Sasha started laughing and clapping when we pulled up to her daycare this morning. She enthusiastically rang the door bell, and when we got inside and she heard all her friends playing, she wrestled out of my arms to run into the toddler room. I guess this means she likes school?
We had a great weekend of sunshine, playing outside, catching up on naps (she doesn't nap so much at school), and visiting with friends. I'll post pictures when we get around to uploading them. There are some great shots of Sasha running around outside and visiting with her friends at Tougo Coffee.
She is very much into running everywhere. No more tentatively walking - this girl is on the move! The only time she takes pause is when the terrain changes, ie., going from pavement to grass. She takes a moment to assess the new terrain and then gingerly crosses over. It's so adorable.
She's also using lots of words now. "Baby" is a big word for her, as are the old stalwarts "baba," "hi," and "bye." It's cool that she can repeat words, though, even if she doesn't bring them up again for a while. She's repeated "milk" (sounds like "mih"), "thank you" (sounds like "darnk ku"), and "cool." Other words she knows and uses: "eye," "head/hat/hair" (they all kind of sound the same and she touches her head for all of them," "cheese" (sounds like "ghee"), and "teeth" (she does the teeth brushing pantomime for this word).
She loves reading books and now will sit with her books and flip the pages by herself, making up her own words for the pictures. Every day, she seems less like a baby and more like a toddler. It's scary wonderful!
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Monday, February 11, 2008
Sasha: A Year in Pictures
High Five
Sorry to leave you hanging there. Things seemed pretty sad last time you checked in, didn't they? I assure you, the delay in posting was not due to me laying on the couch incapacitated with Sasha withdrawal, forced by lack of will into watching daytime television and massive binging on Hostess products. Believe me, I'm quite capable of multi-tasking. In fact, this skill has been highlighted on my resume. Is it my fault no one ever asks what it is exactly that I multi-task?
In all seriousness, the last few weeks have actually been quite good in the daycare department. Sure, the first week Sasha and I were both puddles on the floor, bursting into tears when we pulled up in front of her daycare. It did get better, though. So much better, in fact, that when I think of the possibility of her not being there (say, because no employer is wowed by my multitasking ability), a shadow of panic falls over my heart. It is clearly an amazing place and I feel so lucky that we stumbled into an opening, especially after several months of calling other daycares only to be put on long waiting lists.
I had some doubts and fears at first. Were these people to be trusted with my baby? Were they smiling to my face and then shoving choking hazards down her throat as soon as I walked out the door? Was Sasha crying from the moment I left until the moment I picked her up? Is she being picked on by the older toddlers? Would she ever forgive me?
Each day, though, brought relief as I saw her transition quickly to this new experience. For the first week or so, she'd burst into tears when she saw me walk in the door, desperately waving "bye" to everyone so that we could leave NOW. Last week something changed. She still cries in the morning, although not as much as at first, and the biggest change is when I come to pick her up. Now when she sees me, she waves and runs over to give me a hug. Then, she gets right back to whatever it was she was doing. Today I put on her coat and hat and while looking for her shoes, she ran off to play with her friends. The teacher asked her if she was going home, and she shook her head, "No."
She's matured so much in just the last few weeks of daycare, too. Her vocabulary and ability to mimic words is more refined. She interacts more pointedly with other toddlers; less parallel play and more actual interaction. She now "high-fives" and dances to the slightest hint of a song. The teacher told me that today she was dancing to the computer's start up jingle. It makes me happy to see her respond to music so joyously. She even tries to sing sometimes.
All of this makes the arduous task of looking for work and worrying about money less stressful. All of my worry can now go into finding gainful employment because I know she's safe and happy when I'm not with her. This is priceless (translation: about $1000/month).
Stay tuned for a photographic retrospective: Sasha: 2007-2008, a Year in Pictures.
In all seriousness, the last few weeks have actually been quite good in the daycare department. Sure, the first week Sasha and I were both puddles on the floor, bursting into tears when we pulled up in front of her daycare. It did get better, though. So much better, in fact, that when I think of the possibility of her not being there (say, because no employer is wowed by my multitasking ability), a shadow of panic falls over my heart. It is clearly an amazing place and I feel so lucky that we stumbled into an opening, especially after several months of calling other daycares only to be put on long waiting lists.
I had some doubts and fears at first. Were these people to be trusted with my baby? Were they smiling to my face and then shoving choking hazards down her throat as soon as I walked out the door? Was Sasha crying from the moment I left until the moment I picked her up? Is she being picked on by the older toddlers? Would she ever forgive me?
Each day, though, brought relief as I saw her transition quickly to this new experience. For the first week or so, she'd burst into tears when she saw me walk in the door, desperately waving "bye" to everyone so that we could leave NOW. Last week something changed. She still cries in the morning, although not as much as at first, and the biggest change is when I come to pick her up. Now when she sees me, she waves and runs over to give me a hug. Then, she gets right back to whatever it was she was doing. Today I put on her coat and hat and while looking for her shoes, she ran off to play with her friends. The teacher asked her if she was going home, and she shook her head, "No."
She's matured so much in just the last few weeks of daycare, too. Her vocabulary and ability to mimic words is more refined. She interacts more pointedly with other toddlers; less parallel play and more actual interaction. She now "high-fives" and dances to the slightest hint of a song. The teacher told me that today she was dancing to the computer's start up jingle. It makes me happy to see her respond to music so joyously. She even tries to sing sometimes.
All of this makes the arduous task of looking for work and worrying about money less stressful. All of my worry can now go into finding gainful employment because I know she's safe and happy when I'm not with her. This is priceless (translation: about $1000/month).
Stay tuned for a photographic retrospective: Sasha: 2007-2008, a Year in Pictures.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Firsts, Part 1
Today is Sasha's second day of daycare. I haven't stopped crying since I dropped her off 15 minutes ago. I think today is possibly harder than yesterday because yesterday I had no idea how hard it would be. I fantasized that she would adjust seamlessly and that I would pick her up and she would have barely noticed I was gone.
Instead, I forgot her lunch, had to bring it in and then watch her scream for me as I left, once again. When Jay and I picked her up, they told us she had a great day, one of ups and downs, but that she ate a lot and talked a lot and even slept over an hour. Still, seeing her burst into tears when she saw us walk in and her tired little face just about killed me.
So, the second day is the hardest. The "goodbye" part is awkward. I don't want to linger, I don't want to bolt. And yet, when we first get there, she's kind of dazed and transfixed and doesn't really notice I'm saying, "Goodbye, Sasha. I love you. I'll be back soon." It's only as I'm walking toward the door that she notices and our eyes catch and she starts sobbing.
But, I need to pull it together this morning. I have a five hour interview starting in about 2 hours, and I must focus.
Sasha, I am hugging you from afar.
Instead, I forgot her lunch, had to bring it in and then watch her scream for me as I left, once again. When Jay and I picked her up, they told us she had a great day, one of ups and downs, but that she ate a lot and talked a lot and even slept over an hour. Still, seeing her burst into tears when she saw us walk in and her tired little face just about killed me.
So, the second day is the hardest. The "goodbye" part is awkward. I don't want to linger, I don't want to bolt. And yet, when we first get there, she's kind of dazed and transfixed and doesn't really notice I'm saying, "Goodbye, Sasha. I love you. I'll be back soon." It's only as I'm walking toward the door that she notices and our eyes catch and she starts sobbing.
But, I need to pull it together this morning. I have a five hour interview starting in about 2 hours, and I must focus.
Sasha, I am hugging you from afar.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Big Stuff
Yesterday, Jay and I brought Sasha to her daycare for a "practice" day. This means she stayed a couple of hours without us there to get her acclimated to the environment. I highly suspect these trial days are as much about getting mama adjusted as it is about getting baby adjusted. At least, that's how it worked for me.
As soon as we got there, Sasha was off exploring and chatting up the other toddlers. It was a quiet morning, with a few of the kids out sick, which made it a perfect day to get to know the school a little better. Jay and I stayed for about 10 minutes, but it was pretty clear that she was doing fine. As we were putting on our shoes to leave, she realized that we weren't bringing her with us and began to cry. I've read that in this situation, you don't want to linger, but it's even worse to sneak out. Clearly, we weren't sneaking out, but how long of a "goodbye" becomes lingering?
I didn't pick her up, I just restated that we love her and will be back to pick her up later and then we left. I didn't feel as emotional as I thought I might, mainly because I felt in my heart that she was fine and in good hands. There was a small part of me also that thought, "And now, I get to go drink coffee and read the paper All By Myself. Wheee!" So, it was a lot easier than I thought it would be. I was seriously tearing up and anxious on the way over, so this came as a pleasant surprise.
When I came to pick her up, she looked at me and gave me a big grin, but wasn't desperate to get up into my arms. A slight blow to my ego, but a really good sign. The teacher told me she cried for about 5 minutes, but they gave her lots of hugs and distracted her. She had a big lunch and when she saw all the kids with their sippy cups, she put down her bottle and drank from a cup. They said she talked a lot, which is not surprising, and she was clearly comfortable and happy when I came in. She walked around pointing at all her new discoveries, and one of the little boys was clearly smitten with her as he kept saying, "That's Sasha. Bye Sasha" as we got ready to go. I think he was still saying "bye Sasha" when we closed the door behind us. Sasha's first school friend!
I can't explain how wonderful seeing her adjust so well makes me feel. I know it's not the same as leaving her for eight hours, but just that little glimpse reassures me that all of this will be okay. It's a hard adjustment for me, but I do feel more confident going into her first day of school now.
As soon as we got there, Sasha was off exploring and chatting up the other toddlers. It was a quiet morning, with a few of the kids out sick, which made it a perfect day to get to know the school a little better. Jay and I stayed for about 10 minutes, but it was pretty clear that she was doing fine. As we were putting on our shoes to leave, she realized that we weren't bringing her with us and began to cry. I've read that in this situation, you don't want to linger, but it's even worse to sneak out. Clearly, we weren't sneaking out, but how long of a "goodbye" becomes lingering?
I didn't pick her up, I just restated that we love her and will be back to pick her up later and then we left. I didn't feel as emotional as I thought I might, mainly because I felt in my heart that she was fine and in good hands. There was a small part of me also that thought, "And now, I get to go drink coffee and read the paper All By Myself. Wheee!" So, it was a lot easier than I thought it would be. I was seriously tearing up and anxious on the way over, so this came as a pleasant surprise.
When I came to pick her up, she looked at me and gave me a big grin, but wasn't desperate to get up into my arms. A slight blow to my ego, but a really good sign. The teacher told me she cried for about 5 minutes, but they gave her lots of hugs and distracted her. She had a big lunch and when she saw all the kids with their sippy cups, she put down her bottle and drank from a cup. They said she talked a lot, which is not surprising, and she was clearly comfortable and happy when I came in. She walked around pointing at all her new discoveries, and one of the little boys was clearly smitten with her as he kept saying, "That's Sasha. Bye Sasha" as we got ready to go. I think he was still saying "bye Sasha" when we closed the door behind us. Sasha's first school friend!
I can't explain how wonderful seeing her adjust so well makes me feel. I know it's not the same as leaving her for eight hours, but just that little glimpse reassures me that all of this will be okay. It's a hard adjustment for me, but I do feel more confident going into her first day of school now.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Sunny Days, A Remembrance
There is nothing like getting out of Seattle during the cold, dark winter and taking a break in the warm sun. I hereby declare that every winter we shall take a sun break and head to warmer climates. Even during the holidays, the traditional hot cocoa and snowflakes time, I would rather be swimming in an ocean or lounging on the beach.
Lucky for us, both grandmothers live in Florida, so we have a place to go for the sun. We arrived a couple of days before Christmas and stayed with Nonna Connie at her place on Longboat Key. She lives across the street from the beach, which is a very nice place to live. Jay took Sasha in the ocean every day, which she loved. We even saw a pod of dolphins while out one evening walking the shore.
We visited with Grandma Sharon in St. Petersburg - we had lunch at Rollin' Oats and took a walk in Sawgrass Park. We didn't see any crocodiles, unfortunately, but we did see some soft shell turtles. Sasha loved all the palm trees in Florida, and even now will point out palm trees in books.
It was a lovely time and had I not waited until 3 weeks after our trip, I would have some accurate memories to share. I apologize for the vague details and will try to update after her birthday much sooner.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Sasha: Jetsetter
Tomorrow, Sasha goes on her third trip via plane, and her fourth out-of-state trip. We are headed to sunny Florida to stay with her Nonna Connie, and to see her Grandma Sharon, for the first time. Connie lives just a short walk away from one of the finest sandy beaches I've seen, and I'm so excited to see how Sasha reacts to warm sand between her toes.
I missed posting on her 11th month birthday and December has been a busy month. There are so many great things she does and says now, like:
I'm off to pack. More from our adventures in the Sunshine State will appear soon...
I missed posting on her 11th month birthday and December has been a busy month. There are so many great things she does and says now, like:
- When we go outside in the cold, she says, "Brrrr..."
- She loves books, which makes me so happy. She is usually walking around with a book in her hand, wanting me to read her a story. Sometimes I even see her flipping the pages and reading to herself. Her favorites are:
- Goodnight Moon - one of her favorite things is a balloon and there is a red balloon on every other page that she enjoys pointing to.
- Where is Baby's Belly Button?/Where is Baby's Mommy?: these are flip-up books that she absolutely adores and never tires of. I wish I could say the same - the plot is thin and the illustrations are kind of "meh," but she gets a kick out of flipping up those pages and finding what's underneath.
- Miss Spider's Tea Party - this is a really fun book to read to her. It's essentially a counting book, but the plot has some emotional drama that she really gets sucked into. There is a page in which Miss Spider, spurned by the other bugs, sobs in lonely melancholy. Sasha wrinkles her brow and starts to cry, and then laughs with joy in the next page when Miss Spider makes a little moth friend. I love that she really gets into the story.
- I am a Bunny - we read this to her every night before bed and I wonder how long this routine will last. We have little sounds and actions that we do with each page, and she looks at us impatiently if we forget to do our shtick for her. On the last page, she gives sleeping Bunny Nicholas a little pat "good night."
- She's becoming more and more affectionate as time passes. Most of her obvious affection is reserved for Gwen, our oldest and most Sasha-tolerant cat. She likes to give Gwen soft head butts, which are her equivalent of kisses. She also will head butt pictures of cats, puppies, and sometimes the "young mouse" in Goodnight Moon.
- She has started giving me hugs that just fill me heart with joy. Sometimes when I'm holding her, she'll put her hands on my cheeks and pull me in for a kiss. A few times, she has come up behind me while I've been sitting on the floor, and given my back a big hug. I love it!!
I'm off to pack. More from our adventures in the Sunshine State will appear soon...
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