Curls and hurls

Dear Baby Trip,

You have graced us with a few new tricks this week.

The first is that you have learned to clap. This, my little cheerleader, is so terribly cute that I cannot even stand it. You clap a lot. On the way home from Target tonight you were getting fussy and crying and then suddenly you seemed to remember you had this new skill and the next ten minutes went kind of lime this: "waaaaahhh" (clap, clap, clap, clap) "waaaaahhhhh" (clap, clap, clap) "mmmaaaaamamamaaaamaa" (clap, clap, clap, clap).


Clappin' Skillz! (For the record, it does say in the parenting manual that you must say "Yaaaaaay" every single time your child claps. Every. single. time.)


Time for my extreme close up.


Books: Not just for eating.

The second is that you have started to wave. You have been reaching out to people you like for quite a while, but some actual hand opening and closing has begun. Sadly, no pictures yet, so blog readers will have to take our word for it. Knowing the genius baby that you are, this should be no stretch.

The third is kind of gross. All I can say is good thing Mama is a nurse and pretty immune to baby puke. We've all had a cold since the day after Christmas and yesterday you got so, so upset and we tried to give you some Advil thinking you were teething. Normally you suck it down as if it were a fine wine, but you didn't really want it, and I kind of forced it and then you taught me a little lesson by unceremoniously puking it - and everything else in your tummy all over me. And then you did it again. Covered in hot, wet, mucous filled barf (with chunks of peaches), I still felt sorrier for you than me, but I did laugh a little while Daddy stripped us down. We both got in the big bathtub and cleaned the snot and barf off of ourselves. Three minutes in you were happy as a clam!

And let me leave you with this last new development. One precious, perfect, silky little baby curl. It's the only one you have and I think I stroked it a hundred times today.


Hello little friend!


Puh-resh-us!!

Merry and Bright

Dear Baby Trip,

Ho Ho Ho! Your first Christmas has come and gone. It was a fun day! You climbed all over your new chair, played with Tickle Me Elmo and reveled in a lot of tissue paper and ribbons.

You and I took a nice, accidental nap just as I was getting ready to make brunch (poor Dada was so hungry!). Then we went for a long walk in Sutro Park and Oma and Opa came over for dinner. Just as the leg of lamb was finishing up we smelled something electrical burning and heard a loud pop while smoke started to pour from the oven. One 911 call, three fire trucks, and 20 gawking neighbors later, we found ourselves with a busted oven. No major flames erupted, but we are without an oven for the moment. Alas, dinner was still warm and we enjoyed the rest of the evening with little excitement beyond which pajamas to wear. After you nursed in the rocker you wiggled up to a sitting position and snuggled up to me with your head nestled under my chin. I wrapped my arms around you and rocked you and kissed your sweet smelling, soft head and thanked God for how very, very blessed we are to have you for our child.


Checking out my new chair and my new friend!


Where shall I put this? How about....


right here?!?!?


Sweet! More tissue paper!


Dada, this has your name on it, but let's call it mine.


Tag team unwrapping. T gets the paper. Dad gets the gift inside. Everyone wins.


Paper, yes. Tissue, yes. Hat, maybe not.


Merry, merry!


Already forgot about my new toys!


Quality sing-a-long (in Dutch!)

Twas the night before Christmas

Dear Baby Trip,

Just a quick post to share your first Christmas Eve. Last night we were up almost every hour with what I think is those two top toofies continuing to descend. While I sometimes miss my little, squishy seven pound baby, I do not miss those early sleepless nights. At least we know when you cry hysterically now that you will eventually stop and that you are not actually dying, but it is still pretty heartbreaking. Anyway, today seems mostly better.

Lily and her big heads came over for food and festivities and then we put you to bed and put on our elf hats so we could assemble a few toys. We've restrained ourselves this year (stop laughing...we really did!!), but you have some fun new toys that I am sure you will ignore in favor boxes and tissue paper. While I know you have no idea what Christmas or Hanukkah is, it is wonderful to be sharing it with you as a family for the first time of what I hope will be too many to count.


Trying not to look guilty.


Succeeding in tempering parents with winning smile and precious antics.


Not everyone can dance and eat simultaneously.


Not having any more of Mama's photos.


Christmas kisses!!


Dada, Genius Baby, Mama, Prancer. Don't ask me what Prancer is doing in downtown SF.


In the name of better breathing, right?

It's the most wonderful time of the year...

Dear Baby Trip,

My 10 month old bubs! You are turning into such a little boy. It is simultaneously wonderful and sad for me. You spend a lot of your time upright these days....holding on to furniture, the legs of your big heads, and sometimes letting go with one or both hands and trying a little balancing. You have also acquired the never to be underestimated skill of getting back down after standing is no longer wanted or possible.

It goes like this: legs get shaky from standing; brain considers how tushie will get to floor gently; knees bend slowly while face scrunches in concentration and preparation for crash landing; tushie sticks way out in anticipation of contact with floor; tushie hits floor; face lights up in surprise and delight; playing on floor commences for approximately 6.3 seconds; genius baby holds onto furniture and pulls self back to standing; lather; rinse; repeat.


Taking a 6.3 second break on the floor.

This is your Fisher Price Laugh and Learn Play House. If Mommy hears it say, "It's Learning Time" one more time, she may have to learn that thing a lesson. You like to open and close the mailbox on this thing about 865 times a day. It's also great to hold on to when you want to stand up (and sit down and stand up and sit down....).


Panic Tour 2027? I'm in!!!

We just finished celebrating your first Hanukkah. You checked out the candles, opened some presents and enjoyed some homemade latkes. Oma has been here staying with us while Opa skis, so we even got some good Jewish grandmother time in.


Two thirds of us have the holiday spirit.


Kisses and candles


Who needs presents? I just want the card.


I have a little dreidel...


Persistence. You have it.


Latke-licious


After the latke-fest


We also had the obligatory mall-Santa visit. We went with Lilz and her big heads. You waved and squealed at Santa while waiting in line and sat happily on his lap until Lilz sat next to you and promptly burst in to tears. Lilz had to bail on the joint photo, and after that there was no more smiling from Baby Trip, but you were happy to give Santa the infamous Trip stare down and to tug a little bit on that beard.


Lilz had to be bribed with a six dollar chocolate Santa from Godiva and her mama. Santa had to take a break after this photo. I think he needed some eggnog to refuel.


I want an official Red Ryder, carbine action, two-hundred shot range model air rifle?

Gran sent you a special present to help get you in the holiday spirit.


Slowly and methodically, I will kill this other bald, white creature trying to steal my place in this house.


Seriously Baldy. I will kill you.


I still really love garlic hummus. Really, really love it. Can you see my top two toofies? I have four total now!


You also have a slight obsession with the dishwasher. You like to reach for the plates, roll the rack back and forth and play with the soap dispenser. Once Mommy turned her back for half a second and you climbed onto the open door so you could stand up on it and roll out the top rack. This shaved 2 years off of Mommy's life.


Mama came home from work the other morning and found you curled up on Dada's pillow. I'm pretty sure you had visions of sugar plums dancing in your heads. At least if sugar plums are yummy and can be smeared on your face during dinner.

Holiday Cheer

Dear Baby Trip,

Just a quick post to show off some of your recent photos. Some by Mama, some by the frazzled lady at Sears who is wondering why she didn't take the job in the clothing department instead of the photo studio. It's going to have to be a short post because you ripped the space bar key off of the laptop and typing is requiring a mildly agonizing effort.




Merry and bright



Joy to the world!


Baby it's cold outside!


But I'm not gonna wear this hat.


Well, maybe for a minute...


This is my reindeer.


And there's Santa...don't leave me!


Hi!


My tushie is so cold.


If I had more than two toofies, they'd be chattering.


Boy in motion


Boy about to be in motion

And here are the pro pics. Let's just say the candy cane Mama brought in was not a disappointment to you.










We are anxiously awaiting your top two teeth around here. The white tips are showing just under your gums and your frequent use of your parents as teething toys gives us hope they will be popping through any day. You are cruising the furniture a bit and it is definitely time to remove everything from any surface you can reach. You spilled three glasses of my water that were on the coffee table today alone. One would think Mama might learn her lesson at some point in the very near future.