[7/28/2002 8:46:08 AM | Daddy]
A second Daddy's Thoughts post in the same week!

Just wanted to reiterate the fact that Alex pretty much understands the English language. And it's making things easier, to many extents: when she needs her diaper changed, we ask her if she wants to change her diaper -- when she consents (with a breathy "uuummhh"), she's very easy to handle...after all, it was her decision. She tells us when she's hungry or thirsty, she tells us when she wants her shoes put on, she asks to be put in the swing, she can answer questions...it's kind of cool.

And when she learns a new word, she loves using it. Her favorite these days: "two". If you say "one", she's going to say "two". If you put two fingers up, she'll say it a few times. I have a feeling the words are about to start coming fast and furious.
 

[7/28/2002 8:42:22 AM | Daddy]
We have a thrill-seeker on our hands.

Alex LOVES adventure...she loves being scared, she likes falling, she likes going fast, she likes sharp turns. When she's in the swing (we put one up in the backyard), she'll stay for an hour, if you let her...and she especially likes it when I push her hard, or when I stop her at the back (so she's facing the ground, about to fall). She likes getting in the office chair and spinning around as fast as possible...and she's never done -- you have to physically take her out.

Yesterday, Mommy and I took her to the Mission Beach amusement park, and took her on three rides: the Merry-go-round, a ride where boats go around and around, and a ride where cars go in a circle. She enjoyed the merry-go-round (Mommy went on it with her), but she was somewhat transfixed (no expression) for the whole thing...although she wanted to stay when it was done. Then Daddy and her went on the boat ride, which turned in a pretty tight circle...I think she liked this one a bit more. Of course, there were things for her to do: ring the bell, steer the wheel.

Then we put her on the car ride, and this one didn't allow adults on it -- so she went on her own. We were worried that might be an issue...nope. She was thrilled to be going around and around, and she was steering the wheel and pushing the horn to her heart's delight. And not thrilled when the ride was over, and we had to go get her.
 

[7/7/2002 3:31:02 PM | Daddy]
Saturday evening, Alex was a little cranky (it was getting late, and she was about to go get her bath). I was sitting at the computer, and lifted her onto my lap -- where she stayed for the next 30 minutes, having the same conversation, over and over:

"Where's my bellybutton?", I'd ask. She'd lift up my shirt and point to it, and then pull my shirt down, and put her hands up...like, "Where'd it go?" I'd say, "Where is it? I have no idea!" And she'd fake as if she didn't know where it is, showing me her open hands ("I don't have it!"). And after a few questions, she'd lift up my shirt again, and make a sound as if to say "There it is!" And then she'd pull the shirt down again, and go through the same motions.

It wasn't the most cerebral of conversations, but it was definitely a one-to-one conversation that she was leading...and it was really neat to see the cognition going on in her head. The light continues to get brighter in there...
 

[6/23/2002 9:49:19 PM | Daddy]
The learning is now coming fast and furious...she pretty much learns a few new things every day. This week, she picked up "Belly Button" and "Knee", among other things -- she can point to them, on command (she know knows most of her body parts). When she watches her "learn to read" video, she now can mimic the "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" action (very cute...we'll have to catch it on camera).

This morning, we were playing with a soft hammer toy that doubles as a flute...after watching me blow into it a few times, she figured it out (and was very surprised to hear the sound that came out!). When we went to get a Jamba Juice smoothie yesterday, she really wanted some -- but couldn't figure out the straw/sucking motion. But she kept trying, watching me...and was thrilled when she finally got it (YUM, she said!).

It's past the point where I can walk by something and not tell her what it is...she's ready to assimilate the world.
 

[6/9/2002 3:25:37 PM | Daddy]
It's fun to talk with Alex -- she listens so intently, and...for the most part...she understands what you're saying. If you ask her to pick up the shoe and put it in the closet, she pretty much does as she's told. And if she's waving some food around, and you tell her to put it in her mouth, she gets it. Keep the commands simple, and I really believe she comprehends much of the English language...and it's surprising how fast she's getting it.

One of the greatest things: when I say "Hi, Alex!", and she says "Hi, Da Da!" (I don't think she knows what she's saying...I think she's just repeating the part that I'm saying that's not her name, and replacing her name with mine), but the fact that she gets the language pattern in pretty amazing. I can't wait to have full interactive conversations with her.
 

[5/19/2002 10:31:32 PM | Daddy]
Alex is really beginning to understand the English language...although she definitely has "selective" hearing (depending on the situation, she can alternatively respond to questions very quickly, or ignore you altogether). In fact, she's kind of like our (dearly departed) Jellybean in that way: she understands most of what's going on her around her, but she CHOOSES to respond in certain ways...I kind of like that about her (and I always loved that about Jelly). Conveys a certain intelligence/stubbornness.

But she comprehends most of what I ask her to do: take the block and put it in the lawnmower, put the things that you just took out of the drawer back in the drawer, roll the ball over here, go get the ball...really, she's at the level (and I don't mean this condescendingly or anything) of a well-trained dog right now: she can respond to requests for "tricks" very well. "Where's your head?" "Where's your nose?" "Where's Daddy's nose?" "What sound does a snake/horse/dog/car make?" "Alex, walk over here!" "Where's the balloon/ball/doll?"

It's fun to interact with her on these new levels...she's really becoming a little girl now. And with the new addition of walking to get places, it's getting even more satisfying (there's nothing like a baby walking towards you for a hug!).
 

[5/5/2002 10:55:03 AM | Daddy]
I should have known that I'd feel like this, having been a dog owner for many years...but it still surprises me when I don't have feelings of obligation upon having to do the "unpleasant" chores involved with raising a child. It's amazing that I don't seem to mind changing a diaper, or altering plans at the last minute because Alex is napping, or cleaning up a messy high chair, or sitting with her for 15 minutes to get her to nap peacefully, or getting up at 6am to play with her ('cause she's up, and she ain't going back to sleep), or picking something up off the floor just in case Alex finds it first...the list goes on.

And it's tremendously satisfying when Alex learns something new (like, "Where's the balloon? Where's the phone? Where's the doggy? Where's Daddy's nose?"...all of which she knows the answer to) -- it easily makes it all worth it, and makes the next dirty diaper a non-issue.
 

[4/21/2002 9:20:27 PM | Daddy]
Regardless of how tired or fussy Alex is, she and I have a game we play that always calms her down. It's a variation on the "Can I Have That? Thank You! Here You Go!" game, and we play it with plastic Easter eggs (that open into two halves). I'll put a little animal figurine inside two of them, and she'll take one and work it open, proudly showing me that she's figured it out, handing it back to me. Then I'll give her the other one while I put the recently-freed figurine back into the original egg, and we repeat the process.

We can play for 20 or 30 minutes like this.

Oh...and a late addition: Alex has diarrhea right now (just kicked up yesterday)...makes her bottom very sore -- but as usual, she's being a trooper. Mommy stayed home from her "Mommy's Night Out" Sunday night to take care of her...I'll update the situation next week.
 

[4/14/2002 10:48:05 AM | Daddy]
Typically, Alex and I will get up before Mommy on weekends (Mommy sometimes has a tough night, and needs to catch up on her sleep). So we'll get up about 6:30 (Daddy hasn't slept in in months!), and head out to the living room. We'll try to wait before changing our diaper, because we know it's a pointless exercise -- we'll just have to change it again in 15 minutes.

(Have you ever noticed how parents always speak in the collective person ("we") when talking about what their child is doing?)

Anyway, we'll play for about 10 minutes on the floor, and then Alex and Daddy will have breakfast (usually Cheerios, and Alex will eat from Daddy's bowl). Then we'll play some more -- and because Alex has had a restless night, she's ready for a nap at around 8am. This is a tricky process, but if you can convince Alex to rest her head on your chest while watching TV, you've got her: after a few minutes of rest and rocking, she dozes off. Daddy then gently transfers her to the couch (see this week's pictures!), and he's free for the next 45 minutes. Alex wakes up and she's hungry, so we make her some rice cereal or oatmeal and chow down. After more playing, we usually inadvertently make enough noise to wake Mommy up, and the day then begins as a family (although Alex usually needs one more nap at around 10:30).

At least, that's the ideal situation...it went really well this morning. And it also went well last night: Mommy went to her friend Sharon's bachelorette party, so Daddy and Alex had the house to themselves...and the nightly routine went perfectly: we played until Alex asked for her bath, and then we had a cry-free bath and dressing (this doesn't always happen), followed by a lengthy reading session. Alex asked for milk, which Daddy provided (AW only likes one specific type of formula, we've found). She drank away and fell asleep in my arms, and the transfer to the crib went extremely smoothly (again, not always the case). Alex slept solid through the night!

Yes, Daddy is capable of handling a child by himself.
 

[4/7/2002 10:03:35 PM | Daddy]
OK...make no mistake about it, Alex's personality is really starting to come out.

This is NOT a shy little girl we're talking about here...this is a girl who isn't afraid to ask for whatever it is she wants, isn't afraid to go after whatever it is she desires...she really isn't afraid of anything.

Hanging out this weekend with 15 other babies really showed me the difference between AW and everyone else -- there's no shyness in this child, and she wears her emotions on her sleeve. When she's happy, she's giggling, laughing, playing. When she's sad, she'll let you know in no uncertain terms. When she wants to grab another baby's leg, a grabbing will occur. She's a very fast crawler (I can only imagine the speed when she starts walking), and she's very aggressive -- not in a mean way (at all)...she's really very sweet and gentle -- but she knows what she wants, and she knows how to get it.

Twice in the last week now, Alex has imposed her will on Mommy and Daddy. Last Monday, she did NOT want to be swimming. Now, her parents are known for their stubborn streak as well...but Alex turned the 30 minute swim session into a 15 minute compromise, and everyone was satisfied with the result. And then on Saturday we attempted to go disc golfing...and Daddy was not going to be holding her that afternoon, no matter what.

Granted, she's ONLY grumpy when she's tired...but she just doesn't like to sleep that much (at least, not by herself). She's got an iron will -- while most babies will cry themselves to sleep in about 10-20 minutes (or less), Alex can go nearly indefinitely...at least an hour before her parents' sleep-deprived ears can't take anymore.

And did I mention the fearlessness this girl has? Definitely not afraid of heights, not afraid of animals, not even afraid of loud noises...in fact, she delights in them. She squeals with happiness when you pretend to drop her, or when something startles her. We've got an interesting few years in front of us.

But that's what makes her so loveable, so unique, so incredible...I wouldn't change her for a second. And my bold prediction: Alex will be (at the very least) a class president one day.
 

[3/31/2002 9:06:53 PM | Daddy]
Last week, we focused on Alex's personality, and the way she eats, swims and sleeps...let's talk about Alex's nightly routines, the way she plays, and how she travels in the car.

At night: Every night, we start by eating dinner together as a family...Alex always sits in the highchair to eat (and now we have to strap her in, so she doesn't climb out). Then she plays for about 25 minutes (usually with Daddy), and then she's off to a bath with Mommy. They play together in the bath for about 15 minutes, using all of the bath toys in the Western hemisphere. Daddy comes in at the end of the bath and dries Alex off and dresses her, and then they head into the living room for 15 minutes of story time. We read all kinds of books -- picture books, long books, short books...but Alex's favorites are the ones in which there's a surprise on each page -- where she can turn a flap to reveal something. And she's always the one turning the pages...she loves to see what's next (and she definitely gets the concept of a "book": there's pages, and you see new stuff by turning the page). Mommy then takes Alex for about 10 minutes of nursing, and then she's in the crib, sleeping for the night (nighttime sleeps are the easiest...it's the naps that are tough on A-Dub).

At play: Alex is such a pleasure to play with: sometimes she likes inquisitive playing (opening boxes, taking apart cubes, etc.), and sometimes she's likes to roughhouse. She's usually up for a toss in the air, or a run around the room -- she especially likes chasing the dog in Daddy's arms. Sometimes she can play by herself for 20 minutes on end, and sometimes she wants lots of attention. But she figures things out quickly: we have this contraption in which you insert a ball at the top, and it funnels itself down a series of levels to the bottom -- it took Alex about 2 minutes to figure out that it was more fun to put the balls into the top then to play with the balls by themselves. But keep an eye on her...if you don't, she'll be on the other side of the house in a second, putting something she finds on the ground into her mouth.

Car travels: AW is actually very good in the car; she's not wild about getting strapped into the car seat, but she's pretty good once the car gets going. And nothing works better for naps then a long car ride; it's a rare day that Mommy doesn't use the trick, driving up on Mt. Soledad until she hears the familiar pre-sleep prattle, followed by a good long nap in the garage (with the windows open, of course, so we can hear when she wakes up).

OK...this concludes the first in what'll be many series of general looks at AW's life...if you want me to discuss an area in particular, send A-Dub a note!
 

[3/25/2002 9:29:18 PM | Daddy]
OK...I've wanted to talk about what makes Alex Willow, well, Alex Willow, for awhile now. Most of you don't get to see the things she does on a daily basis...her mannerisms, her personality -- so I'll try to fill you in:

Eating: Alex has become very independent -- she wants to feed herself whenever possible (she's not wild about spoons, and -- unlike a month or two ago -- she definitely isn't thrilled with you putting it in her mouth for her). She wants to be able to pick it up and stuff it in there. And often, she'll stuff too much in at once, coughing out the remainder, smiling all the while. Peas have become a favorite (they're round, they roll, they're small, and they're yummy!), but anything bite-sized will do. And there's very little she won't eat; she loves it all (chicken, pasta, steak, rice, most vegetables, most fruit, cheese...anything). I'd say she has a pretty healthy appetite.

Swimming: It all depends on her mood -- most of the time, she's a happy baby in the water, smiling and waving as she emerges. But if she's tired...watch out. Crying throughout, not happy to be there. Karen (her swim teacher) has said that Alex has one of the strongest wills of any baby she's worked with...if she's crying on top of the water, she's screaming underneath, too -- apparently, most babies can't do that. But she seems to be generally happy about the whole swimming thing...and she's pretty darn good at it. (ADDED: She can hold her breath for awhile underwater, she'll jump off the side from a sitting position, she opens her eyes underwater, and she likes to play with toys -- she's definitely not afraid of getting wet.)

Mannerisms: Alex has taken to doing two things with her hands: either she extends a hand, palm upward, to you, indicating she wants what you have (but she'll do it to the animals and inanimate objects as well); or she makes the sign language sign for "milk" (hand into fist, hand into fist)...but it doesn't always mean milk, we've discovered. Sometimes it means "I want mommy", and sometimes I think it's just a backwards wave...but she's always in a good mood when she does it.

She's also taken to a new "I'll throw my head back when I'm tired" move, which is a little dangerous...because she doesn't check what's behind her when she does it. No accidents yet, but there've been some close calls.

She loves to stand and hold onto things, often squealing with delight...especially if she's able to reach something (say, keys) on the table. Sometimes she likes to grab things and throw them, just to get them back, and other times she likes to hand it to you...again, just so you'll hand it back (one of her true delights).

Cinzia and I often remark what a great baby she is...and she is. She's so tolerant, so patient, and so happy most of the time, it's really fantastic. I'm sure other parents have a much harder time than we do; Alex just makes it easy on us!

Sleeping: This is the one trouble spot. Once she gets to sleep, she's great...especially recently, as she's taken to sleeping through the whole night. But she's NEVER happy about going to sleep. Sometimes, we can get her sleepy enough that she takes the crib transfer gracefully, but many times, she's willing to cry it out for minutes on end, eventually falling asleep on her hands and knees, in a ball. This mostly goes for naps (she's usually pretty tired by the end of the day), but those nap times are tough. And only getting marginally better -- but she's a stubborn girl (I guess she takes after both her parents).

OK...that's enough for now. Next week I'll expand more on things like bath time, play time, and traveling in the car.
 

[3/18/2002 9:02:18 AM | Daddy]
Now that A-Dub crawls very quickly, she crawls with intent -- to go somewhere, to find something, to explore. Part of our daily existence has become ensuring that there's nothing to pick up and eat lying on the floor, throughout the house -- with two animals, this means that we pretty much have to vacuum every day to remove the crumbs and animal hair that invariably get left around.

But if you're not paying attention, all of a sudden Alex will be in the kitchen, or in the bedroom, or the bathroom...opening up cupboards or closets, trying to find something -- to eat, to play with, to chew on. She chases the animals, she'll go after you if you leave her alone...but one of the neatest things is that she's developing a memory: yesterday, I found her in the bathroom, going after a bottle of bubble bath (plastic, of course). I took her back into the living room, but she ended up back in the bathroom, going after the bubble bath, about 3 more times throughout the day.

She's fast becoming a little girl, rather than just a baby.
 

[3/10/2002 9:56:30 PM | Daddy]
All of a sudden, Alex is talking...and it's making life with her all the more fun -- the interactivity level has risen significantly.

When she wants something, she'll try to ask for it...when she wants me, she calls me -- it's a great feeling. One of my favorite games we're playing now is the "Share" game -- I'll put my hand out, asking for something she has (and I say "share"), and she hands it to me...and when she gets it back, she'll either say "JuJu" (Thank You), or she'll squeal with delight.


 

[3/5/2002 4:24:28 PM | Daddy]
Special Tuesday update! Seems that AlexWillow has "Roseola", which is pretty common in infants. In fact, this site explains her symptoms almost exactly; she's in the "rash" portion of the affliction now, and she should be all better by tomorrow. Either way, the fever's gone, and she's feeling much better.

Of course, last night was a tough one: Cinzia brought me into her late-night world of sleeplessness. At 2:15am this morning, I was driving all over Pacific Beach and La Jolla after many failed attempts to calm Alex down and get her to sleep. I finally got back to sleep at around 3:30, and remained restless until waking up.

Let's hope tonight isn't the same thing, as she gets better.
 

[3/3/2002 4:13:11 PM | Daddy]
Well, Alex is definitely sick this week. Her fever picked up on Thursday, and it's been running pretty good through the weekend. Although the interesting thing about it: the fever comes and goes. I'm sure the medicine we're giving her (Motrin or ibuprofen) has something to do with it, but she'll go as low as 100 degrees or as high as 103 (we're taking her temperature under her arm).

Alex is taking it in stride -- she generally tries to act as normal as possible, but sometimes she gets a little lethargic (which is usually followed by smiles and good moods...it's funny). As new parents, we're taking it in stride, but it's tough not to worry. We know that every child goes through this, and it's just part of the growing up process...but of course, we've already called the doctor (who told us not to worry unless it persists through Monday). We're trying to go through our normal routines, though -- and doing a pretty good job (except for the occasional lukewarm baths to lower A-Dub's temperature). But the family's been out and about all weekend, and Alex is going to come through fine. And always the crowd-pleaser, Cinzia's parents just stopped by and couldn't figure out what we were worried about: Alex put on her normal happy show, waving, cooing and squealing for them.

Does it get harder or easier to be a parent as your kids get older?
 

[2/25/2002 7:42:09 PM | Daddy]
Alex is starting to play games with us...she's come up with them on her own. My favorite: the chase game. While on all fours, she'll look at you...and then she starts laughing, like she knows what she's about to do...and then she takes off in the other direction, hoping you'll chase her. When you thunder behind her, she starts squealing with delight...and when you pull her onto her belly from behind, she's giggling...only to get back up and keep going. And then she loves it when the game ends by picking her up.

Another game she likes to play is peek-a-boo...but not in the normal sense. She likes it when you're behind a corner, and you keep popping out from behind the door. Normal peek-a-boo doesn't really do it for her (she knows where you are). :-) She also babbles a lot to entertain herself, and she loves all of her toys...she can get lost in the one with the rings around a post, and the cups that get smaller and smaller (she pulls the inside two out and bangs them together). And a new one: the "vroom" noise on her safari vehicle is a favorite: she'll push the lever that makes that sound over and over.

Gettin' fun!
 

[2/17/2002 4:57:26 PM | Daddy]
AW has officially moved out of the "infant" stage and into the "person" stage...we're not just caring for a baby now, we're developing a person. She's got her own personality, her own wants and needs, her own way of doing things. She tells us when she's happy or sad, tired or ready to play, hungry or full. Her expressions are so clear...it's exciting to watch them evolve.

I had the realization this week that she's becoming a being unto her own...she's got consciousness now. It's nice to see the light turned on.
 

[2/10/2002 9:28:36 PM | Daddy]
It's really getting fun taking AW out in public...she's so interactive with other people -- especially other babies and children.

At Connor's birthday party, there were kids all over the place...newborns, 4 month-olds, 6 month-olds, year olds, and kids up to 6 or 7...and they were all fascinating to Alex. She likes to touch them whenever she can, and she can't take her eyes off of them. Cinzia even took her to Sea World, where they have a play area for little kids...and Alex went after every kid she could! She's really growing into a social butterfly.

It was nice to see her with Keith's kids, Gabby and Charlie (5 and 3)...they were genuinely playing with each other. Alex with her "Bwa. Bwa! Bwa? Bwa." And reaching out to touch their faces and their hair. Really fun to watch.

And now that she can pull herself to a standing position with relative ease (and is even trying to balance without holding onto anything)...it's only a matter of weeks until she's running after the other kids. (I guess that's where the real parenting starts.)
 

[2/3/2002 10:12:55 PM | Daddy]
Well, we've been converting AlexWillow to sleeping in her crib at night...and while a few nights have been very painless (we've been doing this for about a week now), there have been a couple nights that haven't been fun -- for anyone.

Sometimes Cinzia will take a crack at soothing a tired AW back to sleep...and sometimes Daddy gets to do it. It generally takes about 30 minutes: 5 minutes to calm her down (the only way to do it is by picking her up), only about 2 minutes to get her to fall asleep in my arms, and then another 20 or more to get her back to sleep once she's put back in the crib. Those 20 back-aching minutes are spent singing, rocking and generally cajoling her into a deep sleep. Because if you leave too early, you have to start all over. And if you make too much creaking noise as you leave, you also have to start over. So the last 5 minutes are "insurance" minutes: just to make sure that your previous 15-20 minutes haven't been spent in vain.

It's too bad putting her to bed at night isn't as easy as getting her to take a nap during the day. At least twice a day on the weekends, Alex naps on my chest. It's easy to tell when she's ready (as soon as she doesn't fight resting her head), and the rocking is actually quite fun. Of course, you're stuck on the couch for the next 45 minutes to an hour...but with a sleeping baby on your chest, it's not so bad.
 

[1/27/2002 10:29:22 PM | Daddy]
Let me tell you...there's nothing like a baby's laughter. And fortunately, Alex Willow laughs a lot.

She's very ticklish, so it's always fun to give her light kisses on her tummy and sides...she'll laugh hysterically for a prolonged tickle session! And she loves slurberts on the neck...those drive her crazy. That's probably not that unusual; I'm sure many babies are ticklish.

But Alex loves surprises -- she loves to be moved in a sudden way, or startled...it always sets her off. Tonight, Mommy was blowing in her face (another favorite), and then letting her fall back onto the blanket with a little push...she loved it! And then I was playing with her on my knee, moving her about wildly...couldn't stop giggling. Sometimes throwing her up into the air gets her going, and other times, moving her arms in jerky, sudden movements fills the room with laughter.

When she's in a good mood (which, I must admit, is pretty darn frequently), there's nothing like it. Today was an absolute joy.

Oh, and one last side note (I'll get Mommy to write about it in Mommy's Thoughts): we're attempting to get Alex to sleep on her own, in her crib (she's been sleeping with us so far). Not the smoothest of efforts, but already getting better...she's getting used to her crib (although sometimes, when she's crying, I'll go in there -- and she'll be standing in the corner of the crib, begging to be let out). We're trying to be disciplined parents about this...but it's tough.
 

[1/20/2002 10:25:00 PM | Daddy]
Pretty amazing stuff this week: Alex Willow started crawling!

She's been sitting in the crawling position for awhile, but she hadn't figured out how to use her legs to move forward. Once she got it, she got it...and Tuesday night, she started inching forward. By Wednesday, she could make it all the way across the rug...and by the weekend, it only took her a few seconds to get from the living room into the kitchen. She's even trying to stand up...but that's a little while away, I'm sure.

It's really changed her confidence level: whereas before, she might whimper if she wanted something (say, the CAT) across the room, now she just sets off and goes after it. She's still learning the fact that just because a cat is 10 feet away when she starts after it doesn't mean it'll still be there when you travel the 10 feet...but she's even picking up on the whole spatial thing pretty quickly. Of course, this opens a whole new door of parenting: she can crawl out of the bathtub if you're not careful, she can pull herself up onto the table (to grab food), and -- if you're not paying attention -- she'll crawl to another spot in the room to grab something she's not supposed to...electrical outlets need to be covered up, all of a sudden.

Fantastic stuff...each new thing is better than the milestone before it.

Oh...and she's also close to saying "DaDa". She actually attempts to call me, but it usually comes out "BaBa"...but it's coming.
 

[1/13/2002 8:57:10 PM | Daddy]
Sorry I haven't posted in awhile...I'll try to make up for it.

It certainly was tough going back to work after the holidays; I had such good quality time with AW, that I was going through withdrawals the first week. Her personality is really starting to show through -- when we hang out, we're actually hanging out (it's not just me "taking care" of her). We play, we talk, we interact.

This evening, we had some of our best play time ever: for about 45 minutes, we laughed, danced, jumped up and down, slurbert-ed, kissed, tickled, played and loved. I've got this thing that I do that she loves: I hold her arms and body tight against my chest, so she feels secure (facing outwards), and I jump, dance, invert, shake and growl...and she loves it! She just goes crazy...she really likes adventure.

Her mobility is improving daily. She still isn't crawling, but she's starting to be able to move around the room by shimmying. She can move from a sitting position to flat on her belly, and then back up to a crawl position, and then back to sitting. It's really been quite remarkable to watch the evolution...as I mentioned in the pictures, this evening, she pulled herself up from a sitting position to a standing position to pet the cat (who was sitting on the stool above her). We still have to watch her (her balance isn't perfect yet), but she's quickly entering more of an independent mode. Which makes the fact that she still sleeps in our bed more interesting (she's all over the place!).
 

[12/23/2001 11:13:00 PM | Daddy]
Hmmm...I can only say the same things over and over (about how great it is to get to hang out with AlexWillow, and how much I'm enjoying this whole fatherhood thing). But this week, I've been on vacation for a few days, and gotten an extra AW injection...and I'll tell you, she's taken some quantam leaps forward (even Mommy admits it...it's not just because I've been hanging around more often).

She is definitely attempting to communicate vocally. Rather than random sounds, she's starting to make an effort to indicate desires with her "words". There's definitely an "ummmm" sound coming for Mama (we're working on Dada, but it's still ways away). And she's getting very mobile: she can pull herself to a standing position very easily with something to hold onto, and she's starting to move her legs in the crawling position (it can only be a short time before she figures that one out).

And remember when I said that she was more attached to Mommy than Daddy? Well, she still is, I guess, but whereas Mommy would get the lunges towards her when someone else was holding her, now Daddy gets them too...there's nothing better than when your child asks for you...it's an incredible feeling.

9 more days of vacation...yee-ha!
 

[12/17/2001 10:13:50 PM | Daddy]
Wow, 27 pictures posted this week...and trust me, there could have been more. Alex generally smiles when the camera comes out, so it's tough not to keep snapping away!

I'm so proud of my little girl...I can't tell you how well-behaved she is. She rarely inconveniences Mommy and Daddy, and she nearly always comes through with a flawless performance when she's around strangers: everyone walks away loving her! (Present company included.)

Fatherhood is a wonderful thing. I watched Alex from across the swimming pool the other day (she gets distracted if she sees me there), and she was amazing! No crying, at any point, in the pool. She went under the water 20 times, tear-free. And she sat on the edge of the pool, slid off, and swam (with the guidance of the teacher) to Mommy...amazing!

Tonight I came home to view Alex watching cousin Savannah very carefully, studying her and taking notes (Savannah is 15 months old, and she's extremely mobile...I could tell Alex was figuring out how to get herself moving around the room). I continue to enjoy spending as much time with her as possible, and it gets better every day. With a vacation coming up (nearly two weeks!), I'm going to spend a lot of time in the house. :-)
 

[12/9/2001 11:14:10 PM | Daddy]
As usual, I'll post a bit about how great it is to be a father to such a beautiful baby. I can't spend enough time with her...and as her personality emerges, it's getting even more exhilarating.

Even the not-as-pleasant things are fun to experience: she's starting to get a little separation anxiety from Mommy, and it's an interesting stage in her growth. I try not to take it personally when she reaches for Mommy...it's tough, but I know (from reading and advice from other fathers) that soon enough, the power will switch back to Daddy! :-)

Really, she's incredible. When she's laughing and playing and asking for more, there's nothing like it.
 

[12/2/2001 11:49:24 PM | Daddy]
Alex Willow turned six months old this week...amazing. The time is really flying. I remember a few months ago, very clearly, when Alex was in the same room as another baby. The other baby (probably about six months old, now that I think about it) was looking around the room, absorbing things...while Alex was pretty much absorbed in her own world, not ready to respond to outside stimuli yet.

Now, she's becoming a little girl. She's curious about everything, and she wants to touch and eat and play with and look at everything. She tells us when she's happy, or sad, or angry, or uncomfortable. She lets us know when she's hungry, or thirsty, or ready for play. And when she gets laughing, it's tough to stop her. She always laughs at Peanut...especially when he's catching cookies.

We've officially entered the "reward stage"...and it's incredible.
 

[11/18/2001 11:06:58 PM | Daddy]
Well, let's see...fun stuff this week: Alex Willow likes to be tossed into the air, and held upside-down -- every father's dream come true! It's nice to be able to stop her in her tracks, toss her in the air, and get a smile or a laugh. Which is important these days...this whole tooth thing is making Alex pretty grumpy. Not all the time, certainly...but more so than usual. Instead of a happy baby 98% of the time, we're only running at around 80% these days.

And that 18% shortfall makes parenting a little harder than before...realistically, we've been spoiled to this point: Alex is as easygoing as they come. So we can handle it...we're tough! On the weekends, we switch off shifts: one of us has to get up early, when Alex does (5:30 to 6 or so), so the other one can sleep (because with all that Alex talking going on, it's impossible to get any real rest). Then, at around 7:30, the second shift begins, and the early shifter can get some much needed shut-eye.

Hey, it's all about being a parent, right?
 

[11/11/2001 10:14:24 PM | Daddy]
Alex Willow is starting to show how smart she is...she's figuring out how to solve problems, and it's clear that the thought process in her head is getting clearer.

And I'll bet she's not too far from crawling: when she's on her stomach, playing with a toy, if it's too far away she'll figure out how to get it. She hasn't quite figured out how to put her knees under her to crawl, but I can see it's not too far away. And now when she's sitting and playing (which she can do for at least 30 minutes at a time...kind of nice to be able to sit her down and let her play now without having to watch her every second), she'll figure out creative ways to reach toys that are just beyond her grasp.

She bounces in her bouncy chair for fun, and she moves in her walker to get places. And did I mention that she's VERY ticklish? It's not very hard to get her laughing hysterically with a few well-placed kisses under her arms or on her sides!
 

[11/4/2001 10:54:21 PM | Daddy]
Halloween was fun! Alex looked so cute in her costume...she went as a puppy. It was tough to take her outside; people kept stopping us. Ah, such is the life of the parent of a cute baby! :-)

Anyway, today was neat: Alex started intentionally motoring around the house in her walker...she figured out how to get it to move, and she's definitely making choices about what to do and where to go. And she really started talking today, trying out new sounds (she's been doing it for a few days, but every day the sounds get a little clearer). Ba Ba Ba, La La La, Lou Lou Lou...I think "Da Da" and "Ma Ma" are just around the corner!
 

[10/28/2001 9:54:11 PM | Daddy]
Alex turned 5 months old today...amazing. And it's clear that she's growing...I see progress literally on a daily basis. Whether it's the slightly more intelligible sounds she makes (sometimes almost sounding like singing) to the smoothness in her hand movements (when she reaches for something, she usually grabs it on the first try), her learnings are clear. When we put her in the bouncy chair, she's starting to realize that her actions produce bounces...and she's really beginning to like getting slurberts and kisses...she squeals with delight!

Oh, and she's very ticklish too. Such fun!
 

[10/21/2001 10:18:51 PM | Daddy]
Quite a week...with Alex getting her second round of shots, taking swimming lessons, and trying solid foods for the first time. The shots are tough...it's difficult to hold your baby while she looks you in the eyes, wondering why you're letting her get hurt. Such is the life of a parent, I suppose.

I visited my Connor (Joe and Vanessa's 8 month old) on Saturday. Connor is 3.5 months older than Alex Willow, and always serves as a glimpse into the future for me. Connor is crawling all over the place, recognizing people when they walk in the room and crawling over to them. He even is getting bumps and bruises because he's very mobile...I can't believe Alex will be there in such a short time...my little baby's growing up so quickly! (Sob!) :-)
 

[10/15/2001 12:10:12 AM | Daddy]
Alex Willow was the perfect baby at the wedding we went to today (as usual). No crying, no complaining...and offering a smile to everyone she saw.

She got into one of her laughing fits today...I caught it on video camera, but forgot to catch it on the digital camera so I could post it to the site...I'll try to do it sometime this week and post some video next week.
 

[10/7/2001 11:07:26 PM | Daddy]
Alex Willow does something every day that shows she's learning. Yesterday, I found that if I make a certain noise, and tilt my head a certain way, it gets her to laugh. She doesn't just laugh at anything...she's pretty particular about it. But this noise/tilt head thing seems to set her off...and it's a beautiful thing. Just warms me up inside.

Grandma and Grandpa Fisher came over to the house tonight, and Alex was a little cranky -- she was tired, and she's starting to teethe. But the interesting thing is that she's starting to impose her will on others around her...if she doesn't want to be held, or doesn't want to be put in her bouncy chair, she's very clear about her intentions. She's growing into a person.
 

[10/1/2001 10:27:01 PM | Daddy]
Sorry, I'm a day late...you'll have to excuse me -- Cinzia (Mommy) threw me a surprise party Saturday night, and I'm still catching up. Alex was great throughout the whole day (Saturday) -- when we went to Family Fun Center, she watched as I went on the rides, never complaining. And when we went to Benihana's -- even though it was past her bedtime -- she sat on my lap throughout the whole dinner, never fussing, never complaining (she watched the entire dinner get cooked, fascinated!). And then when we got home, and I was surprised by 30 people in my house (and yes, I was completely surprised), Alex stayed awake just long enough to entertain the guests (who really came to see Alex, and not me...don't think I'm not aware who the main attraction in the house is).

Now Alex reaches out to touch my mouth when I talk, so she can "feel" what I'm saying. She's paying attention to the world around her, curious as to what's going on outside her 12-inch comfort space. She's starting to bounce with her legs in the bouncy chair...and perhaps most important of all: she can sit up by herself for short periods of time! It's amazing to watch her grow...she literally picks up something new every day. We're entering the "reward phase"...and it's incredible.
 

[9/23/2001 9:19:52 PM | Daddy]
Alex Willow is so funny...every night, she talks herself to sleep. She's not doing too many of the "a-goo" (vowel-consonant) sounds anymore...she's moved on to long "ahhhhhhhhhyayayayayaya"-type vocalizations...and when she gets going, she talks up a storm.

We call her "the talking baby". And she's really growing up. She's starting to take notice of the world around her...we're starting to get into the "reward phase" of parenthood, that much is clear.

And I like it.
 

[9/16/2001 9:10:33 PM | Daddy]
Just back from a weekend in LA...I never thought it'd be that tough to be gone from Alex Willow. I actually played with her Friday morning before I left, and I was fortunate enough to get a few hours tonight...but Saturday was tough. Alex Willow withdrawals! Cinzia says Alex laughed at something new each day -- she laughed when she got slurberts, she laughed when Mommy was laughing...and she's already learned the most important lesson in life: she laughs at herself (when she looks in the mirror, of course).

I gave her a bath tonight...she's really growing up. She's not fitting too well in the portable bath anymore. Amazing.
 

[9/8/2001 7:20:32 PM | Daddy]
Earlier this week, I was taking Alex Willow in to Cinzia for her nightly bath (Cinzia was already in the tub). Alex was getting a little testy, knowing that her bath was upcoming...I was getting a little frustrated, because Cinzia wasn't ready for Alex yet. So for whatever reason, I decided to stand the baby up in front of the bathroom mirror...and she went crazy! First came the smiles...and then the first outright laughs! Cinzia and I were thrilled...we'd seen so many smiles, but never gotten a laugh. She was 3 months and 4 days at the time...and this was a couple of days ago: no laughs, unless she's back in front of the mirror. :-)