Thirteen Months

Conquering the bridge

Having a hoe-down with Eleanor, complete with pajamas and beloved doggies

Eleanor and Calliope did NOT call each other to coordinate outfits.

Great minds just think alike, you know? 

I wished I remembered to include her age in blog post titles more often! It would make it easier when I go back and look for details, for example, to put in her still-unfinished baby book.

Anyway, here's what's new with Calliope lately.

She independently spoon fed herself for the first time tonight! Very exciting as she has had a great deal of trepidation in feeding herself -- she didn't like to touch food. But she is suddenly embracing the messiness of learning to feed herself.

http://youtu.be/Uzx_clLxBCM

I got a rather hilarious video of her joyfully squishing hummus between her fingers before licking it off yesterday. This was the first time she had done this, either. But using a spoon is even more useful.

Although we haven't been back the doctor yet for a weight check, she has continued to enjoy food since exactly her first birthday, and I've no doubt that she has gained some weight -- she looks and feels much more substantial.

She is quite the adventurer. Yesterday we went to Rosh Hashanah services -- my first time since high school, I believe. It was a children's service, but still, I was worried about her being a disturbance as she crawled, with straight legs and tushy up (only in a short dress and diaper cover, so lots of squishy baby thigh exposed), down the aisle, up the three steps and onto the bimah, aka the stage. There she contented herself with grabbing the water bottle of the woman leading the service and shaking it joyfully.

She loves to climb. She had a wonderful time playing at the playground with our SMC friend's little boy Jack, one month older but ever so much more physically advanced. No matter. She crawled happily after him, back and forth across a little wooden bridge and up and down three steps.

She signed "change me" yesterday when she had a dirty diaper! She has heard, many times, a song about this, and I've shown her a video of the song as well, but I didn't know she understood the concept. But when she made the unmistakable "change me" sign yesterday, I asked quizically, "you need a new diaper?" and she patted her belly confidently (her version of the "diaper" sign). Off we went and sure enough, she was right! She did need a new diaper. She now signs "food" when she's hungry, occasionally even without being asked, and is maybe signing water as well.

She uses the potty well for the nanny, perhaps because Eleanor goes at the same time. With me, however, it is hit or miss. Twice in the last three days she has crawled off the potty and immediately gone on the bathroom floor. Oh well, at least it was easy clean up.

She started blowing kisses with confidence last week... only instead of putting her hand to her mouth to kiss it, she pats her cheek. But it's unmistakable nonetheless.

She also loves to give kisses... she opens her mouth into an "o" and growls when she wants to give a kiss. What is more enticing than an open mouthed baby, leaning towards you and growling, I ask you?

She isn't showing any signs of walking, though the nanny said that when Calliope was wearing patent leather shoes (for a few minutes yesterday, for the religious service), she stood for a few seconds independently. I keep her barefoot or in soft mocasins, and haven't seen her stand for more than a moment. But she sure does love to crawl, speedily, everywhere. Today she escaped out the apartment door and into the hallway of the building while I gathered up cardboard.

We showered together tonight, and while she's done it before, tonight was the first time she definitely enjoyed it. She kept pushing her hands into the spray and laughing.

Instead of emptying the box of Kleenex, she now takes one and if I say, "wipe your nose," she attempts to do so. Only she often wipes dutifully at her cheek, and then her mouth, before she finds her nose.

She's also getting very good at wearing me out. She has figured out how to remove files from my rolling file rack. I may have to find a new place to put this. She found the stepladder out while I was doing house projects and started to climb up it. If I leave her with her piece of used Kleenex, she will still happily shred it.

Our friend Ian came over this weekend and did more house projects. Hooray for my village! He assembled a bookcase for Calliope's room so that now she can unshelve all the books in her room instead of in the living room. A great feature of our new apartment is that there is a narrow hallways outside our bedrooms which is perfect for a baby gate just outside her door. So that her door still opens and shuts with the baby gate in place. So she can unshelve to her heart's content while I dash around getting things done.

Ian also bolted her dresser to the wall as well as the securing the bookcase so that's one less thing to worry about.

As far as me... well, I'm tired sometimes. But I've gone up to Level 2, aka Week 2, on Rip 60. Today I did it mid-day instead of early in the morning, and I tell you, it's amazing what nine hours of sleep (because I stayed in bed until Calliope woke up instead of working out early) plus being fully awake can do for your workout!

I can tell that holiday sweets are impacting my energy as well as my physique but I refuse to get bogged down in the negative. It's two steps forward, one step back, like anything else worth having in life. I continue to slowly get stronger, which is exciting! Now that my core is stronger, I'm able to work my arms more in my workout and thus, actually get more sore. Strangely thrilling to have sore shoulder muscles!

Look who's not scared of her bike anymore!