Month Nine Milestones for me and Mia

As frequent readers know, Miss Mia began crawling earlier this month and I am the one who has reached a milestone. I'm not as worried over her getting hurt. Did I the supreme worry wart really just write that? Now she is quicker on her knees and attempting to pull herself up, thus begins the litany of bumps of bruises for which our care and concern over will diminish as time passes. I liken it to getting a new car. At first we take special care to keep it clean and neat. We wash it and don't let dust collect on the dashboard. We worry about it when we leave it parked on a busy city street and check it for dings upon return. Geesh--I sound like a guy.

A similar trajectory of feelings accompany having a kid begin to move on her own. At first we worry about every object that is not bolted down and the danger that lurks around the corner. We inspect and fret over a little knock on the head, but as time passes, we learn that a few bumps here and there builds character much like our Christian walk. Now of course I am not advocating forgoing childproofing. One must be vigilant and take necessary precautions, but I know that as Mia navigates the world she will get hurt physically. It's all part of growing up. I have scars all over my knees and elbows. A badge of honor for a tomboy. The drama of a little fall will pale in comparison to the playground politics and girl fights a la Odd Girl Out. I better pick it up and read it again now that I'm a mom to a girl.

Back to Mia. We can also say with confidence that she knows how to wave hello and bye-bye. It's not just a fluke, however, the waving was not too cute this morning at 6 AM when she decided to wave hello furiously to her shadow created by the dim light of her nightlight/clock. Mia is also into looking for a toy we cover with a blanket. She enjoys the process for a few tries and then tires of it.

For her nine month check Mia was 19 pounds and 5 ounces (70th percentile, down from 80th at month six). She measured 29 inches long (95th percentile!!!).

On that note, I better go fix her dinner.

Knitting Again

Finally after a several month hiatus, I picked up the ole' needles and worked on Mia's blanket. It was due to the prompting of a gal from church who needed a brief knitting tutorial. Thanks Jamie. I needed to sit down and knit. The euphoria of project progress has hit me. I am ready to start other projects as well, but I take a deep breath and remind myself that I should bite off more than I can chew. Gotta finish this blanket as well as that sweater I started for Mia with GGH's Aspen. My dilemma is I have not found another skein of the yarn needed for that sweater. The store where I got it closed down and a couple of local stores do not carry it. What to do? Ah, knitting woes. . . It's good to have them again.

Bumperless, but not without bumps

Around 3:45 today, Mia went to her crib for her afternoon nap and here's what I found when I peeked in on her.Oh Miss Mia, what are we to do with you? She didn't seem uncomfy or else she would not have fallen asleep with her leg stuck. Or maybe she gave up on someone coming to save her. Oh, my heart breaks at the thought of that. After snapping some good shots to record Mia's trials and tribulations, I attempted to dislodge her leg and flip her over (neurotic fear of SIDS) onto her back. I was met with FAILURE. Freeing the leg was no problem, it was the manner in which I flipped her that caused her to wake up shrieking. Nothing some nursing didn't cure, but where is she now? Certainly not asleep. She's in the carrier on my back making happy noises and pulling on my nice cashmere sweater.

Why Bumpers Really Are DANGEROUS!

As overly concerned first time parents, we heeded the advice of many baby books and didn't use our bumper for the first few months. Then Mia started thrashing about and we put it back in the crib because she wound up with a leg or arm in between the slats. We figured once she had neck control and more mobility she would be able to free herself from precarious situations. And as we adjusted to parenthood, we let our guard down. Gigantic error in judgment.

We operated just fine with the bumper in place for a few months until one night a couple of weeks ago. Papa went in to check on Mia and found this:


Mia was put into the crib in a very different position than what you see. Admittedly I nursed her to sleep that night so I know. It had been about three hours since she fell asleep and the time Ken went to check on her. Not a peep came out of her in that time, so we are at a lost as to how she got herself into the predicament. We THANK the GOOD LORD that our precious babe was just fine.

Needless to say we immediately--well after grabbing the camera--removed the bumper. Now Mia gets stuck and cries to let us know it but at least we know she won't suffocate.

Officially Nine Months!

Today is a momentous day! Mia has lived outside the womb for as long as she was inside of me. Her progress amazes me. When we brought her home, she didn't smile or have much of a personality. She slept and ate, then slept and ate, she was quiet as a mouse, so I figured her for a very mellow and calm child. Now Mia is a spitfire. Full of chutzpah, a lover of life, loud, on the move, opinionated, and stubborn. She really is a combination of her Papa and me.

Today, I wrote "9 months" on a white index card as I do to mark each month (well, okay, I missed a couple here and there) and put it near Mia but not close enough for her to grab because of her fondness for eating paper. What can I say, she's still in the oral phase. Anyway, the Meemster really has not been crawling, just rotating and flopping on her tummy. But as soon as she saw the index card she got on her knees and lunged for it. And she would not be distracted. I'm proud of her determination and belief in herself because I believe girls need those attributes. I just hope I can foster it through her adolescence.

Romantic Getaway With Baby??? NOT!

While unusual for Seattle, we saw more snow last week! It led to yet another snow day and cancellation in our toddler co-op visit. But we had a great time taking photos and then returning to the comforts of our home to watch the snow fall. The snow and cold didn't keep us at home, I cashed in on my Christmas present so our little family took a short overnighter to the Salish Lodge last Sunday. I was very much looking forward to soaking and steaming in the silent spa and vegging in front of the television after Mia went to sleep. Part of my wish came true...

The Lodge was even more romantic with Snoqualmie Falls and the snow covered trees in the backdrop. Each room had it's own wood-burning fireplace and two person jetted tub. The setting was lovely, but romance was not in the cards for us. Our Mia was overstimulated and could not sleep. We tried to rock her and she would see herself in one of the many mirrors and start waving and smiling. The crackling and glow of the fire caught her attention as well as Papa typing on his laptop.

We had a crib from the Lodge, but she refused to sleep in it and we were not keen on having her CIO (cry it out) in a new place, especially a hotel. Personally, I don't care that there are other guests next door because I believe Mia had every right to be there and until there's a complaint, I'm fine with her crying. But that wasn't really the issue, we just felt badly for her since we kept her up late and she had not napped well during the day so she could not fall asleep easily. Finally we had her in the luscious king sized which was topped with a feather bed with us. At first she played and rolled over and laughed at her skillfulness. I like to think she appreciated the comfy bed. But finally after bringing out the big guns (booby milk) she fell fast asleep and we alongside her. It was 10 o'clock. I had missed Desperate Housewives and wasn't about to turn on the tube and disturb Mia. So we went to sleep with Mia. Guess that's what it is like to vacation with a little one.

What Am I Clapping For?

My sweet Meemster loves to clap these days. It's so cute to turn over and see her clapping by herself. Whenever the people around her appear happy about something her hands come together. I like to think that she's a praising the Lord in her own way.

Angry Baby

Well today, my little Mia managed to escape from the Bumbo. I had her on the floor behind my desk at work and she must have dropped her sippy cup and in her attempt the lean forward to retrieve it she popped out. She cried and cried, so I calmly picked her up and tried to nurse her for comfort. In return, Mia took a bite at me. I think she was pissed off that I allowed her to fall out of the Bumbo. She's a spitfire. Not sure what to make of it. On one hand it's good for a girl to be assertive and on the other hand, I don't want her to be vengeful. Maybe I'm reading too much into it.

Waving Good-Bye to 2006

Two thousand six has been a monumental year for me and Papa. God blessed us with our daughter Mia and for that we could not be more grateful. Mia's latest milestone is waving good-bye. We walk in and out of rooms just to see her exhibit her new skill. Yeah, our daughter is our circus monkey. It brings us hours of entertainment.

We look forward to a new year and many new milestones, as the next year or two will bring the most rapid development in our child compared to the years to come. While I will always yearn for her babyhood, I truly am looking forward to witnessing Mia's advancement. What I am NOT looking forward to are tantrums. Contrary to popular belief children begin screaming and asserting themselves prior to the age of two. Earlier today, I took away a tube of diaper cream while changing Mia because she started to bite and suck on the opening and I am pretty sure ingesting A & D ointment isn't a good thing. Little Miss Thing had a fit and wailed for about 30 seconds until she was distracted by something else. Now how long will diversion work as a tactic?

Over the holidays we saw some old friends who were visiting from out of town. Keren Ji Kang came over for dinner with her hubby JP and daughter Amanda. Keren is expecting her second baby around the time Mia was born. It was so much fun to see Amanda, three years old, playing with Mia. Amanda's dad posted some video clips of Amanda and Mia. Sam and Quenna were also in town and we were amazed at how much Lydia and Hannah have grown!