Suddenly Selby

Selby Reads

2012-02-06T13:44:00.001-08:00

It's really the most amazing thing so far, I think. She is actually reading to Tom or me every night. Granted the books, words and sentences are very short, and not very interesting. But the fact that she can read an entire book to us gives both her and us a lot of joy. We started with the first series of BOB: Early Reading Books. She quickly went through all 12 books and was very ready for more so we ordered the next level, which she's read half of already. It's like you think this will never happen and then -- boom -- it does.

I'm feeling especially attached to her these days knowing our time as a unit of three is quickly approaching the end. WIth baby #2 due this Sunday, our days are really numbered. I have a few mommy/daughter afternoons planned this week. Then my parents show up on Saturday and The Donut shows up on Sunday!

I'm doing my best to prepare Selby for what it will be like with a new baby in the house. She seems to be taking it in stride, but who knows what it really will be like? I certainly don't. I'm sure we'll have moments of jealousy, but hopefully they're not often or long.

Here are some photos from a great photo shoot with did with Sheri. I can't stand how adorable she is.

Science Experiment Success

2012-01-13T15:38:00.000-08:00

I wish I had photos of Selby's science experiment but I was too busy helping her to take any. But watching her put it all together was soooo adorable and, fortunately, a success. It's surreal to see her grow as a student, as well as a little girl. She's now able to do simple addition and subtraction and we just got her these first reader Bob books, which she reads TO US. It's amazing to watch her sound out the words, and to see her self-satisfied smile when she figures it out and finishes a book (granted the books are about five pages). My other favorite Selby thing these days is listening to her sing The Lion King. She's learning a lot of the songs by heart, which I'm not allowed to sing with her in the car. "No singing Mama!"

Here she is with one of her favorite holiday gifts (a matching pajama set for her and her American Girl Baby).

Resolution to Write More about Selby (and, eventually, her Sibling)

2012-01-03T15:34:00.000-08:00

Once again I'm making the resolution/commitment to write more about the amazing Selby. Trust me, it's not for lack of subject matter. She is continuously funny and wonderful. Tom and I frequently say out loud how blessed we are to have such a good-natured, funny and absolutely adorable little girl. For some reason (maybe the impending birth of her sibling), she has been incredibly loving these past few months. At least a couple of times a day she'll say, out of nowhere, "I love you mommy (and then daddy if he's around)."

Today, the plan was to send her on a school field trip as part of winter break camp (her school resumes tomorrow). Because neither Tom or I was going on this trip, as one of us usually does during the school year, she decided she didn't want to go. I told her she could stay home with me and I would kiss and hug her all day long with one movie break. "Ok, let's do that," she said as she crawled into my lap to be kissed and hugged. So I gave her a little sample and asked "Won't this get boring?" and she answered "When I get bored I can watch a movie!" I did eventually convince her to go on the school trip and she, eventually, happily went because her friend Saige was going as well. But I think we both missed out : )

And then there's The Donut ... scheduled to arrive on 2/12/12. Selby will kiss my belly and say good morning and good night to it almost every day. I'm excited to give her a sibling, but nervous about all of our adjustments to having a needy newborn. But, Selby is definitely excited about it and I'm trying to prepare her as best as I can. Here are a few recent photos of her:

Proudly sporting a stach on mustache night in Puerto Vallarta.

Multitasking in PV

My little ballerina.

With Adrian, her assistant teacher and possibly first crush, after her Winter Concert performance.

With her buddy Jada and new favorite stuffed animal Nahla.

My Little Swimmer

2011-08-01T14:38:00.000-07:00

Finally, finally, Selby has taken to the water. And she won't get out. She is loving the pool these days now that she's gotten the hang of being underwater -- and swimming a little bit. She can jump in and swim to me, or the edge. She's got the beginning of a crawl stroke going. She even jumped off the low diving board at Skyline! It's really great for her, and for my anxieties over her falling into a pool. This is the beginning of great things! Here she is on the low dive.

Also, some other fun summer photos of her at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science at the Pirates exhibit and dressed as Spinach (cute, but don't ask), and with her friend Sophia wearing matching bathing suits.

Happy Birthday Grandma and Tom!

2011-06-28T14:38:00.000-07:00

Daddy's Little Girl

2011-06-20T08:52:00.000-07:00

Selby is so funny. Really, she makes us laugh every day. For Father's Day, I bought this make-your-own mug from Michael's. Selby colored in "I Love You Dad!" and then we inserted it in the mug and covered it with a plastic shell. She called Tom into her room the night before Father's Day to tell him that she made him a mug but it was a surprise and he couldn't see it, as she held it up to him. She then slept with it to protect it. The next day we made him a card and she had me spell out what she wanted to say "You're the Greatest! I Love You! Happy Father's Day" Well, that's not really funny but it's really adorable.

The day before Father's Day we went to the Highland's Street Fair where she played with our friend's two-year-old daughter for most of the afternoon before hitting the kids play area. I was very surprised that she wanted to do the trampoline/bungee thing. We waited in line for about an hour (or what seemed like an hour) while we watched kids jump and somersault. She was completely entertained watching and had no fear about jumping herself. Of course as soon as it was her turn, she realized she had to go potty. But after a bathroom visit, she got strapped in and not only bounced but continually somersaulted! Well worth the $6 and hour wait, pretty much.

Sisters from a Different Mister

2011-06-15T13:47:00.000-07:00

Talya and Selby look so much alike, I kept getting them confused. Granted Tayla is smaller, but she's also wearing Selby's old dress. Having fun at Sheri's 50th this weekend.

The Graduate

2011-06-13T13:37:00.000-07:00

Strangely enough, I didn't tear up at Selby's pre-k graduation. I smiled a lot and felt immense joy, but was not vaklempt. It did make me think, though, that I vaguely remember my pre-k, or nursery school (at is it was called back in the day) graduation. I remember sitting in a tiny chair with a little cap on. Johnny Biener was there. Jill Katz, too. It's really just a fleeting snippet of a memory, but it might have been my earliest one. So that means that the events in Selby's life going forward from now on might serve as her earliest memories. I guess Tom and I better not screw up from here on.

I just looked at my Hooks Lane Nursery School photo that someone posted on Facebook and remember most of those kids. Although I don't keep in touch with any of them, I do keep up with some of them via their parents or other mutual friends.

Who of the children in Selby's class will she still keep in touch with in grade school, high school and beyond? Here are some photos from her graduation and last day of school, and a group shot of my nursery school class. Try to find me.

Encore, Encore!

2011-06-06T13:43:00.000-07:00

The International Bash encore performance.

International Bash

2011-06-06T13:30:00.000-07:00

Selby and her class performed a ballet number at her school's annual International Bash. You know you're a parent when you get such great joy at watching your child lamely perform a choreographed dance number. After the performance, Selby and some of her friends did an encore. Of course she wore that tutu all day and then later that night at a Crawfish Party. I had to pry the filthy thing from her smelly body.

Pay No Attention to the Man Behind the Curtain

2011-06-06T09:07:00.000-07:00

Friday night, tired and not in the mood to go out, Selby and I had a girls night in. We watched one of my all time favorite movies, The Wizard of Oz. I pretty much never watch movies with Selby at home because her movie time is my free time, but on Friday I asked her "Do you know why I'm going to watch this movie with you?" Selby: "Because you're so tired?" Me: "No, because it's one of my favorite movies!" But Tom was working that night and she wasn't that far off. It was really a pleasure to share this cinema moment with her. The next morning when I went in her room, she pretended to be asleep, but was muttering "There's no place like home," with smirk on her face. It made me smile. I can't explain the feeling it brought me to watch this classic with her. It was very similar to the first time we listed to the CD Free to Be You and Me. Can't wait to watch Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with her (the original, of course)!

The Little Giver

2011-06-03T13:33:00.000-07:00

First I want to talk about how much fun I'm having doing arts and craft projects with Selby. It's this whole new side of me that I never knew existed. I've always been a lover of books and theater, but now Selby is bringing out my inner creative artist. Probably the fact that she loves painting and crafting makes me like it more, but it does feel good to create things. We've made mobiles, magnetic picture frames, rings, necklaces, etc. I actually get excited about going to Michael's Craft Store.

Secondly, I want to talk about how amazingly generous Selby is. I don't know where she gets this from but she always (ALWAYS) wants to give her friends and others presents. When she makes something, her first thought is who to give it to. We were making a treasure box out of popsicle sticks the other day and after spending quite a bit of time on it, she immediately wanted to give it to her teachers. Then she started drawing and putting stickers and sparkles on extra sticks and wanted to give them to all the girls in her class. Well, actually she wanted to give a few sticks to her favorite friends but I explained that if we gave it to one or two girls we'd have to give it to all of them. How would she feel if she didn't get a present from Lily but Bela did? She understood immediately and decorated more sticks. I decided they were bookmarks (a better present, I think, than just fancy sticks) and she happily wrote her name and each girl in her class's name on them and we gave them out the next day.

Unrelated to the above, here she is in her beautiful flower dress in our beautiful garden this weekend and one of us at a BBQ.

Makes me smile.

Selby and Snakes and Lizards -- Oh My!

2011-05-23T15:20:00.000-07:00

We went to the annual JCC Family Festival yesterday and had a ball and stayed, as usual, until the very end. We saw our friends Eric and Ari, Nancy and Emmett, Rich and Alexandra/William and a few other old BMH friends. We did face painting, animal petting, rocket firing, jumpy castle jumping, train riding and bagel and cream cheese eating (three mini ones!). But the most amazing thing was the snake and iguana petting. Selby was a bit too comfortable petting and squeezing and teasing the gigantic boa constrictor. And then when it came to the giant lizards, she kept cradling them as if they were here dolls. I had to put my foot down when she started kissing the the blue-tongue that was darting in and out of the lizard. Not only was she holding them like a baby (as her dad instructed her to do earlier in the day) but she was giving all the other kids instructions and lessons on holding it, as if she worked for the animal handler. It would've been hilarious if it weren't so disgusting.

Father Daughter Dance: The Money Shots

2011-05-19T11:08:00.000-07:00

Shall We Dance?

2011-05-16T11:31:00.000-07:00

Last night was the annual DMIS Father Daughter Dance. I admit I was a little jealous. How fun to get dressed up and go dancing with Selby and all the other DMIS moms? I did get some good photos. Unfortunately, the ones below are not them. The good ones are on Tom's camera, which means there's a good chance no one will ever see them again. These are from my iPhone, and they'll do the trick for now.

Unrelated to the Father/Daughter Dance ... Selby brought up the subject of death (as she would say: for real). It went something like this:

Selby: I'm little so I'm not going to die for a VERY long time.
Me: This is true.
Selby: Ammy is old. She's going to die before me.
Me: Yes, Ammy is older than you but I don't think she's going to die for a long time.
Selby: Good.

And then one last Selby nugget. After dinner the other night: "Mommy, I like dessert." Me: "No shit." Kidding, I didn't really say that. But I thought it.

Mama's Day

2011-05-09T09:19:00.000-07:00

Before I describe our great mother's day, I have to brag about Selby grasping a concept about age. We were in the car talking about Emerson's birthday...

Selby: He's going to be 5 or 6, right?
Me: He'll be 5
Selby: So he's older than me, right? Because I'm going to be 4 1/2?
Me: Yes
Selby: So, when you had a baby in your belly, Emerson was already born, right?
Me: That's right! You are so smart!

It's a simple concept, but pretty cool that she put it together, right?

Mother's day was great, as expected. Brunch at the Kirk's, prepared by David, to order. Flowers from Tom and a bunch of gifts and cards from Selby. She sort of piled them in front of me in the middle of breakfast and then told me I couldn't open them until everyone was finished eating. Breakfast was followed by swimming with family and then a hike and dinner with Amy. I've said it before but I'll say it again...I really think Mother's Day needs to be more of a week.

Here's princess Selby from the Steele Street School Fair this weekend.

New York, New York

2011-05-04T07:52:00.001-07:00

We just returned from a great trip to New York. My mom had Selby to herself for three full days while I attended a journalism conference and did NYC things, like go to the Museum of Modern Art, "do" coffee, and meet friends for dinner. Selby was a natural city girl, riding in cabs, buses and subways and walking the streets of New York. In the subway, she only wanted to hold the pole, and not sit, for some reason -- and then wave and smile to Grandma who was sitting down. She LOVED spending time with her cousins. We were lucky enough to be in town for Sophie's third birthday. She also got to play with Izzie, Jaime and Alexa. Unfortunately, we missed Eric and the other brood of cousins but we're looking forward to seeing them over the summer. Waiting for photos from Grandma since my camera didn't work, but here's a subway and bus stop shot. She's like the happiest public transportation rider ever.

My Intention for the Week/Year

2011-04-26T12:27:00.000-07:00

I was reading Meagan Francis's blog The Happiest Mom about setting a parenting intention for the week. She talked about how most of us have the best intentions when it comes to our kids, but sometimes life just gets in the way. She suggested that we all set a simple intention for the week involving being a better parent, or at least that's how I interpreted it. I loved her post because I think just setting one intention for the week helps with mommy guilt overload -- read more, cook healthier food, swim more, bike more, hike more, etc. I'm exhausted just thinking about all the things I should do, but don't do enough. So, right here and now -- my intention for this week, and hopefully one that will last for years -- is to get back to writing regularly in this blog (at least once a week). There I said it. Now I need to stick with it!

So that was my intention and here is the latest Selby news. Where to begin? I'll start with her newish habit of singing, and sometimes dancing, loudly and often alone. She often sings to herself in bed, in the car, in the living room, etc. Sometimes the songs (all Selby originals) are in English, sometimes in Spanish, and often in Spanglish. She is adorable but, I'll admit, not a very good singer. I can't really attest to her songwriting prowess because I'm either laughing too hard, or I just don't understand what she's saying. Check out my little American Idol wannabe.

Grandma's Visit

2010-10-26T12:53:00.000-07:00

Grandma Carol came to visit last week during Selby's fall break (uh, I don't remember having a fall break when I was in school. Isn't that what Thanksgiving is?). It was a great time to break out the pumpkins to carve and for Selby to spend some quality time with Grandma (while I spent some quality time without them). They visited the Aquarium, Target (Grandma's fave), the playground and with Ammy Jean.

Now she's back at school and happy to be reunited with her friends, and away from Grandma's tushy pinching I'd imagine. She seems to pick up more Spanish every day and has even incorporated some Spanish words into her nonsense language. Here's my little mermaid all dressed for swim class. Unfortunately, she decided not to go in the pool that day. Maybe she didn't want to ruin her hair?

Hoola Hooping in Aspen

2009-09-09T09:12:00.000-07:00

Selby Loves Lulu

2009-06-14T14:36:00.000-07:00

I, unfortunately, left Lulu at the bottom of a Target shopping cart. By this time, Lulu was so dirty and grungy, I'm sure the staff at Target just assumed it was meant for the garbage. So it was not surprising that she didn't turn up in the lost and found. But now...we needed another Lulu since Selby realized she was missing later that night. I took her to the doll aisle in Target a few days later and let her choose. She was overhwhelmed by her options. "Oh, I want that one and that one" she shouted as she pointed to a doll that burped, a doll that cried and a doll that crawled. She lined them all up on the floor and kept bouncing from one to the next trying to make up her mind (after suggesting we buy two). Finally, I let her know that her time was up and she had to choose one.

She chose the same doll that I had left in the shopping cart. She recognized her as her long lost Lulu (although much, much, much cleaner). Instead of choosing a fancy burping, peeing, eating doll...she chose a doll that does nothing, but gather dirt. Oh well. We took Lulu home and it was like a reunion of two old friends. Selby held and rocked her. Put her to bed and threw her over her shoulders like a "sack of potatoes".

Here's a vide of the two friends, and some photos of Selby in the morning.

Pull Out the Pullups

2009-05-18T14:54:00.000-07:00

Two sort of related stories about Selby this week. First off, she was all about the potty and pullups earlier in the week. For some reason she decided that she did not want to wear diapers anymore. She insisted on underwear, which she wet within seconds. I convinced her to try pullups (not that she was ready for these either since she has yet to do her business in the potty) since I thought this would be better than pissing on herself all day (or worse!). She was all about sitting on her new Dora potty, at home and school (I bought one for school because she often says "my potty is at home" ... not realizing all potties will work for her) and wearing pullups (still not doing anything of note in the potty...although at school they think she did at least once). But by the end of the week she seemed content to go back to diapers (which we insisted she wear at night) and lost interest in the potty. Oh well. Seems like we're not as close as I thought. My mom claims that I was not potty-trained until I was three (I don't believe her).

Second story involves her reading preferences (the stories are related only because Tom claims she reads on the potty like my someone, who will go unmentioned, in my family). She is very into the New Yorker! I'm serious! She asks for it by name, although she pronounces it "Newkia", and then browses each issue looking for the comics, which she discusses in detail. "Him not wearing a shirt!" or "She's closing the door!"

Here we are at a party this weekend wearing her favorite Jamie dress and new glasses (I'm in the photo, too, btw). She did not seem to mind that she was the only child there. The other photo is of her reading -- what else -- the New Yorker!

The Secret's Out

2009-05-11T14:47:00.000-07:00

What happens in Vegas (or while on errands with Dada) apparently doesn't stay in Vegas anymore. The night before Mother's Day while we were entertaining our friends Charlotte and Reid, Selby announced "Dada got Mama flowers!" I looked at Tom and he grinned sheepishly and said "I don't know what you're talking about, Selby." Well, now we know. Our secret, whatever it maybe, is no longer safe with Selby.

Here she is celebrating Mother's Day, and a bowl of chocolate ice cream, with Ammy, and a pink stringy thing.

Selby Takes Manhattan

2009-05-04T10:51:00.000-07:00

We just returned from a 10 day trip to NYC to visit family, friends and for me to attend a writers' conference. My social Selby had a great time being doted on by Grandma and Papa, and Aunt Nancy and just checking out all the peeps walking around the big city. She LOVED riding the subway to visit Kellie, Nick, Sophie and baby Jasper in Brooklyn. And she made friends with everyone on the bus when my mom took her to visit cousins Stef, Izzie and Sophie. Her vocab is pretty impressive these days and her grasp of concepts is amazing.

We had Edmond and Marla and their four kiddies over (although Marla doesn't admit to having four children, she prefers to think of them as two sets of two since she has two sets of boy/girl twins) last night and the older set of twins Noah and Ellie along with Selby helped me make cookies. Everyone one wanted to participate so I took turns having each one pour in an ingredient. I thought Selby would be pissy about letting the other two help since she usually is my one and only helper.. but not only did she gracefully share her sous chef responsibilities, she pointed out who went next after her. "It's her turn," she announced. Ok, sounds silly but I was really impressed how she grasped the "taking turns" concept so quickly.

Cute story of the day: When I was getting her ready for school the day after we returned she announced that she had to bring a gift for Max (her sweetie at daycare). Why do you need to bring a gift for Max, I asked her. "Because I have to!" she insisted. So I found an unopened jar of Playdough and she said that was a good one. How cute is that?

Here she is with her cuzzies.

Hot Tubbing with Dada

2009-03-24T14:54:00.000-07:00

Selby on Skis

2009-03-13T15:48:00.000-07:00

Thank god for this blog because I could talk about Selby for hours. And at least here I won't bore anyone. Some Selby udpates for your enjoyment (and mine):

1) We put her on skis for the first time end of Feb. at Mary Jane (yes, Mary Jane!). Even before we hit the slopes she was saying "I want to go skiiiiiiiiing." I held on to her for a few runs and she seemed to really enjoy it. We knew she enjoyed it when she said "I want more sking" as soon as we stopped. But my back could not accomodate her. The good thing is that she was open to the new experience and didn't mind looking like a pink marshmellow.

2) I will ask her "Who's the best little girl?" or "Who's the most beautiful girl in the world?" or "Who's the smartest ...?" she always answers either "Me!" or "Selby!" If I tease her and say "Is it Ruby?" she gets perturbed. I started asking her "Who's the best mommy?" and she answers "Nobody." I'm pretty sure she didn't understand that question.

3) Tom and I went to Costa Rica for a week and left Selby behind for the first time. She stayed with Aunt Molly, Uncle David, Katherine (a.k.a. Kackoo) and Sam (a.k.a. Sham) and had the best time. Molly claims she didn't miss us at all. Not even a little. You can read about Selby's stay with the Kirks on this fabulous blog Molly put togehter. Even better than her great blog, Molly taught Selby to put her coat on all by herself and we are very grateful for this little trick.

www.suddenlyselbycomestoboulder.blogspot.com

4) Tom was playing blocks with her last night, going over letters and colors, etc. He'd find a M block and say "What is M for?" and she'd say "Mama" and then run over to me to say "Mama this is for you!" When they'd find an N block, Tom would tell her N is for Nika and she'd run over to Nika and say "Nika this is for you!" Nika was not as impressed as I was.

5) She is obviously copying things we say these days. She frequently says to me "Good job Mama!" when I do things like dress myself or go to the bathroom.

Are you bored yet?

Going up, Ok?

2009-02-19T09:32:00.000-08:00

Selby's newsest game is to stand in a corner of our house and pretend she's in an elevator. She usually has her stroller or shopping cart with her and she's always going up. Sometimes she's going to see animals (because we were in an elevator at the Stock Show in January) or shopping (because, well, that's what we do). She presses the wall and waits. The other thing she's started to do is to talk like a Valley Girl. She'll ask me a question and go "Kay? kay?" and then I answer "Ok." And she replies back: "Ok! Kay!"

Unfortuantely she has also become EXTREMELY picky about what she wears. It's a struggle almost every morning to get her dressed. She's very into tights and dresses, even when there's snow on the ground. She's also starting to cut down on her naps to about one every other day. And have you met her baby Lulu, whom she takes every where? I've learned my lesson to never buy a doll that does not come with removable clothing. Lulu is quite disgusting these days and it's hard to pry her away from Selby to put her in the washing machine. Here's Selby with one of her many boyfriends, Ari, feeding a goat at the Western Stock Show.

Bathtime with Grandma

2009-02-11T13:43:00.000-08:00

Grandma came to visit last month. We had a great time and Selby is still talking about it. Everytime we sit down at her little pink table and chair set she says, "Grandma broke the chair." Here's some bathtime bonding.

My Little Fashion Plate

2009-01-09T14:12:00.001-08:00

Selby Learns How to Play Games

2009-01-09T13:59:00.000-08:00

We're at a holiday party in late December for our friends Mitch and Trish, who were visiting from Seattle with their adorable 5-year-old son Cameron. Although Selby kept calling him "Camera", he was still pretty smitten with her. As evidenced by this: we're sitting in the kitchen and Selby asks "Where's my baba?" (really her sippy cup). Cameron sees it on the counter and gets it for her. Selby smiles and thanks him, and then runs back over to the counter and puts the sippy cup back where it was. She then runs over to Cameron, smiles, and says "Go get it!" Cameron smiles and looks at us as if to ask "what?!" -- and then runs over and gets it again. She says thank you and then puts it back on the counter and again runs to Cameron and says, with a really big smile, "Go get it!" This happens about three more times. All the grown-ups are laughing and poor Cameron just keeps getting the bottle again.

Is Selby flirting already?

Christmas Morning

2009-01-07T11:14:00.000-08:00

Memory and More

2009-01-04T18:59:00.000-08:00

Every day Tom and I are amazed at what Selby remembers. For example, today while driving in the truck, she pointed to the front seat and said "Papa's seat," then she pointed to her left and said "Grandma's seat" and then to her right and said "Mama's seat." She was pointing out who was sitting where on our drive to Sante Fe over Thanksgiving weekend. And she was correct. Another example (and a sweet one, too). There is a playground near our house that is for children a little older than Selby. I used to take her there often, and just followed her around while she climbed and jumped and played. Because this playground is designed for young children, I always banged my head while chasing after her. It is not fun. So, I stopped taking her there (after suffering a near concussion). But she ended up there with my mom (who didn't realize that that was the 'bad' playground) over Thanksgiving. I followed her around, as usual, but she stopped me to say "No, mamma. Stop. No hurt your head!" She remembered and was concerned for me.

And one more... I was cleaning out her toy boxes the other day and picked up a rubber octopus and Selby pointed to it and said "That's an octopus!" What 2-year-old can recognize an octopus?

The Cutest Future Politicians

2009-01-04T18:57:00.000-08:00

Leather and Face

2008-12-20T09:33:00.000-08:00

My Little Babushka

2008-12-19T12:45:00.000-08:00

Bossy

2008-12-06T14:24:00.000-08:00

Even when she's bossy,she's adorable and funny. She now likes to tell Tom and I to "stop talking!" (as do many others, I'm sure). We're also ordered to "No read magazine" and "No talking on the phone." I think she wants our undivided attention and can now ask for it. We've also been asked to "Stop singing." After being ordered around like this for a few days, we turned the tables on her and told her to "Stop talking" and "Zip it." She laughs, but I think she's gotten the message. After Thanksgiving we took her on a road trip to Sante Fe and she was better behaved and more patient than my dad. Here she (and a few band members) are rocking out to the guitar she got for her birthday. Although Tom really wanted that guitar, he's learned to share. He's a good sharer.

The Birthday Girl

2008-12-06T14:17:00.000-08:00

Like her mother likes to do, Selby celebrated her birthday numerous times this year. It started with cupcakes and some gifts at Aunt Molly's house on Nov. 23rd (the day before the big 2). Then more cupcakes at her school during a shared bday celebration with her friend Ruby on Nov. 24th. And then more (you guessed it) cupcakes and a lot more gifts during a bday dinner with the her two grandmas. By the last celebration she had gotten the hang of blowing out the candles, and getting gifts. Here's a video of her getting a car (not a real one, duh) from ammy. She was pretty excited.

Bad Mommy

2008-11-13T11:15:00.000-08:00

I have been a very bad mommy by not updating this blog with the adorable and funny and amazing things Selby has been doing for the past few months. Here is a quick rundown, and a commitment to write more regulalry in this blog.

1) Cookie in There
Starting this summer, everytime I went to change her diaper, she would look up at me with a mischeivious smile and say "Cookie in there" and point toward her diaper. Honestly, Tom and I have not been able to figure out what this means. Does she think her poop looks like a cookie? Is she saying the cookie went through her and came out in her diaper? No idea. But she still says it everyonce in a while and I just go along with it.

2)Potty Party
We bought her a potty and she loves it. I wouldn't necessarily say we've started potty training her. We let her sit on it and go through the motions (wiping, flushing, washing hands). It was like a new toy to her. I thought, wow toilet training will be so easy, she loves sitting on it...until the morning she stood up from her potty, went to flush it and pooped right there on the bathroom floor. I don't think she's fully grasped the purpose of the potty yet.

3)Talk, Talk
She is now using full sentences. And, to brag a bit, every day care or child care provider we leave her with comments on how well she speaks. I can't even count the number of words she knows now but almost every day she surprises me with a new one.

4) Cry Please
The other day I faked crying when she wouldn't give me a kiss (is that bad?) and she thought it was so funny. Now at dinner she asks me to "cry please mama" as if it's a game. Tom and I take turns fake crying for her and then we ask her to "cry please." We also fake laugh. She's a good faker too.

Will post photos soon!

Happy Birthday Grandma!

2008-06-28T12:44:00.000-07:00

The Name Game

2008-06-05T12:42:00.000-07:00

We got back last week from a wonderful trip to Minnesota for a memorial service for Tom's grandmother (she passed away in January at 106!) and a family reunion. We took a boat ride on his cousin's houseboat, visited a sculpture garden near the Art Museum and got to meet his very interesting and fun family. On that trip Selby started learning people's names for the first time. She said Molly (pronounced Mo-yee), Ammy (for grandma), Sam (pronounced Sham) and Catherine (pronounced Cathcoo). She can now also say Selby and loves to say her friend Ella's name (Eeeellllaaa). It is amazing how her mind is just expanding as she puts more words together for sentences (No dog! or More nana) and has learned possessive's (Dada's shoe).

It's also funny to see her turn into such a "girl" without prompting. She loves to take care of her "babies" (basically all her stuff animals are her babies)... giving them milk and food, putting them to bed and wiping their faces. She also likes to play with jewelry and makeup. And she's also pretty fond of her shoes. That's not to say that she doesn't like a good beer now and then.

Tom and I took our first trip away from her last weekend to Las Vegas while my mom babysat. Unfortunately, Selby threw up all night before we left. I almost cancelled the trip but thanks to my accomodating mother who insisted we leave, we didn't. And luckily Selby was back to her normal self the day we left and we were able to have fun..and lose a lot of money. Here she is trying to call us to say she's feeling just fine. Or maybe she's calling her boyfriend to say "Mom and Dad are out of town, let's party!"

Sunday in the Park with Selby

2008-05-05T11:29:00.001-07:00

Poo Poo

2008-05-01T20:32:00.000-07:00

You know you're a mom when you are extremely proud that your child can inform you when she's pooped! Seriously though, I do think it's pretty cool that she will come up to me and say "poo poo" right after she's done the deed. Potty training -- we're on our way!

She is now a virtual sponge, picking up and imitating everything we say and do. Keys, hat, book, avocado, bear, etc.. the list goes on and on. She is also becoming quite willful and challenging to us when she doesn't want to do something. But most importantly she is turning into a very sweet girl. She has a new friend, Devon, that she always runs up to and hugs and kisses when she sees. Even though Devon is only mildy interested in her, it does not bother Selby. It really is the cutest thing to see her run up to Devon when she sees her in our Music Together class. It's like she's saying "I know her! She's my friend!"

She can also say two word sentences like "Hi Mama" and "Hi Dada" ..oh and "Bye-bye Mama" and "Hi Baby". Here's a video of her hanging out with Dad.

10 Words

2008-03-26T17:06:00.000-07:00

I want to talk about her vast vocabulary...but first I must describe what she's doing right now. She's running back and forth and all around our top floor, giggling and shrieking, holding a plunger. She is so easily entertained. Ok, back to her vocabulary. Here it goes:

1) Mama
2) Dada
3) Dogeeee
4) Banana (prounounced nana)
5) Hi!
6) Eye
7) Ear
9) Baby
10) Bye, bye

And, when asked, she can point to her eye, nose, ear and tongue. She will gladly lift her shirt with a smile if you ask her where her belly is; and bend, point and grin if you ask to see her shoes. Genius!

I know, I know. It's all very nice -- but where are the photos?! Will upload new ones soon, I promise.

The Curls are Coming

2008-03-02T14:46:00.000-08:00

Ok, granted, Selby does not have that much hair, but a few curls are coming in in the back. And she's still pretty fair. Whose child is she? Her vocab is way up. In addition to her irresistible "Hi!", she can say dada, mama, doggie (pronounced dog-eeeeeee) nana (for banana), eye and baby. We can have quite a conversation. She's also way into mimicking. I'll cross my arms, she crosses her arms (she looks like she's doing a rap dance), I slap my thighs, she slaps her thighs, hands on head, ears, etc. It's like we're playing Simon Says for babies. We are looking into pre-schools for her to start next fall and I'm pretty excited about it. I think she will love it, being the social creature that she is. She's growing up! Here she is on her way to the mall.

The Queen and King

2008-02-21T13:45:00.000-08:00

The Drunken Sailor

2008-01-18T10:36:00.000-08:00

That's right, our little angel is toddling around like a college freshman at a frat party. She's walking! As I said earlier, she'd been taking steps here and there, and now she just gets up and walks here and there all by herself. She's not perfectly steady all the time, but she is definitely walking. Will try upload video later. More big news: Selby won a photo contest. When we had professional photos taken of her at 8 months at Target, the photographer asked if she could enter her photos into contest. Just the other day, she left a message saying that Selby had won and would be featued on the cover of Lifetouch magazine this summer. Her first modeling gig! Unfortunately, I think only the photographer gets paid a prize fee and Selby gets nada.. except for bragging rights.

Hi

2008-01-12T11:17:00.000-08:00

Ok, where to begin since it's been so long. Let's start with our trip to Mexico. Selby was the hit of the resort. Pushing her stroller around and greeting everyone with her new word "Hi!" She says it all the time -- in the supermarket, at Target, at restaurants. And of course she flashes her killer grin when she says it and stops people in their tracks.

Still not walking just yet. She's stands on her own and has taken a couple of steps but no "toddling" as of today. Maybe tomorrow?

We spent New Year's up in the mountains with the Shapiros in Edwards and then the Grossman's in Breckenridge. We took Selby for a short snowshoe (and Mom went for a few long ones), which she loved. Grandma Carole is coming soon and I know Selby is very excited. Here's one of my favorite photos from our trip to Mexico.

Selby at 1 Year

2007-11-28T19:57:00.000-08:00

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

2007-10-29T14:30:00.000-07:00

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

2007-10-20T16:35:00.000-07:00

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!

2007-09-30T15:04:00.000-07:00

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

2007-09-04T16:56:00.000-07:00

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

2007-07-30T16:26:00.000-07:00

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

2007-07-22T10:47:00.000-07:00

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

2007-06-17T17:27:00.000-07:00

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

2007-06-03T10:36:00.000-07:00

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

2007-05-19T13:55:00.000-07:00

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!

2007-05-08T08:22:00.000-07:00

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

2007-04-27T10:09:00.000-07:00

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

2007-04-23T18:14:00.000-07:00

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

2007-04-08T11:47:00.000-07:00

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

2007-03-26T08:14:00.000-07:00

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...

2007-03-15T20:43:00.000-07:00

...she has to wear shades.

Selby Finally Starts to Carry Her Weight (14 lbs)

2007-03-15T19:16:00.000-07:00

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

2007-03-10T08:14:00.000-08:00

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

2007-03-10T08:13:00.000-08:00

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

Mornings with Selby

2007-02-24T11:46:00.000-08:00

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

2007-02-17T16:06:00.000-08:00

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

Selby's Wrap

2007-02-17T15:39:00.000-08:00

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

2007-02-09T09:05:00.000-08:00

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

2007-02-06T08:56:00.000-08:00

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

2007-02-05T08:11:00.000-08:00

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.