For Annie, the Dougster, Mercedes and Rich

After many moons of not writing anything here, I thought I'd post some pictures for all of you in Korea, so you can see what the darling toddler(and the rest of us) are up to while you're off eating spicy food and beating Engrish into small, unfortunate Korean children. I know you guys aren't allowed to hit, but I think Rich probably back-hands a couple when no one is looking.

The girls at Annie&Doug's going away party

Awwww!

Sally learns how to drive her trike

And just as quickly learns how to give

the Jersey Salute while driving.

Fawgeddaboutit!

Well, now that I'm looking, I can't find pics of Jenn's party, so check back for more exciting content! And remember, I look at your cat pictures, so you can look at my cute baby!

The little epicure

I've done this parenting thing before, right? Because for the past month I've been growing more and more frustrated over the Pooter's eating habits. Because for several months, she was a greedy gobbler, nursing every 4 hours and eating 3 meals a day, at least a jar of baby food at a time. Then, suddenly, she wanted nothing to do with food. Then, she learned to shake her head no. No! It's too soon for defiance. But, except for the nursing and an occasional spoonful, whe wouldn't eat. I blamed the teething. Then she got shots. Then she got a cold. Then she was teething again. Finally, we ran out of excuses. She'd just shake her head "no" and I'd have to try and sneak food in. Then 2 things happened.

First, I sat her in her chair and, to keep her occupied, I gave her a couple of mini wheats. Just to play with, because she really hasn't been into the whole "put things in the mouth" routine. At all. Even my mother commented on it. Give her Cheerios and she just plays with them and sticks them in her diaper. Anyway. I turn away for a sec and when I turn back, she's eaten half a mini wheat. So a light bulb goes off. I start serving her stuff on stuff, like hummous on toast or baby food spread on a cracker. That sort of thing. I find out she likes to eat off of something, but she's still slow on the bringing things to her mouth. Then, whenever I try to get a spoon to her mouth, she grabs the spoon, so I start giving her a spoon to keep her busy while I shovel in with my spoon. This works for a bit. Finally, duh, I give her the spoon with the food and she puts the food in her own mouth. Follow me here. She completely bypassed bringing food to her mouth by hand and went right to using a spoon. I thought it was a fluke, but Gar gave her the spoon at the next meal and let her dip into the bowl and she did it like 4 times in a row.

The other thing she bypassed was the so-called "stage 2" baby foods. She likes the fruits and veggies. But the spaghetti and cheese or garden veg dinner, no way. The other night we were eating in the living room and G puts down his bowl of penne with homemade vodka sauce and Poot scoots right over and puts her whole face in the bowl and comes with vodka sauce all over her face. So, basically, forget the baby food spaghetti, she wants penne with vodka sauce(settle down, the vodka boils off).

So now I've just been feeding her mostly what I eat with a little baby food thrown in. Likes: blueberry apricots smoothies, hummous, baba ghanoush and kiwis. Dislikes: tomatos.

Enough blather. Let's see some baby pictures.

A Poot by any other name

People have been known to ask us, "So what do you call her?" And by that, I think they mean, "Salome is such a weird and exotic name, you don't actually say it out loud, do you?" Well yes, we do. But in the spirit of our family to develop new and strange nicknames, Salome as evolved(or devolved) into some other things that we do call her from time to time. Like, take the cat for instance(take my cat, please!). Her name is Legolas. Yes, like the elf. And if you're keeping track, the other cats' names are Feanor, Gingersnap and Fig Newton. So Mr. Dungeons & Dorks named his cats after Tolkien characters and I named mine after cookies. So what. What did you name your cat? Snookums!? I thought so.

Anyhoo, Salome has turned into Sally, then Sal, then Salad-by her 3 year old cousin. When she's nakie and scooting around on the floor all pink and wriggly she's Salamander. Sometimes Salami(salomi-I don't know, the lunch meat, you know what I mean), which is a name I don't like and the biggest reason I didn't want to name her Salome, because I know how kids at school can be and she'll hate me because I named her after a sandwich meat. Then there's Sally Moo, Sally Mae and Salo Mia, Salo Mia, Salo Mia let me go(magnifico-o-o-o). Don't even get me started with Pooter. That became Poot, Pootie, and Pootie Pootwell(a la the Ya-Ya Sisterhood). That (de)evolved into Moot, sometimes Moot Moot and then I make a little noise like Sweet Pea except instead of "Jeep, Jeep" I go "Moot, Moot" and that became Boot and then Bootie, cause she has a cute, little one and sometimes if we're feeling a little funky it's "Bootylicious" and we shake our heinies and have a good time.

There, aren't you sorry you asked.

Fawgeddaboud it

You Are 94% New Jersey!

Wow, you're totally Jersey. There's no doubt about it. Congratulations, and always be proud to be Jersey--it's a great thing to be!

How New Jersey Are You?

Yeah, baby! How New Jersey am I now? How bout now? Wanna go down the shawr and get a saw-sage sammich? Fawgeddaboud it.

P is for pool, party and presents

Big weekend for the Pooter. Two, count 'em, two parties. Cousin Hannah's party was yesterday and Sally went in the big pool for the first time. She really liked it but she clung to me like a baby monkey. And there was ice cream cake AND bubbles-we got the birthday girl a bubble maker that makes enormous bubbles and was a great hit with young and old alike, although the teenager thought it could be improved if fire was involved. I told hubby that he comes from rednecks, cause they do love to set things on fire, but he said it was a guy thing. Hmmmm.

I really liked this picture until my mother looked at it and said, "hey, you've got my figure". Sigh.

I told you there were bubbles. Big bubbles.

Now, today, Eldest Daughter turned 15. Yikes! There were more balloons, too, which the Pooter really liked. And more ice cream cake, which turns her into a baby bird-face upturned, mouth wide open and little squawks for more ice cream. Jenn got more sewing supplies(including a dress form) and a gift certificate for Lush (squeeee!!), so a trip to the city is in our future. And we told her we're not buying her any more clothes, she has to sew them all. The Pooter, meanwhile, is sleeping off all the ice cream cake.

She's crawling

No time to write, I've got a baby to chase. She is everywhere. Not sure if the rooms not babyproofed? Just put her on the floor, she'll find whatever dangerous item is lying around. She's like a little dart. I want to get a playpen, or play den or whatever they're called. Except that I have a sneaking suspicion she's learning to climb, too.

It's the end of the world as we know it

Yesterday, I saw a dad with 2 little kids, ages 3 or 4, riding tricycles. Not the old fashioned trikes that were red and had a tendency to tip over, like mine when I was wee. These were more like boring looking big wheels. And they were wearing helmets. Helmets. Now, I'm all for child safety, but really, these kids couldn't have been more than 2 inches off the ground. They have a longer fall from a standing position (come to think of it, one kid was walking with a helmet on). Maybe they should just encase the kids in bubble wrap.

Speaking of child safety, it's time to put up the baby gate, lower the crib mattress and hide the cats (mrow!). Sally can almost crawl. She's mastered the arms, and then one leg, but that last leg just won't cooperate and she winds up pushing back into a sitting position and then rolls the last part of the way. She gets around, is what I'm saying.

Hmmm, what do I do now?

Let's see, put the arm out.

I don't seem to be moving

Dammit, dog, don't just sit there sniffing your balls...

Help me!

I win! I win! I win!

Guess who said her first words? Salome! Guess what her first word was? Dada? No. Mama? Yes, yes, yes!!!! Gary tried to call me while I was in the OR and got my voice mail. He had the speaker phone on. Sally heard my voice and said, "Mama". Smart girl. Then this morning when I came home she looked at me and said, "mamamamama". How happy am I? This happy-















Give me the camera so that I might eat it

Jenn didn't like the last pic I posted of her. It didn't capture her totally cool attributes, so I'm posting another: