Friday, May 13, 2011

To Aida on her 6-month birthday


May 12, 2011

Dear Aida,

I love your creases. The folds in your thighs. The ones that mark the ends of your arms and the beginnings of your hands. The ones that bubble under your eyes and turn red when you're tired.

You have two long grooves that circle your neck and disappear into smooth, pink lines when you crane your head backwards as I rock you. (Because you just have to see what's behind you when I'm trying to rock you toward sleep).

The dimples in your elbows melt me.

Looking at you today as you swung in your swing and yappity-yapped it up with nothing but the air, I thought about life six months ago, when I tried my hardest to imagine what it would be like once you were born.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

How to eat in your high chair

First, learn to sit up.

Then, open your mouth when the spoon comes around.

P.S. I love the look Aida gives her dad at the end of this.



Taken Sunday, May 8, 2011.

Friday, May 6, 2011

Aida sits. By herself.

This happened Friday...



Sure, it's easy for you now. But imagine how different your life would be if you never learned how to stay upright...

Friday, April 29, 2011

Baby tooth alert!

It's breaking through. I felt it with my index finger this morning -- this little white sliver of enamel poking its way through her lower front gum.

I realize now that's probably what I felt yesterday when Aida clamped down to nurse and her grip made me yelp.

"Ouch!" I cried before she loosened and clamped down again. "Ouch!"

Her drooling has reached by-the-bucket proportions. And while I've resisted strapping a bib to her at all times until now, I might soon reconsider. Otherwise, her little chest is soaked and I guess she might develop a rash if I don't.

That's right: a drool rash. Thankfully, that's something we adults don't normally have to think about.

What's in: Yellow elephant bibs!
I imagine that if we did we'd be getting oodles of fashion advice for must-have bib designs.

This season, yellow's hot! And elephants are all the rage!

I guess this means Aida really is going to continue to grow. I keep asking her to stop, to just stay small enough for me to cuddle with and snack on.

She does not listen. She continues to discover new things every day: how to shake a rattle like a pro, the best way to gnaw on one's toes, how to cry when the big people remove a toy or a spoon or a blanket from one's grip.

Last week, she started raising her booty high in the air when she's on her belly and up on her arms. And she's grunting more. Like her best effort isn't enough for her. She's shooting higher.
We started Aida on rice cereal once a day a few weeks ago, but we were thinking of it as eating practice. With the advent of The First Tooth, perhaps we should starting taking this whole "eating solids" thing a little more seriously.