Serena

So, yesterday was a difficult day. Milo was fussy a lot and was difficult to get to nap. Each time I tried to lay her down, she’d start crying and didn’t put herself to sleep. So she and I spent a lot of time in the bedroom in the dark trying to get her to sleep.

Today was significantly easier. Milo’s naps were pretty good, and she was all over the place in the apartment. She finally ventures outside of the living room, so I get to follow her around and watch what she gets into. So far, nothing too bad: she likes the mirror and often goes to it, stands up at it, and gives her reflection kisses; she also likes to go up to the travel crib and try to stand at it.

Milo has still been getting into the stuff on our book shelf, so I finally let her have one DVD case to play with. Of course, it’s her new favorite thing. It really is true that kids love everything other than toys - boxes, paper, dvd cases.

In the evening, we went to dinner at Brenda’s Meat and Three with Serena, who we hadn’t seen since before Milo was born, for some reason. It was nice to sit and catch up and talk with other adults for a while. Milo was very curious about our server, too. She watched him wherever he went! I don’t know what it was, but I was amused watching her watch him.

After dinner, we went to Bi Rite for ice cream, as is kind of a tradition whenever we eat dinner on Divisadero. Milo was a champ again and waited until we got home to go to sleep. I should note that I’m always nervous about her falling asleep on the way home because then I figure she’ll wake up when we try to put her down in her crib and be awake, having just had a cat nap to refresh her. So we always try to be sure she’s awake until we can get to our bedtime routine.

Notes:

• I ordered some MLB stuff, which finally came in today. Milo now owns a baseball cap and a hideous Giants sock monkey.

• My girl ate lots of baby food and then some mashed potatoes at dinner; her appetite is increasing steadily.

• Babyproofing: we now have locks on cabinets, toilet, and the closet where we keep the litter box.

• Milo found the sunny spot on the carpet and spent some time trying to figure out what it was. She saw the sun, picked at the carpet for a moment, and then tried several times to lick it. It was cute.

Day Two Hundred and Twenty-Two

Day Two Hundred and Twenty-One

Plumber

Notes:

• We had a lazy day today, and it seemed to really fly by. Milo played well on her own but still came over to me when I sat on the floor.

• Since she’s mobile now, and since we have done basically nothing to deter her, she loves to get into the bookshelf and pull on things; recently, she demolished an old children’s book that Chase is saving by pulling the spine off.

• A plumber came over to fix the bathroom sink; Milo was very interested, but he delayed her nap for an hour, so that wasn’t cool. Also, he is a non-native English speaker and had a very thick accent. It was so thick, in fact, that I had a hard time understanding him, which is impressive since I pride myself on being great at deciphering the messages of ESL students. Basically what I understood was that he replaced an old pipe and it was raining outside.

• Milo ate some spinach and lentils today and was very enthusiastic about it. I love that she eats more now!

• Milo can be cranky when waking up from a nap, which I totally empathize with (she’s my girl); she often looks grumpy and has a furrowed brow for several minutes, then she’s jolly again. I just hold her and say sweet things to her until she’s ready to be really awake. I know the feeling of not wanting to be awake yet. Oh, yes.

• Chase and I were up late this evening because we were excitedly talking about a house we want to buy! It’ll probably come to nothing, but it’s exciting to dream.

Day Two Hundred and Twenty

Cleaning

Our apartment is pretty perpetually messy these days, probably more because of me than Milo. But we made some good progress toward cleaning it up today: we cleaned the kitchen, washed clothes, listed items on Craigslist, donated some items to Goodwill, and sold a few things.

In an attempt to babyproof, we went to Target to get a baby gate. We also got her a carseat toy so that she’ll have something to play with when we’re in the car for longish periods (like on our real estate trips).

Later in the day, we went out for ice cream on Cole St. and stopped by the grocery store on the way home. Not a bad day. Pretty lazy in the afternoon.

Notes:

• Milo is more eager about food, though she still eats tiny amounts (about 1 oz) at each sitting. I was right about her having an increased appetite and not an aversion to the homemade purees, though.

• She is still trying to stand on her own; she gets really excited about things sometimes and smiles and laughs more than ever.

• More hair coming in, still light; no teeth, but loves to chew on everything still.

Day Two Hundred and Nineteen

Travel Crib

Milo was up at 8am again today, and we went out to pick up a travel crib from Craigslist. We figure that if we’re going to be doing some travel to Texas while house hunting, it’s better to own a travel crib rather than rent one each time. And it’s better to buy used when we can. So I’m excited to say that we have a travel crib now!

After picking up the crib, we went out to breakfast at a new place (which overcharged us and we didn’t notice until later). The food was pretty good. Milo got to eat some avocado, so she enjoyed that. She also spent a lot of time looking around at everyone around us. She even gave the side eye to the people sitting next to us.

When we got home, we let Milo sit in the travel crib (which is basically a pack n’ play, but lighter and easier to travel with) for a while, and she seemed to like it well enough. We put some toys in there for her, and she was content for a while. She stood up a lot and really tested the crib’s ability to withstand weight on the sides without toppling over. I’m happy with that purchase.

In the evening, we went to dinner with JP, Puja, and Avani at Parada 22, which is a little Puerto Rican restaurant over on Haight that we’ve somehow never been to. At the point when left for dinner, Milo had been awake for a while, but she was a trooper and didn’t get fussed during dinner. After dinner, we even went out for dessert crepes, and Milo managed to stay awake until we got home, which was right around her bed time anyway. What a girl!

Notes:

• Milo is sleeping later and going to bed easily, but she’s still waking up in the night about 2 times. Naps are great.

Day Two Hundred and Eighteen

Baby Props

We had baby sign language class again today (the new series began ³⁄₄, but I had food poisoning, so today was our first day back). Milo napped for 2 hours before class, and we had a heck of a time getting there on time due to delays on public transportation. Sometimes I wish it were easier to get across town without needing a car seat.

In class, Milo LOVED being around all of the other babies now that she’s mobile. She gave kisses to one baby right next to us, played with all of the toys that other moms brought, crawled everywhere, and didn’t cry at all. She was so active and eager to interact with the others! I was very excited.

Since it’s her first interaction with other babies now that she’s more mobile and is a bit older, I was a bit worried about how she would behave. She seemed a little possessive of some toys, probably because she’s never had to share with anyone before. But to be fair, many of the other babies were taking toys away from others. I think they’re just too small to know better yet.

The funniest moment came when she tried to stand up by using other babies as props, which was slightly embarrassing. But hey, she just wanted to stand up!

At one point, she grabbed the bare foot of the mom next to us, and I was terrified that she would try to put that mom’s toes in her mouth (she does this to us sometimes, and we always try to discourage it), but it didn’t happen. She got distracted by someone’s toy.

Finally, Milo went to bed super early tonight (compared to recent days), and Chase and I got to bed early, too. What a good day.

Day Two Hundred and Seventeen

Wild Thing

Notes:

• Milo continues to be a wild animal. Today she got under the bed to look around, pulled clothes out of the hamper and off of a table, and climbed over a mountain of stuff that we keep in front of the radiator to keep her away from it. She actually fell over when she reached for the exercise ball, but she didn’t cry. She just laid there on her back looking up at me, content in her exploring, I guess.

• For dinner tonight, we had steamed broccoli, and Chase had the idea to give her a stem to play with. We were curious about what she’d do with it. She chewed on it a bit, and we think she must have sucked out some of the core. She gave the same skeptical new-food face, but she actually seemed to enjoy it quite a bit, which made Chase super happy. He loves his broccoli!

• We also gave Milo spinach and potato baby food (store-bought), and she ate it up. She seems to like the store-bought baby food better than the home made stuff. Either that or she’s just more interested in eating than she used to be. I’m going to figure this out by giving her more homemade purees and seeing if she eats them with similar gusto.

• Naps are easy as pie now: she goes down in the crib, and I’m freed up to do other stuff. Naps are still inconsistent: sometimes 2 hours, sometimes 30 min, but I love having even that little bit of freedom during the day to relax.

Day Two Hundred and Sixteen

Late Sleepers

Milo woke up at 8 am today, and Chase and I didn’t know what to do with ourselves. So we just stayed in bed a little longer and enjoyed that time together.

For some reason, Milo refused to nap today; every time I tried to put her down, she just woke right up and started crying. So I put her in the crib with loud white noise. She cried for about 1-2 minutes and then was out cold. She slept nearly 2 hours in there, and it was the same for her second nap. My girl is getting better at napping, I guess. And I’m very excited about the prospect of her napping in the crib instead of on the bed!

We took another trip to the store in the stroller, and Milo was pretty quiet and observant this time. No fussing or crying, but not much talking or playing either. Just looking around and kicking those feet.

Chase got home early and we made dinner together while Milo was napping, which was nice. We haven’t had time in the kitchen without Milo in a while, so it felt good to just be together like old times.

Notes:

• Milo wakes up as soon as the white noise turns off (most of the time), which is why it’s so troublesome when the speaker shuts off during the night for no reason. Our replacement bluetooth speaker decided not to last the stated 15 hours (started shutting off after about 5-6 hours), so now we have to keep one plugged in all night, which is not ideal because it emits a light that might keep Milo awake. Also, it’s probably ruining the battery. But we do what we have to.

• Chase and I made Milo’s room darker, so now I think it’s easier for her to get back to sleep when she wakes up at 5am.

• Milo gives kisses (puts her mouth on my face) sometimes. I haven’t been able to get a photo yet because the camera distracts her, but I’m working on it.

• She still tries to stand and let go of what she’s holding on to. Has done this 2-3 times and stayed up only a millisecond before having to grab on to something again. Daredevil.

Day Two Hundred and Fifteen

Strolling

Notes:

• Milo was up at 7:30 again today, so I’m really hoping that maybe she’s getting back to normal with sleep. I can’t cross my fingers hard enough!

• During the day, she only had 3 30-min naps, which is far from ideal.

• I’ve been trying to give Milo more purees lately, so today I gave her some Winter squash that I bought from the store. She seemed to like it well enough; she ate it twice (afternoon and evening) and was pretty eager to keep eating as I presented the spoon. Fingers crossed that she’s becoming more interested in eating real food.

• I ordered a new sippy cup that has a straw-mechanism that doesn’t allow the liquid to exit the straw. It’s supposed to help babies (and kids) learn to drink from a straw because it’s easier for them to get the liquid out. Milo tried it today and was successful! She seemed to enjoy drinking the water, so maybe we’ll let her drink more now that she has a new cup.

• She continues to explore everywhere. Today she crawled under the exersaucer, and it was really difficult to get her out without bumping her head. But we did, and she went right back to it after I pulled her away.

• Chase and I have started keeping the stroller downstairs so that it is easier for me to use it when I’m going out during the day. So, we took a trip to the grocery store today, and Milo was not happy about being in the stroller for the first few minutes. She kept trying to lean forward and get out. After we got out of the building and I gave her something to hold on to, she settled down and seemed to enjoy the ride. I don’t think I’ll use it all the time, but it’s nice to not have to carry her from time to time.

Day Two Hundred and Fourteen

This girl is SEVEN months old today!!!

Ergo Naps

Notes:

• Milo was up at 7:30 this morning, which I’m again very grateful for. It’s kind of nice to sleep a bit later in the mornings after she had been waking us up so early.

• We went out with Natalie today, which was a ton of fun! We explored the Japanese Tea Garden (where Milo fell asleep), and then we went to the Botanical Gardens, which I’d never visited before. I found out it was free to explore the Botanical Gardens, so we’ll have to go back.

• After our walk in the park, we went to Burma Superstar (!!) for lunch, which was delicious as usual. They didn’t have a high chair, so I had to hold Milo the whole time, which was challenging. But I still enjoyed the food, and Natalie and I got to talk a lot, which was very nice. It’s so good to talk to another mom sometimes.

• Milo napped again as we walked after lunch, but it was another short one. So all total, she did get two naps in the ergo while we walked around, but I figure she slept a grand total of an hour. Not great, but I’ll take what I can get.

• While we were out today, I lost my phone in the park. It’s the first time I’ve done that! I realized it wasn’t in my pocket, so Natalie called it and we met an older couple who had just found it. I was so relieved!

Day Two Hundred and Thirteen

Bananas

Notes:

• Milo woke up later today, probably because of time change: she was up at 8am, but that’s really 7am, right? I’ll take it, though.

• This morning, I went to yoga for the first time in months and months. It kicked my butt, but it felt good to do something just for myself. While I was there, Chase took Milo to the store to get stuff for pie day tomorrow at work. She fell asleep while they walked, which is good. I was nervous that she wasn’t going to nap while I was away.

• At one point this afternoon, I suggested that we undress Milo and give her bananas in a bowl to let her experiment with feeding herself. Chase interpreted this as getting her totally naked (no diaper) and sitting her on the floor with the bowl of bananas in front of her. I went to the bathroom and came out to see her sitting naked on a select-a-size paper towel with bananas all over the floor in front of her. It was hilarious, and Milo loved every second of it. She peed twice and had a bath immediately after. But she did a great job of eating the banana, too.

• We let her play in the kitchen for the first time, and she didn’t disappoint with her exploring. She destroyed several paper bags and got into the drawers by the stove. This reminded us that we desperately need to work on babyproofing the apartment.

• Bed time was not easy tonight, and Milo cried herself to sleep for the first time in a long time.

Day Two Hundred and Twelve

Getting Bolder

Notes:

• Milo was up early (5:30) again; and again, I tried to feed her to get her to sleep, but no dice. She was up, and so were we, and she was the only one happy about it.

• We rented the car in our building and took a trip to Muir Woods with Paul and Natalie after Milo’s first nap. It was pretty great to be out, and we always love seeing the redwoods and breathing the clean, crisp air. Unfortunately, we forgot the ergo and stroller, so we had to carry her the whole time we were walking around. So, Milo didn’t nap until the car ride home, and even then it was only about 15 minutes. After that, she was refreshed and ready to go! So we went to get lunch (at Street Taco) and more ice cream (Smitten). Not a bad day.

• Milo is getting bolder now with her standing. Today, she stood up while holding onto a box that was leaning on the bolster. She sometimes tries to let go while standing, but she’s still too small for that and is very wobbly. But she’s brave, and we try to encourage her to climb and explore!

• Milo is also more active at night. She’s always in a different position when I go in to check on her during naps or in the morning, and when she wakes in the night to nurse, she’s often on all fours or standing.

• One thing we’re super proud of: we successfully got Milo to give high-fives. We’ve been practicing for a while, and today was the first time she really seemed to get it. She still doesn’t recognize the words as a cue, though; she just reacts to the hand in front of her. But it’s still a win!

Day Two Hundred and Eleven

Ice Cream

Notes:

• Milo was awake super early this morning (5:30) and she wouldn’t go back to sleep for anything. I’m hoping it’s just a phase and she’ll go back to sleeping a bit later soon.

• She didn’t have great naps during the day, which was disappointing because of how early she woke up. She was also pretty demanding during the day and very fussy. It was one of those days when she just wanted to be with me, and even holding her wasn’t easing the fussiness. Maybe it’s a growth spurt or teething?

• Milo and I are still battling it out every time she needs a diaper change. I try to give her a toy and keep her occupied while I make the change, and I’ve become pretty fast at getting the new diaper on there. But still, every time I get the new diaper on and go to put diaper cream on, she just starts rolling over and crying. Again, hopefully this is just a phase.

• Tonight we had dinner with Paul and Natalie at Little Star, which was pretty great. Milo is really good (usually) when we take her to restaurants, and since we don’t feed her at restaurants yet, she doesn’t make a mess. It was really nice to see Paul and Nat, and we even got to take them to BiRite for some ice cream after! I can’t wait until Milo’s big enough to start eating ice cream with us.

Day Two Hundred and Ten