Outings, accessories, unrequited love

Dear Maya, 

It's been a wonderful week with you. Although we still have a lot of unpacking and organizing to do, the pace has slowed a little and you and mommy have spent several long, cuddly mornings in bed. And in the afternoons, we have gone on a few quick outings so we can start to get the feel of our new neighborhood.  

On Tuesday we took advantage of the lovely weather and went to the park that is just a stone's throw from our front door. It has this beautiful creek that reflected the mountains and the gorgeous sky, complete with chairs set up to sit and enjoy the view. And facing the opposite direction from this camera angle is our house!

On Wednesday we went to the library that is just a tiny bit further down the road and on the other side from the park. Although it was just built recently and is still in the process of filling shelves, there are plenty of books and a wide open floor with toys near the children's book area. It's perfect for you to explore.

Mommy has taken these outings as opportunities to get you accustomed to wearing shoes. Now that you stand almost as much as you sit or crawl, it's probably better to protect your feet from rocks or other sharp things. You keep trying to put your shoes in your mouth but otherwise don't seem to hate them too much.

Unfortunately, we have not been so lucky with this hat. Your Great-Grandpa has been talking about getting you a baseball cap for months now, and last weekend your Great Aunt Sue finally found one your size. As soon as you figured out how to pull it off, though, mommy couldn't keep it on you. We'll have to keep trying...

We have been joking about all the unrequited love in our new house. Uncle Matt and Aunt Rhi have a boy cat named Lightning who really seems interested in our girl Clio, but she hisses and runs away from him every time. However, she is getting friendlier with you and has even curled up next to you when mommy nurses you on the bed. As soon as you stop nursing and start moving, though, she's usually ready to hit the road. Hey, at least she gave you a fighting chance in the following succession of photos. You must be growing on her.

The other unrequited love we joke about around here is your newfound affection for Kermit the Frog. Uncle Matt has this puppet and can do a spot-on voice and movement impersonation of the real thing. You are hooked. When asked, "Where's Rhi?" or "Where's the kitty?" you always look in the right direction, but usually it takes time for you to become familiar with a new name. You have remembered "Kermit" in record time, though, and love to give him kisses and play with his hands and mouth. We won't tell Miss Piggy...

Well, mommy has to go charge some batteries and organize the candles. We're getting the house ready for the effects of Hurricane Irene this weekend and plan on moving your bed into our room for the duration. Not that we're worried about you sleeping, as you recently slept through fireworks that were basically over our house.

Love you!

Long time no post

Dear Maya,

I can't believe it's been three weeks since the last post! Moving has kept us so busy and any time that mommy's hands were free were dedicated to holding and playing with you to make up for the times when they were full of boxes and cleaning supplies. Not that you were especially needy or anything--you took this move in stride like the wonderful baby you are. Even for the 10 days you and mommy were in the new house but daddy hadn't joined us yet as he finished caretaking at our old house--you were so good. Thank you for that.

The only crankiness you've really shown lately was the beginning of last week. I think you got used to being held by Uncle Matt and Auntie Rhi as well as mommy and daddy during the weekend, so when it was time for everybody to go to work and it was just you and mommy again, you weren't too pleased that you couldn't be held all day long. Perhaps it is all the extra playtime you're getting in with your auntie and uncle, though, that has led to one blissful change--you've been sleeping 30 minutes later in the morning. Hallelujah!

You are so active as always. Three weeks ago you could stand on your own for about 5 seconds after letting go of something when in a standing position, but now you can rise to a standing position without pulling up on anything and can stand for 20 or 30 seconds at a time. These last couple of days you've even been standing on some very uneven and soft surfaces, namely mommy and daddy's bed which has a 2-inch memory foam cushion and a very cushy comforter. You have an amazing sense of balance and always fall gently.

You like to gnaw on the rubber handle of your hairbrush--it squeaks against your gums

One funny quirk is that you seem to be more comfortable standing when holding something in your hands. I'm not sure if you're counterbalancing a low center of gravity or simply using the item to focus on, but it seems to work. Most of the time whatever you are holding is also partly in your mouth. As babies do, you put everything in your mouth lately, but every time we checked to see if we could feel any teeth coming in we couldn't. Today when mommy looked into your mouth instead, I saw a tooth starting to come in. Finally!

You look like you're either singing karaoke or doing the Obon dance--how apropos!

This past Monday was a very important holiday in Japan--Obon. It is when the Japanese honor their departed ancestors. Mommy wishes she could have done more to help you and daddy celebrate, but at least she was able to make some sushi for everyone and to dress you up in the traditional outfit your grandparents sent over for you. It's still quite big, so maybe you'll be able to fit into it next summer as well. Uncle Matt lifted you up to our new pass-through window in these photos, making you look like the chef at a sushi bar. :)

Well, we have another busy weekend planned so mommy needs to get to bed now. Love you!

'Reconstructing' a paper crane we made on Obon

P.S. Since the last post you have added the following foods to your diet: peaches, pears, pumpkin, zucchini, green grapes and green peas.  You've also had the following spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, onion powder and curry powder.

Helping mommy do the laundry...

M is for Maya

Dear Maya,

Mommy likes alliterations. That probably comes as no surprise given the name of this blog, but today's post is going to take it one step further. In fact, Miss Maya's mommy's about to alliterate a lot. It seems that this week's news all happens to have to do with "M" words, so here goes:

M is for Monkey:
You use your feet like a monkey. Family members have been commenting for a while on the strength of your toes as you use them to grip when standing on people's laps. Over this past week you have begun treating your feet even more like hands as you put them on top of the high chair tray at mealtime.

You also eat bananas like a monkey. We have never seen a baby eat so many bananas. Even after you've breastfed and eaten a meal of cereal plus a fruit or veggie, you can eat half a banana then still slap your high chair tray for more. Last week you even bit the end off a whole banana that daddy was about to eat!

M is for Messy:
While your messiness at mealtime isn't new this week, your technique is. For a while you always put your fingers in your mouth between every bite of solid food, resulting in a painted high chair by the end of your meal. Now you've switched to turning your head so we can't clean your face during or after meals. Fun.

M is for Milestone:
You stood up on your own for the first time yesterday!!! When great-grandma babysat you Monday, she couldn't believe how easily you were pulling up and keeping your balance holding on with only one hand. She said you'd be standing on your own soon, but we weren't sure because you'd been pulling up for a while now.

We should have known that your great-grandparents are always right, though. This is the second time they've made a prediction that has come true within a short time. What none of us predicted was what you would be reaching for when you first stood--daddy's dessert! We replaced it with a banana and you stood repeatedly.

M is for Mama:

After a week or two of "nahnah" and "nehneh," you have started saying "mama" this week. While this makes mommy's heart flutter a little each time, I know that you don't know what you're saying. And while you have said "dada" a couple of times, daddy wants to be called "to-chan" so he's not jumping up and down just yet.

M is for Moving:
We saw grandma and Poppa Stan off last weekend as they left to retire to North Carolina. We're going to miss having them right around the corner to visit just any old time. They've promised to come back for Thanksgiving and we're going to have to sacrifice and make some trips to see them by the beach.  :)

We are moving ourselves this coming weekend and life'll be a little crazy until we get settled. There are a couple of things you are going to love about this move, though. One is that you will have your own room. The other is that we are going to live in the same house with Uncle Matt and Auntie Rhi! How cool is that?!?

Well, it's time to tie up the typing and say ta-ta for tonight.  :)

Love you!

P.S.  Just for the sake of record-keeping, your new food additions this week were acorn squash and apples.  Hey, they both start with an "a"...

Little summer love bug

Dear Maya,

Mommy's birthday was last Thursday and you gave her the best present--an unexpected kiss! We taught you "Kiss, kiss" a few weeks back but usually you ration your drooly, open-mouthed pecks to about once every ten requests. This was the first time you ever gave a kiss without being asked first. Mommy was so happy!

On Saturday we had a party at Grandma and Poppa Stan's house. You kept everyone busy trying to entertain you when you were cranky, and kept everyone laughing with your antics when you were in a good mood. You may have wanted some birthday cake, but seemed just as pleased with some sweet potato instead.

You've added spinach and cantaloupe to your list of yummy foods this week. Mommy and daddy weren't sure how you'd react to the spinach especially, but after a few tentative funny faces as you rolled it around in your mouth for the first time, you really got into it. Now we have no worries about you getting enough iron.

This photo reminds me of your great-grandpa Jameson with his handlebar mustache.
I really wish you could have met him and your great-grandma Jameson...

At your pediatrician visit Wednesday, we were pleased to find that you didn't lose weight again. You came in at 16 pounds 12 ounces (up 12 ounces) and 27 3/4 inches (up 3/4 inch) in length. When mommy reported that you crawl like crazy and pull up at this young age, the doctor said we might have an athlete on our hands!

One of your new favorite games--being (lightly) tossed by daddy

Well, it's brutally hot today for the second day in a row, so mommy needs to get away from the extra heat of this laptop now. We're going to have a really hectic and hard couple of weeks coming up, so hopefully the weather will cooperate and stop zapping all of our energy and making you cranky. We love you!

Sunny skies, starry wishes

Dear Maya,

Summer has really settled in, finally, with hot weather more often than not this past week.  We've had some lovely warm and breezy evenings and we've taken you for walks outside during your witching hour just before bed.  The light this time of day is magical and makes the view from our home on the hill even more gorgeous.

Now that you are sitting up by yourself so easily, mommy finally got to take some photos that she has been wanting to take.  Unfortunately it was your cranky time of day so you tore this huge leaf up in the process, but mommy still got some good shots of you looking like the little cabbage patch kid of her dreams. :)

Last Thursday we celebrated the Japanese festival Tanabata.  Daddy wrote our wishes on brightly-colored strips of paper and we hung them from a willow branch (because we didn't have any bamboo).  This is done in Japan on July 7th, the day each year when the star-crossed lovers Princess Orihime and Prince Hikoboshi (a.k.a. stars Vega and Altair) wish to be reunited from the opposite sides of the Milky Way according to the fairy tale 'The Princess and the Cowherd.'  For more on this romantic story and the festival, click here.

It seems Clio was jealous that we didn't pose her for a photo, too,
so she sat there and waited for us to notice and take a picture.

Since this time last week you have tried two new fruits: mango and watermelon.  When mommy fed you the mango, the first three or four bites went as successfully as all other foods you've eaten.  Then, suddenly, you threw a fit and wouldn't take another bite.  If it was mixed with banana you were okay, but when the ratio of mango to banana hit more than 50 percent, you got angry and stopped eating.  This morning's attempt with slightly chunky watermelon was much more well-received.  I guess you know what you like and don't like!

'Chewing' on your first piece of watermelon

Making a mess with oatmeal and carrot

Well, it's going to be another full day around here with you spending some time with Grandma and Poppa Stan while mommy and daddy go out for mommy's birthday.  We hope you'll be a good girl as usual.  We'll be sure to pick up some nice fruits and veggies for you, but don't worry--we'll steer clear of the mangoes!

Love you!