Developmental Update

Fi’s NICU developmental follow-up went very well. I picked her up at school and we went directly to the hospital, where we had lunch in the cafeteria. I brought a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and carrots, and Fi brought her challah from class. After lunch, we signed in and then waited for our appointment. We were seen by Daneen, who was Fi’s Occupational Therapist in the NICU. For some reason, even though Fi only sees Daneen once a year, she loves her and reacts very positively toward her. We think it is because she remembers Daneen’s voice from her very early days. Fi did everything she was supposed to and then some, and Daneen said she is doing things that are very age appropriate for a three year old and even some things that are good for a four year old. We have some things to work on with Fi, like holding a pen or pencil properly (which is not something she really needs to be doing right now, but if we want to work anything, that is something we can do). Fi was measured and is now 36 inches tall. Dr. Van Houten, the neonatalogist, gave us his stamp of approval and several times mentioned how cute Fi is. The appointment was over very quickly because Fi did everything she was supposed to right away, so we went upstairs to the NICU to show some of her old nurses how big she is getting.

In other news, I made lemon bars for the first time. John got Family Circle magazine in the mail for some weird reason, and it was accompanied by a sample of allrecipes.com leaflet with recipes for lemony things. I decided to try the lemon bars because they seemed easy enough. I used three Myer lemons that my mom gave me from her tree, and let me tell you, they were heavenly.

I can’t believe how delicious they were! I wasn’t even sure they were going to work. The directions said to cut butter into flour until it was the consistency of pie dough. I’ve never made pie. I don’t know what that looks like. The closest I came to anything like this were my many failed attempts at home-made biscuits. I wasn’t confident. But they were amazing! I used a European style butter that I buy at the butcher’s and the crust was light and flaky, yet oh so tasty. The pan was a 9x13. I cut out a few to give my parents and we took the rest to my friend’s house for dessert. There were none left at the end of the day. Now I’m waiting on more lemons so I can make them again. Here is the recipe for anyone interested:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Lemon-Pie-Bars/Detail.aspx

I used the zest from all three lemons.

Fi Helped me with dinner tonight:

 

Please pardon the PJs.

There is so much that Fi is doing and saying these days, I lose track of it all. She is becoming a regular conversationalist and very helpful whether it’s cooking, cleaning, or helping at the supermarket.

I love this girl soooooo much!

End of Break

I’m going back to work on Monday and I’m sad. I feel like this spring break has been the best week I’ve had in a looooong time. Fi and I went to visit John at work, went to the zoo with Nicole, Caz, and Kaleo, spent several hours playing at my friend’s house with her daughter and some other friends, had Fi’s first dentist appointment, saw whales, and today, had a lovely family outing to a state beach not far from here. I feel like we really bonded in a way we never have before. Fi seemed so happy this week and had very few tantrums. I don’t think she needed any cool-downs at all Thursday or Friday, and has been napping really well.

Today began with Fi reading the tide pool book with John, then making a tea party for her dolls:

 

Note the clever reuse of Simone’s coffee cup sleeves:

After our usual Saturday morning trip to Simone’s, Albertson’s, and the butcher, we decided to go on a hike on the trail behind city hall. We got into the car at 11:30 aaaannnd Fi quickly fell asleep. So we decided to keep on driving, and we found ourselves in Santa Barbara. We kept on heading north in search of Jalama Beach, a beach that is supposed to be very beautiful and happens to be on a calendar we have. Fi woke up before we got there, and we didn’t find it anyway (too far away), so we turned around and went to El Capital State Beach. The line of cars to get in was long and not moving, so we did another U-turn and went to Refugio State Beach. I know people who camp there and love it, but I never went there, and I’m glad we finally checked it out. It was a gorgeous day and the beach was wonderful!

We spent some time looking at the wild-life and poking it in the mouth:

 

Some of the muscles were HUGE:

Neat colored rock (due to algae, according to John):

We had some snacks:

A lovely view:

A look down the beach:

 

Who are these jokers?

I think they got dressed together this morning.

Not sure what this is exactly:

Fiona enjoyed climbing a lot:

 

 

She has some pretty good slab moves.

“Wash my hands!”

The rocks all lean toward the land, as if the wind was pushing them over:

My baby:

Some sort of eggs:

Checking out a little crack:

Someone had shellfish for lunch:

More of the beach:

It was such a nice visit, we spent about three hours there. We plan to return because it is not far away and we are thinking about going there for a first camping trip for Fi.

When we returned home, my parents came over and we ate a delicious dinner, prepared by me, in the backyard:

Fiona and my mom had a fun time playing in our new hammock:

It’s been such a fun week and I can’t believe it’s almost over. I’m sure I won’t be blogging again for a while because I won’t have time, but mostly, I’m sad that I won’t have all the time to play with Fi. She is growing up so fast and I miss her so much, even when she is sleeping. John and I discussed how our lives have been enriched by having Fiona. I hope the coming week is not too difficult for her.