The Art of Using a Spoon...and a New Hairdo

I have been offering Lily a spoon with every meal for several months. She has been wholly uninterested until the past two weeks.

One morning, after helping me make her usual of four scrambled eggs with cheese (yes, she eats all of them), I put her in her booster chair with the eggs in front of her. As I turned away she started saying something over and over that I passed off as gibberish. But then she got more frantic and insistent.

I then realized that "sfoo, sfoo", was actually "spoon". She was asking me for a spoon to eat her eggs with. I happily obliged. This has been her standard at every meal since then. And gradually, she is learning the art of using a spoon. She still has yet to get through an entire meal without giving up on the utensil and reverting to her fingers. But it is HUGE progress. I am begining to imagine a meal without food getting splattered over the kitchen tiles and ground into the area rug. Oh what a day that will be.

Who knew learning to use a spoon could be so exciting?

In an entirely unrelated topic, we hit a very exciting milestone this week. On Monday I was finally able to put Lily's hair in a braid. Two braids, to be exact. I didn't get any good pictures of them, but you can sort of see them in these. I was ridiculously giddy once I had finished. And she looked so cute.

It's the small things in life that bring you the greatest joy, right?

Lily in the City

This past weekend we took Lily into San Francisco to see the aquarium. Before we went to see the “fishies”, as Lily calls them, we went to see the Sea Lions. She liked them so much that she kept saying “Arph, Arph, Arph” the entire time we were walking around the Pier.

I know my hand is in front of my face in this one, but that's why I like it. Maybe I'm too hard on myself, but I always hate pictures when I'm in them...Besides, Lily has an adorable smile in this one.

After the sea lions, we went to lunch at the Pier 39 Restaurant (it is the best place to go if you have kids. Otherwise you’re stuck trying to get your kid to eat squid, or something equally as appetizing). Lily wasn’t at all interested in her food once she realized that the sea lions were right outside the window. When she grew tired of banging on the glass trying to get their attention, her Daddy coaxed her into coloring. Once Lily gets started coloring, nothing can pry her away. Especially when her Daddy is playing and coloring right alongside her.

While we were eating, Ernie thought it would be funny to give Lily a lemon. And when she made the face you see in the top right picture below, he couldn't stop laughing. (Okay, so I laughed too. Sue me. It was funny). As soon as she saw the reaction she had caused, though, Lily kept trying to get bites out of the lemon slice. That's my little performer for ya.

After lunch, we headed to the aquarium. We had taken Lily to the Monterey Bay Aquarium several months ago, which is a much bigger and cooler aquarium. But we really enjoyed ourselves more this time because she had much more fun now then she did then. We had two girls over the night before (one was 3 and the other was 7), and they taught Lily the art of screaming. Well, she took that knowledge with us to the city. And it translated to a very excited toddler running through the underground tube and yelling “WOW!” at the top of her lungs every time she saw a new fish. I know I should probably have tried to stop her from this outburst, or at the very least tried to get her to temper it. But she was just so darn funny that I couldn't stop laughing long enough to do anything about it. I’m sure the other visitors of the aquarium were thrilled with an out-of-control toddler running through the exhibit while her mother laughed hysterically behind her.

I look like a man in this photo, but it has the really cool, brightly colored fish in the background, so I'm including it anyways.

Lily was fascinated by this little guy. He was pretty cool, though. Notice the little barnacle-type things on his nose (at least, I assume it is his nose, as it appears to be above his mouth. Do crabs have noses?)

Of all the fish in the aquarium, Lily was especially captivated by the mantrarays. Ernie, ever the little boy, was so excited to take her around to pet the rays and star fish (they had a leopard shark in the petting tanks as well, but I drew the line at letting her pet a shark). Lily was equally excited and willing as he pulled her from tank to tank.

I love how the light reflected on them from the ripples in the water. Plus, you can see the reflection of Lily's little finger as she reaches in to touch the mantraray. It's just too cute.

Here she is reaching for a starfish. I was being paranoid and hovering because the water was FRIGID and I was worried. But Lily and Ernie were both batting me away when I voiced my concerns. Of course, looking back on it I can't help but wonder why I was concerned. What's the worst that could have happened? A cold hand? Obviously the prospect didn't concern Lily much.

The only time the entire day that she even put up a fuss was when she realized we were leaving the aquarium. When that happened, she was very put out. Stomping and whining and the whole bit. That is, until Ernie gave in and bought her her very own stuffed sea lion. She has dragged it around with her ever since.

Once we left the aquarium, we had big plans to go to the Marina and let Lily run around while we snapped amazing pictures of the Golden Gate Bridge (it was a beautiful, sunny day. Perfect for pictures). But once we got all packed in the car, we were exhausted. Lily was passed out in her car seat before we left the parking lot. So we decided to call it a day. The best laid plans, and all that, I guess. But even though we didn’t do all we had planned, we had a fabulous day.

Everybody Dance Now!

Lily loves music. All kinds of music, really, although she is quite particular as to when she enjoys certain types of music. When she’s in her car seat, for instance, I can put on some classical music or some popera and she kicks back and enjoys the tunes (to my utter disappointment, she hates actual opera. I suspect Ernie has been waking up at night and pinching her while blaring opera through the house in order to condition her not to like it. I have no proof yet, but just give me time). In her stroller, I crank up Johanna Newsome or Evanescence and she happily rocks back and forth as she enjoys the scenery. But the BEST music EVER, of course, is the dancing music.

What is dancing music, you ask? Well, for Lily, it just about anything with a good beat. But her favorite is 80s rock (okay, so maybe my favorite is 80s rock, but I’m allowed to project. At least until she’s old enough to decide for herself). Put on the Police, or XTC, or the Smiths, or the Eagles, and she can bust out some serious dance moves. And let me tell you, that daughter of mine can really boogie. She jumps (to the extent that a one-year-old can jump) and twirls and runs and giggles. Fun will be had in our household if music is playing. And just to give you a sneak peak into the wonderful world of Lily, here are a few photos for your viewing pleasure. Unfortunately, I didn't have the presence of mind to videotape this dance session, but I promise a video to come.

She also enjoys using props. Don't ask me why she chose the toothpaste package But once she had it, she refused to part with it.

...until, that is, she found the package of bandaids. Yes, I do need to pick up my house.

The Greatest Man I've Ever Known

I have only seen Ernie cry twice. Coincidentally, both times were on the same day. The day that Lily was born.

I had planned on doing everything all natural, but after thirteen hours of labor, I opted for an epideral. Before hand, the thought terrified me. But thirteen hours of active labor tends to change your perspective. I didn't look at the needle, but Ernie did. He held my hand the entire time with tears in his eyes whispering encouragements to me and telling me how much he loved me. The second time he cried was after I had been in labor 24 hours (2 of which were spent pushing), and had brought our beautiful, screaming girl into the world. I was so exhausted, I couldn't think, let alone hold Lily very well. So Ernie took her from me to let me rest. As he held her for the first time, he had tears in his eyes.

Nothing can quite describe the feeling you get when you hold your child for the first time. For nine months, you've been trying to imagine what it will be like. But nothing can prepare you for the overwhelming flood of emotions when you hold that fragile little person in your arms and realize that you helped create her. That you were responsible for her. When she looks up at you and you realize that she is absolutely perfect. You want to do everything in your power to make the world perfect for her. From that first moment that he held her, Ernie fell hopelessly in love. And from that first moment he held her, she has had him wrapped around her finger. All she need do is smile at him or call out "Daddy" and he is putty in her hands.

In a society that often emphasizes mother/daughter relationships and minimizes father/daughter relationships, I'm going to take a moment to express my overwhelming gratitude for the special bond between Lily and Ernie.

I find joy each day in spending time with my daughter. But interwoven with that joy is fear. I look at her beautiful face and at times I can't help but fear for her future. She has so many struggles to face. All kids do, but I think girls have a very distinct set of special struggles. The media flashes images of what the "ideal" woman is. Television shows portray women who, in my opinion, have little respect for themselves. And these are supposed to be our daughters' role models. It seems that girls are becoming engaged in sexual activity earlier and earlier. Teenagers experiment with the three big forbiddens: sex, drugs and alcohol. And girls feel so much pressure, from boys, yes, but also from girlfriends, to do things against their better judgment. There is so much pressure for a girl to fit it and be liked. Sometimes I wonder how I'm going to shield her from these things. I look at her sweet face and it makes my heart ache that she will have to face the harshness of the world. Part of me wishes I could lock her in a tower forever and protect her.

And then I realize that she's already at an advantage to other little girls. She not only has a mother who loves her and cuddles with her and keeps her safe, but she has a father who absolutely adores her. There isn't anything he wouldn't do to keep her safe. He is so open in his affection and love for her that she will never doubt it. Nothing is so important that he won't take the time to play with her, or give her a bath, or read with her, or just cuddle.

After seeing him with her, I would argue that a father's relationship with his daughter is at least as, if not more, important than a mother's relationship with her daughter. A Daddy is a little girl's first and most important love. That love teaches her to have respect for herself. It shows her how she should be treated by men. It builds her confidence and gives her a foundation on which she will build every other relationship she has for the rest of her life. It is so easy to take a father for granted in a family. Especially because, generally speaking, the father spends more time away from his family than does the mother. Ernie and I both work full-time, but he still has to spend more time away from Lily because of his career than I do. As a result, Lily tends to gravitate toward me to fulfill her basic needs. When she's hurt or upset, she comes to me. When she is hungry or tired, she comes to me. When she is scared or out of her element, she comes to me. But despite all these things, she is a Daddy's girl through-and-through. Because to her, Daddy is her best friend and favorite playmate. When he's around, I'm invisible. And I am so grateful that he takes the time to develope that kind of relationship with her. His devotion to her helps me sleep a little better at night knowing that we will be able to give her the best foundation we can so that she will be more likely to make smart decisions when faced with societal pressures.

I thought I loved Ernie before Lily was born. He has always been such a good man and takes great pleasure in spoiling me. But nothing can compare to the love I feel for him whenever I see him with Lily. He is truly the greatest man I have ever known. But even more importantly, he is the greatest Daddy I have ever known. And to illustrate the fact, here is a picture of Lily after her Daddy got her all tucked into the big chair (from which she kicked him out only moments before) so she could watch a bit of the Tinkerbell movie (which she asks to watch almost daily) before bed.

Oh yes, and I forgot to show off our matching pedicures in the last post, so here they are. Unfortunately, I think Lily has my feet. Poor girl. (of course, considering the fact that Ernie could very easily hang upside down from a tree branch with his toes, I guess she was doomed either way)


On a side note, how sad is it that my one-year-old has more of a tan than I do? Of course, in all fairness, hers isn't a tan, it is her natural complexion. But somehow, that doesn't make me feel any better.

A Week In Pictures

I had a blast this week. Not because anything remarkable happened. In fact, nothing particularly noteworthy happened at all. Most days we just spent hanging out at home and watching the new Tinkerbell movie (which, amazingly, Lily will sit through and has done so about five times since we bought it on Halloween). But the mundane, day-to-day was just a lot of fun this week. Lily was (and still is) cutting two molars this week, which is so very much the antithesis of fun. She's been exceptionally clingy with me and altogether more testy that is normal. But still, she managed to be awfully cute all week long. So I wanted to take a moment to share the world of cute in which I live. Starting with...

Monday:

Before you jump to conclusions, no, that is not some horrific head wound that I callusly took the time to immortalize on film before rushing my bleeding daughter to the emergency room. On Monday, Lily decided it would be fun to try and put red highlights in her hair. Luckily, her medium was washable paints, so she didn't do any permanent damage. Honestly, she looked kinda like a hip little rocker baby. A very cute, hip little rocker baby. Add that to the fact that her favorite band is XTC and I've got the absolute perfect little girl.

Tuesday:

It's a little difficult to see here, but underneath the couch is the case to our Little Mermaid DVD. I didn't get the shot I wanted, which was Lily crouched down and balancing on her toes to check under the couch. But I still got some cute shots. I did feel a moment's regret for cruelly taking the time to grab the camera and mock her attempts instead of helping her grab the movie case. But I got over it relatively quickly. I know, I'm a mean mommy.

But come on, she's pretty cute here, right? How could I have passed up that opportunity?

And who wouldn't laugh at this? I mean, come on.

In this last picture she finally got fed up in my heartlessness and sat up to demand that I help her get the case.

Wednesday:

On Wednesday, we went to Target for some much needed supplies. It is always a chore to go to the store during the week because we're all so tired after work and daycare that we just want to veg at home. That's why I make it a point to run all my erands on the weekend. But last weekend I was feeling particularly lazy, so we were stuck making a Target run on Wednesday. Lily was in fine form with all the holiday crowds, though. The more people around to smile at and flirt with her and fall all over themselves trying to get her attention, the happier she gets.

I just love her smiles. I never get tired of seeing her pearly whites or hearing her giggle. It makes my whole day...

And at the end of the day, Miss Lily loves nothing more than to cuddle up with her blankie and teddy on her rocking chair and relax. Sometimes with a book and sometimes with a movie. It is the best way to get her to nod off. Once she's sufficiently relaxed, she holds out her arms for me or Ernie to put her to bed.

Thursday:

Ernie had the genius idea to put the baby gate on the steps leading down the porch. That way, Lily can go outside (which she ALWAYS wants to do) without actually having to get her (and ourselves) all ready to go, which can sometimes be quite the process. She loves it.

Friday:

On Friday we had big plans to take Lily out on the town. But we ended up just chillin' (yes, I am that cool) and getting pedicures, courtesy of Ernie. Now Lily and I have matching pink toe nails.

And my favorite day of the week...

Saturday:

In case you case you can't tell what she thinks is so vastly amusing, she and her Daddy are both trying to be the first to blow the other over. I can't even describe how adorably cute this was.

Licking the Bowl

My mom baked a lot when we were growing up.  I remember hanging around and getting under foot as she navigated the kitchen dumping in flour and eggs and sugar.  Anxiously waiting for the spectacular moment that she would hand over the bowl.  The next ten minutes were a blur of euphoria and sticky fingers.  Licking the bowl is such a basic joy of childhood.  But I, in all my paranoia, have debated to myself whether I would let Lily continue the tradition.  You know?  Salmonella and all that.  I've gone back and forth in my mind about this, but in the end, as is so often the case when I have these great moral dilemmas, Lily decided it for me.

 

On Saturday, we decided it would be fun to make brownies together.  We set Lily on a chair and let her dump in the pre-mesured ingredients.  Then we gave her a large, wooden spoon and let her stir.  Of course, she's just barely over a year, so she had some difficulty with this.  But far be it from me to try and help her.  Oh no!  My little diva MUST do everything herself or she makes a big stink about it.  So after some time, she stirred the ingredients together leaving a lovely bowl of enticing chocolate.  Big mistake.

 

Now, as I said, she is just barely over one.  I don't know why I thought she would be able to resist the temptation (more accurately, I don't think I had the forsight to even see what she would do next), but one moment she was mixing ingredients, and the next she had dove face-first into the bowl of chocolatey goodness.  Awwww, the memories.

 

 

I call this last one Drunk On Chocolate...

 

Another One Bites The Dust

And it is official. After changing from blogger to microsoft spaces, I have switched back to blogger. Why, you ask? Well, because I am constantly getting threatening emails from supposed friends and family because they can't post on my microsoft blog. So, here we are. I will maintain my spaces.live page because I still like the fact that it allows me to upload entire albums. I use it as a sort of backup for my pictures, and have had to use it once already as such. But I will post my wonderfully wordy witticism here.