Tristin and Isabella

Thursday, April 3, 2008

Touching toes

This week I went on a short business trip to Mexico City and came back to a little dumpling who could touch his toes. It's a new development because prior to my departure, he hardly reached for anything beyond what was in front of him. Now, when he bathes or hangs out in his crib, he likes to curl up and reach for his little feet.

We've also started him on solids. The usual age range is 4-6 months but as someone who wasn't prepared for even more change in my life, I delayed it a bit until I could get my act together. Not that I have my act together now but we decided to start him anyway and in the easiest (for mommy and baby) of ways -- baby cereal. That way, I can get him used to eating solids while buying some time to figure out what the heck I am supposed to do with solid foods. I refuse to buy the pre-made baby food which means I'll need to figure out how/what/when to make. My refusal has less to do with my views on Gerber and the pre-packaged baby foods and more on my own desire to provide wholesome food for which I am aware of the exact ingredients (or lack thereof since baby food is supposed to be ultra simple). Besides, I am already ridden with the ever-so-existing working mother's guilt since I only see and play with Tristie on the evenings and weekends. Add pre-made baby food and I would feel like the world's worst mommy in the universe of busy working mommies.

PS -- These days, Tristie smiles a whole lot when he's exhausted and not wanting to go to sleep. It's as if he's pulling out all his cute tricks to get mommy and daddy to keep him up and play with him. We've taken a video clip of this stage of delirium at the end of the entry.....

You see? I can touch my toes..

I also like to stand

Mommy can you touch your toes too?

Reaching for my toes

Hanging out on my dining room floor..

ooooh yea, babie!

Mommy, why is Elmo looking at me like that....?

Touching toes during bathtime

What do you mean you can't touch your toes mommy?

Pondering..

Mommy, see me get up!

Mattress tastes yummy

Stretching upward

Giggle giggle

Reaching out

Hey there, my name is Tristie

Hee hee

Hanging out in my crib (not standing yet - just leaning!)

Hey there cutie, wanna come sleep in my crib?

Standing with daddy

Daddy and I are playing together..

Eating solids - yum

What's down there?

Drooling on my handkerchief

Droooooling on the couch

What's that over there?

Me and my cap

Que pasa loco?

Nap time -- until the next entry!!

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Flipping over

News flash -- T is flipping like a madman these days. Just a few weeks ago, I was wondering when T would officially flip (more than once). During the two months C's mom was here, she spent hours trying to get him to practice flipping. Then, boom, one day he learns how to flip and from them on, it's been a non-stop activity. In fact, just tonight, right before he went to bed, he flipped about 8 times. He flips so much, he'll awaken himself in the middle of night and find himself on his back instead of his tummy. And then poor mommy has to rise from her slumber to flip him back onto his tummy. These days, when he's not ready to go to bed, he'll just keep flipping in his crib. Mommy will flip him over, walk out and 5 seconds later, he'll flip back onto his back. He's like a little flipping fish.

Who knew that there was an art to flipping? Yes, believe it or not. And it took T to show me what that is. The art is the following -- you rub your face into the mattress (as you make some "I'm irritated" cries), you lift your butt as high as you can, arching your back as though you are doing a yoga pose, wiggle it around and then drop it to one side. The hope is the force of swaying it as farthest as possible to one side will move the entire body over. And voila, there you have a flip. T has mastered the art of flipping as he can now do it gracefully in a matter of seconds and can do it on both sides. And these days, thanks to the flips, he wakes up every 5-6 hours because he unknowingly flips over in his sleep and can't flip back onto his back. I can't wait until he learns how to flip back onto his tummy....

Oh, and more thing before I sign off. C and my favorite thing to do these days is to play with T when he's naked with only his diapers on. Now that the weather is getting a bit warmer, C and I are thoroughly enjoying playing with him naked (with and without diapers) and witnessing how cute he is when his belly is sticking out and his thunder thighs are jiggying with his a-normous arms. It's T for totally terrific!!