Me and My Fingers (and teeth...)

Me and Bunnito Flipbook

Me and Bunnito Moosallini

My Zofta gave me that cute owl dress and this little bunny rattle. This was the first toy that I seemed to enjoy playing with and recognize. My mama sometimes signs "bunny rabbit" to me and then shows me Bunnito. I like to grab him and spit him all up.

Hello Zofta!

Saying Goodbye to Abuelita and Grandpa

Me and My Toes: A Love Affair

These Boots Were Made for Walkin'

And that's just what they do. I go on a walk every day with my dogs. Sometimes my daddy take me and sometimes it's my mama. Many days I get more than one walk. I like being outside. I look up at the leaves and branches of the trees, the sky peeking out from between. I listen to the birds and all the other sounds, sometimes city sounds. Sometimes I am nursing and sometimes sleeping, but many times I am looking out at the world, seeing all there is to see. And there is so much more, too, I can tell...

Anxiety

My mama's back to work. I was always curious about my surroundings, but now I really notice who is around and who I am with. Last week, I really wanted to be with my daddy and no one else since my mama wasn't around. This weekend I cried every time I looked at my Uncle Ram while he was looking at me -- looking at him while he was looking away was just fine, though. My parents wonder if maybe since things are so different with my mama being away at work if I am not going through some little bouts of separation and stranger anxiety. I'm doing my best, but it does take some time to adjust. 

90 minutes

My friend Anjali's parents told my mama about the 90-minute Sleep Solution, and she also read it on the EC list-serve. Since then, she has been observing to see how that might work. She was skeptical, but having watched me for a while, she is convinced it is true. I generally fall asleep after one cycle -- 90 min. Sometimes I will go for a half cycle or a cycle and a half, but these numbers end up being true almost to the minute. Wow. Aren't we babies and humans amazing?

Ticklin' the Ivories

At my mama's work, my family hangs out in the little music studio Uncle Thomas and Raji set up. It's quiet and private -- a perfect spot for us. There is a piano in there. Last time we were there, my mama put me at the piano and let me push the keys. I had fun getting sound out. Today, though, I really wanted to be doing that. I fussed when she tried to take me away. My parents are thinking to get out the keyboard so we can all chill on the floor while I compose some originals like my Ajitmam did when he was young.

I Saw the Sign

No, says my mama, not the Ace of Base song. She saw me sign potty while she was on the phone with my mamuma. My potty sign is more like a fist with my thumb out in front rather than in between my finger like "t" for toilet. Anyway, she signed and told me we were going to the potty, but then we had to stand around for minutes waiting. When we got in there I didn't pee, which tricked my mama into thinking she didn't see the sign. Just after she was about to give up but didn't because I looked familiarly fussy, I pooped. 


This just confirmed that I am, in fact, signing like my daddy said I am. Friday he told my mama I signed milk and potty to him. This was her chance to see for herself. 


I do seem to sign fairly often with just those two signs, but I still use my other signal for those and lot of other things. I definitely know sleep, especially if they show me the sling. I also know jump. I am recognizing "bunny" because my zofta got me a little rabbit to chew on...well, that's what I like to do with him.


My family is excited to be on this signing journey together. My parents are loving the experience of closed loops of communication. I like that I can finally tell them what to do. There will be much more of this in the future.

My Reintroduction to the Drum

My daddy says I wouldn't have chosen him if I wasn't into the drums.

Jumping with Abuelita

Spitty Me and Daddy

This has to be the funniest and cutest thing I have done to date.

Jumpy Music Lesson: Fuzzy, Floppy Documentation

Of course, since this is so important to my daddy, there is lots of documentation. 

Jumpy Music Lesson: Live

Stylin' in My Abuelita's Hat

Me and My Zofta

Sleepy Swing....NOT!

My Fancy New Dress

My E-ma (and my Zofta) are talented with yarn and thread. My E-Ma made me this beautiful dress that somehow matches my eyes when I'm wearing it. Of course, it turned 90 degrees out when she gave it to me, but when the chill comes back I'm wearing it again!

My Mama and Me

We met up with my mama's team teacher for a bite to eat. I was fascinated. I loved up the people next to me while my mama talked to her friend. Those two women were completely smitten! Yes, I have charm, for sure.

After that, we went with Carla (whom you saw in the last photos of the last meeting) to another meeting. Here's me with Emily, my mama's other team teacher.

Vedic Skyping

My Grandpa and Abuelita were here, as you know. While they were here, my grandpa's friend did a Vedic astrology reading for me -- my jyotish. Here's me and my daddy talking with Drew Lawrence in Ireland!

I Made It!

I made it through my mama's first day back at work. My daddy did such a good job of making my bottle of mama's milk last and soothing me by taking me on walks. I got a good nurse session in at lunch, and then my mama snuck away to nurse me for a few minutes in the afternoon. Then after school my mama had me while my daddy taught drum lessons at the school. We went on a walk with me in the sling. So, I got through a whole day with just one bottle!

Reassuring Independence

My mama goes back to work today. My daddy has a big job taking care of me and getting me to my mama as much as possible during the week, including lunch every day, so I can nurse more and have less bottle for my mama to pump. Just to make her understand that I'm getting to be a big girl, I fell asleep on my own last night. She nursed me and played with me and nursed me some more. I seemed to fall asleep, but I woke up when she put me down, quite cheery. (Of course, I just had the longest nap in a long time just before that -- had a couple of long naps the last couple of days....maybe that homeopathic teething remedy is working?) I rolled around and did what I do to entertain myself since I was alone. Fussed once or twice, nothing big, and had my parents staring at the monitor to make sure I was ok because I wasn't moving ... I was asleep! This made both my parents happy, that I felt safe enough and was capable enough to do that without them having to push me to. I don't do this all the time, but I am showing them that I am growing more independent all the time!

New Developments

1. I reach for my mama once in a while. 
2. I intently watch and try to figure out the sign for "diaper" when my parents sign that to me. Sometimes, especially when I'm calm, I will hold my feet in my hands so my legs are up while my mama tucks the diaper under my bum. Then I will straighten my legs so she can close the diaper.
3. I love to jump, stand, walk forward and be up high (when I am sleepy). My mama is going to start signing the word "jump" to me and has started signing "up" when she is going to pick me up.
4. I can track things and people with my eyes very well.
5. I love to watch my mama and daddy do things while I'm in the sling.
6. I like to watch people drink water. I watch my mama hold the bottle to her mouth over and over. She has started signing water to me.
7. I love to watch the pages turn and look at the pictures and words when my mama reads a book to me while I'm on the potty. My mama signs the word "book" to me at these times.
8. I scream -- when unhappy, when tired especially.
9. I grunt. I have taken to grunting just like my parents when they cue me to poop. I do it all the time, though, not just when I need to poop. This confuses my parents, hee hee.
10. I for sure know the sign milk. I sign it to my parents or know that they are signing it. I know what it means for sure.
11. I am communicating to my parents about the potty. My mama will talk to me and ask me to tell her when I need to potty or to stop eating when I need to go potty. She just started that last bit, but I do tell her when I need to go and respond when she signs to me to make sure she knows I need to go.
12. I definitely go to sleep by 7:30 pm. My mama usually puts me down in that last nap so I wake up in the room or go to the room by 6:30. I have had a hard time starting from around 3:30 pm most days this week. I get upset and scream. My eyes get red, tears fall, my mouth gets pouty and cute.
13. I love to stare at my daddy's hands when he drums. I love to listen to my parents singing.
14. I can't nurse with people around very well anymore. Just too interesting.
15. I seem to be teething. There are definitely times where I don't want to nurse, but I want to bite on something. The carrot seemed ok. The apple seems better. My mama puts apples in the fridge for me so they are cold. 
16. I watch my parents eat. I have friends who are already lunging at their parents' food. I am not there yet.
17. I can grab things fairly easily. Getting the into my mouth and holding them there is something else.
18. I know the "sleep" sign. When my mama puts on the sling she does that sign and I smile. Once I was so tired and fussy. She showed me the sling and that sign. I calmed down and waited patiently while she put it on. I even smiled at her and chatted while I waited!
19. I look at my parents lovingly all the time.
20. I am only going to get bigger, smarter, cuter, sweeter, stronger, ..........