Monday, December 21, 2009
Baby Song
On Saturday morning, I was awoken at 7:45 to the sound of Joaquin singing the tune Frere Jacque in baby language from his crib. Daniel and I listened with love, holding on to the beautiful, ephemeral moment.
Not a Cretin
It's the Monday before Christmas. I am not getting any work done at my office so I may as well just write for my blog. I have been really kicking butt at work lately but sometime last week a fog set in and I no longer feel like concentrating on renewable energy procurement plans and the like. I just want to drink hot cocoa and play with Joaquin.
Have I written about my campaign to get our house painted? Probably not because while on-going it was not a pretty topic. The old paint on my rented duplex was chipping down to old layers of paint and bare wood, spreading lead dust about. I know, I had it tested. After a year of conversation with my landlords, I had to play hardball and threaten to call the housing inspector. "If you don't like the house you can move" was his reply. I was all rage and shaken after that call. But lo and behold, he send house painters within the month.
The house was inconveniently painted during the first week with Brenda, our babysitter, starting to care for Joaquin at the house. Brenda plus her daughter Sophia, and Joaquin has to be sent over to a friends house for the first week of scraping and sanding. But the house was repainted a fresh white with blue trim. And I decided to bury the hatchet with my landlords and even sent them a thank you note.
Joaquin always gets in the car with Sophia. She gracefully tolerates.
Brenda is a fantastic child care provider. She was a school teacher in Guatemala. I am thankful to have her in my life.
I have worried that Joaquin has been exposed to lead paint chips and dust. I did what I could to minimize exposure contact in the days before the house was painted. We became a no shoes house to keep from tracking paint chips in. And I painted the doors and thresholds to the house since that, and window frames is where the majority of the contamination comes from. I have intended to get Joaquin a blood test for lead levels.
But now I feel that is perhaps all moot, and my precautions were suffice. Because Joaquin is developing at such a rapid pace. He is adding new words at an early age. He uses sign language more than most babies I know. He is singing tunes and climbing shelves. If I say so myself, he is one smart little cookie. Somehow this surprises me.
Have I written about my campaign to get our house painted? Probably not because while on-going it was not a pretty topic. The old paint on my rented duplex was chipping down to old layers of paint and bare wood, spreading lead dust about. I know, I had it tested. After a year of conversation with my landlords, I had to play hardball and threaten to call the housing inspector. "If you don't like the house you can move" was his reply. I was all rage and shaken after that call. But lo and behold, he send house painters within the month.
The house was inconveniently painted during the first week with Brenda, our babysitter, starting to care for Joaquin at the house. Brenda plus her daughter Sophia, and Joaquin has to be sent over to a friends house for the first week of scraping and sanding. But the house was repainted a fresh white with blue trim. And I decided to bury the hatchet with my landlords and even sent them a thank you note.
Joaquin always gets in the car with Sophia. She gracefully tolerates.
Brenda is a fantastic child care provider. She was a school teacher in Guatemala. I am thankful to have her in my life.
I have worried that Joaquin has been exposed to lead paint chips and dust. I did what I could to minimize exposure contact in the days before the house was painted. We became a no shoes house to keep from tracking paint chips in. And I painted the doors and thresholds to the house since that, and window frames is where the majority of the contamination comes from. I have intended to get Joaquin a blood test for lead levels.
But now I feel that is perhaps all moot, and my precautions were suffice. Because Joaquin is developing at such a rapid pace. He is adding new words at an early age. He uses sign language more than most babies I know. He is singing tunes and climbing shelves. If I say so myself, he is one smart little cookie. Somehow this surprises me.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
He speaks
Here is a running list of Joaquin's first words.
Aqua
Hot
Truck (ckuck)
Car
Bottle (baba)
Vroom - the sound a car makes
The last three he learned in the last 2 weeks.
Recently he has been singing 'where is thumbkin' in baby words. so cute.
He can also sign several things.
He signs light everytime we see one, which means he constantly pointing out lights.
More, sometimes I want
Milk
Bicycle
Dog
Bird
All done
Wish I could capture a picture of him signing.
Aqua
Hot
Truck (ckuck)
Car
Bottle (baba)
Vroom - the sound a car makes
The last three he learned in the last 2 weeks.
Recently he has been singing 'where is thumbkin' in baby words. so cute.
He can also sign several things.
He signs light everytime we see one, which means he constantly pointing out lights.
More, sometimes I want
Milk
Bicycle
Dog
Bird
All done
Wish I could capture a picture of him signing.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Stroller Racing
I think we had our first toddler tantrum today. It was at a Target department store, how classic. Likely Joaquin was hungry, but in the few minutes he was in the store, he decided he wanted to push the shopping cart. He loves to push strolllers and shopping carts. I mean obsessively loves to push shopping carts.
On our last plane trip, he joyfully spent most of his time in the airport pushing his stroller up and down the long waxed hallways. That was to the amusement of hundreds of fellow air travelers. The stroller appears to be moving by itself because he is too small to either look over the top or even the sides. Periodically he sticks his head around the stroller to get a direction bearing. This and his focus bring laughs. Not that Joaquin noticed. He was pure intent. Drive that stroller. I am sure he didn't hear the folks calling out "hey Mario" as in Mario Andretti the famous race car driver.
However, at Target the shopping carts are heavy and even with his expert stroller maneuvering skills he could not get the cart to budge. His quick frustration was followed by some loud crying and laying down on the floor. The laying down on the floor is the big difference in a toddler tantrum from the crying of the past. That, and knowing the exact cause is a desire inside his little soul. I laughed.
Joaquin entertained himself with stroller racing at the assisted living home of his great grandpa. Here his skill with a walker had competition from some of the residents. They thought he was adorable but perhaps also fearful as his reckless driving can be threatening to an octogenian.
On our last plane trip, he joyfully spent most of his time in the airport pushing his stroller up and down the long waxed hallways. That was to the amusement of hundreds of fellow air travelers. The stroller appears to be moving by itself because he is too small to either look over the top or even the sides. Periodically he sticks his head around the stroller to get a direction bearing. This and his focus bring laughs. Not that Joaquin noticed. He was pure intent. Drive that stroller. I am sure he didn't hear the folks calling out "hey Mario" as in Mario Andretti the famous race car driver.
However, at Target the shopping carts are heavy and even with his expert stroller maneuvering skills he could not get the cart to budge. His quick frustration was followed by some loud crying and laying down on the floor. The laying down on the floor is the big difference in a toddler tantrum from the crying of the past. That, and knowing the exact cause is a desire inside his little soul. I laughed.
Joaquin entertained himself with stroller racing at the assisted living home of his great grandpa. Here his skill with a walker had competition from some of the residents. They thought he was adorable but perhaps also fearful as his reckless driving can be threatening to an octogenian.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Joaquin Walking
Joaquin began walking just 9 days after his first birthday on November 13th. He and I had just flown 6 hours from NYC to San Francisco. We were at home ready for bed after a long day of traveling and he took four or five steps in the hallway. Each day he has steadily walked more since. Sometimes he looks like a little Frankenstein with his stiff legged steps, but mostly he is the cutest thing I have ever seen.
My mom and I took a hike to Tennessee Valley Beach in Marin County on Wednesday. Joaquin also took his first hike, which we captured here.
This last week he has been a little joy. I took a few lessons from Brenda, the lovely woman who watches him three days a week and from my mom on getting him to stay in his high chair. The tips were 1) no having snacks outside the chair 2) be ready with good foods 3)ignore some of the nonsense. After a bunch of meals carefully orchestrated with serial introductions of new foods to keep him entertained. Decoy spoons and bowls to keep his hands busy. And getting in as much food as fast as possible. And switching from a free standing high chair to one attached to the table. And voila, mealtimes are no longer a struggle. So between easy meals, easy bedtimes, fairly easy naps and his joy at any time we play, the days have been sweet.
We had a little rough spot when he and I first returned from a week in Connecticut. Daniel stayed at home to work. When we returned Joaquin was quite happy to see him, but he was also thrown into despair every time Daniel said goodbye for the next week. Joaquin's world would go still for a moment as he took in Daniel's absence. Then his face would crumple with all points of mouth and eyes turned down while letting loose a plaintiff "wah". He'd add a decidedly dramatic and anguished drop of the head to the table or floor which ever was at his disposal. After about a week of such he seems to feel reassured that Daniel will promptly return from any goodbye. However, if Daniel is home, in the midst of playing he will suddenly remember his papa and head directly for his arms.
My mom and I took a hike to Tennessee Valley Beach in Marin County on Wednesday. Joaquin also took his first hike, which we captured here.
This last week he has been a little joy. I took a few lessons from Brenda, the lovely woman who watches him three days a week and from my mom on getting him to stay in his high chair. The tips were 1) no having snacks outside the chair 2) be ready with good foods 3)ignore some of the nonsense. After a bunch of meals carefully orchestrated with serial introductions of new foods to keep him entertained. Decoy spoons and bowls to keep his hands busy. And getting in as much food as fast as possible. And switching from a free standing high chair to one attached to the table. And voila, mealtimes are no longer a struggle. So between easy meals, easy bedtimes, fairly easy naps and his joy at any time we play, the days have been sweet.
We had a little rough spot when he and I first returned from a week in Connecticut. Daniel stayed at home to work. When we returned Joaquin was quite happy to see him, but he was also thrown into despair every time Daniel said goodbye for the next week. Joaquin's world would go still for a moment as he took in Daniel's absence. Then his face would crumple with all points of mouth and eyes turned down while letting loose a plaintiff "wah". He'd add a decidedly dramatic and anguished drop of the head to the table or floor which ever was at his disposal. After about a week of such he seems to feel reassured that Daniel will promptly return from any goodbye. However, if Daniel is home, in the midst of playing he will suddenly remember his papa and head directly for his arms.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Ode to Ice Cream
After a full eleven months without ice cream, I broke my fast of frozen dairy confections (and all dairy cheeses) with a slice of chocolate layered with fudge and oreo ice cream cake with frozen whipped cream frosting from the notorious Ashley's ice cream in New Haven.
Oh it was so good.
I took just a small slice on Andria's birthday as we celebrated her 27th. But she and Quito decided to leave the three-quarters remainder at my mom's house where I am now. That night and multiple times of the day since the ice cream cake has called for me. It's a soft quiet voice announcing how delicious it is. I have answered the call several times each day.
Happily Joaquin seems to no longer be spitting up breast milk after I have consumed dairy. I have been carefully monitoring his progress in milk product digestion. In the last month, I have slowly been trying out bits of cheese or cream to see how he fares. Until this week, large amounts of cheese still set him off. For the several weeks he has been eating goatmilk yogurt with no ill affects. I am so happy to return to the world of cheese and ice cream. I am also happy to have a baby that is easy to feed- with goat cheeses and goat yogurt being fairly ubiquitous in Berkeley.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Agua
Much to my surprise, Joaquin is talking. He first word is aqua. It's undeniable. He says it when he sees a glass of water. When I take a drink of water. He doesnt really ask for aqua but then again water isn't something that gets him excited like banana.
We think he also says hot but he doesnt seem to use that word always in the right content. Maybe he is also also saying "dis" for "this" when he points to something that has struck his fancy.
I am surprised by these words because he does not say mama or papa. I thought it would be months before he spoke to us. Especially because he is really communicating with sign language. Buts thats another posting- coming soon.
We think he also says hot but he doesnt seem to use that word always in the right content. Maybe he is also also saying "dis" for "this" when he points to something that has struck his fancy.
I am surprised by these words because he does not say mama or papa. I thought it would be months before he spoke to us. Especially because he is really communicating with sign language. Buts thats another posting- coming soon.
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