Swimming Lessons

You loved your swimming lessons. You adored them. At first you weren't sure what to do with group activities - you always have your own agenda. You would be completely surprised when we started doing something in a group, like bouncing in a circle in the water and singing a song. What was going on? Why wasn't someone just watching me and playing what I wanted to play? That's what we do at home, or when you go to someone else's house. And, by the way, what is the deal with floating on my stomach and back? That doesn't seem normal! I like being head up sitting on your hip.

But by the last week you were going along like a pro. You would bounce around floating on your tummy and even try floating on your back for more than 2 seconds at a time. Not much more, but a little and progress is progress.

From the beginning of the class you were the first one to want to jump in. All the other kids would be sitting patiently on their Mom's laps, ready to wait until after our first song to be lifted gently into the water. You, since I wouldn't let you slide into the water on your own, were bent double at the waist with your hands in the water splashing.

We're All Sick

All of us are sick with colds, or probably all the same cold. We've only been sick for about a week, but it feels like forever.

Isabelle finished her swimming class and did wonderfully. By the last day she was best in her class, putting her face in the water on her own to blow bubbles and was very comfortable having me hold her in the water on her tummy.

She has learned how to wave and often will wave at everyone, including anyone passing by us in a store. She can get confirmed bachelors to smile and does look hurt when someone just passes by without returning her wave. Sigh, one of life's lessons.

She is walking like a trooper and getting faster and more stable every day. I still have fun dressing her up because she looks so good in everything.

She says daddy and rides around on her motor bike (Daddy is the engine power). She likes slides and will go down one non-stop for 15 minutes.

Her birthday present from us was a forward-facing car seat.

One Year Old Today

More coming tomorrow.

You're walking!!

You took you first step alone last Saturday, and by last Wednesday you were proudly walking to your Dad. Now you are all over the place, standing up and walking. It's really awesome. You still like to hold our hands a lot while you walk, but you don't really need to.

My herniated disk is still herniated (proven by doing exercises to make it hurt). I loved the steroid epidural, though, it was great. I get another one later this month and I'm looking forward to it. (That's something you don't really expect to be saying.)

Everyone at the Physical Therapy office loves you, understandably.

Babies Are Fun

No one ever told me that babies are so much fun. At least you are. Last night we went to the IKEA store and had a blast. You tested out the turning pod chair (with a rounded screen you can pull over the front of it), pushed the cart, played with the stuffed animals, tried the beds, and had Swedish meatballs with lingonberry sauce and french fries for dinner.

Swimming

Today at the pool (our first trip in the States) I saw a side of you I haven't seen for a while. You were quiet and just watched everything around you. For 30 minutes you just watched and looked. You have gotten so comfortable here at home that you rampage around looking for trouble, but in a completely new situation you are that watcher I remember from Guatemala.

Peek A Boo!

On Friday, you suddenly figured out peek-a-boo while I was changing your diaper. Diaper changing time must be quality face time because you've figured out several things while you've been lying there. Or, maybe it's the only time you're not exploring, moving, getting into something. Anyway, you put your hands over your eyes and I said "peek-a-boo", and you 'got it'. Now, if I say peek-a-boo you cover your eyes. It's one of your first games (after clapping and growling and blowing raspberries) and it's really cute.

Why I Love Toys That Make Noise

I had always thought that I would hate toys that made noise. Those really obnoxious toys that play the same idiotic, tinny melody over and over again. You, though, have made me love those toys. When I hear those toys, I think "I know where Isabelle is and she's playing with something safe." It's almost like a pavlovian response now. I hear the train playing "I've Been Working On the Railroad" (a tune I've always loved, partly because my Grandfather worked on the railroad for real) and I relax and enjoy my coffee.

When I hear nothing, that's when I go looking for you. Generally you are 1) playing in the dog water dish 2) playing in the dog kennel or 3) pulling on the Christmas lights. Now that you can crawl like the wind (quickly and quietly) you can be anywhere in the house by the time I've washed off your high-chair tray.

We had planned on making the office an Isabelle-only-under-close-supervision room, but we are in there so much that we're re-thinking that strategy. When you are in there, even though we have a box of your toys in there, you seem unwaveringly drawn to the CD's. Why is that?! Why is a CD so much more fun than a frog or colorful plastic loops? And the amount you are drawn to it seems to be directly proportional to how important the disc is and how difficult it would be to recreate it if you scratched it. I think there's another law of nature in there somewhere.

No, Don't Eat the Dog Food

I thought the biggest problems with your food and toys was to keep Isbre, our dog, out of them. It turns out that the problems is keeping you away from Isbre's food. When you hears food going into Isbre's dish, you start crawling towards the dish like mad. For DOG FOOD. Honestly. This morning I took a moment to read the headline from the paper, and when I looked up you were into Isbre's food and Isbre was eating as fast as she could. When I ran to the dish, you had two handfuls of food and some inyour mouth. Yummy?! So I made you give it all back to Isbre, who happily ate it. Yes, that's right, I fished dog food out of your mouth and gave it to the dog. Motherhood can be so odd.

You also like to play with Isbre's toys, especially when she's chewing on her plastic bones. You take the bone away, then wave it in front of her nose. Isbre has more patience than I do, because usually she just looks harrassed and takes the bone back. She's not willing, though, to let you crawl on her - go figure. The only time I was worried about Isbre with you was yesterday when you crawled in her kennel when she was there. I heard a sound from Isbre that meant she was losing patience and I whisked you right out of there. Okay, I've stressed before that the kennel is off-limits to you, especially when Isbre is in there. What else do I need to do?! I don't know how to keep you out but let Isbre in. Sighhhhhh.

Isbre never touches your toys, but Tesla (our cat) loves them. All your little balls are fair game as far as he's concerned, and late at night I'll hear him batting them around. There's one ball, to your musical tool box, that we still haven't found. Other's we've found under and behind book-cases and desks. Some of them we won't find until we move.

And, for a rant, why can't they settle on one size for balls that go with toys. Come on guys, standardize. Instead of the Senate having hearings on steroids for baseball players, they should be discussing this problem. No toy that comes with balls can use the balls from another toy. They look like they should work, they're so close in size. But no, they get stuck or they won't fit in the chute or they're too small and fall through without making music. Thank God the makers of the train knew kids and the toy ball problem and make it easy to take the back off the train and take out whatever is plugging up the ball rolling belt. If they can make standardized sizes for computer plug-ins, they can do it for balls that come with toys.

We're Really Cruising

We are now cruising on everything. We go along the couch to the coffee table, we go around the coffee table, and if there's nothing else to cruise on we cruise along the wall. The floor is just for kids who can't pull themselves up. We even like having Mom hold our hand while we walk a couple of steps.

I'm looking forward to you walking, but I'm also dreading it. The drawers with spices in them are now withing your grasp, and once you start walking you will begin pulling things out of them. Ever since Robert and I went to the first aid class where the instructor described how sick one of his dorm mates got by swallowing a bunch nutmeg (to see if he got visions) I am wary of you getting into spices. As well as the fact that I don't want to be picking them up from the floor 10 times a day. I suppose I could just tell you no, but a) I don't want to be saying "no" all day long and b) I don't want to worry when you're out of my sight for a moment,