Happy (Belated) Thanksgiving!

Mommy and Daddy took me to Pennsylvania for Thanksgiving.  They said it would be cold, but this doesn't seem too bad!

Look!  They even have nice green grass here!  I thought we only had that in Hawaii!  It is getting colder, though.  They put this thing on me called a jacket.  I tried to tell them I should take off my shirt first - who where's two layers of clothes at once? - but they insisted the jacket should just go on top.

I've never seen so many leaves on the ground before!  Gop Gop got something called a rake and put them all in a big pile.

Mommy showed me how to jump in the leaf pile!  It was so much fun! 

After playing in the leaves, we all grabbed some bubbles.  First, I blew some of my own. 

Then Gop Gop blew big bubbles and I popped them! 

Before we went inside, I discovered a set of stairs that didn't go anywhere.  It was perfect for playing Humpty Dumpty!  Mommy and Auntie MO helped me climb up, then I jumped off the top into Daddy's arms!

I was starting to get cold, so we went inside.  Gop Gop introduced me to football.  It's a strange game.  I always get in trouble when I run around and hit people!

After the football game, Auntie M showed me how to play the piano.  I was really good at it!  Everytime Auntie M played during Thanksgiving, I quick ran over to help her!

And speaking of helping, I did a great job washing and drying the dishes!  Mommy says if I work hard, one day she'll promote me to cook! 

So I practiced hard everyday.  Everyone says I make the plastic food.

I sure have been busy!  Time for some quiet coloring time.  Mommy and Auntie MO like to color, too! 

Eventually, I decided to venture back outside.  I'm a big girl, so I led the way.  Gom Gom and Mommy followed close behind. 

That's right.  This is how I roll.

Finally, no one's asking me to play with them!  Time for a quick snooze.  I want to be fresh and cheery for my subjects! 

Thank You, Apple

Along with "Me," Babykins has also started using the pronoun, "I."  As in "I eat" and "I walk."  By far, though, her favorite use of the word is, "I nurse" (which, thanks to Apple, I always picture in my head as iNurse).  I've heard her repeat this phrase approximately 1 gazillion times in less than a minute when she's really determined.

We recently took a family trip to visit a college Auntiekins (my younger sister) is thinking of attending next year.  As we waited in the Admissions office to take a campus tour, Babykins climbed on my lap, looked up with a big smile, and yelled, "I nurse!"  The tour was scheduled to start any minute, so I told her she could nurse later and offered her the four other foods I had stashed in her diaper bag.  The conversation went something like this:

Me: How about some crackers?
Babykins: No crackers!
Me: Would you like some cereal?
Babykins: No cereal!
Me: You can have nice, cold milk.
Babykins: No milk!!
Me: Oh, look!  I have goldfish!  You love goldfish!
Babykins: No goldfish!!!  I nurse!
Me: Not now, Babykins.  You can nurse later.
Babykins: I nurse.  I nurse!  I nurse!!  I nurseinurseinurseinurseinurseInurseINurseINUrseINURseINURSeINURSEINURSEINURSE!!!!!!!!!

Needless to say, we nursed.

Me!

I had always thought that little kids spoke in the 3rd person until they were pretty old.  It turns out I know nothing about such things and should probably go back to reading some kind of parenting book (a hobby I gave up when Babykins turned 1).

Without brothers and sisters at home, Babykins is not particularly tough when it comes to defending herself and her toys, so I often see one of the other kids at daycare pull a toy out of her hands and run away.  She's never upset about this, so I just tell her to hold on tighter, then direct her to another toy.

Last week I went to pick Babykins up from daycare and arrived just in time to see her walking across the room with a toy clutched under her arm.  As I watched, another toddler zeroed in on the toy and started making his way toward her.  I started toward the projected collision point, prepared to intervene if necessary.  But just as the boy got close and started to reach his little hand out for the toy, Babykins grabbed the toy tighter, turned her shoulder to block him, and yelled, "No, ME!"

I couldn't decide whether to launch into a talk about sharing or clap with pride.  I settled on a big hug and an internal cheer.  Go, Babykins!

And Why I Especially Hate Airplanes

Warning:  We're still in the gross post series.  But this is the last one, I promise.

We made it on the plane.  My clothes were drenched in throw up, Babykins was still wearing nothing but a diaper and Crocs, and we had run out of both wipes and plastic bags, but at least...

No, at this point there was no bright side.  We had a 10 hour flight ahead of us and no end in sight to the great throw up marathon.

I'll give you the condensed version: Babykins threw up 3 more times before passing out for the rest of the flight.  I changed clothes three times, eventually ending up in my least disgusting pair of pants (which were still extremely gross) and a sweater with no buttons that I wore backwards and secured shut with a hair tie.  Auntie MO spent the entire flight freezing because I had borrowed her sweatshirt when I ran out of tops, and Babykins promptly threw up on it.  The little boy sitting in the seat across the aisle spent the entire flight trying not to look at us.  And because the flight attendants were completely un-helpful, the person who sat in my seat on the next flight was going to have a wet, smelly trip.

Throw up count: 9 (plus once more on the car ride to the Q, but really, by now, who's counting?)

Why I Also Hate Cars and Airports

The carpet was still stained a bright orange, and Babykins was wearing nothing but a diaper and Crocs, but we eventually made it out of the house and started the 20 minute drive to the airport.

Our trip to Pennsylvania may not have started as planned, but at least now I was prepared.  Auntie MO and I both had plastic bags stuffed in our pockets, I had wipes in the diaper bag, and really, after not eating for 3 days, then throwing up twice, how much more could Babykins have left in her stomach?

Apparently, a lot.

By the time we got to the airport, Babykins had thrown up 3 more times, covering herself, her car seat, and most of the back seat in half digested fruit snacks and depleting half of our plastic bag supply.

I popped her out of her car seat and started wiping her down, only to discover a bright red fruit snack lodged firmly in her belly button.  We had officially hit the point of not being able to decide whether to laugh or cry.

Auntie MO and I squared our shoulders, grabbed the bags and a still naked Babykins, and headed for the airport.

Half an hour later, we were through security and waiting at the gate, feeling relief.  This was the longest Babykins had gone without throwing up.  The worst seemed to be behind us.

And then Babykins let go, covering herself, my clothes, and our boarding passes in a huge amount of slime.

Throw up count: 6

To Be Continued...

Why I Hate Froot Loops

Warning:  The next few posts are slightly gross.  Read at your own risk.

For most of November, Babykins was sick.  I mean multiple doctor visits, a trip to the ER, and enough medication to heal a small country, sick.  We were frantically trying to get her healthy, not just because healthy is better than sick, but also because we had a deadline looming in the form of a 10 hour flight to Pennsylvania.

Three days before the flight, Babykins was off her medicine and causing general mischief, which I typically take as a sign that the germs have been defeated.  I breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed.  We still had a long flight to survive (without Daddykins!), but Auntie MO was coming with us and I was armed with a portable DVD player and multiple Elmo videos.  I had stared down potential disaster and lived to laugh at it.

An hour before we had to leave for the airport, Auntie MO and I were gathering the bags and feeding Babykins a quick snack.  Our flight was scheduled to leave on time, everything was ready to go out the door, and I was feeling good.  I sat down on the sofa with Babykins to put on her shoes, when she gave a little cough.  Which was immediately followed by projectile vomiting.  And just like that, our rented beige carpet was covered in throw up.  Bright orange throw-up, because for the first time ever I'd let Babykins eat Froot Loops.

Panic ensued.  Babykins was crying.  I was trying to get the stain out of the carpet before it set.  And then I heard another cough.  I grabbed Babykins and made a dash for the kitchen.  We got there just in time for her to throw up in the sink.

At this point, we have 10 minutes until we need to leave for the airport.  Babykins and I are covered in throw up.  The carpet is covered in throw up.  And I'm starting to get a veeeery bad feeling about this flight.

Throw up count: 2

To Be Continued...

Monkey See, Monkey Do

Our 17 month-er has become quite the mimic lately.  Like all parents, we've learned to watch what we say.  No word is too difficult for Babykins, and you never know when it'll pop out of her mouth.  From bathing suit to motorcycle to crayons, Babykins is constantly displaying her new verbal prowess.

What's really cute, though, is watching her imitate our actions.  The other weekend I decided I would take advantage of a few minutes when Babykins was playing independently to work out.  I started with a few wall push-ups.  Around push-up number 10, I looked down to find Babykins standing directly underneath me, hands on the wall, bending her little elbows! 

I decided to do a little experiment.  After finishing up my push-ups, I moved to the floor to do sit-ups.  Sure enough, Babykins followed along and laid down beside me.  She couldn't quite manage the sit-ups, but she put her hands behind her head and pumped her little legs in the air with vigor. 

Next, it was on to yoga.  As I went through the Sun Salute, Babykins faced me, reached for the ground, and did a fabulous Down Dog!  The smile and excitement on her face was priceless.

Since then, Babykins has continued to imitate Hubbykins and me as we go about our days.  Whether it's dancing to a favorite song, talking on the phone, or blowing on hot food, she's right there, ready to put the toddler twist on everything we do.

Now, if she would just imitate me eating some veggies...

Self Discipline

Outside of the door leading to our parking garage is a wooden door stop.  Babykins is obsessed with it.  Every time we walk out of the door, Babykins makes a beeline for the door stop.  We don't let her take it with us, and she refuses to put it down, which leads to an extremely long stand off every time we try to walk to the car.

To help nip the problem in the bud, Hubbykins and I started going out the door first, putting a foot on the door stop, and saying, "Leave it.  No touch."  Babykins would come over, look at the door stop under our feet, then turn and walk toward the garage.

Last week, as Babykins and I were walking back to the apartment to the car, I saw Babykins spot the door stop.  She stopped and stared for a minute, then changed direction and walked toward it.  I held my breath, waiting to see what she would do.

Babykins walked right up to the door stop, looked down at it, pointed her little finger, and gave a stern, "No."  She said, "No" twice more, placed her foot firmly on the door stop for a minute, then turned and walked to the door.

Since then, she's glanced at the door stop ocassionally as we walk by, but has never again picked it up.  That's what I call self discipline.

Another First: Swim Lessons!

We live on an island.  There's a lot of water.  Which is why we recently decided to start Babykins in swim lessons.

Every Sunday Hubbykins takes Babykins to the local YMCA where they have a 1/2 hour less in (get this, East Coast-ers!) an outdoor pool!  There's no cold water, no shivering as you stand in line outside the pool, and very few tears.

The toddler class is a series of fun water games.  They play "Clean up the Ocean" where the kiddies gather up plastic fish and throw them out of the pool.  This is followed by "The Wheels on the Boat" and "Ring Around the Dolphin."  Babykins' favorite game is Humpty Dumpty.  The kids stand next to the pool holding a toy.  They throw the toy in the pool, then jump in after it, into their parents arms.  Babykins could happily play this game all day.  Class finishes up with practice splashing, kicking, and blowing bubbles. 

After 3 classes, Babykins can't swim on her own, but she's started moving her arms and kicking her legs.  Who knows what she'll be able to do after another 3!

First Things First

Babykins has been a busy girl, lately.  Here, a few of her recent "firsts":

Hair Cut
We love Babykins' hair.  She inherited shiny gold ringlets from Hubbykins that bounce when she runs and look good even after a nap.  For months we avoided her first hair cut, opting instead for a steady stream of barrettes and palm trees.  Finally, though, we had to admit - when the baby's hair is flopping over her nose, it's time for a trim.

We took Babykins to Pigtails and Crew Cuts, a kids-only salon where they entice little ones with cheerfully decorated capes and chairs shaped like cars.  When we arrived, Babykins was excited.  She wandered around staring at the other kids in their cars, pointing and ohh-ing.  When it was her turn, she sat right down and began playing with the steering wheel.  Things got even better when the cape went on.  And then, best of all, the hair dresser handed her a cup of Animal Crackers. 

With so much excitement, Babykins barely noticed when the hair dresser first combed her hair, then put it back in a clip.  The first spray of water caught her attention, though, and by the time the scissors took their second snip, Babykins had thrown her head back and was crying and screaming with all of her might.

Luckily, along with fun chairs and cookies, the store also stocks up on hair dressers who aren't phased by screaming babies.  Within seconds, Babykins had a new set of bangs, a lock of shiny hair in a bag, and a (slightly teary) picture of her first hair cut ready to go in her baby book.

Up next: Babykins' first swim lesson

Babykins' Top Three Obsessions

Now a big 16 monther, Babykins has hit the age where she doesn't just like things - she loooooves them.  And so, a list of Babykins' top three obsessions.

Shoes

Recently, US Grandma bought Babykins a pair of pink Crocs.  Not only are they pink, they have a puppy on the left shoe.  They NEVER leave Babykins' feet.  If we didn't make her take them off before bath and bed, Babykins' little tootsies would never have a chance to breath.

We got our carpets cleaned a week ago, and I was very excited to keep the floors looking fresh for awhile.  Hubbykins and I take our shoes off when we get home, and we've always popped off Babykins' shoes, too.  After awhile she'd remember and walk around the house saying, "Shoes!  Shoes!"  To which we would respond, "No shoes now!"  and Babykins would continue on her way.

This week, though, that's all changed.  Not only can Babykins say, "Shoes," she has now figured out how to put her shoes on all by herself!  These days when I hear Babykins little voice calling out "Shoes!" it's not because she needs help putting them on...it's because they're already on her feet.

Goodbye, clean carpet!  Hello, independent Babykins!

Sesame Street

Back in July we took Babykins to see Sesame Street Live!  I swear it's the only time I've ever seen Babykins sit entirely still for 1 1/2 straight hours.  Since then, Babykins' obsession with Sesame Street has steadily grown.

She's allowed to watch one Sesame Street a day, and over the last month Babykins has steadily progressed in her Sesame Street knowledge.  In the beginning, we were amazed to hear her sing, "Lalalala," whenever she saw a picture of Elmo (as in, Lalalala, Lalalala, Elmo's World).  Then this week she surprised us by actually saying Elmo's name!  That was quickly followed by Cookie (accompanied by putting her hands to her mouth in a mime of eating cookies and saying, "Numnumnum") and Ahkar (Oscar).

So much for no TV before 2.

Baby Doll

The book we had on babies said that most babies choose a favorite animal or blanket as their "lovey" somewhere between 8 and 12 months.  The only lovey Babykins wanted was mama and dada.

Then last weekend Hubbykins took Babykins on a walk.  I could hear them in the hallway for a long time, which is usually a sign that any minute they'll be coming back in and Babykins will be handing me my shoes, insisting that I come along.

Sure enough, seconds later I hear the key in the door.  Hubbykins popped his head in, looked at me, and said, "You've been replaced."  Babykins came shooting in after him calling, "Baby, baby, baby!"  She ran into the living room, scooped up baby doll, gave her a big hug, and ran back out into the hallway, ready for her walk.

We don't go anywhere without baby doll anymore, which is why in the last few weeks she gotten very dirty, fallen in a plate of curry at a restaurant, and has developed some mysterious stains on her head.  Hang in there, baby doll, we need you.

Ok, so there were only going to be 3 obsessions, but Babykins has reminded me multiple times already this morning about her newest obsession...

Being Naked

Babykins has never been a big fan of clothes, but last week she discovered how to take off her diaper, which adds a whole new dimension to the being naked obsession.  Two or three times a day now, Babykins will run up to us, throw a diaper at our feet, then run away laughing, stark naked out of the room.

And once the diaper's off, getting a new one on is akin to catching and subduing a greased pig.  We've started bribing Babykins by specially picking out the diapers that have Elmo on them (see obsession #2).  The diapering process is now immediately followed by pants, which Babykins has not figured out how to remove...yet.

Babykins and Mama Discuss Weaning

When Babykins was born, I decided I would follow all of the baby book advice and nurse her for the first year.  By the time Babykins' first birthday rolled around, I was ready to start the weaning process.

Me: Babykins, wouldn't it be fun to start eating more food and nursing less?
Babykins: Vigorously shakes head, "No."

Ok.  So maybe she wasn't ready.  We'd wait awhile and try again.

Over the next two months, perhaps sensing that the end was near, Babykins actually began nursing more.

Me: Babykins, it's time to start weaning.  Why don't we start by not nursining in the middle of the night?
Babykins: How about if I only nurse two times a night?
Me: One time.
Babykins: How about four times?
Me: Two times it is.

I started working full time, and we managed to drop to 3 times a day during the week.  During the weekends, though, it was another story.

Me: Babykins, why don't we try sticking to 3 times a day during the weekend, too.
Babykins: Noooooo!!!!!
Me: I know you can do it.  You're a big, bad 15 month-er!
Babykins:  Waaaaaa!!! (Translation: I love you so much, mommy, and all I want to do is nurse, and why are you being so mean to me, you're stinky!)
Me: Well, if you're that upset about it, maybe...
Babykins: Yea!!!! (Runs squealing into her bedroom, both hands thrown above her head making the nursing sign.)

Maybe we'll try again at 18 months...

Woof, Woof!

Babykins has long been a fan of puppies.  Over the last few months she's gone from staring, to pointing, to yelling, "Woof, woof!"

Recently, Babykins has started to pretend she's a puppy.  We'll be walking along, and she'll suddenly drop to all fours and begin crawling along saying, "Woof, woof."  It's adorable.

Then yesterday we were walking through Walmart, when Babykins went into puppy mode.  In the middle of the store, she began crawling down the aisle.  It was very cute, in a crawling on a dirty floor and making people swerve their carts, kind of way.

Hubbykins and I smiled at her, said "Good puppy," then told her it was time to get up and walk.  At which point Babykins instead dropped to her tummy and began slithering across the floor like a little wiggle worm.

Funny.  Very, very gross, but funny.

Luckily, Hubbykins and I realize that not everyone thinks our child is as cute as we do, so we scooped her up off the floor and popped her in the cart for the rest of the trip.

This has become a regular occurrence, now.  At least once or twice a day we find ourselves in a random place with Babykins crawling and barking, pleased as punch to be a puppy.  Everyone who sees her just smiles and laughs.  Just like a real puppy, Babykins is bringing happiness to everyone around her.

Mommy's Little Helper

Babykins has discovered the joy of cleaning.

It all started two weeks ago at the mall.  Babykins and I were snacking on shaved ice with Grandmakins and Auntiekins, when I managed to spill a large portion of my snack.  I grabbed some napkins and wiped up most of the spill.  As I was finishing up, Babykins grabbed the rest of my napkin stack and hopped off the bench.

I reached for her, thinking she was about to make a break for it.  Instead, she squatted down and began to wipe the floor with her napkins, too!  I thought she was just mimicking the motions, but realized she really understood the cleaning concept when she purposely moved over a bit to wipe up another puddle.

The next thing I knew, Babykins was lying on the floor of the mall, tiny arm stretched as far as it would go, trying to wriggle under the stroller to get at the last of the mess.  I couldn't decide whether to gaze proudly and support her new-found love of cleaning, or quickly pick her up off of the gross mall floor.

Since then, Babykins is unstoppable.  She goes around our apartment wiping down furniture and floors and cabinets.  Give her a cloth and she will happily spend 10 minutes scrubbing the ottoman in our living room.

Then last week I looked over to discover Babykins had taken the next step in cleaning...she was creating her own cleaning supplies.  Babykins sat on the kitchen floor with her water cup in one hand and a rag in the other.  She would tap the straw of her cup on the floor to let out a few drops of water, then wipe it up with the cloth.  While I made dinner, Babykins happily sat there scrubbing down the floor.

Now, if only we can help her keep this love of cleaning for a few more years... 

Are you for real?

Babykins has long been a fan of including people in her play.  She'll often try to feed us bites of her food, and there's nothing she like more than carrying her phone from person to person so that everyone has a chance to participate in her pretend conversations.

Recently, Babykins and I were playing telephone.  When she handed me the phone, I said hello and pretended the person on the line wanted to talk to Cooper (her teddy bear).  After exclaiming that they wanted to talk to Cooper, I handed the phone back to Babykins who immediately turned, ran to Cooper, and held the phone to his ear. 

She waited a moment nodding (I imagine Cooper had sage words to impart), then brought the phone to her own ear, babbled a minute, and brought the phone back to me.  And so began her newly expanded imaginary play.

Since then Babykins has offered her food and pacifier to her baby doll, has allowed most of her stuffed animals a turn on her phone, and has even started having her doll lean against the wall in the elevator, just like she sees the grown-ups do.

These imaginary games don't hold her attention very long right now, but I can hardly wait until the day Babykins invites me to a tea party with all of her stuffed toys.

Dai Car!!

It's happened.

Babykins no longer cries when we drop her off at daycare.  Instead, the last time I dropped her off, Babykins wriggled out of my arms, ran over to the other kids, and only grudgingly stopped playing long enough to give me a hug goodbye.  In fact, the other day when I went to pick her up, she actually cried because she didn't want to stop playing with the toys!

This new development has given Hubbykins and me a huge sense of relief.

Despite knowing how much Babykins now loves daycare, though, we were still surprised last week when we asked Babykins if she wanted to go to daycare and she responded by nodding, picking up her shoes, walking to the door, and loudly shouting, "Dai car!!"

Our 15-month-old has 10 words in her command, and daycare is one of them.

Babykins has been making good use of this word.  This week as Hubbykins walked Babykins to daycare, she saw the top of the building from two blocks away.  She proceeded to spend the rest of the trip pointing at the building and repeatedly yelling, "Dai car, dai car!!"

It's been amazing to see this transformation, and one of my favorite times now comes around 7 when we tell Babykins it's time for daycare and a huge smile lights up her little face.

Thank you, Wobbler Room teachers, for giving Babykins such a wonderful place to play and grow.

I'm the Baby!

Lately Babykins has been all about the animals.  Not only does she just about jump out of her stroller with excitement when we pass a puppy, but she starts calling, "Woo, woo!" - Babykins speak for Woof, woof!  Along with puppy noises, Babykins has started saying, "Baa!"  She knows it's the sound that sheep make, but she's also convinced that goats and horses should say, "Baa," too.

With all of the excitement about animals, one of our new favorite games is naming animals in books so that Babykins can find and point to them.  Her favorite animal to find is the rooster.  She'll pick up the book, flip quickly through the pages, and frantically point to the rooster while calling, "Ca, ca!"  Short, of course, for Cockadoodledoo!

So last week we were looking at a page that had a fish, a puppy, and a baby.

"Babykins, where's the puppy?"  I asked.

Babykins pointed to the puppy and yelled, "Woo, woo!"

"Can you find the fishie?" I asked.

She pointed to the fish.

I finished up with, "Babykins, can you point to the baby?"

At which point Babykins looked up at me, gave a big smile, and proudly patted her own belly!

Babykins says...

I know it's summertime, but that's no reason to stop studying!

Real Hawaiian babies prefer bathing al fresco!

Even a baby can appreciate this view!



I'm ready for the beach!

Shake it like a Polaroid picture...

One of Babykins' favorite games when we travel is pulling all of the clothes out of the suitcases that we've just finished packing.  Last weekend, in an effort to keep Babykins entertained and our bags packed, Hubbykins flipped through the TV channels looking for some music.  It was 8 am on a Saturday, and there weren't a lot of choices, so Babykins ended up watching "The Week's Top Dance Hits" on MTV (I know, I know - MTV - judge us if you must).

As Babykins sat on the sofa, she started to bop along to the music.  Her typical dancing style involves bobbing her head up and down, followed by swinging her arms back and forth, and culminating in a full body wiggle.  After a few music videos, however, we looked over to see Babykins with both hands in the air above her head, bouncing up and down in a perfect imitation of the hip hop dancers.  After laughing for a minute, Hubbykins and I paused, looked at each other, and immediately reached for the remote.

Seeing Babykins wave her arms in the air like she just don't care is cute, but it seemed prudent to change the channel before she started suggestively wiggling her diaper.

Days later, I was sitting on the floor singing "Baa, Baa Black Sheep" when Babykins suddenly threw both hands up above her head and started bouncing.  It seems the new dance move has stuck.  All I can say is, "Whoop, whoop!"

Happy Memorial Day!

I know it's been a long time since I posted (going back to work has really cramped my blogging style), so I'll try to make this a really good one...

We travelled to the Big Island for the weekend, where we stayed in a tiny town called Volcano Village.  With only 2,500 residents, Volcano Village actually makes the Q look big, and is nestled at the foot of Kilauea Volcano.

We were just going for 4 days, so we tried to pack light.  We were a little worried about whether we'd be able to take all of our luggage on the plane, though...

Whew!  Luckily, Babykins fits perfectly.  Looks like she can come with us!  First, though, we'll have to catch her...

On Friday, we went to Volcano National Park to do some hiking.  Babykins was undaunted by the long walk stretching before us...

Never fear - this road's been closed to traffic for years!

She was fascinated by the steam that was coming up from a fissure in the ground.  "Mama," she asked, chewing nervously on her fingers, "Is there a dragon down there?"

The next day we went for a 4-mile hike through the Kilauea Iki volcano caldera.  Hubbykins carried Babykins in a Snugli the entire way.  They stopped to explore many interesting things along the path...

It's a good thing they were there to hold up this ledge!

After visiting the volcano, we went to see Tree Molds.  These are created when flowing lava hardens around a tree before the tree burns up.  There were 5 or 6 in the field.  "Look!" cried Babykins. "I can see my shadow!"

We finished up our holiday with a trip to a Japanese garden.  It was a beautiful day, and Babykins had a wonderful time running around in her usual Hawaiian outfit...a diaper and shoes.

After a fun filled trip, it was time to head home.  Babykins entertained herself on the short flight by reading up on Bonzai...

Happy Memorial Day, and Thank You to all who serve!

Sad Face :(

I wish I had an amusing anecdote to add to Babykins' blog this week, but she has been a very sick baby.  Between high fevers, throwing up, and a white tongue, we have spent most of the week cuddled on the couch.

Although I hate to see her sick, it's been sweet to see the progression of Babykins' snuggling.  When she was first born, cuddling wasn't a guaranteed way to quiet her down.  Within days, though, Babykins realized the joy of being held and rocked (she especially enjoyed this at 3 am).  It was an amazing day when Babykins was able to reach out her arms when she wanted to be picked up.  It's simultaneously heart-breaking and overwhelmingly sweet to see your crying baby reach out for you.  Fast forward a couple more months, and instead of just cuddling when she was upset or hurt, Babykins started giving hugs.  What a wonderful feeling to have your baby put her arms around your neck, not because she's sad, but because she's so happy to see you.

This week, I've been so worried about Babykins' illness that I've had her sleep in with us so I could keep an eye on her.  In the past, I've found that if she's restless, she'll often quiet down if I snuggle her in to my side.  These last few nights she's realized the same thing.  Instead of lying there fussing until I pull her next to me, Babykins has started rolling over and cuddling into my side.  It's moments like these that cause us to forget the pain of childbirth.

Fashionista

When I pick Babykins up from daycare, I try to sneak in quietly so that I can spend a few minutes watching her play before she notices me.  Last week, I walked in to find her prancing around the Wobbler room in a fluffy pink princess skirt. 

When I called her name, Babykins was thrilled to show off her new skirt.  The teachers told me that during dress-up time, Babykins had immediately picked out the skirt and carried it over to them for help in putting it on.  When dress-up time ended, she refused to take it off and spent the rest of the day swishing in sparkly pink tulle.  Add to this the green purse that Babykins has started carrying around all day, every day at daycare, and it seems we have a fashionista on our hands.

To encourage Babykins' budding fashion sense, Hubbykins and I have started letting Babykins pick out her own outfit in the morning.  For the most part, this is a success.  She has an affinity for onesies and seems to like pink, which could partly be due to the fact that that accurately describes 90% of the clothing in her dresser.  Admittedly, she doesn't have a large range to choose from.  Babykins does occasionally like to be cutting edge, though.  Friday she wanted three different colored barrettes in her hair, and proudly went to daycare with them accessorizing her outfit.

Yesterday I watched as Babykins patiently stood still while the teacher fitted her with the hand-painted hula skirts they've been working on for a week.  And last week Babykins came home with her hair in two "palm tree" pig tails on top of her head.  Although she'll often run away half way through a diaper change, it seems that even Babykins is willing to make exceptions when it comes to fashion.

The Number 1 Reason I Love Daycare

Babykins and I are both finally starting to adjust to her daily trips to daycare.  She has fabulous teachers, they do fun activities, and every time I walk in there, someone's cleaning something.  The number 1 thing I love about daycare, though, is the art projects Babykins brings home.  There's just nothing cuter than seeing the end result of her daily foray into art time. 

For Mother's Day, she finger painted paper plates, which they turned into a bouquet of flowers.  All together now...Awwww :)

Babykins' Handmade Mother's Day Bouquet

I Wanna Hold Your Haaaaaand

Now that Babykins is a walking machine, we got her new shoes that she can wear outside.

To celebrate this new purchase, Babykins and I decided to take a walk to the Post Office.  This consists of leaving our building, crossing the street, and walking across a parking lot.  On my own, I can make it in 5 minutes.  Thirty minutes later, we arrived. 

In that half hour, we discussed why cigarette butts are yucky and not for eating, chased a flock of birds, almost caught a bird and had a fright, stopped to examine the dirt in the crack in the sidewalk, walked back and forth between the sidewalk and the grass to figure out why they feel different under our shoes, and detoured into Sears for a quick ride up the escalator.  It was a major adventure.

After finishing at the Post Office, I was feeling brave and decided we could quick stop at the grocery store next door.  Within seconds I realized my mistake.  Walking Babykins quickly yanked her hand free from mine, made a break for it, and began pulling everything she could off the bottom shelf.  As I tried to put everything back in its place, she fled across the aisle and plastered herself to the door of the frozen foods, fascinated by how cold it was.  I got there just in time to see her lick the glass.

At this point, I tucked her into the one-armed football hold and made a dash for the produce section.  As we moved down the aisle of fruit, she started calling, "Nana, Nana."  I grabbed a bunch of bananas, broke one off, and gave it to her to hold.  It was like magic.  Babykins proudly cradled her banana and followed me through the store, thrilled that she was carrying her own Nana like a big girl.

An hour and a half after we left, we were back in the building, heading for our apartment.  As we walked down the hallway, Babykins reached up her little hand and grabbed my finger, holding on until we reached the door.  Now that Babykins doesn't need help to walk, there's something extra sweet about her choosing to hold my hand.  I know a day will come when she won't be seen in public holding my hand, so for now I'm cherishing every moment of having her little hand wrapped in mine.

Tricks of the Trade

I love the daycare Babykins is going to.  The facility is new and clean, there are fun activities and crafts everyday, and most importantly, the women who run the Wobbler Room (where the 12-18 monthers stay) are fabulous.

Unfortunately, Babykins isn't quite as thrilled.  We're on day 8 of her attending without me, and she still cries and reaches out her arms to me as I leave (go ahead, let that tear out - it's a very sad sight).  The teachers tell me she's crying less each day, but for some reason, she has started on a hunger strike and refuses to eat during the 4 hours she's there.

To combat this hunger strike, the blessedly patient teachers have resorted to some fabulous tricks.  It started with the Pacifier Bait and Switch.  First they pop out Babykins' pacifier, and when my little one opens her mouth to get it back, they quickly insert a spoonful of yogurt.  As soon as it's swallowed, they reinsert the pacifier before Babykins begins to cry.  This method is long and messy (Babykins usually comes home with her hair plastered to her head with yogurt), but highly effective.

I was impressed with this tactic, but they weren't done, yet.  For solid foods, these saintly women have developed the Drive-By Feeding.  They wait until Babykins is sitting quietly in the high chair, focused on what's happening around her, then they casually walk by and drop food on her tray in the hopes that she'll eat it if she doesn't think it came from them.  This doesn't have quite the same success rate as the bate and switch, but it does drastically reduce the amount of food that goes flying across the room.

Finally, in an effort to get Babykins to drink something, Teacherkins pulled out all of the stops yesterday with the Stealthy Straw maneuver.  Over the weekend, Babykins learned how to drink from a straw.  I was hoping that if I sent her drink in with a straw this week, she'd drink it down just for the pleasure of practicing her new skill.  I was wrong.  After Babykins refused her drink multiple times, Teacherkins tried putting the straw and the pacifier in Babykins' mouth at the same time, figuring that in the course of sucking on the pacifier, Babykins would end up swallowing some juice, too.  Unfortunately, Babykins quickly figured out this trick and spit out the straw, but I was still very impressed with the concept.

If there's anything I've learned this week, it's that you should never go head-to-head with a daycare teacher in any game involving strategic maneuvering.

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie!

If you read books on genetics, the so-called "experts" will tell you that babies get one half of their genes from their mother and one half from their father.  They have obviously never met Babykins, who I swear inherited approximately 90% of her genetic material from Hubbykins.

Let's start with the physical attributes.  Aside from her very pale skin and blond hair (I'll admit Hubbykins had blond hair as a baby, too, but I need to claim credit for a few things!), Babykins is the spitting image of her daddy.  She has beautifully curly hair, and everyone who sees the two of them together exclaims over how much she looks like Hubbykins.

The similarities don't stop there, though.  The other day we were in our bedroom, and Babykins was playing on the bed.  She crawled to the edge and, without looking, threw herself off the mattress, landed in a big pile of blankets, rolled down the pile, and ended on the floor on her back, arms splayed out, laughing and smiling.  As I hyperventilated, Hubbykins just laughed, explaining that she'd discovered the conveniently positioned pile of blankets days before and had been pulling this daredevil maneuver ever since.

As she got up and ran off to pull all of the clothes out of her dresser, I swear I heard Babykins laugh in an Australian accent.

Oy, oy, oy!

Happy Birthday, Babykins!

Babykins turned 1 year old on Thursday, a momentous occasion that we celebrated with presents, and cupcakes, and much video recording.  It's hard to believe that it's already been a year since our baby entered the world.  It feels like she's always been a part of our lives, and while I can remember lazy days of sleeping in, reading books, and driving with the top down, I can no longer imagine a life where our family only consists of two.

As always, Babykins had some surprises in store for us.  After opening some presents, we took a break for dinner and cupcakes.  We were completely shocked when, after sticking out her tongue and giving the vanilla icing a little lick, Babykins pushed away the cupcake.  Considering the vast quantities of sugar I consume, I was expecting Babykins to gobble down her dessert.  I'm not going to complain, though, about a baby without a sweet tooth.

The next day I took Babykins in for her 1 year check-up.  She weighed in at 19 pounds and measured a towering 28 inches.  Watching her everyday, we knew she was growing, but it's still mind blowing to think that in one year Babykins has grown 8.5 inches and gained 12 pounds!

Every day Babykins continues to grow and amaze us, whether it's discovering this morning that her magnetic balls will stick to the metal legs of our dining room chairs, or expressing her independence by pulling away when we try to hold her hand as she walks (ok, that one makes me a little sad).  It's been a wonderful first year, and I thank you all for following Babykins' life story.

Happy Birthday, Babykins!  Daddy and I love you :)

Top 5 Reasons Babykins is AWESOME

It seems like every time I turn around these days, Babykins is adding a new skill to her list of incredible talents.  Here, a list of the top 5 accomplishments Babykins has achieved in the last month:

5. Brushing Her Teeth: With her one year birthday looming, Babykins still only has 2 teeth.  The fact that they're both on the bottom makes chewing difficult, but gives her an adorable smile.  To get Babykins off to a good start with dental hygiene, we recently gave Babykins her own toothbrush.  Whenever Hubbykins or I brush our teeth, Babykins follows us into the bathroom, takes her toothbrush, and moves it around her mouth in a super cute imitation of brushing her teeth.  No teeth are actually getting clean, but at least she now thinks using a toothbrush is a good time.

4. Stacking Rings:  Last week, after months of basically ignoring her Ring Stacking set, Babykins sat down, picked up a green plastic ring, and placed it on the stick like she'd been doing it her whole life.  Sometimes I think she just likes to see how easy it is to make me squeal in excitement.

3. Stacking Blocks:  While stacking the rings is impressive, they at least have a stick they go on that keeps them in a pile.  Stacking blocks is a whole different story.  Knocking down block towers that Hubbykins and I build has long been one of Babykins' favorite activities.  In fact, the desire to knock down block towers is actually what first motivated Babykins to crawl.  Last week, though, Babykins turned the corner, for the first time building her own block tower.  It was only two blocks high, but it was still very impressive.  She's up to three blocks, now, and I'm sure it won't be long before our little architect is constructing replicas of the Taj Mahal.

2. Saying "Puppy":  During our trip to Canada, we stayed with friends who have two dogs.  Once Babykins got over her initial fright, she fell in love.  Since then, every time we see a dog, she flaps her arms and squeals until they're out of sight.  Since we can't have a dog, Babykins has a little, brown stuffed puppy.  If you ask her where puppy is, she'll actually look around until she finds him, then make a bee line straight for his fuzzy body and give him a big hug.  Imagine our surprise when we saw puppies on TV this weekend and, after Hubbykins and I both exclaimed, "Babykins, look at the puppies!", Babykins turned to the TV and said, "Pu...pu...pu...puppy."  I actually cried a little at that one.

1. Walking:  I know I've already blogged about Babykins walking, but over the last week she has gone from a few hesitant steps to a professional walker (granted, one that still falls a lot, but she's at the beginning of her professional walking career).  She's even figured out how to stand up without holding on to anything, making it much easier for her to get going again after a fall.  The cutest part, though, is that along with doing the adorable "baby walk" - arms in the air for balance, tottering steps, and tummy sticking out - Babykins tends to twirl her hands while she walks, supposedly to help propel herself forward.

Ah, Babykins, some days (ok, everyday) you amaze me.

One Fish, Two Fish, I love you, Fish!

A couple months ago, I took Babykins to the Waikiki Aquarium.  She couldn't walk, yet, and while she enjoyed looking at each fish tank for a minute, she quickly got bored and was ready to leave.  So when we decided to go to the aquarium in Canada, I wasn't sure what to expect.

It turns out a couple months makes a big difference in the world of fish appreciation.  Babykins held our hands as she walked through the aquarium, pulling us from tank to tank.  When she found one that was especially exciting, she would push her hands against the glass and squeal.  At one point we even had to stop her from licking the aquarium glass.

This was fun to watch, but it got even better when Babykins discovered the "Please Touch Pool."  To her delight, Babykins was able to climb on the ledge of the pool and reach in to pat the starfish and sea anemone.  After a few minutes of exploring the sea creatures, we took Babykins back in to have another look at the fish. 

I put her down so she could stand next to one of the tanks, and she immediately dropped down into crawling position.  I stood back to see where she would go, and when she took off, I figured she was just crossing to another tank.  Instead she headed down the ramp leading back to the Touch Pool.  To my amazement, when the ramp bent to the right, she knew to follow it, and when it bent again, she turned, as well.  Seconds later, Babykins was crossing the floor of a new room and pulling herself up on the side of the Pool.  Who can deny a baby who put that much thought and effort into getting back to her favorite exhibit?

We spent a few more minutes petting the urchins, when Babykins discovered the most exciting part of the aquarium...the sink.  Usually Babykins fights getting her hands wiped after eating, but getting to wash her hands in a sink like a big girl is a different story.  By the time we were able to drag Babykins away from the sink, her fingers were wrinkly and she had the cleanest hands in the aquarium.

Babykins washes her hands at the aquarium...again :)

I'm pretty sure Babykins spent that night dreaming about beautiful fish and hands-free sinks.  She may not remember the aquarium when she gets older, but if she becomes a marine biologist or a compulsive hand washer, we'll know where she got her start.

Foiled Again

My mom seems to enjoy most the stories where Babykins outsmarts me, so here is installment #452 in the "Babykins is much craftier than Mommykins" series...

When Babykins started facing forward in her stroller, one of the benefits was that I could now have the occasional (or frequent) snack on our walks without feeling guilty as she stared at me, wondering why I wouldn't share.

Last week, as we wandered through the mall, I stopped at a store for a cherry Slurpee (yes, they'll sell those things to grown-ups).  While we waited in line, Babykins pulled one of her Houdini maneuvers, somehow managing to wiggle out of the stroller's 5-point harness, turn around, and stand up, all before I even realized she was up to no good.  I sat her back down and strapped her in more snugly this time, but not before she'd caught sight of my Slurpee.

Babykins started making "I want" hand signs, which I ignored while I paid for the drink and left the store.  My hope was that when we got into the hub-bub of the mall, she'd be distracted by all of the activity and forget about the Slurpee.  It was a silly dream.  Every few seconds Babykins would turn in her seat and look up at me expectantly.

I tried everything.  First, I tried holding the Slurpee out of her sight and only taking sips when she wasn't looking.  Apparently Babykins has eyes in the back of her head, too, and magically knew to turn just as I was putting the straw in my mouth.  Next, I tried just avoiding her eyes and gulping it down as quickly as possible.  Not only did this not deter Babykins, I ended up with a brain freeze.  Finally, I tried reasoning with her, explaining to Babykins that Slurpees are big-people drinks and little babies wouldn't like them.  But it turns out she's 11 months old, and reasoning is futile.

After a few minutes, I did the only thing I could.  I pulled the straw out of the Slurpee and let Babykins take a sip, desperately hoping that she wouldn't like it.  Babykins licked the straw, thought a second, then opened her mouth wide for another sip.  I was stuck.  Now, not only would I have to share my Slurpee, but I'd feel like a bad mommy as everyone in the mall watched me feed my baby a sugary snack. 

We continued toward the next store, with me drinking as quickly as possible and stopping every few steps to give Babykins a sip.  After 5 sips, it was more than enough sugar for Babykins, and I decided it was time to man up.  I threw away the last 1/4 of my Slurpee.  Sigh.

A Journey of a Thousand Miles...

Begins with a single step.  Which means that Babykins is on her way!  On Saturday, as Hubbykins and I perused the brochures at the Victoria Visitor's Center, Babykins was preparing to reach another milestone.  Instead of holding her hand to help her walk around the center, I put my hand under her arm.  As she motored along, seemingly without leaning on me, I removed my hand and Babykins continued on another step by herself!

Hubbykins and I clapped and cheered, thrilled to see Babykins' first step.

For the next 2 days, Babykins refused to take a step unless she was firmly holding on to a hand.  Then yesterday morning, Babykins turned into a crying, clinging meltdown.  I spent most of the morning carrying her around our apartment, then went to playgroup and put her down for a nap.

Babykins woke up cheerful and ready to play.  An hour later, she was standing next to the TV stand eyeing up her musical toy.  The next thing I knew, she had taken 3 steps and was calmly playing with her toy!!!  Since then, Hubbyins and I have taped multiple sessions of Babykins walking, and our little girl is now able to walk across the room by herself.

It's both very exciting and a little sad.  Babykins is growing up, and soon she'll be running off without our help.  For now, though, we're still happy to lend a hand whenever she'll let us.

Charmed

We've been in Canada recently, hence the lack of blog posts.  Just because we weren't writing about it, though, doesn't mean Babykins didn't have quite the adventure!

One of Babykins' favorite things about traveling is making new friends.  She likes to wander the plane/train/boat/restaurant/store smiling at people and, more recently, reaching out to them to see if they'll come to her.  Babykins currently has a 99.9% "smile back" rate, and as far as she's concerned, the people who don't smile back are stinky, anyway.

Perhaps her most successful outreach of the trip occurred at our hotel in Vancouver.  While trying to plan our day, Babykins started to flirt with the concierge.  She gave her a smile, then a wave.  After a few minutes of playing shy, Babykins reached out to the concierge and held her finger.  This led to the concierge asking to hold Babykins, and shortly they were taking a stroll through the gift shop while Hubbykins and I looked at brochures.  A minute later they returned with Babykins proudly clutching a new stuffed animal.

Hubbykins and I looked at the stuffed animal, looked at each other, and promptly offered to either return or pay for the toy.  The concierge waved us off, saying it was a present, and sent us on our way.  Babykins had once again worked her magic.

I Don't Want To, You Can't Make Me

Despite being only 11 months old, Babykins has definite opinions.  One of the things she often has an opinion about is going to sleep.  If she's ready for bed, she'll be out in seconds, lying limply in my arms as her pacifier falls out of her mouth.  If she's decided that staying up would be more fun, though, Babykins has a large arsenal of tricks to keep herself awake.

If going to bed were a chess match, it would go something like this:

Enter room, get comfy on bed.  Babykins refuses to nurse.
Mommykins knows she's in trouble, but foolishly remains optimistic.
Babykins shakes head back and forth.
Mommykins counters by stroking Babykins' forehead.  Watch out, Pawn, you're in trouble now!
Babykins grabs Mommykins' hand and, with a strength that no baby should have, holds it still.  Mommykins' Knight leaves the board.
Mommykins retaliates by singing, very quietly and soothingly, her full repertoire of Disney songs.  Take that, Rook!
Babykins slowly closes her eyes to lull Mommykins into a false sense of security, then with a great heave rolls off Mommykins' lap.  Goodbye, Bishop.
But Mommykins isn't out of the game yet.  She pulls out the big guns, gently rubbing Babykins' back where she lies on the bed.
Babykins can't be stopped.  She counters by rolling across the bed, with complete disregard for the edges of the mattress.  She's stalking Mommykins' Queen with finesse.
Mommykins dips into her bag of tricks and once again tries nursing Babykins.  Babykins' eyes begin to close and her breathing slows.  Check!!
But just when Mommykins thinks she's won, Babykins slowly reaches up her hand, pops her pacifier out of her mouth, throws it across the room with all her might, and looks up at Mommykins with a mischievous grin.  Check and Mate!

At which point Mommykins graciously admits defeat and returns Babykins to the living room and her toys.  You may have won today, Babykins, but we will meet again.

Babykins' First...Tsunami!

Thursday night after Babykins had gone to sleep, Hubbykins and I were watching TV when a weather warning scrolled across the bottom.  Being from the Northeast, these scrolls typically warn of strong storms, impending blizzards, or flash floods.  We were a little surprised when this one announced a...tsunami!

After studying the flood maps and discovering that our building is part of the tsunami evacuation zone (!), we began packing up in case we had to leave in a hurry.  Using her Extra Sensory Baby Perception, Babykins knew we were in the midst of something big and woke up crying.  After unsuccessfully trying to put her back to sleep, I brought Babykins out to the living room, where we were in the process of trying to decide exactly how many granola bars constituted a week's worth of non-perishable food.

While we kept an anxious eye on the news, Babykins played in our suitcase.  When we lugged clothing, first aid supplies, and extra batteries down to the car, Babykins rode in her carrier, delighting in the fact that she was going on an adventure in the middle of the night.  And three hours later, as the tsunami alarms blared in the street, Babykins slept peacefully in our bed, content that she had been part of something big .

3 AM came and went with no damage on our part of the island.  Hubbykins and I breathed a sigh of relief, and Babykins earned the right to one day tell everyone about how she made it through the Hawaiian Tsunami of 2011.

Baby See, Baby Do

In a flash of brilliance, Babykins has suddenly become an excellent mimic!  In the past two weeks, she has started to copy the grownups around her, leading me to be both very excited and much more cautious about the things we say and do.

It started last week when Grandmakins touched her nose, then touched Babykins' nose.  Babykins repeated the actions (although her "nose" can apparently be found almost anywhere between her eye and her chin).  Then this weekend, I picked up Babykins' toy phone, made it ring, and held it out to Babykins, saying kitty wanted to talk to her.  Normally, Babykins thinks this is just a game of pass the phone back and forth.  This time, though, she took the phone, pushed the buttons, held it up to her ear, and said, "Olo, olo."  I thought it was just a fluke, but later in the day as I washed dishes, Babykins sat happily in the living room making the phone ring, putting it to her ear, and saying, "Olo, olo!"

These were both very exciting accomplishments, but the best moment came this morning.  Hubbykins was leaving for work and blew Babykins a kiss as he opened the door to leave.  Suddenly, we hear Babykins give a big "smack" with her lips.  She had blown Hubbykins a kiss in return!  We both squealed in excitement (is there a more manly word for squealing?).  I can't wait to see what Babykins learns to do next.

Mwah!

Two months ago, we were having lunch with friends who have a 1-year-old and the mom said to the little girl, "Give me a kiss."  She leaned over and the baby gave her a big kiss on the cheek.  I was so jealous!

A few weeks later, as we were reading a bedtime story, Babykins leaned over and put her face to the book.  I wasn't sure what she was doing, but every time we read that book (which has a picture of a little girl with blonde curls) Babykins would lean in and put her face on the girl.  I finally realized she was giving the little girl kisses!  Over the next few days, Babykins started kissing more and more of the characters in her books (although she wasn't indiscriminate - some characters were apparently not worthy of her cute baby kisses). 

Finally, about 2 weeks ago, Babykins crawled over to where I was lying on the floor, put her head right above mine, opened her mouth wide, and planted a big, gooey kiss on my cheek.  It was fabulous!  I laughed and clapped, which of course made Babykins want to do it again.  By the end of our kissing session, my face was covered in drool, but it was the most wonderful drool ever.

Then yesterday, I was sitting next to Babykins on the floor and I pointed to my cheek, saying, "Give Mama a kiss."  Babykins smiled, leaned over, and planed a big, sloppy baby kiss on my cheek!  After a week of colds and teething, this was such an unexpected surprise that it quickly became my new favorite game.  Babykins tired of it after a few times and crawled off, but I kept the warm glow for the rest of the day.

Not a Tooth

A week ago, Babykins came down with a runny nose.  This was followed by a cough, an inability to sleep, and severe grumpiness.  These were the same symptoms she had with her last two colds, so we gave her a few doses of Tylenol, a lot of cuddles, and waited it out.

Within a couple days, however, we discovered that this time it was different...Babykins had a tooth!  After falsely announcing Babykins' first tooth twice before, though, I was hesitant to announce this one.  Even after Hubbykins and I could both see and feel the tooth (in case you weren't sure, sticking your finger into the mouth of a baby with a new tooth will promptly result in getting bitten), I still didn't want to say anything.  What if this ended up being a false alarm, too?  What if the tooth somehow went back into her gums?  I could never live down a third tooth fiasco.

And I'm glad I waited, because it turns out Babykins wasn't getting a tooth.  She was getting teeth!  Yesterday, she flashed me a big smile and to my surprise, both of her bottom front teeth were through!  Because I'm sleep deprived, I forgot my own warning and promptly stuck my finger in her mouth...at which point she bit me with TWO teeth!

We've waited months for Babykins to get her first tooth, and Hubbykins and I are very excited.  We're also a bit sad, though.  As much as we enjoy watching Babykins' new found zest for chewing food, we'll miss that sweet, toothless grin.

Houdinikins

The lack of blogs lately hasn't been because Babykins isn't busy.  Rather, it's because she's been so busy there hasn't been a moment to write.  In one of her scariest developments yet, Babykins has gone Houdini on me, somehow figuring out how to wiggle out of her stroller straps.

She first managed this feat early this week when I buckled her into her stroller, then realized I needed to grab a few more items before we could leave.  I went into the living room for a minute, and when I got back to the front door, Babykins had twisted around and had both legs out of the straps!  After sprouting another gray hair, I sat her down and buckled her back in.

I noticed Babykins was increasingly struggling with her straps, but didn't really think too much about it until this afternoon.  We were in the grocery store, and I stopped for a minute to check out the tofu selection (ok, I was staring at the cookies).  In less than a minute, Babykins had wiggled out of her straps, twisted around to face the back of the stroller, stood up, and started climbing up the back of her seat.  I grabbed her right as the stroller started to tip backwards and tried to sit her back down.  At which point she locked her legs and started to cry, leaving me with every parent's dreaded dilemma...do I just pick her up and carry her, reinforcing bad behavior, or do I put her back in the seat and strap her in, knowing she'll scream and cry for the rest of the shopping trip?

I folded, of course, and carried Babykins home with our groceries riding in the stroller (they, at least, stayed quietly seated for the entire trip).  Tomorrow I'll have to break out the shoulder straps and begin buckling Babykins in with the full 5-point harness.  I have a feeling she'll object.

A Perfect Fit

No matter how old she gets or how much she grows, Babykins always seems to be the perfect fit for my arms.  When she was first born, I thought that as she got bigger, it would be more and more difficult to pick her up and cuddle her.  With each new size, though, it seems that we automatically find a new and effortless way to fit together.

Yesterday, Babykins woke up from her nap but was still looking tired.  I picked her up from her crib hoping that she would fall back asleep.  As I lifted her, she positioned herself so that she was perfectly settled in my arms, legs and arms tucked up, head on my shoulder and snuggled under my chin.  She gave a little wiggle to burrow in, then closed her eyes and drifted back to sleep. 

As I looked at her little sleeping face, it hit me that, despite being a big 10-monther, Babykins is still really just a baby, and no matter how big she gets, we'll always be a perfect fit.

The Stair Master

Yesterday afternoon we took Babykins to the Children's Discovery Center.  Although the Center's web site says it's best for children ages 2-10, Babykins' curiosity just can't be contained by our apartment anymore, so we decided to give it a try.

We knew it would be great when we set Babykins down in the first room and she took off at a near run, holding Mommykins' hand on one side and Daddykins' hand on the other.  This is one of her favorite ways to walk these days, and one that we find particularly sweet. 

After a stop at the tongue-shaped sliding board, a ride in a wheel chair, and a pit stop to knock over a Lego tower, Babykins discovered her favorite toy at the Center - the stairs.  Living in an apartment, Babykins very rarely runs into stairs, so when we saw the multi-level set that led to the second floor, we prepared to carry her up.  Babykins jumped right into the challenge, though, taking the steps one after the other without a pause.

By the time we got to the top (a good 40 stairs later!), Hubbykins and I were amazed that Babykins had made it the whole way.  Even more amazing, instead of continuing into the next activity room, she turned right around and tried to climb back down the stairs.  We may have been tired from the climb, but she was ready to do it all over again!

It was fun to see Babykins make the climb, but it's made us very glad to live in a house without stairs. 

Dear God

Dear God,

Thank you for:

• My opposable thumbs.  Without them, I couldn't push all the buttons in the elevator.
• My strong hands, that I use to tear up all the magazines in the house.
• My climbing ability, that allowed me yesterday to climb onto a box of diapers and finally reach the light switch! (And thank you for Mama's strong heart, so she didn't keel over when she caught me!)
• My fantastic lungs.  If they were smaller, Mama and Daddy might not hear me call at night!
• My stroller.  Auntie MO told me it's important to meet my adoring subjects in person at least once a day.
• The Milk Machines.  I know I've thanked you for them before, but lately Mama's been saying the word "weaned" and looking at me.  I have a bad feeling about this...
• Gravity.  It makes throwing my food over the side of the high chair so much more fun :)
• My lack of teeth.  It gives me a good excuse not to eat the meat Mama keeps trying to feed me.
• My cute, cute smile.  It gets me out of so much trouble!

Love,
Babykins

Mimimimi

Babykins and I spend approximately 50 hours each week having intense together time.  As a result, I'm always on the look out for new and exciting ways to keep her entertained.  Along with the many toys and books Babykins has, almost every plastic kitchen tool I own has served as a play thing, as well as boxes of tissues, a roll of toilet paper, and many piles of laundry.

Last week, as I was lying on the floor letting Babykins crawl back and forth over my legs, I suddenly flashed back to a happy memory of a childhood game.  I remember being 4 or 5, sitting on the floor next to Grandpa P, and he would pretend to fall asleep, closing his eyes and fake snoring, "Mimimimi."  I would laugh, shake his shoulder, and call his name (which at that age I knew only as "Grandpa" - I was still years away from realizing he had an actual name) trying to wake him up.  After a few seconds he would suddenly open his eyes wide, and the game could begin all over again.

Although Babykins is only 10 months old, I thought I'd give the game a try with her.  I waited until she was looking at me, closed my eyes, and said, "Mimimimi."  I fake snored a few more times, then peeked an eye open to see her response.  She was sitting there smiling, flapping her arms in her "I'm excited" motion.  I closed my eye, snored again, and felt her little hand on my face.  When I popped open my eyes, she sat back and laughed in delight.

It's become a favorite game for Babykins.  I can lie down on the floor, close my eyes, say "Mimimimi," and she'll come crawling from anywhere in the room to push on my face and wake me up.  Thank you, Grandpa P, for the happy memories and new game inspiration.

The Spoon/Tub Correlation

This week, Babykins acquired her own collection of bowls, spoons, and forks.  They're plastic, brightly colored, and directly responsible for an increase in our water bill.

The first time I put a bowl of yogurt on Babykins tray and handed her a spoon, she immediately dipped it into the bowl, brought it to her mouth, and sucked off the yogurt!  Granted, it was the handle end of the spoon she was sucking on, but I was still very proud of her coordination.

The only down-side is that the more often Babykins feeds herself, the more often she ends up in the bath tub.  We're currently at 2 baths a day, one after breakfast and one after dinner.  In an effort to not turn her into a wrinkly prune, I've stopped feeding her anything even slightly messy at lunch. 

Tonight she had pureed mangos, Cheerios, an apple slice, and string cheese for dinner.  By the end of the meal, her face, tummy, arms, and legs were all covered with mangos, Cheerios were stuck to her chest, and apple pieces lined her leg.  As we carried her straight from her high chair to the tub, pieces of cheese fell from her body, leaving a trail of dinner down the hallway.

It's an exciting new phase of of Babykin's development, and one that the water company is thrilled we've reached.  Next week's activity: inventing the full-body bib.

Diabolical Designs

The older Babykins gets, the more fun it is to watch her thought process as she goes about her day.  Now that she's almost 10 months old, Babykins understands the word "No."  Although with a 30 second attention span, she's very likely to make another go at the forbidden activity within minutes of hearing that word.

Babykins is well aware, however, that the power cords behind the TV stand are off limits.  We've told her "No," moved her away from them, redirected her, and given her enough stern looks that she actually remembers day-to-day that she's not supposed to play with them.  I can understand, though, that sometimes the tempation is just too much for a little girl.

This weekend Babykins felt the overwhelming need to play with the cords, but this time she decided to be clever about it.  As I watched quietly from the kitchen, Babykins crawled over to the TV stand and pulled herself up to standing.  She reached up, grabbed a plastic tube she likes to play with, and stood for a second looking at it in her hand.  I could practically see the wheels turning in her head as she inched toward the back of the TV stand and casually dropped the tube down amongst the cords.

Having now given herself a legitimate reason to reach back there, she slowly put hand behind the stand.  For a second, I thought maybe it was an accident and she really was going to get her tube.  Babykins quickly proved me wrong, though, diverting from the tube to grab hold of the cords and give a good yank.

At this point, I decided it was time to intervene, although I was trying so hard not to laugh it was almost impossible to put on a serious face.  I called "No" from the kitchen, and Babykins quickly moved her hand off the cord and looked innocently at me, as if to ask, "What's wrong, Mama?  I'm just retrieving this toy I dropped."

Babykins had outsmarted me once again.  Babykins: 1 gazillion, Mama: 0

Next Time You're in Japan...

On an island where most babies are Asian or Islander and the majority of tourists are from Japan, Babykins' pale skin, light blond hair, and blue eyes stand out as a major novelty.  We've gotten used to strangers stopping us to ohh and ahh over Babykins, squealing in delight when she beams a smile.  For her part, Babykins has perfected the "smile and shy", where she gives her admirer a big smile, then turns her head to the side, pretending to be shy.  When they laugh and proclaim her cute, she turns her head back and rewards them with another smile.  Meanwhile, Hubbykins and I have learned to build in an extra 15 minutes of "Babykins Adoration Time" to any trip.

What still amazes me, though, is the number of tourists who want to take Babykins picture.  Now, I'll admit that Hubbykins and I have taken north of 1,000 pictures since Babykins was born 9 months ago.  But we're her parents.  I can just imagine the tourists back home showing off pictures of their trip to Hawaii, then coming to the picture of Babykins and saying, "And here is the cutest baby I've ever seen."  A bit odd.

But what's even stranger is the paparazzi-like quality this phenomenon has taken on.  In the beginning, it was just the occasional tourist walking up to me and asking if it was ok to take Babykins' picture.  Then the other day as Babykins and I waited to cross the street, I noticed a tourist on one of the tour trolleys taking Babykins picture as they drove by.  It reached epic proportions, though, at the farmer's market last week.

Babykins and I were waiting at a veggie stand when I noticed a woman surreptitiously pull out her phone and snap a picture.  I looked up and realized that all of her companions had also pulled out cameras and phones to take Babykins's picture.  At this point, a tourist standing next to us asked to take a picture, and by the time we finally got away, at least 15 people had snapped shots - most of them discreetly using a phone and trying to look casual.

I appreciate that Babykins is the cutest baby ever, but this is getting out of hand.  I'm starting to get a sneaking suspicion that one day we'll take a trip to Japan and see Babykins' picture on every billboard advertisement in Tokyo.

BSL

A few months ago, we started working on "Baby Sign Language" with Babykins.  This is basically normal sign language, but focused on the words most important to your baby - think "mommy," "daddy," and "diaper".  The hope is that long before your baby's able to talk, he or she will be able to understand your signs and even make a few herself.

We stopped working on this when it became clear that Babykins was still too young to control her hands, but recently she seems to be developing her own version.  Call it "Babykins Sign Language."  Some of the signs are obvious.  When Babykins wants something, she reaches toward it, then opens and closes her hand.  When she likes something, she waves both arms quickly up and down. 

Some of the signs, unfortunately, are a little embarassing.  Lately, when Babykins wants to nurse, she's started climbing onto my lap and sucking on any exposed flesh she can find.  My arm, shoulder, and neck have all suffered.  And if that doesn't get my attention fast enough, she'll start slobbering on my chest, leaving large wet marks on my shirt.  This is all fine and dandy at home, but something I'd happily avoid in public.

Luckily, Babykins is starting to recognize the symbol for milk (a sign that unfortunately looks like you're milking a cow).  Fingers crossed she learns how to make the sign herself soon.

The Big D, Revisited

Before the holidays, Babykins and I had started researching...drum roll please...daycare centers.  The original plan was for her to start in January so that I could start back to work.  That plan didn't work out, largely due to the fact that Babykins still nurses many times a day.

This week, however, we took a major step.  On Tuesday, I turned in Babykins daycare application.  She's scheduled to begin 2 days a week in March.  By then she'll be 11 months old, and supposedly able to go 8 hours without her mama.

I have no doubt that she'll be fine.  When we stopped in to drop off the application, we said hello to the Auntie that will be Babykins' primary caregiver (in Hawaii, Auntie is a common term of respect, especially for women who care for children).  As we stood there, Babykins just about climbed out of my arms in an effort to go play with the other kids and toys.

I, on the other hand, am not sure I'll make it.  While the thought of 8 whole hours to focus on work and home is exciting, the thought of leaving Babykins for an entire day makes me sad.  Over the next month we'll be making changes to prepare for this new phase, but I have a feeling neither one of us will make it through the first few days without some tears.

Battle Hymn of the Tiger Baby

I heard mommy and daddy talking this weekend about a woman who calls herself a Tiger Mother.  It sounds like she thinks she's pretty tough, but that's only because she's never met...TIGER BABY! 

This Tiger Mommy says she's hard on her kids because she knows they're strong and can take it, whereas I'm hard on mommy and daddy because they're fragile and I know I can break them.  I'll bet Tiger Mommy's never pee'd on the carpet just for fun or poo'd on her clothes in the middle of the night and made her kids clean it up.  I have...and I laughed inside the whole time!

And when's the last time Tiger Mommy woke her kids up every hour all night, then made them get up at 6 a.m.?  I did it 3 days in a row last week.  And when Tiger Mommy's displeased with a card from her kids, she may throw it back at them, but when I was displeased with the applesauce mommy gave me this week, I poured it all over my tummy then dumped the rest on the floor.  Top that.

My secret weapon, though, is knowing just when they're on the edge of cracking, then crawling in their laps and being sweet.  I don't want to break them just yet - I have years of fun left in this game.  Watch out, Tiger Mommy, this Tiger Baby knows how to ROAR!

Sick Girl and Co-Sleeping

Babykins came down with her first cold this weekend, at 9 1/2 months (I swear I don't over-shelter her - she just has an excellent immune system).  It started with a little cough on Friday, then escalated to a strong cough and fever on Saturday. 

This led to Babykins sleeping with us Saturday night.  We have always avoided co-sleeping, not because sleeping with a little baby isn't sweet, but because we already barely sleep, and our bed in Hawaii is especially small. 

The first time I woke up, she was snuggled in my arm, which had long fallen asleep.  The second time I woke up, she was on her back with arms and legs splayed wide, Hubbykins and I huddling on the extreme edges of the bed.  The third time I woke up because she had turned sideways and was trying to burrow her head into my stomach while kicking Hubbykins in the ribs.

I'm pleased to say everyone's recovering from Babykins' first cold.  Babykins is on the mend, with just a runny nose and occasional cough left of her cold, and Hubbykins and I once again have our bed back.  That cold has been dominated!