More please!

Just yesterday, for the first time, Carolina exclaimed happily "More, please!"

It was just after her nap and as part of her post-nap meal, which is like 1/2 lunch, I gave her a little bowl of chocolate Lactaid ice cream. She had a wee bit of trouble spooning it up but mostly got the hang of it, and was clearly getting VERY COLD. I figured she'd be done after the bowl, but lo and behold when the last spoonful went it she said (very clearly), "Mo please!"

So I gave her another half a bowl, which she didn't quite finish but was delighted to have it as part of her 'lunch'.

Later that afternoon, while we were at the park, she was going up to different kids and saying, "Hi!" Sometimes she'd also point to me and say something that was mostly indecipherable but included "Mama" or "Mommy" -- as in, that's my mom over there. By introducing herself to other kids she ended up playing with an older girl, who is about 8 and lives in the building next to ours. The girl was swinging Carolina very high on the swing and Carolina was laughing and screaming with the utmost delight. I was listening carefully for any signs or sounds of fear (as I was very nervous) but she was more than fine. She even learned how to say "More high! More high!" to go higher in the swing.

She was also very disappointed when the little girl had to go home with her mother. She looked at me and said "Mo girl! Mo kids!" I had to explain that the little girl had to go with her Mommy, to which Carolina looked at me and said quite emphatically, "No home mommy. No home. Mas! Mas!"

So I pushed her a while longer but it wasn't the same.

We had been at the park for over an hour and a half yesterday, and last night she was exhausted and slept well.

Baby wants ice cream and a trip to the beach

Two good stories from this week

First was about two days ago while we were on the swings at the park. Carolina pointed to a bigger girl on one of the big kid swings with an ice cream cone and says, "Eyez keem!" I say, "Yes, the kid has ice cream." 

"Eyez keem! Eyez keem!" 
"Yes, Carolina, the girl has ice cream."
She then points to herself and says emphatically, "Eyez keem. Baby eyez keem!" (I often tell her that she's a big girl now but still my baby.)

I couldn't help but laugh and explained no ice cream today. 


The second story is about a postcard she received from her godmother, Maria. 

While looking at the postcard photo of the beach at early morning, she points to it and goes "Rea!" 

"Yes, the postcard is from Aunt Maria. She's at the beach with Tommy and Marisa."

"Rea. Beach."

The she turns it over and over, looking a little confused. "Rea? Tah-mee?"

After a few seconds thinking this over I say, "oh! It's a postcard but Maria isn't in the photo."

"Ok. Beach?"
"Yes. It's a postcard of the beach. Do you want to go to the beach?"
"Ok. Beach. Aqua. Ok!"

Last few weeks

Have been very, very hot and humid. This past week, after 3 days of only going to the park early in the morning for about 30 minutes on the swings and then after her mid-day nap, hanging around the apartment until bedtime -- mommy had enough. So I called my mom and Carolina and I went there for Thursday and Friday to go to the pool and hang out with grandma and grandpa. MUCH more fun!

Carolina didn't sleep very well overnight, but at least she didn't bang her head too much. She's been teething with at least two molars coming in, one on each side. There might be a 3rd or 4th molar also coming in but I'm having a hard time telling. I just wish the two mounds in the back of her mouth that are sore would just have the teeth break through and be done with it. She's been suffering more with these molars, as expected, than any other teeth so far.

I signed her up for another set of music classes and got a deal on "open gym time" at a Gymboree in the city for a month. Since she's napping from about 11-1pm every day, they have open gym time at about 9.30 on Tuesdays. So I'll take her to the UES for some fun with other babies.

We didn't join the local, private park -- the only one with grass in the area. I principally object to having to pay for access to grass when we pay a very large portion of our income on city tax and a portion of that tax goes to maintaining all the city parks. Why Sunnyside can't get that park to be part of the Parks Department, I don't know. I'm sure there's a good reason, other than keeping it for middle-class white people in the area. Yes, I did just say that and yes it is true.

Anyway, Carolina is starting to say more words -- or at least repeat them. She repeated, fairly clearly, this week: "Okay", "Grandpa" and "delicious".  Yum-yum is definitely the key word for letting her know it's time for dinner or lunch -- and gauging how hungry she is by how quickly and emphatically she says "yum yum" back to you.

She's standing more and took another 2-3 little steps today. I'm guessing that by the time we leave for Celaya late in August, she'll be walking. But that's just a guess as I have NO idea how this all works on timing.

Well, she's asleep -- it was a regular/early night at 6.30. So time for me to make dinner for the grownups!

First steps

Last night, after we came back from the park, Carolina took her first 2-3 steps. She stood up herself, just outside the kitchen in the hallway and walked! On her 3rd step she quickly got down and started crawling toward the apartment door.

She had taken her first half step last Friday when Ismael had come home from work very early.

For all I know she's been doing this for weeks and we only just noticed. But I think I've seen all the walking she's done.

Oops, gotta run. She's up from her afternoon nap. Time to get to the park for the swings!