Happy Father’s Day!

Today is Father’s Day so Fiona’s father is guest-blogging on the Fi Log.

This morning Fi presented me with a nicely wrapped present before breakfast which she then took into the living room to unwrap on the couch. It was a protective case and stylus for the Kindle Keren gave me on my birthday.  How thoughtful of Fi! 

I made breakfast as usual (waffles and berries) and then we went our customary weekend morning excursion to Simone’s (for coffee, tea, and muffin) and then to Albertson’s (for food shopping which Fi seems to like mostly for the opportunity to buckle herself (over and over) into the cart). After returning home, Fi re-discovered actually playing in her sandbox and asked me for help in removing the cover rather than walking over it. The novelty of ‘kick ball’ and walking the garden walls seems to be wearing off so hopefully her sandbox will give her an additional backyard activity.  We then took a long walk around the neighborhood and when we returned Fi asked pointedly to ‘nap’ so off to bed it was at 11:30 where she immediately conked out.

Yesterday we went to a Johnny Cash tribute festival where there was a bouncy house with an second level that had to be climbed up to and then slide down from.  Fi was by far the youngest and tiniest child but she climbed up and slid down with great joy. I love our little peanut and am so proud of how she is doing.

Two Year Check Up

Yesterday we had Fiona’s two year check-up. She is 33 3/4 inches tall and weighs 23 pounds (give or take a few ounces). She is in the 50th percentile for height and 25th percentile for weight, so she moved up on both charts. They did not measure her head. She charmed the doctor by doing everything she was asked, and then pushing a stool over to a chair, using it to climb into the chair, and then proclaiming “Chair! Chair!” She also demonstrated that she knows what the letter Q stands for; Quiet, shh. Yes, she shushed the doctor. He said she was doing great and he was never worried about her preemie-ness.

Here are some photos from the week:

Flying saucer convention in our kitchen:

 

Oh, wait, it’s just Fiona taking all the lids out of the drawer:

She placed them all so carefully and deliberately, then in true Fiona style, put them all back:

I got her some dry erase crayons for her whiteboard box. They work well and erase very easily, and as a bonus, aren’t as messy or smelly as dry erase markers.

She stuck her hand in the way when I tried to take a picture of what she drew:

I’m still not sure if she will be right handed or left handed. I’m hoping left, John is hoping right. She draws with both hands and throws the ball with both hands. She eats with both hands, but seems to have a little more control with her right hand. I guess only time will tell.

We made another trip to the blueberry farm. Fiona fed the alpaca, sheep, goats, and chickens, and then we picked and ate blueberries. Fiona was very good about staying close to me and only eating the dark purple fruit. At one point she hugged me while I was reaching into a bush. It was really sweet.

So far, I’ve been enjoying being home with Fiona and she seems really happy about it. I enrolled her in a camp next week and I hope she likes it. Otherwise, there is nothing much new to report. Her language continues to develop and her new favorite activity is to go “outside, kick ball.” Sometimes we play catch too.

Wonderful Weekend

I still can’t believe the school year is over. Thursday was my last day at both work and school. I went to work Friday morning (after a very pleasant breakfast with Katie) to finish up a few things and say goodbye to a few people, then came home. John took the day off and we spent it doing not a lot. After Fiona’s nap, we went to the post office and to the hospital so I could drop off our gift for Fiona’s birthday (more K-Cups and nice K-Cup holders, plus some preemie clothes). They had a lot of critical patients, so I couldn’t really go inside and the nurses couldn’t talk to me for long. Then we came home and ate leftovers.

On Saturday, John let me sleep in. While I was dreaming of something (I can’t remember what), he was having a tea party with Fiona and he friends:

I guess he suggested it and she set it up. I know that is a picnic basket and not a tea party, but who am I to correct such a cute idea?

Fiona also finally finished her “Thank You” letters:

 

Also on Saturday, we decided it was time to make a change in our routine. Fiona’s sleep habits seem to have gone the way of the wooly mammoth lately. Bedtime used to be very easy – a bath or not, followed by nursing if I was home (or rocking by John if I was in class), then Fiona would hop out of my lap, walk to her crib and request to be put in it. She would roll over and go right to sleep. Every night. At about 7:30 if not earlier. But lately, she hasn’t been falling asleep for a very long time, lying in bed moaning, talking, singing, sometimes clapping, but not sleeping, for sometimes up to an hour. We tried pushing bedtime to 8, but it didn’t really help. Then I noticed that something else was amiss. Her naps were all over the place. Sometimes from 11 until 1, sometimes 12 until 2, sometimes 11 until 2 or later, sometimes she wouldn’t nap until after 3. Sometimes naps are two hours long, sometimes close to three.  I think the irregular napping was throwing off her night sleeping. So on Saturday, we decided that nap time was 12pm, every day, unless she is tired earlier. Otherwise, bed by 12. If she wants to lie there for an hour, that is ok, but we are no longer letting her nap past 2pm, or for more than two hours. And bedtime is back to 7:30. Fiona was more than happy to nap at 12 on Saturday.

When she awoke from her nap, we went for a run with her, then to Beach House Tacos on the pier. John and I each had a taco and Fiona ate guacamole and chips. Then we went to the beach and played for a long time, followed by a walk up California Street, over the highway. We stopped to watch the cars go by and waved hello at them. We made it to Main before turning around (Fiona was getting tired at that point) and returning home. We ate dinner, read some books, and had a nice bath. Fiona went to bed at 7:30 without a fuss and was asleep within 15 minutes. Success!

Here is a video of Fiona on the swing at the beach:

John, pretending he is in his sandbox at home:

Ringing the bells:

Fiona loves being upside down and also loves the squashes from the garden:

Please keep in mind that she snacked on raw zucchini and starburst squash a lot before reading what she had for lunch on Sunday.

Sunday Fiona decided to sleep in a little (i.e. she slept past 6:15 or 6:30). We had a pleasant morning, going to the coffee shop where she sits in her own chair and eats a muffin, then throws away the wrapper; going to the supermarket where she helps unload the groceries and puts them on the conveyer belt; coming home and playing outside. Fiona loves to throw and kick balls, chase the hula hoop, and help in the garden. Sadly, we discovered that ants colonized the sand in the sand table, so we had to dump it out. Fiona helped. We watered the plants and John did some trimming and some harvesting. Once again, Fiona went for her nap with no fuss, at 12pm. We woke her at 2pm (per our new routine) and headed out to Lake Casitas for the Ojai Wine Festival.

We took a slightly back way to get there that was nice and traffic free. Even though the parking cost $5, I still like this event a lot better than the Camarillo Wine and Food Festival. First of all, the staff is really friendly and welcoming, whereas at the Camarillo event, the staff can be a little brusque. Second, the Camarillo event does not allow children at all, even if they are not walking and are contained in a stroller or carrier. At the Ojai event, children under 13 are free and there is a great playground for them to play in. Third, the bands were better in Ojai and none of the vintners are allowed to sell anything. The Ojai festival is significantly cheaper, especially if you buy your tickets early (sadly we did not, as this was a last minute decision). The souvenir glasses are nicer and the pricing is tiered, so if you are not drinking you do not pay as much as if you are, unlike in Camarillo, where everyone pays the same whether or not they intend to drink. The Camarillo event has no designated parking and there is no real parking lot anywhere near the event site.

The downside of the Ojai Wine Festival is that, because it is much smaller, some of the wineries ran out of wine by the time we got there and closed up shop. There aren’t as many wineries, so the lines are longer, and the biggest one of all, the food is not free and there is a lot less of it. The cost of a ticket for the Camarillo event includes all food and drink and there is plenty of both, but in Ojai, only the drink is free, but not the water and not the food. Still, we enjoyed it tremendously and will probably return next year.

Here are photos of Fiona enjoying a barbequed chicken Caesar salad:

She ate a lot of the lettuce too, but by then I stopped taking pictures of her eating. She also ate a skewer with basil, fresh mozzarella, and tomatoes. She ate a lot at this event. And yes, she wore a little backpack that held her binkie. She didn’t mind it because she was able to close the buckle by herself. I’m trying to get her used to wearing it so I can get her to carry her own water and snack if we go for a hike or a long walk.

She was a little bit overwhelmed by the crowds and noise, so I carried her for a little while:

Then she discovered the play structure and was in seventh heaven:

  

She went down the big slides and ran around and generally had a ball, smiling the whole time. It was nice to sit down and watch, even if it was a little nerve wracking. John was standing with her when she climbed up the structure, but that was the only time either of us helped her. Otherwise, she took the stairs. Sniff . . . she’s growing up.

Eventually we decided to call it a day and came home, singing our own little songs and clapping along. I made dinner while John and Fiona played in the backyard. Fiona ate more vegetables at dinner, then we had some quiet play time before bed. Except it took her over an hour to fall asleep. She complained that something hurt. We heard her talking and saying “owe owe, hurt hurt.” We could not figure out what it was, but then John gave her a teether and she revealed that her teeth and her ears hurt. We’ve seen a lot of finger in the mouth again lately, so I have no doubt her last two teeth are coming in. I just hope they do so quickly. She’s been eating really well lately and I don’t want to lose that momentum. Poor baby.

Here she is, shortly before bath time, choosing a book:

 

By the way, these photos, though fuzzy, are no accidents. Fiona actually POSED for them, scrunched up face and all. She was playing alone in her room, choosing books, and I guess she thought she was being funny. I came into the room with the camera and these are the poses she struck. She is definitely developing a sense of humor.

All in all it was very nice weekend, spent as a family, and I am sad that John has to go back to work tomorrow. I feel that he should have a vacation whenever I do, so the three of us can go galavanting about town together.

She is sleeping now, hopefully all night long. Tomorrow is officially my first day of vacation. I already have most of the week planned and hopefully those plans will come to fruition, but we all know about the best laid plans of mice and men . . .

Please pray, or cross your fingers, or whatever you do, that Fiona’s teeth make a speedy entrance and end this indomitable phase we call teething.

Have a great week!

Sleeping Beauty

Two!

2010:

2011:

2012:

Today is Fiona’s second birthday. I felt like the day was more special for me than for her because she doesn’t even know what a birthday is. We did not have a party because I do not have time to plan one. I still have a week left of both school and work, the last couple of weeks and the next week have been/will be very busy for me, and well, I really think the party would be more for me than for her anyway.

We started the day with a cuddle and then present opening. Fiona seemed to like everything she got and played with all of it for a long time. Then she ate a good breakfast and we went to our favorite coffee shop. She really wanted to go to Albertson’s (the supermarket) and even started saying “Albertson’s” (it’s what we do every weekend, so it is kind of like our routine) so we went there and bought her a cupcake. We went to Bed Bath and Beyond to buy some NICU gifts that I wanted to deliver, then came home.

Fiona was crying a lot and acting tired and having a lot of mini tantrums, which is unlike her in the morning. She seemed tired, was refused to nap, so we put her in the car and went for a drive. She fell asleep very quickly and we made it all the way to Santa Monica, a place of heavy traffic. We turned around and Fiona woke up sometime on the way home. Originally we wanted to go to a farm, but then plans changed and we thought we would go to lunch, but it was so late by the time she woke up (about 3pm) and she was so grouchy, that we decided to just go home.

At home she seemed ok, we ate an early dinner of leftovers from last night, and then gave Fiona her cupcake:

For the record, she prefers healthier fare. This cupcake was not very good and what you see in the video is pretty much what she ate. She loves salad, hence the joke about giving one to her instead of cake. I never knew how stressful feeding a child can be. It’s one of those things no one ever tells you about. Fiona is not a picky eater per se, but she doesn’t generally eat a lot. It seems to me that she eats less than other children and is satisfied sooner. Or, she will take a few bites of pasta or meat, then eat a horse’s share of tomatoes, lettuce, strawberries, and other fruit. All of her food and snacks are really high in fat, or else I think she would not gain weight. It used to be that if she lost a few ounces due to illness or teething, she gained back a pound when she recovered. Now she gets sick or teethes and doesn’t eat for a couple of days, loses a pound, and spends a month gaining it back, only to have something else disruptive happen. Most of the time I do not let it bother me and her weigh in tonight (yes, we still weigh her once a month) was really good, but her behavior today indicates something is bothering her, and if it’s teeth again…grrr.

Anyway, here she is dragging her new toy dog around:

 

My mom asked her if the dog had a name and she said “doggie.”

Starting to write her thank you notes:

Examining clothes and trying them on while I yawn in the background:

 

She LOVED the art supplies:

And made a big mess all over the place with chalk and colored pencils. Oops, I guess that’s why they don’t suggest using them until the child is at least three years old. Such is life.

She discovered that Links make nice bracelets.

She really likes the puzzles she got from my mom and made us put them together so she could take them apart again. She tried putting pieces together but is still a little young to do it.

She liked the cooking utensils:

She spent some of the morning with the paper:

   

All in all it was a typical Sunday for us. I feel a little guilty not doing anything really special for her, but she was so grouchy all day, glowered at us a lot, refused to nap, crying at the drop of a hat, and generally being really emotional, that I don’t think doing anything public would have resulted in a pleasant experience. She seems to be able to show a good face in front of others, but you never know, so I am glad we did not risk it. After I am finished with work and school I might have a meet up at my house in the afternoon. I just need to get through the next week.

Happy Birthday Fiona my love! I love you more than ANYTHING, more and more each day. You never cease to amaze me, entertain me, teach me, and make me melt with one look from your beautiful eyes or one cry of “Mommy”. I look forward to watching you grow and develop and become whoever it is that you will be when you grow up. But for now, you can stay little and cute. Love, Mommy.