The Fi and Vi Log: So, What’s New?

Well, let’s see, Fiona got her fourth molar and it looks like she’s getting another tooth on the bottom right, but she is not cranky or losing sleep at all. I am probably jinxing myself when I say this...she has been sleeping through the night and taking pretty good naps lately. It is possible that she grew a little today. Her appetite is back, and she now says “bububu”, “bwabwabwa”, and most importantly “muhmuhmuh”!

I am sorry I have not written anything in a while, I’ve been really busy. I am moving classrooms and I have been at school a lot. I’ve also been doing lots of planning for my classes and am almost finished writing all my tests and quizzes for September for one class. I’m getting more and more nervous, but also a little excited. Fiona is fine with my mom when I go to school for several hours a day, so I am not worried that she will miss me too much. A friend of mine offered to help me grade tests in exchange for mocha lattes. I told her I might take her up on the offer when I start getting overwhelmed.

I know this is late, but Happy Birthday to Grandpa Don! He is nine decades old! Hopefully we will be up there again sometime in the winter so Fiona can see him again.

Here are some videos and photos of Fiona lately. There is nothing really exciting. Mostly, they are of messes that she is making all over the house.

Playing under the lemon tree:

Eating an apple:

Emptying cabinets in the kitchen:

She also likes to pull things off the refrigerator. Everything that is accessible to her is child safe. We locked up all the sharp, pointy, breakable, or otherwise not child friendly things.

Still pulling things out of drawers:

But now she sometimes puts them back! I can’t believe the shirt she is wearing actually fits now. It was a Christmas present and she was swimming in it not too long ago.

Pulling things off the bench:

Sometimes I feel like all I do all day long is follow her around the house while she pulls everything out of drawers, cabinets, shelves, etc, and makes a big mess. Then she naps and I clean up. She wakes and the process is repeated. I used to think it was cute, now I just accept that my house will perpetually look like it was hit by a hurricane, with debris littered everywhere. Sometimes we leave the house just so I don’t have to clean up. You might be able to make out a stroller in the background. She uses it as a walker instead of her walking toy.

Here she is in a box:

She sat in it and I pulled her around, much to her delight and amusement.

She is really getting into books lately. I’m not sure if she is just bored with all of her toys or genuinely interested in reading. I read “Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See?” and “Moo Bah LA LA LA” as well as many other books (“This Is Not My Cat”, “Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You?”, for example) about ten times a day. I’ve started singing them just to break it up. I think I have most of her baby books memorized. She really like to turn the pages and play with them, so I am sticking with board books for now, but plan to introduce her to some of the books on the next shelf up.

I just did a nice purge of her drawers and closet and took out all the 6-9 month clothing that no longer fits because it is too short or too tight.

She really likes to put her head between her legs and look at the world upside down. I want to take a photo but I never have a camera in hand when she does it.

Today we went to the park and lots of fun things happened. First, I learned that Fiona really likes it when I run back and forth next to her when she is on the swing. She turns around and giggles at me. Also, HUGE grin the whole time! She loves the slide, and I can put her on it alone, laying her down so she slides on her back, and catch her at the bottom. Again, the result is a HUGE toothy smile. Then, a family with a large dachshund walked through the playground. I learned they were a grandmother and grandfather with four of their grandchildren. They were so enamored of Fiona, that they insisted on taking a photo of her with the grandkids and the dog. It was really weird, but sort of flattering. I thought the camera was digital and asked to see the photo, but alas it was a film camera and no one had a pen to write addresses so I could get a copy. I’m slightly regretting allowing it now. I’m consoling myself by telling myself that it is not all that different than having photos and video on a publicly accessible blog. After, the grandmother asked if Fiona and her friend Lyla were sisters.

Here are two videos of Fiona just being herself. She is eating grapes in the first, and yogurt in the second.