New memories

I really want to post more often, so I will have a better record in the future of some of the things I treasure about M. at this age. It's hard when I always feel like I "should be writing"! So maybe my posts will need to be short and quick.

Funny things she says:

-every color is "blue?"

-"bup" instead of "up": "Buuuupppp???" (ascending intonation) "DOWWWNNNN!" (descending intonation)

-every monkey is "George"

-recent new words: turtle, duck, light, bowl

Funny things she does: 

-excessive hugging and kissing of her favorite stuffed animals

-jumping up and down on the couch with delight

-making "reading out loud" noises when she looks at books by herself

She knows this book is upside down: she's smiling at the funny upside-down duck inside.

Current favorites:

-carrots, noodles, fried rice, spaghetti with meat sauce, applesauce, grapes, cheese, broccoli

-Curious George

-"Riding in my Car" song by Elizabeth Mitchell

-play cooking and eating

-jumping from couch onto Yogibo

M. in Autumn

Before the cold really hits, we've been trying to enjoy the outdoors with M.! She loves the sound of the crunchy leaves underfoot, and she is very interested in celestial objects (moon, stars, sun, and even airplanes and helicopters). She doesn't talk much, but one thing she clearly says: "Go, go, go!"

Resurrected!

It's been a long time since I've posted...almost six months! The main reason for the hiatus was the beginning of my extremely intensive summer program. No time to post pictures and write when I was teaching 8 hours days, commuting, nursing, writing two conference papers, etc. And then I suppose it's taken me a while to regroup and get comfortable with writing again.

Because I'm into completeness for completeness' sake, I'll post a few pics of M.'s 12 months and her first year birthday party. She continues to be our star!

Her birthday party, hosted by Dave's parents, was cheese-themed. Though she napped through most of the party, the rest of us enjoyed a blind cheese-tasting contest, cheesy Italian food, and cheesecake desserts.

Wow, even though these pictures really are only a few months old, it seems like a long time ago! M. changes so fast, and nothing seems to stay the same. Here she is yesterday, boldly feeding a rather aggressive goat at the petting zoo:

I don't know if I'll manage to go back and write up the posts I've skipped over the past several months, but I'll do what I can!

11 months

These photos were taken a few days late, but here they are! Maddie at 11 months...she can take a few steps, climb over a step, and wave bye-bye now.

She's getting stronger-willed, having more desires and more persistent about communicating them to us. She is our lovely ray of sunshine!

And let me not neglect my photographer's assistant, big cousin A.! A. picked out Maddie's outfit and provoked lots of smiles and giggles for the camera.

Next month will be the big one!

10 months

Double digits! Maddie is going to be walking soon. She pushes her "lawnmower" toy with pleasure and confidence, cruises all over, and can stand independently for stretches while waving and clapping her hands. I would also say that as she becomes more alert to the world and more independent, she also becomes more stubborn and willful, less easygoing than she was a few months ago. But then again, this was also the month where she experienced her first cold and then her first ear infection, and I definitely thought the initial stages of her ear infection were just a manifestation of increasing independence, rather than a bacterial infection. Whoops! Thank God for effective antibiotics, because here we are two days after we started the drops:

Looking forward to getting back to the days when she slept through the night! In the meantime, it's all about climbing and walking, eating more table foods with her two new teeth (tofu and rice last night), the start of babbling, pointing at the ceiling fan, and laughing at peekaboo.

Happy Easter!

Today was Maddie's first Easter! We eschewed egg hunts and costume bunnies this year. But I did dress her up in a hand-me-down dress (Naomi wore it to Stephen and Grace's wedding!) and borrowed headband, and we made a fine appearance in church. I think she amused by the little crinoline in the dress:

The consoling power of a hug:

Christos anesti!

9 months

Belated post of Maddie's 9 month photos! It's getting harder and harder to take pictures of her, now that she's crawling and curious and unwilling to sit still. She's much more aware and capable: for example, I put her "9" sticker on a pillow behind her, like I have in previous months, but she immediately spied it and tore it off and crumpled it up. So...no number sticker in this month's pictures! Haha. Big developments this past month: her appetite for solids has increased, she crawls efficiently, she can pull herself up on the furniture and cruise, and she can even stand for 10 seconds by herself! We just might have an early walker on our hands! She can clap her hands, though waving hi/bye is still very hit or miss. She enjoys exercising her lungs, but still no dental or labial consonants.

Tribute to M.

We met up with my cousin Ruth a few weeks ago in the D.C. area. In addition to her many talents as a journalist and producer, she is also an artist! And just look at this gift she made for us:

A beautiful line drawing with wash of our little girl! Maybe you'll recognize the photo Ruth was working from:

I'm so touched at the way Ruth captured Maddie at seven months – and she already looks different today. This special portrait is now proudly displayed on our shelf in the living room. Come on over so you can admire it for yourself! Thank you, Ruth!!

8 months

I can't believe how the time flies. Maddie is now 8 months, and she is crawling! She has started pulling herself up too, and she'll probably start cruising in a few weeks. Her taste in foods is expanding a little; she still loves her orange vegetables, but she is also happy with green vegetables, and more fruits (apple, pear, banana). She sleeps consistently through the night (HURRAY!) and is a sweet and joyful little person. She had her first cold, but bounced back pretty well. Her hair is really coming in, but (Chinese) strangers still like to tell me that "she has a face like a boy." Haha!

Here are some highlights from her eight month photos:

7 months

What a month it has been for our Maddie! She is sitting up very well and "swimming" on her belly: we're going to have a crawler soon! She is showing definite preferences with solid foods; she loves sweet potato, butternut squash, and carrots, but clamps her jaw together for bananas, peach, and avocado. She is experimenting with new grunts and squawks and squeaks, and now she can play peekaboo. She is our splendid baby!

Dave was very busy in the month of January. He was staying late at the office nearly every night, often coming home after we had gone to bed. Poor Dave! Working so hard and not getting to play with Maddie at night. But he has just turned in a big federal grant (fingers crossed!), and now he's back. I'm happy, he's happy, and M. is just delighted.

Here are some highlights from her 7-month photos. Lo, she now has a neck!

6 months

I find it hard to believe, but our splendid baby has already made it to her half birthday! I remember reading in the baby books about what she'd be able to do at six months, and when she was just a newborn, it seemed impossible that she'd be laughing and rolling over and bouncing on her legs in so short a time. Infancy is really an amazing thing. She has her off-nights, but she is generally sleeping well (from 11:15 pm to 6 am) at night; she's more finicky about naps, though, and often insists on being held in the carrier in order to sleep. Humph. She's still only tasting solids and not really swallowing, but we just keep trying it out every day. Her temperament is still mild and easy-going, and she brings lots of laughs and smiles wherever she goes. Every time she smiles and kicks her feet with joy, my heart overflows. Here are the highlights from today's photo session: