Category: baby

Ella just crossed the entire living room to get to me. She’s starting to show some interest in the stereo too. That’s not good.

Ella is doing the 2-shuffle version of crawling, but she’s not letting that get in the way of her mobility. It’s kind of scary. A lot of fun, but scary too.

So I’m in charge of the adding news headlines from the day Ella was born to her baby book but I’m having difficulties. Michelle says headlines like “20 pilgrims killed by sniper” and “First CIA Civilian Contractor Convicted for Assaulting Detainee” are not something that belong in a child’s book. She’s happy with “Italian hail storm threatens pesto stock” though, but there really wasn’t much else good or amusing going on in the news that day other than sports. Maybe I need to pick up the Weekly World News.

This morning I was trying to keep Ella entertained while packing a lunch and finishing up some chores, so I tried singing to her. That usually works. What came to my mind? The Beach Boys. I know… I was a little surprised too. But somehow I remember the lyrics, which is mildly embarassing to admit. The only song lyrics I can recall with any reliability are from my childhood. Ella seemed to enjoy it though, especially the high-pitched “Surfer Girl” stuff.

Ella is now 7 months old. She’s on the verge of becoming mobile, eating foods, and is just a constant source of amazement to us. She’s completely in love with her mom right now, and when I’m holding her, she’s like a little compass, always spinning to point at Michelle. I’m not sure how she’s changed so much in so little time, but it has been quite a journey watching her make so many firsts, then to simply add those firsts to her repertoire like she’d always been able to roll over, manipulate toys, eat food, pull hair out by the roots.

My last final exam is today then I’ll be done with classes. Just in time to childproof.

I’ve been trying to find some positive, er, complimentary evidence that a baby can go in a bike trailer before 1 year of age, and I’ve been having a hard time of it. There are a few examples of folks who started taking their children in bike trailers at young ages (2+ months), but I can’t find anyone who will say when it is safe to take them riding. Manufacturers play it safe and say 1 year with a helmet, and our pediatrician said to check with the manufacturer.

I was starting to give up hope when I found a carrier down at REI that had a baby accessory for their trailer that said it was for 3+ month olds. I got really excited so I looked up the manufacturer and found a couple places in the brochure that list age/weight limits for some of the accessories. Woohoo!

Then, in the FAQ, I found this line dealing with what age children can use these trailers. “At 12 months cycling with a properly fitted helmet can begin.” Turns out the 3 month old can only go on gentle strolls and walks. Dang. I suppose I should just be patient.

Ella had a couple more firsts yesterday. During the day, with my mom, she participated in her first train/car collision. No, neither my mom nor Ella were driving, they were on the Max when a car pulled in front of it. The max was apparently going full speed when the car turned in front of it. The driver yelled, the vehicles collided, the max came to a stop, and Ella remained asleep, even while response vehicles arrived.

Later that day, she committed her first party foul. While at a going-away party for one of Michelle’s co-workers, Ella grasped a full glass of beer that I thought was just out of her reach and pulled it towards her. And me. And it all spilled in to my lap. She seemed to enjoy the response, which could mean bad things.

Ella has started eating “real” food in the last two weeks. We started with peas, which is somewhat distressing because I still can’t stand the smell of the awful little vegetable. She absolutely loves them though and is happily eating a small jar of them in a sitting – even when mixed with rice cereal.

The one thing that peas are good for is a plethora of jokes. My favorite, and the one I’m sure Michelle is the most tired of is using the phrase “pea-ness.” Try it sometime – it’s a non-profane word that becomes profane simply by using poor grammar.

And of course, I have to mention the change in her output. It’s gross. Like mechonium again, but it varies in color depending on her diet. The strange thing is, these colors where once common in people’s homes. Carpet, furniture, drapes and appliances actually came in these colors.

…by popular demand. She’s not as vocal in this one, but she’s damn cute.