Look Who's Walking!

The first steps have started---right around 10 and a half months. She's still a little tentative, though. It's been tricky to get on video. Every time I get out the camera she drops down and starts to crawl instead.


She's made it 5-6 feet at times. Like her brother did, she walks a little like the Frankenstein monster--arms straight out (or up). Her main technical difficulties include A) squeezing her eyes shut when she gets going (always problematic) and B) letting her big head get ahead of her tiny legs so that she pitches forward.

It's a lot of fun to watch her walk, but also a little sad. Her babyhood seems to be going by even faster than Hayden's did.

Outside Time

We've actually had some warm days. Shorts weather, even. The day documented here was borderline--not quite summery, but warm enough to play indefinitely in the sunshine. The backyard playset (which will make the move to our new house) is the outside toy of choice. For Hayden, the playset is a fort, rocket, machine, ship, and planet. Marlo pretty much only uses the swings. She likes to be pushed, but she's also happy to literally hang in the swing and look at her toes (see picture above).


We're all very happy to get outside again. Both kids come in from outside appropriately messy. It's been dry and dusty, so the dirt gets kicked up easily. And we have a lot of dirt patches, thanks to the resident mutt. Marlo will crawl through and touch anything, so she always has dirt caked under her fingernails and stains on her knees. It's not unusual to see some specks of leaves on her lips after she snacked on them.



When we move, we'll have a nice big backyard. Our yard now is decent for a city lot, but our new house has a big sloping yard with adjacent woods and wetlands. The property itself has a decorative pond (a "water feature"). The current homeowner told us it's a favorite spot to catch frogs. So, I imagine I'll have a lot of outdoor adventures to blog about this summer once we are settled in. When we visited the new house on Saturday, Hayden took off running through the yard, thrilled with all the space and already imagining sledding down the little hill. The playset will have some competition at the new house, but I think it will still be a family favorite.

Today's Haydenism

"A team of robots will help Santa clean up the earth on Earth Day."

Who knew?

Baby Bookworm

Lately Marlo has been really interested in her books. At first she just liked to empty them out of her bin, but now she is turning the pages and really looking at them. She even "reads" outloud. No doubt she is imitating her brother. Hayden reads everyday. Every night when we check on him, there are books scattered on his bed. Sometimes he still has one in his hand. I can only hope Marlo turns out to be as big of a bookworm as her brother!



If you look on my other blog (http://creakhouse.blogspot.com), you can see a list of books in heavy rotation here. It already needs updating...lately Hayden is into his Jokelypedia, and Marlo is fascinated by The Nose Book. We're bookaholics...I've already lost count of the number of boxes of books I've packed, and those are only mine! Who knows how many more boxes I will fill when I pack the kids' books. AND, I've already filled 2 bags for donation.

Mmmmaaammaaa

Marlo saying "mama":



Note the "better call Child Services" outfit. I'll post a few more pictures of that get-up later.

Haydenisms

From this week:

"Mama, you're not only older than daddy, you're fatter."

"Some guys are interested in their nipples."

Like Brother, Like Sister

Lately I've been noticing a lot of similarities between Marlo and Hayden. Here are comparison photos of them at around the same age (9-10 months). Hayden had quite a few pounds on Marlo. Like, 8. At least. So he's chunkier. But look at their similar little faces! And as far as temperament goes, they definitely have a lot in common. Both are happy, joyful kids. Hayden was a bit mellower at times (he crawled much later), and Marlo seems to have more separation anxiety. But in general they are a lot more alike than I would have imagined. Both are busy busy busy...but in a good way. Except for today when Marlo ate a piece of dog food...she tops her brother in the variety of objects that find their way to her mouth.

Playtime

Although Hayden will occasionally tell me he needs "a vacation from Marlo," for the most part he adores his little sister. The feeling is mutual. Marlo lights up when Hayden is around. She's also fond of his toys. The top 2 are probably the train tracks and the RC robot, Tribot. Marlo likes to chase Tribot around and try to grab its head. She also claps randomly at it, as if to convey her general sense of approval. Like her brother at this age, Marlo is fascinated by all things that move: cars, trains, balls...and now, apparently, robots.

Also, if you look closely at these videos, you may witness Marlo's patented "butt bounce." She can propel herself pretty far across a room using this method. She crawls well, but some situations just seem to call for the butt bounce instead.

False...but happy...spring

After a brutally cold winter, and less than a week after single digit highs, we were treated to 55-65 degree weather. Hayden's been stir-crazy inside, and so have I. I'm not entirely sure if Marlo noticed.

So when the weather broke, so to speak, we headed outside. The bike came out of the garage. The shiny new scooter from Christmas finally made it out of the living room. We've spent the last few days rediscovering the yard (and all the leaves that never got raked) and creek.

Hayden loves all things on wheels so he was thrilled to play with his "outside things." Unfortunately, he couldn't bring all of them out (he likes to line them all up) because some are in storage. And, his helmet is also in storage so he was instructed "not to go fast."

This was Marlo's first venture outside since her newly aquired mobility.


She's always liked being outside...but now she can get down and dirty. Literally. She puts everything in her mouth. Everything. To date I have fished out a screw, a rock, a lot of pieces of paper, bits of pinecone, and one of those wooden screw covers on furniture. So, outside gave her a lot of new things to taste. Leaves were the biggest temptation. I'm pretty sure she ate a few. She's fast, and I also had to keep an eye on Hayden.

When Hayden was a new crawler, he didn't like the grass. He wouldn't crawl on it. He just sort of sat there and looked at me like, "what IS this?" Marlo...she's off. Right into the muddy yard. So she ate some dirt too.

And yesterday, I even saw a butterfly. In March!

Of course, it snows here in April. And even May, so it's not really spring. But for a little while it feels like it.

Hayden's bookmark on the other blog

For those of you who are interested, I also keep a sort of craft/art/reading/whatever blog. Hayden and I made bookmarks the other day and I posted an entry with that here:
http://creakhouse.blogspot.com

FOOD! Part II.

I've written before about Marlo's interest in food. As her palate has expanded, so has her...enthusiasm. Ben and I moved her to table food as soon as she was even remotely ready. Otherwise, it's doubtful we'd ever get to eat. As soon as she is in her high chair she demands food. She complains if her tray is ever empty, even for a split second.


She handles foods pretty well. Most days I can give her whatever we are having. I precook and freeze veggies, broth, purees, and meat to round out her meals (and to speed up the process...she doesn't do "hungry" well). She's not a big baby--about average in weight and a little on the tall side. But she eats as well as her brother who had a good 6 pounds on her at this age. One day for lunch she had half a grilled cheese sandwich and half a mango (all diced up of course). For breakfast she typically has O's, half a banana, a whole tub of yogurt, and baby cereal. The other day she downed a full bowl of pasta tossed with spinach. She's definitely making an impact on the food budget.


She's liked pretty much everything she's eaten. Pureed chicken was a bit questionable, but she does fine with regular chicken. It's hard to even identify her favorites because she eats it all. Butternut squash is big. So are green beans and peas. Apples. Pasta. Carrots. Parsnips. Avocado. It's pretty fun to make her food because she always enjoys it. I figure I'd better enjoy it too...soon enough she'll be picky. Hayden used to eat everything and now he dissects his food. He won't eat the tip of bananas because they are "squishy." Grapes with tears in the skin...forget it. Guacamole, but not sliced avocado. Chocolate milk, not white. And so on. But at least he eats his fruits and veggies, and at least for awhile, so is Marlo.

On the move

Hayden was a lazy, fat baby. Marlo is a bit more...motivated. So, it wasn't really a surprise when this morning, she crawled for the first time--2 months earlier than her big brother. This week, she has mastered sitting up on her own, pulling up to a stand, and now, crawling.

I haven't really encouraged the crawling. I haven't put tempting toys in front of her in an effort to inspire her movement, or demonstrated correct crawling technique. Frankly, the sit-still phase is far too short and I'm in no hurry for her to outgrow her babyhood. In the end, the only inspiration she needed was one of Hayden's trains. She spotted it on the floor and without any hesitation she was off to get it. And eat it.

At the moment she is more interested in pulling up than crawling. Two favorites spots are the trampoline and the train table. The coffee table is enticing too, but there aren't as many goodies there, and it's harder for her to get traction on the wood floor.

Marlo is a bit conflicted about all of this. On one hand, she is giddy about being able to get her hands on previously unreachable treasures. Yet, despite her newfound mobility, she's been squawking at me more than usual to pick her up. Several times today she simply wanted to be held. It's a cuddle she usually only does with me when she is tired--head against my shoulder, thumb in mouth--but today she needed a little extra reassurance that I'm still close by even if she motors off in the other direction.

splish splash!

Although Marlo seems to be curious about and enjoy almost everything, lately she is especially intrigued by water. She bounces and kicks every time I turn on a faucet, and now that she sits up in a bathtub and can splash and play... well, bathtime is pure joy. I know a lot of parents give their children nightly baths to unwind and get ready for bed. This would not work for either of my kids. Hayden still plays--rowdily--in the shower and bath and Marlo is non-stop motion anywhere near water. I let her sit in the shower and she kicked at the water for 15 straight minutes, fascinated. I can't wait to get her in a swimming pool if we ever have summer here.

Vacation!

After a troublesome start (2 missed connections and a 13 hour travel day), our trip to Hilton Head was a relaxing success. Marlo was a demon on the first couple of planes and an angel thereafter. Hayden, as usual, was my good traveler. Ben and I were grouchy and pretty much homicidal by the time we made it to Atlanta, but we recovered admirably.

This trip had some firsts. Hayden caught his first fish and rode his first horse. Marlo popped her first tooth and had her first bath in a "big bathtub." And this year, no one had shingles, no one broke into our house in Minneapolis, and no bridges collapsed! As always we ate good food and played good cards (or bad cards, depending on the game and the night). And as always, a good time was had by all. We just wish the country were a bit smaller so we wouldn't have to travel so far!

Hat Trick

So Hayden's in hockey. Twice a week Hayden undergoes this Midwestern rite of passage. Ben wrestles him into an absurd amount of protective gear. The padding serves to protect Hayden when he randomly sits down on the ice. You know, to rest. Sometimes he goes into a full sprawl, spread-eagled. The other kids try to get around him, but no one in his group can exactly skate, so there are a lot of pile-ups. Sometimes the kids scrimmage. They move as a pack (a slow pack) after the puck. Someone swats at it with a stick, usually in the wrong direction. Every once in a while, the puck will dribble into a goal. Hayden often participates in the scrimmages by sitting down. On the ice. He's not grumpy about it. Apparently he just wants to take a breather, or maybe watch the other group of kids play. The coaches have taken to nudging him in the butt with their sticks to get him moving.

The whole thing is pretty comical. But to Big H's credit, he couldn't even really stand when he started, and now he is sort of half-skating. One time he stuck his stick out and even scored a goal. And last week, he didn't sit down once, except when another kid accidentally crashed into him and took out his legs. It's progress, for sure.

Enjoy. Hayden is the kid that is either reclining on the ice, or, when moving, sporting the #10, mismatched socks, and a black helmet.

Baby Parts

We get really great light in our house in the winter. Marlo likes to play in front of the window, so I decided to try and document some of those little baby parts that disappear so quickly: squishy little ears, non-existent wrists, monkey feet...

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

The holiday season this year was marked by the kind of tightly wound excitement that only a 5 year old can generate. A whole month of making cookies and candy, counting the days with candy canes, visiting Santa (see below) and staring wistfully at packages under the tree--all of that build-up can make even the mellowest preschooler a bit hyper.

But all of that aside...for me, the best part of Christmas was seeing my two kids together. Those of you who know our saga also know that for a long time we thought that Hayden would never be able to share Christmas traditions with a sibling. And so for me, the simplicity of peeking in at my two peacefully sleeping kids on Christmas Eve--dressed in matching jammies--well, that is the best Christmas present I could ever have.

We got some other good presents, of course. Santa brought Hayden his very own robot. I got Ben Guitar Hero World Tour (and now Hayden can "rock" on drums). Marlo got wrapping paper to eat.

On Christmas Eve, we did Secret Santas, and the kids got a lot of fun things. Highly notable was Hayden's new jokelopedia, which may possibly mean that at least a handful of his jokes will make sense. We gave the kids their matching jammies and some Christmas books on Christmas Eve. Marlo slept through some of the excitement but later, bolstered by a nap in the car, cheerfully posed with her brother before she passed out in her crib. Many of us can remember sleeping poorly the night before Christmas, straining to hear a sound from Santa and counting the minutes until 6 am when we could shake our parents awake. Hayden appears to be unaware of that particular tradition, because he also passed out in his bed. He was completely out within minutes of hearing his night-time story.

On Christmas morning, I got up with Marlo around 7. Hayden was still asleep. Marlo decided to start Christmas morning with a bang by knocking a glass off of our kitchen island (it shattered). Hayden slept through that. He's always been my good sleeper. Once we finally woke him up, perhaps a first for a 5 year old on Christmas morning, we enjoyed Santa's loot. Hayden helped his sister open presents and Ben and I enjoyed the chaos. Marlo was thrilled by the shiny paper piling around her, the lights on the tree, and Hayden's robot (thoughtfully filled with batteries by Santa) going in circles around her. There was snow outside, hot coffee for the grown-ups, and cinnamon rolls in the oven. It doesn't get much better than that.

Santa Claus is Comin' To Town!

My son has unusual fears. When he was younger, he worried about hippopotamuses. "No," I would tell him, "there are no hippopotamuses in our neighborhood." For awhile, he was scared of meatballs. I don't mean he didn't like them--I mean he was scared of them.

Lately he has two new fears: Santa and snowmen.

Nana has a snowman decoration in her bathroom. Hayden won't go in there until I remove the offending figurine. There is some history to this; I suppose the snowman phobia is somehow related to his long standing fear of statuary.


Now Santa...I'm not sure about this one. He joyfully composed a list to Santa. He likes Christmas movies. He seems to like Santa in theory. But put him in the same room as the beloved icon...well, all bets are off.


The Santa at the preschool party stood a good 6'5". Add the patent leather boots and he genuinely towered over the children. But, Hayden was determined to get his list to jolly St. Nick. Poor kid swallowed his fear and gamely handed over the list while remaining as far away as possible.

At the Santa Claus brunch we went to a few days later, Hayden told Santa's elf that he had already handed over his list--no need to visit the big guy. Well, that was until he found out that Santa was giving away jingle bell ornaments. H has had a soft spot for jingle bells ever since we read The Polar Express. We assured him he didn't need to sit on Santa's lap, so he stood next to the elf and dutifully mumbled something unintelligible.

Marlo had no such reservations and despite being overdue for a snooze, cheerfully sat on Santa's lap.

Hayden, I can honestly say, has only been on Santa's lap once. He was two months old and wasn't particularly thrilled about it then, either.


Maybe that was the start of the whole thing? Santa doesn't look real happy either.

The good news is that Hayden was a very good boy this year and Santa will be sure to leave shiny new things under the tree. Even Baby Marlo will get a thing or two from the merry old soul. Even Dexter the dog, who has most assuredly NOT BEEN A GOOD BOY, will still get a chew toy in keeping with the spirit of the holiday.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.

Peas Please

I decided to make most of my own baby food this time around. Sounded fun, and it is. It helps that Marlo is, well, highly enthusiastic. Get the spoon anywhere near her and she launches at it like a shark. So far everything has been agreeable. Sweet potatoes, pumpkin, parsnips, acorn squash, applesauce, pears. She even likes green beans, which I just buy jarred because they are a pain to get really smooth. I thought Hayden was an eating machine, but she trumps her brother.

The next new food to try is papaya. I've never even tasted papaya.

This whole gig is cheap too. I bought one sweet potato, and filled a whole ice cube tray and 2 larger containers with it. We're still working through 2 dollars worth of pears, and a 2 dollar acorn squash. I think the pumpkin was 4 bucks, but it was organic, and I filled 2 ice cube trays with it. Plus I get to make all sorts of interesting blends. Pumpkin/apple. Parsnip/pear.

Good times.

Random Mouth Noises

I forgot to add...

Today Marlo looked at Dexter (the mutt), smiled and said clear as day, "doggy." I really don't think a 6 month old can say words, but the timing was remarkable.