A day of "firsts ..."

Today is Josie's first birthday, which is amazing enough by itself. However, I find it refreshing and exciting to realize how many of her "firsts" I've actually experienced in the two months we've been a family. So, to document this momentous day, I've compiled a list of Josie's recent "firsts:"

Clapping hands (Grammy taught her with Patty Cake ... current favorite is "If You're Happy and You Know It" song)
Pulling to a stand
Cruising the furniture
Walking
First visitors (Grammy, Anne C., Nuge 6)
Waving bye-bye
Bad cold with fever (here at home)
Eating solid food all the time
Going to daycare (see first bad cold)
Parties (2 wonderful baby showers - more posted later)
Trip away from home (Grammy & Gramps)
Feeding her own bottle
Drinking from a sippy cup
Drinking from a real cup (we're working hard at this messy job)
Trip to work with Mom
Word(s): Alright, it did turn out to be "Mama" or rather, "Mamam," but "kitty" is still hanging in there as well as "cat," "boo," "hi," and "see-see" for herself ... and she gets meaning out of lots of my words. ("no," "no touch," "no, No, NO, NO!!!" and "go get your kitty toy" to name a few)

Some more photos to come, soon, I promise : )

oops! one more

Photo update ...

I'm really behind in updating Josie's blog. Chalk it up to busy-ness and business ... we're now in our 3rd week of daycare/back to work and feeling way more comfortable at both ends. I'll get more updates going as soon as possible, but here are some photos, which are the best part anyway!

One Month Home : )

Friday marked the day - one month since Josie and I began our life together at home. I can't say it hasn't been an adventure; it has been the biggest, riskiest and most monumental of my life so far.

But it's also been the richest and most rewarding month of my life: watching Josie learn all the new skills that babies seem to absorb like sponges; experiencing all the riches and sacrifices a new parent makes; and seeing the joy and welcome in the faces of my family, friends and neighbors (and in nearly every person we encounter at the store, on our walks ... well, the child IS adorable, if you forgive a mom's biased opinion).

We have 2 more weeks of leave time left, and then on to the new challenge of balancing work and family life. I'm sure that will be challenging and rewarding, also ...

Sharing with you a couple of shots of my happy little girl. Hopefully I can sort through the photos from a recent baby shower given by friend and post of few of those, too!

HALT!

HALT! Is my baby a Dr. Jekyl/Mrs. Hyde? or what?

I continually bow to the wisdom of my friends and family (many are seasoned parents). My good friend, Karen, gave me this succinct summary of baby's crankiness and how to deal with it recently when I complained of a diet heavy in whine ...

H-A-L-T. It stands for Hunger Anger Loneliness and Tiredness. The idea is that after checking for physical reasons for whining and fussiness, you should HALT and think of those four words. You're sure to find an answer, if not a solution.

Works like a charm to calm (me anyway, if not Josie : ) Even when I can't imagine she could be hungry or tired, she sometimes is. The lonelies and anger I sometimes can't help with, but at least I get where Mrs. Hyde is coming from.

Karen says that even with her three, who are 9-16, the HALT explanation still works. (I think it works at 45, too ...) Thanks!

It's Real!

After two weeks settling in and getting to know each other's ups and downs, Josie and I are really a family. I don't know what I'd do without her (although you know I do wonder what it'd be like to grocery shop alone, just once!). Every funny face, every sleepy cry ... even the teething-inspired whine or two ... just became a part of everyday life. Snuck up on me, you might say, without my seeing it coming : )

She's grown so much since she came home, and I don't mean just her chubby little belly (that's a good thing ... she was a bit low on the weight percentile). How do little people learn so much and figure out how everything works in such a short time? I AM IN AWE of this child. If only my brain cells were still firing that well ; - )

More later. I hear the dirty dishes calling from the sink.

Tomorrow the cable people come and reconnect me to the electronic world. Yay! A home office and my own internet connection! (No, don't even ask how I'm doing it now ...)

paka paka