Meet and Greet

We went out to lunch with one of my mama's first students. He graduated from high school. Here he is eating my mama's cream cheese pie she brought for him. He is a very talented person: aikido, glass blowing, multiple languages, yoga, farm animals, music....he does it all!


Then we went to Aunt Meg's house. My mama works with Aunt Meg; they came to The Philadelphia School at the same time.

Big Brother Strikes an Unswaddled Nook

My mama asked my daddy to move the mattress from the floor of the other room into the floor of my parents' bedroom. This morning was the first time she put me down there. They are feeling more relaxed about me being in the floor. When I am in the taller bed they worry I will roll off. I am especially squirmy if I am unswaddled, so they watch the monitor for signs that I am awake.

I Like Strawberries

I went to the grocery store with my mama today. I watched her getting this thing and that thing. I started getting itchy to have something to eat. My mama noticed my change in mood and asked/signed if I wanted to eat something. I said yes. She looked around for what to give me. An apple is fun, but it is too big and bulky for me to hold while shopping. She saw the strawberries and asked if I wanted a strawberry. I emphatically said yes, practically leaping out of the cart. I happily took a giant chunk out of it, munched on it and played with it for most of the trip, and started getting itchy again when my mama noticed and asked if I wanted more. I said yes, ate the next strawberry and told her again I wanted more, but she said we were checking out and going home.

I know how much to eat, too. Earlier in the day, my mama was eating a sandwich, and I looked at her longingly. She gave me a piece of cheese, having recognized how much I liked cheese the day before at the Treehouse. I asked for more and she gave me more. She saw I was done and was going to ask if I wanted some more when she saw me looking at my hand which was making the "all finished" sign. I then began happily playing with my toy.

The Gang at the Treehouse and MYhouse!

Malcolm and I got there at the same time and said hello.


Olivia had poked around in the dress up closet before the rest of us got there.

I admired her dress.


The first thing I went for was some ketchup. My mama loves ketchup.


We started out doing our own thing.


Every once in a while, I check on my mama. Often, though, I am comfortable and know she is near because I hear her voice. Plus, I am surrounded by loving family and friends.


We're starting to get more independent and want our own stuff, even if we don't really want it. (For example, later on, I wanted the jumper at my house, when I never jump in it because Olivia was jumping in it.)


Sometimes our parents have to step in and make sure there are enough things for us to share and each get something.


I like Olivia's mama. She makes funny faces and noises and smiles a lot.


Malcolm's mama and daddy are awesome, too. They held me for a bit while my mama and daddy ate some food. Then I was playing with my friends, and then I decided to crawl over to and under the table to get to my mama.


The Gang poses for a picture before caravaning back to my house.



Once back at my house, the big people ate the cream cheese pie with fresh fruit and graham cracker crust my mama made for the first time and us littles played this and that in the living and music rooms.

My mama said Malcolm's nickname should be Schroeder because Lucy was always lying all over gabbing at him in Peanuts cartoons and comics.



Musical Bums...





I spent some time in the sling and then got out and went back in to eat and fall asleep. My mama put me in bed straight out of the sling, and I didn't wake up really. I did a bit later, though and ate and went to sleep while my parents stayed up hanging out before my daddy leaves Friday to go on his weeklong trip.

I Like Apples

I like the taste of apples, but my mama most often gives me a slice instead of the whole thing.


I wanted to test the weight of it and see if I could hold it in one hand.....



....but I couldn't.


Two hands it is!


Yum!

Busy Day of Learning and Loving

My mama and I went out on the town today. We dropped some homemade cream puffs off at my mama's friend Nica's house.

Then we went to see my friend Anjali! When I got there she was asleep and I met someone new--Luke!

I crawled around and was just going up the stairs....

....when Anjali woke up and came down!


Luke is half my age (I'm almost nine months!), and Anjali can sit up on her own, so I interacted more with her overall. While Anjali's mama got the table ready, I spent some time getting to know myself and him a bit better.







After lunch we played upstairs. I immediately gave her a kiss to show her I remembered her and like her, so she knows we are friends. I played gently and didn't make loud noises because last time I learned that Anjali doesn't feel so comfortable around my screeches and screams. My mama missed the actual first and best kiss, but she got these pictures and video of subsequent kisses. I really like Anjali.




Anjali isn't crawling yet, but I could tell she was trying to come chase me. I can't wait till we can play that game and so many more! After Luke woke up from his nap, I got to know him a little better. By the time we were ready to go, I liked him well enough to crawl over and give him a kiss goodbye while he was stuck in his carseat.

I then had another near miss with a nap. I woke up when we arrived at my friend Ami's house. Aunt Janelle, if you will recall, was at my birth and helped my mama from the time I was a pea in the pod. I remembered my friend Ami and wanted to kiss her, too. She is a lovey dove as well, and we got along swimmingly.

There was a boy named Jack there just one week older than me. He didn't like to crawl around and was more focused on the details of things nearby his mama, so we didn't interact too much. I did say hello to him and spoke to his mother a little.


I finally took a nice nap all the way home in the carseat and woke up just before arriving. I played with my daddy for a while and took a quick bath. [These baths are rather short now where they were once long, luxurious explorations. I am all adventure in the bath, my main goal being to stand on the edge of my tub while holding onto the ledge of the big people tub. I love this and do it easily, but it makes my parents nervous. They end the bath pretty quickly.] My mama patiently cuddled and loved me while she nursed me down. I only hurt her with my biting a little. I am starting to respond to her when she tells and signs to me that I am hurting her. She doesn't know why I bite, but I do start biting the swaddle or my fingers or fists.

I didn't take long to go to sleep because I had a wonderful, busy day of learning and loving.

HAIR

Different and the Same

In case you think I have changed so much or you think I'm pretty much the same as always, here's a video from when I was two months old that my mama went back and watched again. She thought it was funny how I do the same things as I do now with my face, but I am so much older.

RECORD!

I just stood up for 20 seconds, freestanding even!

I Love Books

My mama reads me books. My daddy reads me books. My E-Ma and Tia Anjuli read to me. I have some good ones but need some more board boks that I can explore with my mouth when we're done.

Today, though, I had a new experience with my mama. We read The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Then afterwards she did something she never did before; she showed me the back cover and said "There's the caterpillar." Then she asked and signed to me, "Where's the caterpillar?" I took a little time, then looked at the page, played with it a bit, [she asked me again], and finally I "pointed" to the caterpillar with my fingers. She seemed surprised to learn that I knew what the caterpillar was. She turned to another page and asked me. This time I found it more quickly. She tried one last time on yet another page, but I showed her that I really did know what she was talking about. Now she thinks I'm smart!

Mama's First Kiss

If you recall, my mama likes to give me nose kisses. When I am trapped in the Woombie as I wake up, she likes to give me nose kisses. She says, "Nose kisses...," looks at me to see if I am ready and comes in for some nose-to-nose kisses. Well, yesterday she did that and instead of turning my head I waited with my nose stuck out a bit. Today, though, she was extra sleepy having stayed up late. I crawled up on her, looked in her face, stuck out my nose and patiently waited. My mama saw mem recognized my actions from yesterday and said, "Nose kisses...." Big smile from me! We had the best nose kisses ever!

Then, my daddy said, "Give mama a kiss!" I turned my head and looked at daddy, then looked at my mama, opened my spitty mouth, leaned over and placed my mouth on her face, which was close from the nose kisses we just exchanged. Mama's First Kiss! She was so happy! I love my mama.

Little Treehouse with Gaura, Vrinda, Revati, Kairava and Kirtan Sinha

I didn't wait long to get involved.


At first, I played by myself.


Everyone was standing up around me. I wanted to practice standing up a lot, too.


The "Tumble Room" was so much fun! It was my favorite because I could really go for things and push my physical boundaries.


For example: The Incline. Fortunately, this morning was the third time my mama tried to teach me to turn around when getting off the bed. I did really well and was incredibly responsive. I stopped at the edge, but I couldn't remember what to do next, how to turn around. My mama helped me, and as soon as she moved me a tiny bit I stuck my foot out looking for the ledge. I put my one foot close to the ledge and threw my other foot off. Then I tested out squatting and reaching out to the bedside dresser, but it was too far. When my mama saw what I wanted she put out her fingers for me to stand up. I stood up on the ledge and began walking over to the dresser. I put my hand on it, squatted a bit to get my foot off and put the other foot off (with my mama's help). Except for that first and last interventions plus the fingers to stand, my mama followed my lead to see what I would do. Boy did I surprise her! I really am learning fast, and that experience helped my mama feel more confident letting me test my strength and skills at the Treehouse.


One of the things I am learning from everyone I spend time with is how to talk. Today I really showed my mama that I am interested in talking by making real moves towards new sounds, which will soon be words!