Thursday, July 30, 2009
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Davie's Debuts
Every large milestone that Davie has come to has been with a bang. I think she kind of has this "Just because I CAN, doesn't mean I MUST" mentality. She saves up her skills, rehearses them in her head until it's just right and then BAM - she shows the world what she's got. It's really quite dramatic of her. She did this with rolling over, crawling, standing, and now . . . WALKING!!!
Davie has been standing like a pro for a month or more now. She just stands for days. Then she'll crank out a few squats to blast her quads, and then she'll stand again. She picks up her feet and readjusts them. She sways her hips back and forth. She just has amazing balance and grace with it. Many people have commented on how steady her standing is for a baby who isn't walking yet. Well, we really haven't pushed her to walk at all. We rarely hold her hands to walk her around the room, although it has happened (how can you resist sometimes). Well, I think Davie knew that I was going out of town in a few days and she'd better show me what she's got while I'm still around.
Today I took her with me to school to drop some things off, and we were hanging out in the office with Lisa, Ashley, and Marianne. Davie was standing a pace or so away from the desk where she saw something that she really thought she'd like to have. So she just stepped out and then together and grabbed the top of the desk. Lisa hit me in the arm and gasped. We all were like, "Did she - ? Was that - ? Did she just - !?" We all squealed and were talking about what a first step should consist of. Then she saw Ashley's keychain in her purse and fell in love, so I grabbed it and stood her up, and held it out at her eye level just out of her reach. She smiled and took 4 steps, not even wobbly, and took it from me, still standing. We squealed and screamed some more. She did this a few times more, taking more steps each time.
We met Daddy at the hospital cafeteria to visit Andy and Sarah Wilkins (and 10 month old Ramey of course). Sometimes Davie would just take a few steps on her own, on her way to nowhere in particular. Other times I would start out walking with her holding my hands, then she'd let go of one hand, then the other, and walk away. CRAZY!
My dad said usually a baby takes their first step, you freak out, and then they don't do it again for 2 or more weeks. I swear Davie has been finetuning the skill in her crib at night while the world is sleeping. I love the little thing. She'll probably be running laps around her grandparents when I get back from Orlando next weekend!
I'll try to get video soon!!!
Davie has been standing like a pro for a month or more now. She just stands for days. Then she'll crank out a few squats to blast her quads, and then she'll stand again. She picks up her feet and readjusts them. She sways her hips back and forth. She just has amazing balance and grace with it. Many people have commented on how steady her standing is for a baby who isn't walking yet. Well, we really haven't pushed her to walk at all. We rarely hold her hands to walk her around the room, although it has happened (how can you resist sometimes). Well, I think Davie knew that I was going out of town in a few days and she'd better show me what she's got while I'm still around.
Today I took her with me to school to drop some things off, and we were hanging out in the office with Lisa, Ashley, and Marianne. Davie was standing a pace or so away from the desk where she saw something that she really thought she'd like to have. So she just stepped out and then together and grabbed the top of the desk. Lisa hit me in the arm and gasped. We all were like, "Did she - ? Was that - ? Did she just - !?" We all squealed and were talking about what a first step should consist of. Then she saw Ashley's keychain in her purse and fell in love, so I grabbed it and stood her up, and held it out at her eye level just out of her reach. She smiled and took 4 steps, not even wobbly, and took it from me, still standing. We squealed and screamed some more. She did this a few times more, taking more steps each time.
We met Daddy at the hospital cafeteria to visit Andy and Sarah Wilkins (and 10 month old Ramey of course). Sometimes Davie would just take a few steps on her own, on her way to nowhere in particular. Other times I would start out walking with her holding my hands, then she'd let go of one hand, then the other, and walk away. CRAZY!
My dad said usually a baby takes their first step, you freak out, and then they don't do it again for 2 or more weeks. I swear Davie has been finetuning the skill in her crib at night while the world is sleeping. I love the little thing. She'll probably be running laps around her grandparents when I get back from Orlando next weekend!
I'll try to get video soon!!!
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Who IS Davie Charles?!
I could write a post about all the cute things Davie does, or the new tricks she has learned, but I'd rather talk about who she is turning out to be (in her short life so far).
When I was pregnant, I daydreamed about who she was in there. I didn't think about all the milestones she would pass and how giddy I would be at each one - I wondered about her personality. It has been complete bliss to watch her delightful characteristics unfold each day.
In one word, I would describe Davie Lucille Charles as a "delight". That's just what she is. She will snatch your heart from its chest with a smile, or a game of Peekaboo initiated by her, or with her baby elephant crawl, or with a new dance move she has mastered. She sees good in everyone. She plays a little hard to get . . . she'll crawl up to a stranger when they don't notice her, but as soon as they reach out to her, she'll crawl away smiling. She sings when it's quiet, and waits on tiptoes at the piano until I come to open it so she can play. She is nimble and strong. She has always been so strong physically - since the day she was born. She would straighten up and stretch that neck around. She has balance and grace. Even when she was first starting to stand, she amazed me with her ability to sit gently down when she got tired of standing. Her fingers do her will. It's astounding to watch her work to open a rather tricky flip phone. She holds it just so in both palms, digs her thumbs between the two parts, and pries it open. For months now, she has been ahead of me on turning pages when we are reading, and flipping up any flaps in her favorite books. She's a woman who knows what she wants and is tenacious about acquiring it - whether that is another child's pacifier, a little space from her big boisterous cousins, or climbing all the stairs by herself (but closely supervised) at great grandma's house.
She is starting to show a shy side, not in a frightened way as much as in a flirtatious way. I think the difference is the perma-smile as she shoves her head into mommy or daddy's side, usually still gazing at her potential wooer. She loves to sleep, if she's sleepy. There's no fighting it. She knows what she needs, and she knows that we will be back for her when she wakes up. She gets clumsy when she's tired - a giant tell for a baby so graceful. She also gets snuggly and a little restless all at the same time. More than once now, she has urged to be out of my arms and when I put her down she crawled to her crib and stood up holding on to the bars like, "Mom, I love you and all, but I just need some alone time now." Believe me child, I understand that.
The funny thing is when I was pregnant I was always wondering what parts would be like me and what parts would be like Steven . . . but at this point, I don't even think like that. She is my Dizzy Lu - whatever she got from us, and what she didn't, it's all DELIGHTFUL.
When I was pregnant, I daydreamed about who she was in there. I didn't think about all the milestones she would pass and how giddy I would be at each one - I wondered about her personality. It has been complete bliss to watch her delightful characteristics unfold each day.
In one word, I would describe Davie Lucille Charles as a "delight". That's just what she is. She will snatch your heart from its chest with a smile, or a game of Peekaboo initiated by her, or with her baby elephant crawl, or with a new dance move she has mastered. She sees good in everyone. She plays a little hard to get . . . she'll crawl up to a stranger when they don't notice her, but as soon as they reach out to her, she'll crawl away smiling. She sings when it's quiet, and waits on tiptoes at the piano until I come to open it so she can play. She is nimble and strong. She has always been so strong physically - since the day she was born. She would straighten up and stretch that neck around. She has balance and grace. Even when she was first starting to stand, she amazed me with her ability to sit gently down when she got tired of standing. Her fingers do her will. It's astounding to watch her work to open a rather tricky flip phone. She holds it just so in both palms, digs her thumbs between the two parts, and pries it open. For months now, she has been ahead of me on turning pages when we are reading, and flipping up any flaps in her favorite books. She's a woman who knows what she wants and is tenacious about acquiring it - whether that is another child's pacifier, a little space from her big boisterous cousins, or climbing all the stairs by herself (but closely supervised) at great grandma's house.
She is starting to show a shy side, not in a frightened way as much as in a flirtatious way. I think the difference is the perma-smile as she shoves her head into mommy or daddy's side, usually still gazing at her potential wooer. She loves to sleep, if she's sleepy. There's no fighting it. She knows what she needs, and she knows that we will be back for her when she wakes up. She gets clumsy when she's tired - a giant tell for a baby so graceful. She also gets snuggly and a little restless all at the same time. More than once now, she has urged to be out of my arms and when I put her down she crawled to her crib and stood up holding on to the bars like, "Mom, I love you and all, but I just need some alone time now." Believe me child, I understand that.
The funny thing is when I was pregnant I was always wondering what parts would be like me and what parts would be like Steven . . . but at this point, I don't even think like that. She is my Dizzy Lu - whatever she got from us, and what she didn't, it's all DELIGHTFUL.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
the hills are alive with the sound of harry
Yesterday was a truly delightful day. My friend Emery offered to watch Davie so I could go have a little Mother's Day Out. God bless her servant's heart! So I dropped Davie off to play with baby Myer and eventually Ezra, and I walked out the door into the humming meadows. I headed straight to Harkins Theatre and purchased one ticket for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I sat in the cool darkness blissfully alone and enjoyed the quiet before the previews. Needless to say, the movie was AMAZING. I walked out of the theatre in a haze of joy. I drove myself to Cuppies and Joe to visit some friends and purchase some "thank you" cupcakes for the Clark family. Then somehow my car found it's way in the parking lot of We Knead You, my favorite massage place on Classen. I spent the best $30 of my life getting reflexology from the nimblest old chinese lady (she crawled up on my back even)! By the time I went to pick up Davie I had been restored.
I just really needed a day to myself - to not be responsible, or considerate of another human being. I like, no, NEED alone time . . . and have not had a whole lot of that this summer.
So, thank you Emery and the Clark family for giving me some much needed Kinsey time. Davie had a wonderful time at the Clark household chasing Ezra up and down the hall, and trying to snatch out Myer's GORGEOUS eyes to keep for her own.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Got It
I had my job interview at KIPP today. It went splendidly . . . and they offered me the job! The position has changed for the better also. Instead of just managing the computer lab, I would be teaching a class. This class is basically a math reinforcement session. So once again, it is pretty much paperless - no grading papers after school, no planning elaborate lessons. Yet I get to work with some great kids that NEED me.
This opportunity may also enable Steven to go back to school!! And still watch our daughter!!!
Hurrah! Hurray! Hurroo!
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