Big Girl Bed

Dear Sweet little monkey,

You had a big day today. It started off with us having a breakfast picnic in your room while the freezing rains fell outside. Then you went off to church with Melanie where you played with the other kids and the baby you seem to love.

When you returned you wanted nothing to do with sleep. We tried everything, but you tore apart the new room I set up for you while you were gone. So we let you stay up! Your first day without a nap.

We thought we were in for trouble, but you were a dream. You went with mommy to a friend's house and baked cookies and played shark . . . for hours. When you returned home you were still in a good mood (unbelievable), and continued to laugh and play until bedtime.

Mommy read lots of books with you in bed and when she finished you remained in your big girl bed. This is a big step, but you decided it was time to make the shift. I don't know if it's going to last, but this is your first night sleeping in a real bed!

Oh, little sweet thing, we're so proud of you.

I can't wait to see you in the morning and ask about your experience.

Love,
Daddy

New This Week

Dear Sava

I just wanted to write you a note and let you know what is new to you this week.

-          You continuously recite your ABCs

-          You’ve stopped kissing me when you go to sleep, but you’ve started snuggling with us in the morning.

-          While playing alone in your room you counted to 13!

-          You taught yourself not only to get out of your own crib, but how to open the bedroom door!

You’re smart, you’re autonomous, and you’re mobile! With this new freedom you’ve also become less okay with boring old sleep. Getting you to stay in your room has become a real chore.

Yesterday your mother found that you were in your crib playing, playing, playing, but not sleeping. 12pm became 1 then 2 then 3 . . . Finally she went into the bedroom and told you she’d take away your baby if you didn’t try to sleep. 10 minutes later you were still playing, singing, and counting away in your room. Your mother took your baby then tucked you into bed. She closed the door and put the baby on a chair in the hallway.

A few minutes later she heard a thud, the door opening, little feet running across the hardwood, the door slammed. When she opened the door she found you with your baby climbing back into your crib!

Can’t wait to find out what comes next.

Love Dad

Dear Sava, 

You joined me for yoga (pronounced woga) today! 

We touched the sky and ground then moved into downward dog and child's pose (which I continue to believe is cheating on her part). Then you went into frog pose and settled her drishti on Nico (pronounced Teak-dough) and the pretend cup of tomato tea you had prepared for this morning's tea party.

Love, 

Daddy 

Dear Sava,

"Babies come from tummies, look," you said. You then stood up and slapped your little palms on your distended belly. "Baby in there!" 

"You have a baby in your stomach?" I asked. 

"Yeah! In there. Baby hiding." 

"Oh, there is a baby hiding in your stomach?" 

"Yeah! Baby sleeping now," you said in a very quiet voice so as not to wake it. 

Love, 

Daddy

Dear Sava,

You are so cute I could simply eat you and be done with it!

Just a quick recap. I've been really busy with work, bills, editing my dissertation, and taking care of you that I completely forgot to write. I picked you up from the babysitter tonight (you were there for 2 hours) and you were wild. It was you, another 2 year old, and a 4 year old named Lucian. You and the other 2 year old were laughing hysterically when I arrived. You were playing keep away with a big dog, and loving every minute of it. You were wild, had a crazy look in your eyes, you had a full diaper of peepee, and your face was completely dirty.

We drove away and you kept telling me, "Lucian is soo funny. Daddy silly. Sava silly. Doggy Silly. Lucian is so funny."

At one point there were three college girls crossing the road talking on cell phones and I asked, "What are they doing?" You said, "Those girls going to the store buy food dinner."

I was so excited. "Sava, did you just say 'those girls are going to the store to buy food for dinner?"
"Yes," you said.
"That's the most complex sentence I've ever heard you say."
"Yes," you said again. Then you casually looked out the window. I pulled the car to the side of the road and turned to look at you. You knew instantly that I was going to tickle you...and I did!

It was obvious you were overtired, but it was only 5:45 and I needed to buy you some dinner. We went to a Japanese takeout place and you suddenly began laughing and falling on the floor. I told the people in the restaurant you were overtired and about to explode. Everyone laughed. Then we walked next door to the video store and you instantly ran, and I mean RAN, to the video player you love to play with, but you tripped before you got there and as you fell you hit your head on the video machine.

It was bad. Your head looked instantly bruised, and you were crying intensely. Outside I held ice on your forehead while you cried. Then it was home to eat sushi, your first sushi, and then I put you in the bath, changed you into your jammies you call your "monkey suit" and then I put you into bed by 6:30. You were so tired that you didn't even finish your milk or stand up--typically you stay away playing with your babies (teddy bears, dolls, octopus, etc), but tonight there was none of that--you just closed your eyes and you were out.

I came in later and just watched you sleep and blew kisses to you for a few minutes, turned off your lights the way we do every night, turned on the heater and humidifier, and silently departed.

This week we've been working on new words and new concepts. This is what you know very well this week:

12345678910...11

ABCDE23HY4562PWXYZ

Heel, ball of foot, ankle, leg, knee, thigh, hip, tummy, belly button, ribs, chest, boobies (your mother), neck, throat, chin, ears, earlobes, face, head, cheeks, lips, teeth, tongue, inside mouth, nostrils, bridge of the nose, eye, eyelash, eyeball, eyebrow, forehead, hair, toes, baby toe, baby finger, back, butt, arms, elbow, wrists, palm of the hand, hand, fingers, thumbs, fingernails, toenails.

I don't know why, but I've felt compelled to teach you the names of your body parts. You sometimes love it, and sometimes you hate me quizzing you. It's all in fun, and it's helped out a lot when you have injuries. For instance, tonight you told me, "Hurt my forehead daddy, need two band-aids." You didn't need band aids, but you insisted.

Now you're sleeping, I'm watching The Last Days of Disco and writing a little something about you. Basically, you're incredible and amazing and we try to spend all of our waking hours with you. But you are also a whiny little thing. You cry, fall down on the floor screaming because, I don't know, you didn't want to wear white socks, and you throw things, break things, and run around causing problems, but we love you and do everything we can to make you happy and to stimulate you to use your language.

In the end, you're one talkative little 2 year old. It surprises everyone! "Get Sava a beer?" you ask at the market' "Tell big doggy sit down," you insist as we round a corner and there is a dog waiting to walk out into traffic; "Daddy give ice cream Sava bowl?" you say as I open the freezer door. It goes on and on and on.

You're incredible and lovely. And because of this I've taught you a little trick. At the hardware store the other day a woman heard you talking and came around the aisle to say hello.

"Hi," you said.
"How old are you?" she asked.
"I two," you said, holding up two fingers.
"Two!" she said. "We'll, you're very smart for a two year old," she said.
"Yeah," you said (and this is my 'trick'). "I'm smart and cute," you said.

She stood there floored.

"Did she just say smart and cute?" she asked me. "Indeed she did." "Whoa," said the woman. She then followed us around the store for a few minutes trying to investigate why someone so young would know so much.

You are a funny monkey baby and we love you like nothing else.

Love,
Dad

Oh tay!

Dear Sweetie,

As I've said many times before, it's hard to keep up with blogging when all we want to do is spend time with you. So this is a quick post while you shout my name from your bedroom ("Jamba" "Daddy" "Jamba Daddy" etc. etc.).

You've started saying "Oh-tay" for okay and "Huh?" for what or who. But your level of language has improved all around, and your coordination and excitement levels have also skyrocketed. Tonight you ran around and around the house screaming and squealing with delight because Nico was trying to give you kisses. After this you belly danced with mommy and me in the living room, ate a big dinner, and the moved upstairs to play with your trains.

When I arrived you let me play with the trains but then said condescendingly (and quite adorably), "Oh. Good daddy. Good job." I said thanks. "Oh tay Daddy?" you said and kissed me on the head several times. To keep from laughing I kept playing with the train on the floor. "Good job, daddy. Yea!"

After this you tried walking very carefully between two small wooden trees the train is meant to pass through. We kept moving them closer and closer, and each time you very carefully walked between them. Then I added more items so that you had a narrow gauntlet to pass through. It became quite incredible watching you slow down at the end. Then you began breathing deeply and putting your hands together the way you've seen me do it when I'm practicing yoga. You would breathe deeply and then carefully walk keeping your feet together and pass between two rows of about 5 trees and several train cars. Each time we'd shout with excitement and parade you around the room.

"Did it!" you'd say.
"Yes you did. You did it."
"Yeah. Did it. Again?"

It was so cute and amazing your mother and I kept looking at each other in amazement not only at your ability to walk the gauntlet, but also your dedication and concentration.

Now I'm in the bedroom watching Down By Law with your mother. You're in your crib drinking milk, saying our names, and basically still excited about your success.

I love you.

Dad.

Two Years Old

Happy Birthday Little Apple!!!!

First day of Fall today: each morning a little crisper- it feels good to snuggle down under covers. You are two years old and wearing your new hat from Rachel. Flaunting your new two-ness, although the concept is lost on you: when we ask you how old you are you say "months!" We sing happy birthday to you and you hide under my skirt.  I woke up this morning with intense cramps: a funny coincidence, to start my period on this morning. Two years ago I had just broke open and we were learning to breathe together, chest to chest. Now you call out to me from your crib and we snuggle together in bed with a bottle of milk and a present from grandma, to distract you from your tantrum... the past few mornings you have wanted milk from my boobs and NOT the bottle and have gotten quite mad when told that you were a big girl now: only milk in bottles. This new two-ness comes with some hard breaks, you are learning.

Now you are at daycare and I am hunkered at the computer, determined to write about the current state of Sava- but first I am going to perform one of your birthday rituals which is to bake a carrot cake: it will be the usual adventure in the kitchen with your mom making a wild lumpy mess of a cake and trying to fix it all with heaps of frosting. Later I will pick you up from daycare and we will swing out to the lavender farm to play with the giant white flemish bunny at the rabbitat, and then we are going to have a party at the playground this evening, with face paint and swings and slides, and you are excited about this. You may not understand "two" but you understand "party" and "playground".

Okay, just a few notes about some of my favorite things about you right now.

Spicy.
You went through a period where you were fascinated with spicy things. It started with our Russian dumpling dinners. You saw Dad and I swirl this cool red stuff into our cream and wanted some of the "sauce" for your own. You puckered your face and said "hot" and then stuck your spoon out for more. Then you wanted hot sauce on your eggs, and so on and so forth. Even as you were cringing your face and grabbing your glass of water, you always came back for more. We always talk about how PROUD your Papa is going to be of you. Another fledgling spice monster with whom to enjoy oyster shooters and jalapeno-infused margaritas....Then, the other day, I think Dad overloaded you a bit, and suddenly you are not so very much into spicy any more.

Sharks and Tea Parties: the development of the imagination.
You are not afraid of anything, as far as I can tell. Except, you are strangely fascinated with sharks. It started with Finding Nemo... your favorite part of the movie is the AA meeting held by Bruce and the other sharks. (Fish are friends, NOT food!) I am not sure if it is a genetic thing (I can be gripped by terror while swimming in a pool) or what, but you are hooked on the magnetism of that fear. Actually, I am not even sure if it is fear. I don't know what to call it really, since it seems to be mostly a game for you. For instance: the other day, we were walking in the woods with Nico- a nice long walk through a maze of paths in the thicket. We were ambling along and just being quiet together, when suddenly you stopped and pointed down. "Mama, ook!" as you pointed to a half-submerged tree root which was crossing our path. "Ook! ...........Shark!!!" And then your voice got really low "Bruucce!  Swim Away!"  and you gleefully leapt over it and went running. I just about died laughing. It was so great, to see you using your imagination like that. Translating a tree root into something symbolically cresting the surface of the ocean. We hopped dramatically over every single tree root that we crossed. So interesting..... It reminds me that you are really starting, in these last few weeks, to start using your imagination so much more. You are always now wanting to throw little tea parties from your little toy kitchen. Pouring the "water" into cups and bringing it to me to drink, over and over again. Serving me empty plates piled high with delicacies.

Chloe and Elliot
As I wrote before, it was wonderful to see you fall in love with Chloe up in Hayfork. The beginnings of the instincts of friendship. Now, when we are cuddling in bed in the morning, Daddy asks you "What did you dream about, Sava?" "Chloe dream." "You dreamed about Chloe?" "Yeah. Chloe park dream." "You dreamed about Chloe and the park?" "Yeaah, Chloe park dream." Every morning. 
But your current obsession, probably because he lives down the street and we have weekly playdates with him, is Elliot. Elliot is about four months younger than you and has inspired all kinds of big sister instincts in you. I think the fact that he is a boy, and that he is younger and thus doesn't present as much of a threat to you as some of your girl playmates, but with Elliot you are just unbelievably sweet. (Instead, of say, pushing Rihanna away from all your toys- shouting "Mine!" and grabbing her water bottle and running off with it - that sort of awesome stuff that always makes a parent feel so warm and fuzzy and proud). With Elliot, you are pretty good at sharing all your toys with him and showing him around the house and pushing the button on the rocking horse's ear when he wants to giddy-up on it. So anyway.... this is all leading up to the fact that now you are fixated on him. "What do you want to do, Sava?" I ask in the morning as we are cuddling. "See Elliot!"  Anytime I ask if you want to take a walk you respond "I want see Elliot!" and then you pull me eagerly by the hand to his house. I am not sure if he shares your passion.. Elliot is such a mellow kid that he often seems kind of stunned and awed by the world (and especially you), but I think you prefer it that way. 


Rihanna and the Green Beans
Probably the proudest moment I have had thus far, as a parent, was the afternoon that Rihanna and her mama came over to garden. The two of you were hopping on the trampoline together and you were doing your usual thing of stuffing cherry tomatoes in your mouth as you jumped. I was picking through some green beans off the vines and thought that you might like to try some, so I brought some over. "Hey Sava, you want some green beans?" Not really sure that you would like them. "Sure!" you said in that delightfully accomodating way of yours: "Yeah, sure!" So you both got a handful and gobbled them up and well, you just LOVED them! So all of a sudden we had two little girls bouncing wildly on the trampoline and clamouring for green beans. I mean, if they make awards for good mommies, I think Miriam and I deserved one that day. Like, Rihanna came over last week while you were gone to daycare and was jumping by herself, and she asked me for green beans. And just two nights ago you and I went out for a late afternoon jump and you got really mad when I said there was no more green beans (until I remembered I had bought some at the farmer's market and saved the day). It is weird... something must have clicked for both of you guys, to have you now associate the act of jumping on the trampoline with eating green beans. 


Little Mama




Wheels on the Bus


Market


Mommy Sad


Baby crying at playground.....