC area, we have a few months until we can suit up the kid and hit the pool.  Until then we have the bath.


Michal has not yet realized that water is fun.  While she reclines regally in her baby tub while we wash her, occasionally pushing her feet against the bottom of the tub to move around, she has yet to splash and just play.  She merely hangs out in  the warm water.


But when we get her out of the tub, into her towel, and back onto the changing pad.. now THAT is a fun time.  She does love to hang out on her changing table.  Big time.  It's always a grand parade of smiles, giggles, wiggles, and the thumping of legs every which way.  So far she has not proven to follow her mother's footsteps as a water baby, but she certainly is a towel baby.

Day 19: Tough Choices

Some days it is difficult to choose just one picture to post for this blog.  In addition to my goal of simply posting and blogging about one picture a day, I would like for there to be a narrative that weaves throughout the blog.  Some days, that narrative stream is obvious, and some days I struggle a bit to find something that feels a bit more purposeful than simply snapping a picture to post here.  In that vein, tonight's post will just be some updates on themes previously covered, with the funniest picture being the official picture of the day.


Yesterday's post took you through the process by which I make Michal's food, and showed her priceless reaction to peas.  I'm not sure what caused her reaction - the taste? the texture? the temperature?  Today, we tried again, and I mixed in some formula to make it a bit creamier, both in taste and in texture.  Here was tonight's reaction - I think she's taking to it:

I love watching Michal explore the world.  While she is having fun finding and grabbing her feet, there is an attention to detail I find so fascinating when she investigates her hands.

And the official picture of the day.  This kid is very strong - she loves to stand up and can definitely support her own weight while upright and tries very hard to pull herself to standing from a sitting position.  That being said, her upper body strength is not great, partly due to tummy time, the theme of a previous post.  Every day, we make sure to get tummy time in before going to bed.  Tonight... well, tonight she disliked it more than usual.

We do not often get the I-am-very-unhappy-and-I-want-to-stop-doing-this-RIGHT-NOW! face, but when we do, it's hilarious.

Day 18: Peas and Thank You

Like many things with motherhood, I've been surprised at what becomes important and what ends up being a non-issue.  I certainly did not have any strong opinion about how we would feed Michal - I had hoped to breastfeed if possible, and when we had to supplement, it was fine - she was growing and thriving, so not a big deal.  I did not have much of an opinion surrounding food - we would start at some point, and maybe I'd make it myself, maybe not.  I was going to see how it would go.  I anticipated that time would change when a baby was in the house, so I did not put much pressure on myself to be supermom and make all of her food.


With things that end up being important, you find the time.  I'm sure the baby food that comes in jars is perfectly fine, but for some reason, it just didn't feel right to me.  It was no big deal to pick up some veggies - peel, steam, and puree it up.  I have friends who say they don't have time to make food, deal with cloth diapers, commit to taking photographs and blogging about them for 365 days straight... but I make the time*.  These are things that have become important to me, and there are other things that have gone by the wayside. Like reading.  That's has been a surprise declining presence in my world.
   
Tonight I pulled out a cube of carrot and set about defrosting it.  In the meantime, I started cooking up some peas with the intention of getting them set up in ice cube trays to freeze overnight.  For some reason, I was suddenly moved to ditch the orange food, even if it was new, and try peas.  It was right there, it was fresh, and since I had already taken a couple of pictures of the process, why not - it might make for some fun pictures.  The carrots would be there later... as is the squash.
   
Using frozen peas, I cooked them up, not steaming them as I had the other foods.  Peas, no biggie, just throw them in a pot, cover with water, and boil.  Drain, reserving some water, and throw them into the food processor.

  
Add some of the reserved water and puree.

   
I put aside a small amount for Michal, spooning the rest into ice cube trays, which I covered with wax paper and foil before placing in the freezer.  I was curious to see how Michal would take to this new food.  Rice cereal was well received once she figured out what to do with it, and sweet potatoes were well received once she got the taste of it. 
  
But the peas... well... here is how the peas were received:

Slightly blurry, but I was laughing too hard to really steady the camera.  I know it is impolite to laugh, but really, how could I not.  We will give them a few more tries and then we will move on to something else, maybe the carrots.  Hopefully she will learn to love her green veggies.




*Absolutely no judgment or offense intended here - we all make choices with how we spend our time - these are my choices.  

Day 17: Hanging Out

It is so much fun watching Michal grow and develop.  Sometimes it is hard to remember that just days or weeks ago, certain "skills" were still elusive.  Instead of just looking at toys, now she will reach for them, grab them, and then promptly smack herself in the forehead with it.  Twice.  I will admit, I laughed at her for being so silly.

Sometimes these discoveries are completely out of the blue, not a gradual increase or development of skills.  One of her new favorite things to do?  Throw herself backwards.  No idea why she does it.  When she's sleeping in her crib, she will arch her back, tilting her head as if she is trying to see behind her.  She does this when eating - problematic to keep her bottle in her mouth when wiggles like this.  

Today she was lounging on the Boppy next to me on the bed when she scooted herself backwards and ended up like this.

Silly goose

Day 16: Five Months

Today, Michal is five months old.  So incredibly hard to believe that so much time has passed so quickly, and yet it feels as if she has always been with us, always been a part of our lives. 

A few things I've learned in five months:

time flies when you're having fun

huge baby smiles first thing in the morning NEVER get old

getting a baby to sleep without a swaddle IS possible

it is possible to become obsessed over diapers

you eventually stop wondering what color her eyes WILL be and instead take joy in her observing the world

finally, Sophie becomes AWESOME

standing is still super fun, tummy time is still super lame, and sitting is still on the horizon

real food is fun, as is watching for reactions to a new taste

Day 15: Sleeping Beauty

While I grew up a fan of the Oakland Athletics and the San Francisco 49ers, I can admit to not being the biggest sports fan.  I did follow swimming as a kid, and we would go to the occasional professional sporting event, but give me a book over some sport involving a ball most days.  All of that has changed, well... most of it - I still carry a book around with me.  


We are definitely a household that loves sports.  Throughout the fall and winter, you can find us watching football in our basement, cheering on our fantasy players in dreams of beating our friends for glory and bragging rights.  During the spring, we try to make it to one of the two ballparks in our area, hanging out with friends and hoping that perhaps this season will be better than the last one... or the one before that... or the one before THAT one.. (you get the idea).  It is into this culture of appreciating sports that Michal has arrived.


Today we watched the playoff games, cheering on OUR team, the Baltimore Ravens (a professional sports franchise named for a literary allusion?  It was a team meant for me!) take on the Pittsburgh Steelers, our bitter rival.  We prepared Michal in the same way we had for many weeks already - we put her in one of her purple diapers, tugged on her favorite purple Ravens onesie, and even found some Babylegs leggings in an appropriate hue.  Our team disappointed, but her cuteness, even in sleep, could never fail.

  
And just a few more, for good measure...

  

Day 14: Time for the Real Deal!

Something clicked this week and Michal decided that she liked food.  Other things have clicked, too, like playing with toys, squealing, and other cute baby things, but let's face it - any time you set a baby into her highchair, strap her in and bib up, the potential for hilarity is there.


Given her sudden interest in eating rice cereal, we decided to switch it up and give her REAL food (not that rice cereal is fake, per se, but, well, it looks like sawdust coming out of the box).  In preparation for this phase of eating, I had already started making food for M.  Armed with my steamer basket, rice cooker, and food processor, I made batches of butternut squash, sweet potato, and carrots, freezing them in ice cube trays and storing them in freezer bags.  I do have plans of making non-orange food, but for now, orange is the plan and well stocked in the freezer.


We decided to attempt sweet potato today, so I took one of the frozen cubes out, defrosted it - first in the fridge and then in the microwave for five seconds, and then made sure it was nice and smooth for her.  She was totally game and opened wide for the spoon - how quickly they learn! - and then... The Face.  It was obvious she was trying to discern just what it was we had given her.  We took video, of course, and her face was just priceless.  It was as if we'd given her something with a very strong taste - think really sour, maybe?  She opened up for the second spoonful and again, The Face.  But with the third spoon?  BIG smile, although she still seemed suspicious of our intentions with this new substance.  Before long, she was very interested in getting more of this tasty food, and we've decided that she takes after her daddy in digging this yummy tuber.  


Of course, the best part about trying new foods - especially those that are colorful! - is the subsequent mess on the face.  The mess on the hands, bib, hair, highchair, etc., is less fun.  

All in all, she kept it pretty contained!

Day 13: Fluff and Stuff

Baby stuff is cute.  It's a scientific fact - I'm sure there is some sort of theorem that addresses this issue, but just trust me: baby stuff is cute.  I'm an expert.  I've been known to walk into the Gap Outlet and get stuck in the baby section, wanting to purchase the most perfect, most adorable dress ever created, eventually forcing myself away, reminding myself that there will be more cuteness another time.  It's easy to get carried away, though, from the cutest headbands ever to Babylegs to any number of baby-related items.  My current obsession, however, was a little bit unexpected.


I cannot recall what first prompted me to consider cloth diapers.  I do recall, though, about four or five months into the pregnancy, chatting with a friend who was pregnant with her third child, and happened to mention I was thinking about using cloth - her reaction was priceless as she gave me a "look," like I'd lost my mind.  This has been a pretty typical reaction - when most people hear "cloth diapers," the image brought to their mind is one of a large white square of cloth, pins, a fabulously horrid plastic cover.  When we told people we were going to cloth diaper our bundle of joy, we encountered much pessimism and were told that we would only last a few weeks before we gave up and went back to disposables.  All of these reactions usually include some reference to "the poop" - pardon my French.  In fact, the reality has been far from these predictions, and was further reinforced after having to spend an interminable week in disposables; I could not WAIT to get her back into her cloth.


Modern cloth diapers are not your grandmother's cloth diapers.  They aren't even your mother's cloth diapers, and while I'd love nothing more than to spend the rest of this post going on and on about the various options, the ease, the amazing savings, the obviously eco-friendly factor, instead I'll just show the cuteness*.  If nothing else, cloth diapers are adorable, coming in a variety of colors and prints.  Here is my favorite lil' tree hugger in her Eco-Owl diaper (each owl says "Whooooooo loves the planet)...

Hello, my name is Elisha, and I'm addicted to diapers.  Never in a million years could I have predicted this.  Just one quick picture below of our stash.  Because I can. And yes, I tried to organize them according to colors.  I know I'm a dork. 

I'm sure a) Josh isn't surprised I've gone on this long already and b) he's a little surprised I've ONLY gone on this long...


* If anyone is interested, I'm MORE than happy to talk cloth and answer any questions.

Day 12: Cereal Drunk

It is tough to squeeze everything into a daycare day.  While we absolutely love the woman who watches Michal two days a week (as well as her kids, who are adorable and seem to really dig "the baby"), those days only give us a few hours with her, just a bit in the morning after waking up and a couple in the evening before bedtime.  Wednesdays and Thursdays, then, are tough days for getting creative with photo taking, especially given the less than stellar lighting present in our home.


My original plan for tonight's picture went by the wayside once I realized how poorly I had timed our evening and she began her I AM READY FOR BED RIGHT NOW meltdown, so I hope to save that for tomorrow night.  (For those of you who are curious, your hint is: My current obsession).  Instead, I give you this photo.


Last night, Josh called from South Carolina, where he is away on a business trip, and we decided to try out the video chat function on our phones.  Determined to give him a sense of what was going on with M that evening so that he didn't feel like he was missing out while away, I decided to try "food" again and give M some rice cereal - if you recall from Day 1 of this project, cereal time had not been warmly received by the baby, so I thought he would have a video chat filled with cereal being spit up and Michal knocking my hand away.  Instead, we found a baby who was totally digging the grub and couldn't get enough of it.  Apparently at some point over the last few days, something clicked for her and she realized, Oh, it's FOOD, gimme some!

Here she is after this evening's meal, having consumed a good amount of cereal.  If I had let her, she would have continued to eat and "ask" for more, but her cereal-drunk expression let me know what her stomach and brain hadn't quite communicated to her - she was full.

Day 11: Toy Story

One of the best things about having a baby around is the constant reminder to take joy in the discoveries of each new day.  Until recently, Michal did not really interact with her toys.  Like with most things around her, she would just look around and take it all in.  If we put her in her jumperoo, she might inadvertently play with something, but it was because her hand would happen to brush against it and she'd reflexively grab it and move it around.  She did not reach for the toys and did not seem interested in doing anything with them.  


This has begun to change.  Last week we noticed that she began to grab the tag on one of the birds that hang in her activity gym.  The last few days, she has started to grab her toys and actually play with them.  She has a flexi-ball that she can grab and bang around (yesterday my wrist took the brunt of the action).  Her Sophie Giraffe is actually making its way into her mouth (another new thing - bring things to her mouth for additional discoveries).  And this one - her Manhattan Winkel - is getting its own shake, rattle, and roll time.

I love how observant she is of what she is doing.  I tried for a while to get a picture of her, with the toy, looking at the camera, but in almost every single shot, she is staring at her toys.  For a baby who has always been very aware of her surroundings, there now seems to be a heightened awareness.

Day 10: Sick Mama Blues

They say that sharing is caring, and while that is a decent enough mantra to live by, it's certainly not ideal when dealing with illness.  Today, for the most part, Michal has been feeling much better.  Instead, I've been feeling pretty awful all day.  Given the lack of energy and accompanying dizziness, the day was filled with activities that involved little lifting and activity on my part.  Michal really enjoys being in her jumperoo - a gift from Grandma - and even though she hasn't quite figured out the jumping part... or the playing with toys part, it provides her a position she prefers - upright - and a perch from which to check everything out, including Bailey.

This week's challenge is "blue" - hence the blue sleeper outfit.

Day 9: Baby Bird

There are 15 milliliters in one tablespoon.  While I've never been particularly adept at conversions, who knew I would ever need to know this one.  With the problems she had yesterday in keeping down any food and the subsequent dehydration concerns, we received advice last night to feed her 1 tablespoon of formula every five minutes.  The theory is that if she takes in such a small amount, it will be absorbed more quickly and will hopefully not be rejected.  With the threat of needing to take her to the emergency room if she became too dehydrated, we quickly put the theory to the test.

Using a dropper that holds 1mL, we have been feeding Michal successfully without any "reversals" since last night.  It seems that the dehydration concerns might be behind us, but we are keeping that dropper going and keeping a close watch.

Our baby bird

Day 8: Sick Baby Blues

It's been a long day.  If you've been following along at home, you will remember that on yesterday's installment, Miss Michal had her four month shots.  Aside from some tears, she seemed a-okay.

Today has not been like yesterday.  What we thought might been a reaction to the rotavirus vaccine she received yesterday might be something else, but essentially all day she has been unable to keep anything down, and when she wasn't emptying her stomach, she was sleeping.  Here is a sleepy shot, before the issues commenced.

Day 7: Time for Shots

In 1998, Andrew Wakefield, a British physician, published a study claiming a causative connection between the MMR vaccine (for measles, mumps, and rubella) and autism.  His research proved to be a catalyst for a movement in which parents choose to not vaccinate their children for fear of "vaccination injury."     


It somehow seems perfect that in the very same week where his study was officially retracted and Dr. Wakefield was exposed as a fraud who misrepresented and altered the medical history of all 12 patients who formed the basis of his study, Michal was due for her second set of shots.  Originally scheduled for two weeks ago and rescheduled do to infections in both ears, we visited our pediatrician's office to add to her protection against some nasty diseases.  We weren't sure what to expect this time; at her two month appointment where she received shots, the cried for about 15 seconds before realizing, "Eh, this is no big deal," and calmed herself down.  


Today was only slightly different - she cried longer this time (maybe a full minute?), although she still calmed down a bit with the help of a bottle.  Here she is, post shots, a little teary eyed and a good deal hungry.

Our little trooper.

Day 6: Finding Feet

When Michal discovered her hands, she couldn't stop staring at them.  Instead of these disembodied objects that occasionally passed into her line of sight and startled her, she suddenly realized that they belong to her and she has some sort of control over them - however tenuous that "control" was at first; herky jerky could have been a nickname.  She would hold them in front of her face, stare at them, press fingertip to fingertip then spread her fingers wide, marveling at them.  Often, I would find her exploring them in her mouth, and when she discovered the unique design of her thumb and how it fits perfectly into her mouth for sucking, well, that was a special moment.  For a week or two afterwards, you could see her shoving a hand into her mouth, sucking and moving it, trying to find that elusive digit.  She definitely has that one down now, and often she will use her other hand to hold that thumb in place, lest it somehow escape.

This week, the discovery is feet.  Holy moly, she has feet!  She was so taken with her hands for a while that she did not realize that there were other discoveries at hand, so to speak.  Now, diaper change, however fun because of her clear enjoyment in the task, is a bit trickier, because the silly girl just does not want to stretch her legs out.  It is much more fun bending her knees, peering down, and then reaching for those toes, which makes getting the diaper on just a little bit tricky.

Day 5: A Girl's Best Friend

We have an absolutely adorable and insane Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Bailey. Bailey is a people's dog - in line with his breed - and he has not met a person he hasn't loved upon first sight. When we take walks in our neighborhood, he will tolerate the introduction of another canine creature, if only to make the acquaintance of his/her human.

Even before Michal came along, Bailey wasn't sure what to make of tiny humans. He is never mean to kids and would never think of being anything but submissive around them, but he doesn't seem to know quite what to do with them. They look like humans... but they're small. It's hilarious watching him try to figure out what the heck is going on with these miniature people.

Michal LOVES to watch Bailey. He is a curiosity with his black and white fur and strange ways. Bailey is plain scared of her. He will occasionally come up to her, sniff once or twice and then nonchalantly walk away, but if you move the baby towards him like a giant creature intent upon terrorizing and mutilating him, he tends to run away with his tail literally between his legs.

Here is one such encounter. He's just waiting for her to make her move and is ready to bolt at a moment's notice.

Girl and her dog, even if he'd rather not be.

Day 4: Sleeping Freely

From the very first day we brought Michal home, we swaddled her at night.  While some babies dislike being wrapped so snugly, Michal had no problem with it at all.  Every night at bedtime, we'd wrap her up tightly, give her a bottle, listen to some classical music, and put her to bed.  We definitely contribute her sleeping through the night at about 6 weeks to the swaddle.  We used the Miracle Blanket (it is aptly named), which is essentially a baby straight jacket.  


Lately, Michal has been impersonating a Baby Houdini - every so often, during the night, she'd find a way to bust out of her swaddle.  At first, it was an occasional occurrence, but lately, it has happened with greater frequency.  Unfortunately, once she is free of her swaddle, she wakes up.  We decided, after one night of three such escapes, that it was time to go without the swaddle, and we were going to do it cold turkey.


Last night was the first night, and boy did Michal excel our wildest expectations.  While we anticipated a sleepless night, it wasn't our experience at all.  Here is the girl, first thing in the morning.  

Day 3: Just Chillin'

I would not want to brag, but Michal is quite an easy baby.  So easy, in fact, that on more than one occasion, we have been told that she just is not normal.  Normal babies cry and fuss more than she does.  What can I say - she is just an easy, chill baby.  So chill, in fact, that when I was outlet shopping last week in South Carolina and saw this shirt, there was no question that she NEEDED it.  

So, if you're feeling a little crabby on this Monday, just take Michal's cue - just chill!

Day 2: Tummy Time

Part of our daily homework is "tummy time" - and boy is it a struggle in our house.  With the success of the campaign to get babies to sleep on their backs (which is said to help prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or SIDS), it was found that many babies were spending increasingly less time on their stomachs.  Tummy time is important because it helps to not only give babies another world view, but also encourages them to lift their heads, a movement that strengthens neck, upper back, and arm muscles.  This workout helps babies to roll over and eventually crawl.

Michal hates tummy time.  We're getting better at making sure it happens each and every day, but we're lucky if we get a good 3-5 minutes before fussing and crying ensues.  She just doesn't care - she ends up finding a way to suck on her hands or, often, just lays her head down and waits for us to give up.

It shouldn't be a surprise that in terms of M rolling, she does not seem to be close in rolling from her stomach to her back, but has already started to master the (apparently) more difficult task of rolling from back to stomach.

Day 1: First Day

Happy New Year! (or, my favorite, Happy Sylvester!)


The new year got off to a great start at a friend's home, where we gathered with friends to play games, hang out, and usher in 2011 (with Ryan Seacrest, NKOTB, and BSB - random!).  M was a rock star, living up to her reputation as the easiest.baby.ever and sleeping away in the next room.  We didn't get to take a picture WITH her as the clock switched to 12:01, but I did take a few today.


In honor of the new year and all of the firsts we will experience with her this year, we assembled her high chair and tried out her first non-bottle meal tonight - rice cereal (or, rather, 4 parts formula to 1 part rice cereal).  I let her play with some toys in her high chair first, just  to get used to it, then tried out the new food - video taping it, of course.  To say it did not go over well might be an understatement...

Her expression says it all.  Happy New Year, everyone!