Audible Clapping and More!

Yes, Calliope actually makes a real clapping noise when she claps now! She's been clapping for quite a while, but it was more of a pantomime of bringing her hands together than truly doing so. But now her hands make an ever-so-satisfying slapping sound as they make contact. She is inordinately pleased by this.

Yesterday, she suddenly but intentionally tumbled forward from sitting to her belly. The nanny said she's been attempting this for several days, but this was the first time she achieved her goal.

Girlfriend is still only moving backwards and sideways. She brings her right foot into the action more and more, so that she's wobbling back and forth, weight bearing from the left knee to the right foot, and has even gotten her weight on both feet, with her hands also on the floor -- a sort of modified plank position -- but still no crawling nor pulling up to stand on her own.

Oh well, I'm sure life will only get more difficult when she can move intentionally forward. But it seems like more than a month now with backwards crawling and her little buddies can do all sorts of cool things now, like exploring the playground equipment, that she cannot. But she still loves the swings, and loves to stand and hold onto things and bob up and down, over and over, and watch the action.

Last Saturday, after about four hours of delays, we determinedly left the apartment for our first run together since last Thanksgiving, and my first run whatsoever in months. I've been using the elliptical but it's not the same.

"Running" with the Bob running stroller, as amazing as it is, is just not the same as running unencumbered. But we made a lengthy stop at a new-to-us playground in the middle, which we both enjoyed, and which included her first ice cream because I didn't think to bring lunch. On the way back, I learned to keep the stroller further from my body and to only push with one hand while swinging the other arm in a more traditional running style. This made "running" much more comfortable. I'm hoping Saturday morning runs with a stop at the playground will be our new tradition, but hopefully accomplished early in the morning, before the first nap and before the swings are in the full sun.

This weekend we I have plans to go to the banya (Russian bathhouse) with a friend while the nanny watches both our kids -- it's been quite a while since I had childcare for anything but work! -- and plans with another friend to go to the beach at Coney Island with our babies. Calliope has a brand new cold at the moment and is definitely under the weather but I'm hopeful that she will feel much better by then.

Progress continues with the apartment purchase. Friday night I went to meet with the attorney and sign the contract. I decided to bring Calliope with me in the Beco carrier, even though it was past her bedtime, because frankly, I wanted her company. Partly for reassurance (just from that snuggly feeling) and partly because this is a huge event in both our lives. She was incredibly patient and stayed in the carrier the entire time and never fussed or squirmed to get out. I was glad to have her there.

The seller is supposed to sign the contract tomorrow -- I'm not sure why so long after I did -- and money is changing hands, not without some excitement as to how I was going to lay my hands on the first 10 percent. But it all is sorted out now and I'm cautiously optimistic it will work out.

A recent SMC conversation recommending sand and water tables for toddlers made me ridiculously excited because I realized that with my terrace, I could have this very thing for my own child, even while living in the city. No moving to the suburbs required! Amazing.