Elora, Bridget, and Cordelia
BFFs
Elora's Evergreen Parent-Baby class
Buh-buh-buh buh-nan-nana!
Lunch
Candy face!
Our house!
Trick or treating with poodle!
Saturday, November 2, 2013
Halloween
This year was Elora's second Halloween but the first where she got to trick or treat. We had a super busy day and she handled it all surprisingly well. In the morning we went to a toddler party at the Playdate Cafe with Tricia and Bridget and our new friends Liz and Cordelia. We had lunch and then went home for a quick nap. In the afternoon we went to Microsoft for trick or treating and then finally came home for a quick trip around the block. Elora surprised me by picking up the actual act of trick or treating very quickly. With little prompting she'd pick a piece (or two) of candy and drop it into her bucket. We did give her a few pieces but, as she's still quite little, plan on keeping it to a minimum. Can't wait to do it all again next year!
Todder Group
This past September Elora started "school". By school I mean she actually started at the Lake Washington Toddler Group. LWTG is a pre-preschool co-op. Simply put, once a week me and Elora go to their location, Elora gets to run around with a class of 12 other toddlers, play with toys, do art projects, and I, along with the other parents, watch the kids and sit in on child development classes. It's great for both of us as she gets some experience with other kids her age in a classroom setting and I get to get out of the house with other moms. Here's a few pictures!
A busy summer!
Summer is finally coming to an end and fall is setting in. I've been procrastinating writing this blog but better late than never! We had a busy, busy summer complete with camping, moving into a new house, birthdays, and lots of playdates with friends! Here are a few of the highlights:
Elora's birthday:
We through a fabulous party in the backyard of our new home. Many family and friends attended, including quite a few from Canada! We had a delicious taco bar and a Very Hungry Caterpillar themed cake. There was even a pool for the kids!
During the summer Elora also got to have a lot of play dates with her friends Zoey, Bridget, Ada, Tycho, and Kepler, Miah, Honor and Victor. We spent the few warm months having fun in the sun and generally enjoying ourselves!
Elora's birthday:
We through a fabulous party in the backyard of our new home. Many family and friends attended, including quite a few from Canada! We had a delicious taco bar and a Very Hungry Caterpillar themed cake. There was even a pool for the kids!
During the summer Elora also got to have a lot of play dates with her friends Zoey, Bridget, Ada, Tycho, and Kepler, Miah, Honor and Victor. We spent the few warm months having fun in the sun and generally enjoying ourselves!
Summer visit with Grandpa
Feeding an elephant at the zoo
Caspar Babypants concert in the park.
Wiggleworks!
Bothell Country village
Ponies!
Elora's favorite ride!
Carmel, CA Poodle Day
The beach in Carmel.
We can't wait for next summer!! ~Amber
Thursday, October 17, 2013
1.25 Year Checkup
Yes, I'm committed to "years" now...
Four pokes; a horrifying trip for visitors of all ages. But with age comes wisdom... the wisdom to accept Tolberone bribes.
Weight: 20lb 5oz (10-25%)
Height: 31" (50-75%)
Head Circumference: 18" (25-50%)
Teeth: 5
Mastered:
A healthy vocabulary! She can identify the cats by sight or sound, the dog, can ask for food (num num), milk, or her favorite food bananas (nanas). Up has become "up-up", "gigga" is a regular demand, and she'll even tell us when she's "aaaaaaallllllll done!".
Making some good progress on games as well; she can throw a tennis ball overhand towards me. She has recently taken to high-fives, though she still steadfastly refuses to wave.
Growing ever more mobile, we can count on her to talk short distances hand-in-hand with us, and even tackle the occasional stair.
Four pokes; a horrifying trip for visitors of all ages. But with age comes wisdom... the wisdom to accept Tolberone bribes.
Weight: 20lb 5oz (10-25%)
Height: 31" (50-75%)
Head Circumference: 18" (25-50%)
Teeth: 5
Mastered:
A healthy vocabulary! She can identify the cats by sight or sound, the dog, can ask for food (num num), milk, or her favorite food bananas (nanas). Up has become "up-up", "gigga" is a regular demand, and she'll even tell us when she's "aaaaaaallllllll done!".
Making some good progress on games as well; she can throw a tennis ball overhand towards me. She has recently taken to high-fives, though she still steadfastly refuses to wave.
Growing ever more mobile, we can count on her to talk short distances hand-in-hand with us, and even tackle the occasional stair.
Wait... all these visits, and I just now realize there's toys here!
Mirror baby!
Daddy comforts Elora after four shots with Tolberone.
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
One Year Checkup
A great milestone has been reached - Elora's age can now be measured in years... erm... well year... she's ONE!
And what better way to reward her, than with needle pokes in a hip and both arms? As awful as this may sound, she continues to amaze with her muted reactions to vaccines. It was the third shot before she even cried, and was immediately soothed with nothing more than a cup of apple juice. That's an easy baby to please.
She continues to trend well on all the major stats. While 'developmental progress' is neither something that can be readily measured nor uniformly comparable, our doctor insists that Elora is ahead of the curve with her excellent mobility and beginnings of language.
Weight: 20lb 2oz (25-50%)
Height: 29" (50%)
Head Circumference: 17.8" (50%)
Elora also had her first visit to the dentist today. This didn't really involve any dentistry as much as introducing Elora to the dentist and office setting, paving the way for future smooth visits. In the end, there's only so much care one needs for teeth that are going to be falling out in a few years. But still, this leads to an interesting fourth stat to track.
Teeth: 2
Mastered:
Walking! Not just a couple of wobbly steps walking, but the ability to walk and even run to a destination at will with minimal difficulty. No problem transitioning to or from standing position. Walking is now her preferred mode of travel, with crawling forever discarded as a habit of her younger life.
Eating and drinking. Elora very clearly expressed her desire to wean at 11 months, and is now full time on solids and drinks. She has mastered feeding herself with finger foods and drink from sippy cups, and with the latter can even find her cup (inevitably tossed aside somewhere in the living room) and serve herself.
Buttons. It's very clear. She's my daughter, and loves to push every button she sees. She also has a firm understanding that these buttons are linked to specific effects - for example, she will push the sequence of buttons on one of her toys to get it to play her favorite song, dance to the song, then repeat the process.
Starting:
Climbing. She's already pretty good at it, but now she wants to have one leg up on just about everything.
Words. She can repeat back a select few words, and regularly uses Dada and Mama and cat in daily babble. A select few words are even used in context (eg. "up"), with more meaning coming into conversation every day!
And what better way to reward her, than with needle pokes in a hip and both arms? As awful as this may sound, she continues to amaze with her muted reactions to vaccines. It was the third shot before she even cried, and was immediately soothed with nothing more than a cup of apple juice. That's an easy baby to please.
She continues to trend well on all the major stats. While 'developmental progress' is neither something that can be readily measured nor uniformly comparable, our doctor insists that Elora is ahead of the curve with her excellent mobility and beginnings of language.
Weight: 20lb 2oz (25-50%)
Height: 29" (50%)
Head Circumference: 17.8" (50%)
Elora also had her first visit to the dentist today. This didn't really involve any dentistry as much as introducing Elora to the dentist and office setting, paving the way for future smooth visits. In the end, there's only so much care one needs for teeth that are going to be falling out in a few years. But still, this leads to an interesting fourth stat to track.
Teeth: 2
Mastered:
Walking! Not just a couple of wobbly steps walking, but the ability to walk and even run to a destination at will with minimal difficulty. No problem transitioning to or from standing position. Walking is now her preferred mode of travel, with crawling forever discarded as a habit of her younger life.
Eating and drinking. Elora very clearly expressed her desire to wean at 11 months, and is now full time on solids and drinks. She has mastered feeding herself with finger foods and drink from sippy cups, and with the latter can even find her cup (inevitably tossed aside somewhere in the living room) and serve herself.
Buttons. It's very clear. She's my daughter, and loves to push every button she sees. She also has a firm understanding that these buttons are linked to specific effects - for example, she will push the sequence of buttons on one of her toys to get it to play her favorite song, dance to the song, then repeat the process.
Starting:
Climbing. She's already pretty good at it, but now she wants to have one leg up on just about everything.
Words. She can repeat back a select few words, and regularly uses Dada and Mama and cat in daily babble. A select few words are even used in context (eg. "up"), with more meaning coming into conversation every day!
Independence Day in Ocean Shores. America!
Off to Canada.
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
One Year of Office Baby
Okay, more like six months worth, but I think it's the right time to share.
Mom resumed working out with a personal trainer a few months after Elora was born. For two hours on the occasional Monday afternoon, Elora would stay with me in my office.
This worked out well at first. Elora would usually sleep, or if not sleeping, could be convinced to sleep with some rocking in the carseat. Even better, anyone looking to argue with me could be immediately deterred with an exclamation of "Shhhh! The baaaaaby is sleeeeeping!" Later, sleep was more elusive, but with alertness came amusement, with our favorite past-time, tester-kicking.
Was Office Baby a good idea? Well, yes and no. Realistically, its two hours written off in the workday; I could occasionally get her to sleep while I worked, but not dependably. Once I gave up the idea of doing productive work, it was an enjoyable experience. We had some wonderful times at the office, and reactions from my coworkers to seeing the baby in the office varied from neutral to overjoyed.
At nine months, Office Baby is going on hiatus. In part because her newly discovered mobility and fascination with electronics has made it hard to protect computer off buttons. But mostly because a potential home relocation may change when and where Mom is working out. Still, I look forward to the debut of Office Kid in a few years.
Mom resumed working out with a personal trainer a few months after Elora was born. For two hours on the occasional Monday afternoon, Elora would stay with me in my office.
This worked out well at first. Elora would usually sleep, or if not sleeping, could be convinced to sleep with some rocking in the carseat. Even better, anyone looking to argue with me could be immediately deterred with an exclamation of "Shhhh! The baaaaaby is sleeeeeping!" Later, sleep was more elusive, but with alertness came amusement, with our favorite past-time, tester-kicking.
Was Office Baby a good idea? Well, yes and no. Realistically, its two hours written off in the workday; I could occasionally get her to sleep while I worked, but not dependably. Once I gave up the idea of doing productive work, it was an enjoyable experience. We had some wonderful times at the office, and reactions from my coworkers to seeing the baby in the office varied from neutral to overjoyed.
At nine months, Office Baby is going on hiatus. In part because her newly discovered mobility and fascination with electronics has made it hard to protect computer off buttons. But mostly because a potential home relocation may change when and where Mom is working out. Still, I look forward to the debut of Office Kid in a few years.
Approximately three months in. This time I did not win the sleep battle, but she was happy being at the office with Daddy.
A week later, total victory. Two solid hours asleep in the office.
Four and a half months. Now holding toys!
Seven months, and already contributing to the team!
Later, sleep time requires extensive carseat rocking.
Seven and a half months. She is now capable of exploring the office; I've come up with a system of filing cabinets, chairs, and the carseat to limit Elora's access to the computers.
Eight months. She loves keyboards so much.
Nine months.
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