Selby at 1 Year

It is amazingly hard to believe that a year has gone by since they first put Selby in my arms. People have congratulated us on surviving a year and I tell them how lucky we've been to have such a good baby and that it hasn't been hard at all. Some of my friends don't like to hear me say that she sleeps until 7:30 am and is a good eater and smiles all the time. Who ever heard of a baby sleeping until 7:30 am every day? Sometimes even 8! The truth is--she has been such a gift to Tom and me, and our families.

That's not to say she's perfect. She has been sick twice this month (not that it's her fault) with a stomach virus and an appearing/disappearing blotchy-red rash. It's so sad to see her listless and not smiling. But, I have to say, she is extra cuddly when she's sick--so there is small upside (I know, bad mom). She now points to Tom and says Dada. She also says, to no one in particular, "Lookalookalookalooka." And she now will feed Nika her food from the highchair, which makes Nika happy and Selby laugh hysterically. Tom has scolded me for allowing her to do this because he doesn't want to teach her to feed Nika from the table (or maybe it's that he doesn't want Nika to get in the habit of begging for food?). Either way, it's so hard for me to stop this behavoir because hearing her laugh is the best sound in the world. (And I'm talking a full-on giggle.)

Her new tricks are waving good-bye AND blowing kisses, as well as climbing down a single stair. I know walking is just around the corner but she seems pretty hestitant to take a step without holding on to something. I think at least one or two more months. She is really becoming more and more of a person--talking and pointing to things and moving around. It's like a little more of the little girl she's going to become emerges every day.

Unfortunately, she had one of her stomach virus bouts the night before her big birthday party so we had to cancel it. Instead, we had a small dinner with just the immediate family, which turned out to be just perfect. Although she was tired by the time we sat down for our meal, she lit up when we gathered around her to sing happy birthday with a cake and candle. Apparently, she likes the song so we've since sang it to her at least twice a day since. Here are some photos of Selby with her best friend from the Big 1 celebration.

Happy First Halloween

We went to her first Halloween party. It was a first bday/halloween party for her friend Tomas. She LOVED her costume and was not interested in taking the hood down at all. It's a shame she only gets to wear it once.

Selby Loves Nika

As Tom and my mother would say -- at least someone loves that dog. I do admit to ignoring her (the dog) more frequently than I did before Selby was born. I doted on Nika before the baby like she was my first born. Tom warned me (and Nika) that my affection would be short-lived once Selby came along and I swore he was wrong. But he was right. Don't you hate that?

So, Selby. Almost 11 months. She is crawling at top speeds, pulling herself up on just about anything that's the right height and even standing on her own for short periods of time. She claps and waves. And -- my favorite-- when you ask her "How big is Selby?" she throws her arms up in the air and flashes a huge smile. It's pretty adorable. Also, she can climb up several flights of stairs, which is both exciting and scary. Another trait that's become even more pronounced is her fondness for crawling under or into things -- tables, chairs, her high chair, a bathroom cabinet, etc. Not sure what that's a sign of.

I just came back from shopping at the mall and every once in a while I'd find someone smiling and waving at Selby. Apparently she was smiling and talking to them and they were completely charmed. She's finally getting her top teeth in. I can see one, but think I can feel two. And her new favorite food is veggie burgers.

Help! I'm being chased by a meatball!

She is 10 months plus now, but at her 9 months check up on 9/7 (she was about 9 months 2 weeks) we learned she was stretching up and thinning out.

Weight: 18 lbs 3.5 oz 35%
Height: 28 inches 60%
Head: 17 1/2 inches 60%

Her thighs are still fleshy and her cheeks are still full. It's hard to believe our little meatball is only in the 35 percentile for weight. She is a great eater (we tried cottage cheese this morning and she scarfed it up). I always trying to think of new foods for her to try. We've had yogurt, chick peas, swiss cheese, turkey and avocado.

She's now beginning to copy us a little. We'll point to the dog and say "doggie" and she repeats it back (more or less), which is pretty exciting. We're still working on trying to get her to direct mamamamama and dadadada toward the right people (us!).

Here's a video of her chasing me.

Summer of Cousins

So much has happened in little Selby's life. Where to begin? Let's start with her mouth, and her tongue. She is constantly blowing raspberries and spitting and moving her tongue from side to side making all kinds of noises. Then, there's my favorite. I call it our little trick. I pat my mouth, as I go "ooooh" and I make these "oh oh oh oh" noises, and then I pat her mouth and she does the same thing. It's all very funny.

She also says "dadadadada" AND "mamamamamama", although neither is directed at Tom or me. Ok, next up.. she's crawling!!!!!

We were at my parents place in Quogue and she was rocking back and forth so much that we knew crawling was coming soon. She started with a few crab-like movements to reach a toy, and now she crawls a few feet. She is also pulling herself up. We are in trouble now!

She's also eating lots of real people's food like strawberries, pasta, watermelon and cheese.

We just got back from a week in Quogue with her cousins and she bonded with all her cousins.

On the only little downside is that she has her first really bad diaper rash. We are trying a whole host of creams but nothing seems to be helping. Hopefully now that she's in a dryer climate.. maybe it will do something? We have her 9 month doctor's appt. on Friday so maybe I'll learn more. Here she is on the beach. Will upload more photos later.

Going Bananas

She's about 8 months now and 17 1/2 lbs. We've decided that she's going to be a party girl (how could she not with parents like us?). At every party we take her to, she never sleeps. She's always happy and awake and not wanting to miss any of it. And no matter how little she's napped that day, she is hardly ever irritable or cranky.

She is still trying to crawl AND pull herself up to standing. She does this tuck and roll move when she's trying to cover some ground, after her attempts at crawling don't get her anywhere. She tucks her head under and rolls on her back. And then her stomach. And then her back. She rolls like a log across the living room floor. And is always very proud of herself when she gets to the other side.

I've been cutting up a banana and letting her feed herself. Yesterday I was so happy to discover that half of the banana pieces I gave her were gone from her high chair tray after about 15 minutes. I went to wipe her face with her bib only to discover that most of the pieces were in her lap. I think she ate about two. But that's better than nothing! Here she is with fistfuls of banana (warning: the photo quality is poor, your eyes are fine).

Selby's Summer So Far

We started the summer with an overnight trip to Breckenridge. She sweated on Tom's back as we did a grueling hike (at least it was grueling to me, and I didn't even have a baby strapped to my back). But she seemed to enjoy the scenery as she babbled for an hour before falling asleep. The next big summer event was a trip to NYC and Quogue over July 4th weekend while Tom was in Steamboat. Selby saw the ocean for the first time and really seemed to like it. I dipped her feet in the freezing water (water so cold that only cousin Alexa was brave enough to go in), but she just seemed excited as the waves washed over her chubby legs.

She is becoming more mobile and animated every day. She's not crawling yet, but this morning she pushed herself from her tummy to a sitting position. She's anxiou to move, though. You can tell by the way she reaches and scooches. And she's almost able to pull herself up into a standing position.

She's now taking about three food meals a day and is down to breast milk just in the morning and evening. It's a lot easier on me. I took her to a concert at the Botanic Garden this past Friday and she charmed everyone around her.

One somewhat concerning thing is that she's developed these red dots on her face, legs and arms. They seem harmless as she's not scratching or bothered by them at all. I'm taking her to a doctor on Monday just to have them checked out.

Selby Swims

Once again I've been remiss is posting about my amazing daughter. She's now eating two real meals a day (bananas and sweet potatoes seem to be winning out as favorites so far). Grandma came to visit last week and the two of them bonded big time. We had our first parent/tot swim class at the Cherry Creek Athletic Club and we've since been back to the pool two more times. She's pretty happy in the water but I suspect she thinks of the pool as a giant bathtub. She's also getting another tooth. Now the first little jagged edge has grown into a jagged stump. And last, but not least, she had her six month check up. Here are the stats followed by photos from Grammy's visit.

6/11/07

Weight: 16 lbs .04 oz 40%
Height: 26 1/2 inces 57%
Head: 17 inches 64%

Moab and Meaty Thighs

We got back last week from four days in Moab, Utah. Tom did a lot of hard core mt. biking while I hiked and did some damage at a local Arts Festival. We considered camping but opted to stay in a beautiful home rented by Betty Ann and Chip from Vail and their two boys Bryce and Luke. But, we did expose Sebly to camping. She hung out with all the boys at the campfire two nights in a row and was very chill while they shot a potato cannon at neighboring camp sites and drank enourmous ammounts of cheap beer. We definitely made the right choice to stay at the nice house.

We all did a couple of beautiful hikes, one in Moab called Negro Bill Canyon and one in Glenwood Springs. It was Selby's first long road trip and she was great. Although she was a little irritable the first few nights days, she got used to the heat and was eventually her normal awesome self.

Her big news these days is that she a. sits up by herself and b. is getting her first tooth! I can feel, and see, a little white jagged lump coming in. My news these days is that I've been diagnosed with Deguervain's Tendonitis, basically wrist tendonitis common among new moms caused by holding and picking up Selby. It sucks. I tried a wrist splint at first, but found it unbeleivable cumbersome. I'm now trying to rest it and take a lot of advil. Soon, I'll get a cortisone shot.

Check out those meaty thighs!

Lazy Saturday

So, I've been a very bad mommy and not writing in this Blog. So much has happened in this brief time.
1) We've since fed her peas, sweet potato and squash.
2) She pretty much sits up on her own!
3) She skooches everywhere. On her back or her front, she wiggles and slides her body to propel her in the direction she wants.
3) And I know you will find this hard to believe...but she said her first word. The other day our cleaning lady Fabiola s said bye to her and Selby looked at her and said "bah." I swear. Fabiola and looked at each other in awe and shock. We repeated the word bye back to her about 20 times, but she didn't repeat it again. I've since tried bye, buh bye, bye bye and bah bah about a hundred times but have not been able replicate the situation -- yet.

She continues to be an absolute joy. On the work front... Since it's been easier, and more enjoyable, than I expected I've increased my hours from 20 to 24 and now I'm going 30 hours a week. I'm only in the office 3 days a week and get to stay home with Selby the other 4. I really like the balance.

Here she is playing with Dad on a lazy hot Saturday afternoon.

Oh!

Selby is in a very funny phase now. She opens her mouth into a big O all the time, as if everything is very exciting to her. She's also in a chronic good mood, laughing and giggling all the time, except when she's hungry or tired. Sort of like her mom, at least the irritablity with being hungry or tired part.





Also, we started feeding her solids last week. And she's taken to it like a champ. Here she is eating rice cereal for the first time. We've since tried carrots and will be moving on to oatmeal this afternoon. It's so cool to see her eat and think about how we're introducing her to different textures and tastes for the first time.

Nudie Patootie

Big, or medium, milestone here this week. Two mornings ago she rolled from her stomach to her back. I was so happy when she did this she must've thought she won the lottery the way I was smiling and clapping. You see, all the books said she was supposed to be able to this little stunt by now and I had never seen her do it. Being the neurotic, yet loving, mother that I am, I was getting a little nervous. But, she did it. And now I'm nappy, and I need to watch her even more closely. Here she is this morning in all her fleshy glory.

Busy Baby

We started this Baby Boogie Music Class on Mondays at the JCC. Selby has taken to all the instruements.. that is she takes them and puts them in her mouth. On Fridays we do Book Babies at the libary. And starting in June we're taking a parent/tot swim class at the Cherry Creek Athletic Club. I'm thinking... this kid isn't even 6 months old yet and I already have her booked up. What's it going to be like when she's one. Or 15? Here's some recent photos. Finally, I captured a smile.

She sleeps alone

Big milestone this week. Selby is now sleeping in her room in her crib. Everyone had told us that it's important to have her sleeping in her room before 6 months. So, two nights ago we laid her down in her crib and snuck back into our room across the hall. I immediately missed her. Why can't we have her sleeping in our room? Suddenly it didnt' make any sense. But, we figured in the long run it's probably better that we get started now, although I'm still not sure why.

Also, she went to the doctor last week for her 4th month checkup/shots. Here are some old and new stats:

2 Month Check up 1/16

Weight: 11 lbs 5.2 oz 76 %
Height: 22 1/2 incues 69 %

4 Month Check up 3/30

Weight: 14 lbs 2.6 oz 58 %
Height: 24 1/2 inches 55 %

I told the doc that I found it hard to believe there were about 50% of the 4 month olds out there were chubbier than our own little chunky monkey.

Talk, talk

Selby is now chatting up a storm! Really. She'll stick her toungue out and say, "aaahhh" or "eeeehhhh" and sometimes "oooooh". I mimic her and she talks back and it's almost like we're having a conversation. Not sure why she thinks she must stick her tongue out to speak. And she's laughing now. She is so much fun. Tom was holding her above his head when she started to look a little perturbed. Then she threw up all over his shirt, and proceeded to crack up. Tom said it was the funniest thing and of course laughed right along with her. She's still into sucking just about anything that comes her way. And is especially fond of her fist. She was 4 months this past Saturday (17 weeks).. which means, ugh, another trip to the doctor for shots.

Selby's future is so bright...

...she has to wear shades.

Selby Finally Starts to Carry Her Weight (14 lbs)

As some of you may be aware, Selby has a father and Joelle has a husband, and they are also the same individual. And you also may be aware that I am staying home one day a week and hanging with the little one. Today, marked my fourth day home with the bambino and they have all been awesome. The days starts with a trip to Einsteins or Starbucks followed by computer work (if she is sleeping) and usually a house project or two. We have had adventures at the lumber yard (the girls at the service desk warned me about years 13-17), the assessors office (the ladies in the tax department laughed and said wait till she is a teenager), Target, the grocery store and, of course, Chipolte where the girls behind the counter all smile and talk about how "bonita" she is. As Joelle has noted, when you have a 3 month old in tow, everyone wants to talk to you! If i can just leverage her cuteness into 2 for 1 burritos or free guacamole at Chipolte I will be set!

It is truly a blessing to spend uninterupted time with her. Sometimes when I come home from work she is so dialed in to Joelle that she ignores Dad a bit. But on these days, she gives me unlimited suger (smiles).....priceless, and the roles are reversed abit. This afternoon I caught her grinning in her sleep, enough to melt your heart. And today we had a first, she held her bottle and fed herself. Little hands on a big, big bottle....priceless. Finally, she is starting to carry her weight.

First Trip to New York

We got back on Wednesday from our first trip to New York to visit her aunts, uncles, cousins, east coast friends and grandparents. It was a great success. We had brunch with my friends, enjoyed a visit to the MOMA and saw a movie (our first in the theater since Selby was born). My mother hosted a brunch for the family and her friends on Sunday. Selby was pulled, pushed and passed around like a joint at a Grateful Dead concert. Little Jamie, the youngest of all the cousins, was particularly interested in Selby -- holding her, touching her, etc. Honestly, I think she thought she was a doll. I would ask her "Jamie, whose baby is that?" and she would answer "Mine!" My dad was concerned that Jamie was going to stalk her.




Also, my parents were AMAZING babysitters. Tom and I went on our very first date since Selby was born. And then went on antoher one. We had a romantic dinner followed by live music. And the next night we had dinner with my sister and her husband (FYI, ALWAYS ask the price of a special before you order it. Or you might get stuck with a 4lb $90 lobster) and saw the bway musical Spring Awakening. A great, but exhausting, trip. Selby was just pooped!

Busy Morning

She dances, she spits up, she hiccups. A very busy morning.

Mornings with Selby

My favorite time of the day with Selby is after her first morning feeding. After sleeping 8-9 hours (she is the BEST), I feed her around 7 am in my bed and then bring her to the changing table in her room. She loves the changing table. She lies there staring at me until I smile or sing to her and then she breaks into a smile and sometimes a laugh. Tom once said she smiles with her whole body. It is the best thing in the world. I talk to her and she wiggles on the table, like she's dancing. I'm lucky that even on the days I work, I can still have this precious time with her before I take off.

Bhudda Belly Bathes

Who's got a Bhudda Belly full of jelly??

Selby's Wrap

We are having some technical difficulties with the aforementioned bath video. Maybe You Tube does allow people to upload nude videos even if it's just of an infant? Hopefully the issue will be resolved soon. In the meantime here is a photo of the girls getting ready for a walk around Wash Park. Selby is wearing a chic Moby Wrap. We hit the hiking trails in Boulder tomorrow.

Yesterday, I started work. My schedule is that I go in one day a week until March when I'll be working 20 hours a week, 2 days in the office and a half day at home. It's a great way to ease back into work and to ease my separation anxiety from Selby. Yesterday was not as bad as I thought it was going to be. I did miss her and couldn't wait to get home to hold her, but I survived. Tom watched her -- all day. He had a great time. I thought he might be bored or nervous, but he was neither. They had breakfast together at Einstein's and then chilled all day as Tom did house projects and Selby entertained him by smiling and cooing. Not sure if Selby was equally as entertained.

Selby Licks

11 weeks today. She is very into licking everything these days. When I put her in the Moby Wrap (like a Baby Bjorn) facing my chest, she takes a few licks of my jacket before settling in. I give her a stuffed animal -- she licks it. I smile at her and sing to her, she smiles back while sticking her tongue out. I don't really mind this phase because it's very funny and cute. Her other milestone (if you can call it that) is she's started kicking at the dangling toys on her bouncy seats. Some day I'll be proud of her for running a marathon or something, but for now I'm very excited that she's kicking her toys intentionally. Here's a photo of her this morning -- sticking her tongue out of course. Stay tuned. I'm about to learn how to download videos from our video camera and the first one to be uploaded will be one from bathtime. You cannot believe how many folds of flesh one thigh can have.

Selby Wakes

I'm backtracking a little here...but attached is a video of Selby waking up in Ixtapa. She took her first trip ever Jan. 20-27th when she was 8 weeks old. Do all babies struggle to open their eyes like this? I also wanted to keep track of Selby's stats. Last doc visit at 9 weeks 5 days she was 12 lbs 5 oz (a good eater, she is). Some of my nicknames for her are My Little Meatball (Tom loves that one), Bhudda Belly and Chubster. Tom's include Wigglewort and Sugar Plum. I also call her, simply, My Love.

Why Blog About Selby

Everyone says to take photos, take videos, take notes, etc. because you think you will remember it all, but you won't. And it's already true. Selby is 10 weeks old and can't remember the exact date she started smiling. She's been cooing for a few weeks, but just yesterday, during Superbowl Sunday, she really started talking up a storm. We don't know if she was cheering for Indiana, telling her Aunt Molly that she really did love her (even though she would break out crying at the site of her) or telling her mom to cut down on the brie and crackers. But she was definitely telling us something.

So since I'm on the computer for a good part of every day, I thought the easiest way to capture everything our beautiful and amazing daughter does is to do so online.