What Taylor Knows

Bellybutton. Head. Eyes. Feet. Toes. Shoes. More. Juice. Milk. Kitchen. Hungry. Eat. Toast. Table. Water. Broom. Bottle. Duck. Bath. Outside. Bird. Ball. Book. Cat. Dog. John Henry. Mommy. Daddy. Mia. Uncle John. Potty. Diaper. No. 

I know with certainty that Taylor understands these words, and that she understands so much more than she can say. Her most frequently used words these days are "more," "shoes," and "juice" (in addition to "mama" and "dada"). She just loves shoes, and proudly shows them off to whoever might admire them. She signs and asks for "more", "bath" and "all done!". The sign for "milk" was in regular use before she stopped nursing at just over 13 months. She talks regularly, in what seem to be full sentences. We can't wait until we can fully understand what she has to say.

The Atlantic, The Pacific and the Rocky Mountains

On September first, the day before she turned 10 months old, Taylor took her first steps. Over the ensuing weeks, in between cruising and crawling, she continued to practice walking and would occasionally surprise us with 10 or 15 steps at a time. It wasn't until our trip to California in mid October that she got serious: that's when walking really started to happen.

We flew into San Francisco and spent four days with Elisabeth, James and Frank the dog, then drove down Highway 1 along the Pacific to Los Angeles to meet up with John. I think it was likely interest in Frank that spurred on Taylor's locomotion. Frank, and the boardwalk among the redwood trees in Muir Woods; the sand on Dillon Beach along the Point Reyes National Seashore, Santa Cruz and Carmel-by-the-Sea; the fraternal twins at Uncle John's party and John's godson Spencer, who did a fine job of looking after Taylor throughout the afternoon. It was a full week, and one worth walking through.

Taylor has now seen the Atlantic, the Pacific and the Rocky Mountains—all before her first birthday. A pretty good way to start life, I think.  

Cookie Monsters, Swear Jars and Crossfit

Taylor mimics me [and cookie monster] at the dinner table saying 'NOM NOM NOM' as she eats her cheerios. It never fails to elicit a laugh out of me. It's priceless. The first rays of consciousness reflecting off, and emanating from, the mirror pool that that is my daughter. It reminds me - I've gotta get a swear jar. Years of being in the young male dominated game industry have turned me into a abject potty mouth. If I keep this up the only job she'll be suited for is a shrimp boat captain. That's no fucking good....oh dammit.

I meant to post about this as well about 4 months in - about how I put Taylor to sleep, slowly stepping away from the crib - my knees and ankles crack like rolling thunder. It's almost enough to wake her up. I turned 40 the January after her birth and the joints are feeling it. It's a dramatic contrast to a newborn that can fold herself like a piece of origami. I'm currently enrolled in crossfit twice a week to roll back the clock...and to keep up with a baby girl missing an 'off' switch. 

Bird, Ball, Book, Boogie

On Taylor's eight-month birthday, she waved goodbye to her dad as he walked out the door to work. Then she waved as his car pulled away from the driveway. It was an up and down, full-forearm sort of wave, always accompanied by a full smile. She continued this ritual on a daily basis, but only with Dada, and usually only in the mornings. Within the last week, at nine and a half months of age, she started waving to other people as they passed or to acknowledge them across the room. This wave is a wrist-only sort of wave—more controlled and directed—and as it usually elicits a response wave, the action is being positively reinforced. I had fun traveling with Taylor through the airport this past weekend, as strangers seem to enjoy this kind of communication with a baby.

We've just returned home from a two-week vacation in Mystic, and while we thought Taylor might take her first steps while in CT, she hasn't yet taken more than one that wasn't the result of forward momentum. She has, however, increased her cruising and crawling speeds, and will occasionally stand up and in place unassisted for 15 seconds or more.

Ever more exciting is Taylor's expanding vocabulary. She began saying a version of "bird" at nine months, after our repetition of the word when looking out the window every morning into the single backyard tree, populated as it usually is with doves and the occasional grackle. "Ball" (BA) preceded "bird" (BIR) and came along with "book," (BUH) and now "boogie" (BOOGIE!). I thought the latter might be a version of "birdie," but she uses it in differing circumstances. "WHOOTH" is also now in regular use, which I take to be an imitation of "What is that?," a question we often ask her while showing her around an environment. Taylor has been pointing at objects that catch her attention for about a month now. The pointing is often accompanied by the surprised expression "OOH!" and now "WHOOTH!" She seems to be both pointing out objects that excite her and telling us "Look! Do you see that?" And yesterday, Clay and I each separately had the experience of Taylor pointing to something while we held her, then pushing our chins in the direction of the object to ensure we were looking at it. She did it again with me this morning and I'll be interested to see if this behavior continues. Her development is so delightful to see!

The Live Music Capital of the World

I recently signed Taylor up for her first Music Together class, a classroom-based music program which requires us to sing and move in kid-friendly, age-appropriate ways. But her musical education has been enriched simply by virtue of our residency in this, the self-proclaimed "Live Music Capital of the World." We're a stone's throw from Central Market, which hosts free music on Friday and Saturday evenings, and The Hartman Foundation Concerts in the Park at the Long Center have been a Sunday staple. We usually bring along a picnic to the latter affair and meet up with a friend or two. In the past month we've seen:

• Three performances of the Austin Symphony (Brass, Woodwinds, Big Band; on the lawn at The Long Center)
• The Boogers ("The world's most dangerous kid's band;" Ruta Maya)
• Lucas Miller ("The singing zoologist;" Austin library)
• Graham Wilkinson ("A kaleidoscope of roots music, folk, rock, Americana, jazz and reggae;" Central Market)
• Charles Thibodeaux (Cajun; Central Market)

And Clay and I have happily discovered that it is indeed possible to swing dance with a baby between us.

Summer in the City

I try to fill our weeks with activities so that no day passes without some kind of interaction with others—for my sake and for Taylor's. On Tuesday and Thursday mornings, I workout at the CrossFit gym from 7:00 to 7:45 and am often home just after Taylor wakes up—by 7:30 on most days. Clay and I trade off time with Taylor for showers and a spot of morning tea, then we take breakfast at the table with T joining us in her highchair. Clay leaves for work by 9:45; Taylor, John Henry and I follow his departure with a 30-minute stroll around the neighborhood. Taylor is usually ready for a nap between 10:30 and 11:30 in the morning, during which time I try to sneak in some cleaning, laundry, emailing, phone calls—anything I need two hands or a quiet room to complete! In addition to the occasional social gathering via a Meetup group, our summer weekly schedule currently includes:

Mondays, 11:30-12:00 - Emler Waterbabies swim class (sometimes followed by lunch with Shelley and Jaylen until 2:00).

Tuesdays, 10:45-11:45 - Heartsong Music Together class


Occasional Wednesdays, 1:00-4:00 - Grandma Hoffman comes over to play with T (while I tackle house projects).


Thursdays, 2:00-6:00 - Jennifer watches Taylor (while I write, research and plan my next career phase).

Fridays - 10:30-11:45 - Spanish for Babies Meetup group with Aileen and company followed by midday lunch with Clay.

Clay's just come off of a few months of crunch time—12-hour workdays and a number of six-day workweeks. (Which means 12-hour workdays and six-day workweeks for both of us!) The first few nights that he was home by 7:30 in the evening felt like vacation. Wee Bear is still taking her time getting to slumberland, with bedtime falling between 8:30 and 9:30, so Clay is able to see her up and at 'em for a little while each evening. And he's patented his own go-to-sleep (or back-to-sleep) method involving the "chest rest" and "hand swaddle." It's quite effective, really, and a nice alternative to nursing.

Six Months and Standing

Six days after her six-month birthday, on May 8, Taylor decided to stand up—and I was lucky enough to see it. I had just walked back into the room to find her fully awake in her crib, pulling up on the upper crib rail with both hands, chest raised off the surface of the mattress. She had been doing this regularly, but this time she pulled her chest up high enough to be able to inch her feet under her body and place them, step by unsteady step, one in front of the other until she was in a standing position, hands supporting her on the crib rail. She smiled in that unconscious, gleeful way that only babies and young children are capable of smiling. My words to her at the time: "You just did that! You just stood up!" And we laughed together at her remarkable accomplishment.

A few weeks later, on May 26, I took Taylor on her first trip—a visit to see her new cousin Max and her Aunty Karen and Uncle Dave in Denver, Colorado. Taylor read the manual in advance and followed the recommended procedures: nurse on take-off, sleep, wake upon landing. Dave and Karen live in a sweet little bungalow in The Highlands area of the city. Unlike our mostly carpeted home in Austin, Dave and Karen's place has hardwood floors. An hour or so after our a.m. arrival, I put Taylor down to, presumably, scoot her way along the hardwoods in pursuit of a toy. As I began to look away from her for a moment, my head quickly snapped back in a double-take. On contact, Taylor had started crawling—a full and complete, all-fours crawl. No more launching forward for our little one. She had found a new means of getting around. And we hadn't even unpacked yet.

Word to the Daddy.

On Friday, April 27, around 8:30 in the evening I had just come home from a long day of work and Taylor was, according to Christia, finishing an epic opera of baby babble. I proceeded to make a series of 'town idiot' faces and sounds to make Taylor laugh, which she did....then she paused for a dramatic and deliberate moment and said clear as a bell "da da". No, I don't think she knows what it means, but I would like to think that she's imitating Christia on that one - we've been saying 'ma ma' and 'da da' while pointing to one another. We both had a good laugh about it. It was a *great* way to top off the day.

Gnah.

People comment on it frequently. It's one of the first things people notice: that adorable little nose. Most noses on babies are disproportionately large, but not yours. I find it adorable like everyone else, but something else about it really gets me - it's where your laughter originates. You smile quickly at people and a with great frequency, but your laughter is something rarer. You save it for those things that you find truly funny. When you laugh it is with a wide open mouth - from your tiny perfect little nose comes a 'gnah'.

Clay, can you go get my iPhone...?

Just before your November birthday, on a cold October 14th, 2011, to be precise, I waited outside an AT&T store to buy Christia and myself a pair of the new Apple iPhone 4S smart phones. 'Cloud computing,' a jazzed marketing term for server data storage, is an integral part of the phone's architecture. The latest of Apple's smart phone line was Steven Jobs' last creation before his death on October 5, the notification of which was the first thing to come up on the cover page of Christia's new Apple computer Safari web browser. As I write this, we are contemplating the purchase of an Apple iPad 3. Viewing your birth across the technology available at the time is like planting a flag in a set of historical experiences. Right now children are becoming confused by print magazines vs. the iPad. (Why don't these pictures move?) I often wonder what your experiences with technology will be; radically different from mine, I'm certain. I am constantly reminded that it's feeding time whenever Christia requests that I get her phone; she uses a simple iPhone application to track daily how much you are breastfed.

Getting to the Fun Part

I won't sugarcoat it: The first few months of new stay-at-home mommyhood offered infrequent moments of great reward. It's a challenge to entertain a baby who can't yet crawl or communicate, and I was reminded by one of my trusty baby books that those who ask moms of newborns, "Isn't being a mom just the best?" and "Aren't you loving it?" aren't, in fact, in it. Yes, I love my baby (and her father), but days expand and contract in curious ways, and slotting in weekly chores between changing the baby, feeding the baby, washing the baby and walking the baby does not necessarily make for a glorious sense of fulfillment. (Isolation is another issue, and in that experience, I know I am not alone.)

At four and a half months, however, things changed. We experienced a return on investment in the form of greater interaction, new vocalizations, stronger eye contact, willfulness and enhanced fine motor skills. The shift was notable for me in the day-to-day caretaking, and of that time, I said, "This is when the fun begins."

It's a full month later and Taylor is ever more interactive. On Easter Sunday, April 8th, 2012, she held herself up on all fours for the first time. Over the few days that followed, she began launching herself forward from this position, engaging in a somewhat laborious form of locomotion that has ushered in a new era of care and vigilance for us, her parents. Taylor is possessed of a positive disposition, preferring more stimulation to less, and displaying a strong sense of determination. She seeks out objects she wants and will advance on them as her skills allow, reaching out and drawing them to her mouth (my phone) or raking and grasping with a tight-fisted grip (the dog); dear John Henry has been highly tolerant of Taylor's new skills.

The six-month benchmark is nearly upon us and this little baby who, through the wonders of nature, has subsisted on breastmilk alone, will soon be sampling sweet potato and her first bites of banana. We expect she'll be walking before the year is out, and we're likely to hear her first words, too. The ROI just increases from here, and being in it is becoming a very rewarding place to be.

This Is A Cute Baby

Meals We Have Made

Between birthday and Christmas celebrations, I was the lucky recipient of both a slow-cooker and a Le Creuset Dutch oven. Both kitchen appliances have seen their fair share of activity thus far, and I thought it wise to keep a running list of some of the meal highlights and standbys I've cooked over the course of Taylor's early days—the meals that have indirectly fed her and, to date, resulted in a 25.5-inch, 15 lb., 2.5 oz. four-month-old little girl.

Coq au vin
Indian eggplant curry (bharta) and lamb chops with balsamic reduction
Baked salmon and slow-roasted sweet potatoes
Rotisserie chicken and leek soup with homemade stock
Braised pork ribs
Italian-style spiced beef stew
Indian minced lamb with peas
Pureed spinach soup (a standby)
Beef fajitas with roasted parsnips and pineapple salsa
Rosemary-garlic roast beef and potatoes with horseradish sauce

What's In A Name?

Muffin. Muffelin. Muffet. Tuffet. Nuppet. Button. Buttons. Bug. Bear. Little Bear. T. Ellie. Ellie-Bear. Button-Bear. Taylor. Chubs. Chubbles.

I have called you each of these names. What, I wonder, will you call me?

Of Festivals and Cook-Offs

Clay and Taylor at the Zilker kite festival

We've been making a point of getting out and about over these lengthening winter days, recently attending the fourth annual "Pair It With Claret Chili Cook-Off" at Spicewood Vineyards and the 2012 Zilker Park Kite Festival. Taylor spent most of the day pack-forward at the cook-off, admiring the color and body of the wines we sampled (in our commemorative glasses) and fielding compliments throughout a perfect breezy, blue sky Hill Country afternoon. The kite festival had similarly ideal weather and our first family flyer, a squat little frog, joined hundreds of other kites in the skies above the city.

During the weekdays, we've been attending the bilingual story time at the local library branch  along with a Friday morning "Spanish for babies" meet-up group gathering at the home of a second generation Argentinian American mom (sometimes attended by a Cuban American, a Columbian and a Mexican American or two, along with other Spanish-language beginners). Tuesdays is our baby love massage class at the birthing center, and between these various scheduled events we enjoy a daily constitutional with John Henry, weather permitting, and oftentimes an afternoon stroll through the neighborhood across the way, sometimes stopping off in Garrison Park to take a turn on the swings.

Taylor assessing the wine at Spicewood

Rollin' On Over

Morning-faced nugget

Taylor has begun rolling over with regularity. Last Friday (2/17), she surprised both us and herself by rolling over onto her stomach throughout the night—and waking us up to correct her position. Saturday night was similarly restless, but by Sunday, she'd begun to appreciate the new perspective a stomach-down view affords her. The more usual route is to first turn the other way—from front-lying to back—and life will be all the grander when Taylor figures out how to reverse her position.

Out and About in ATX

Clay out back at 4502 Balcones

We ventured out on the Austin Modern Homes Tour earlier this month, visiting five of the 16 tour sites and saving the best for last: the personal home of architects Elizabeth Alford and Dason Whitsett of Pollen Architecture and Design at 4502 Balcones Drive. The Alford home was notable for its sense of warmth—attained through the use of wood paneling on ceiling, wall and floor surfaces—within a wholly modern framework of glass and angled spaces. Taylor readily tolerated being transferred back and forth from car seat to pack carrier throughout the day, and, as is her way, seemed to prefer a day of stimulating environments to a too-quiet day spent at home.


The following crisp and sunny Saturday, we took our first hike together in the Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve after lunching at Rudy's BBQ—my first experience at this landmark Austin eatery and Clay's first in the preserve. Taylor fretted for the first 20 minutes of our walk, then settled down and eventually fell asleep beneath her sun hat, waking again later to take in the views down into the canyon. She made no fuss about using the great outdoors for her personal needs, and we successfully EC'd her trail-side.

Austin City Limits for Infants

Nursing outside on the balcony at the Moody Theater

Taylor was twelve weeks old yesterday. She graduated to the forward-facing position of her pack carrier just in time to enjoy the rhythms of South Africa at her first concert: Ladysmith Black Mambazo. The band performed at the new Austin City Limits Moody Theater in downtown Austin, touring in promotion of their Grammy-nominated album "Songs from a Zulu Farm." I had included the album on my birthing playlist, and while Taylor's birth was wholly quiet, save for my heavy breathing and the encouraging words of our midwife, she had already heard Old McDonald in Zulu before last Saturday night. Taylor caught the first four songs of the first set, took a snooze, then stayed awake for the entirety of the second set, only offering up protestations toward the end of the show to let us know it was time to eat. We exited without incident to nurse her in the cool night air on the theater's outdoor balcony while facing the lights of Second Street and the ever-expanding Austin city skyline.

What's Different About This Picture?

This afternoon, as is often her custom, Taylor fell asleep on my lap after nursing. I eased her over my shoulder and tiptoed down the hall to her big-girl crib, placing her down on her big-girl mattress and pulling a light blanket over her legs. She thankfully stayed asleep during the transition and I went about my daily chores. As I vacuumed my way into the bedroom, I peeked over the edge of the crib and panicked, realizing something was different about her. I felt a burst of adrenaline as I instinctively reached into the crib to pick her up. Eyes still closed, she protested mildly, annoyed that I had disturbed her sleep. Relieved, I laid her gently back down, just as I'd found her, the panic subsiding. There was nothing wrong at all, of course, just a new milestone in her development, but it had taken me a minute to realize what it was. Can you see it, here in this picture? The baby, she rolls over.

Twelve Pounds, Eight Hours

Taylor was born weighing 6 lbs., 3.5 oz. Due to her relatively small size, she breastfed frequently for the first eight weeks—every hour and a half or so—with cluster feedings in the evenings. She fed well and gained: At her one week appointment, Taylor weighed 6 lbs., 10 oz.. At five weeks, 9 lbs., 6.5 oz. One month, 10 lbs., 1.5 oz.

I instinctively suspected that 12 pounds would be Taylor's magic number. Last week, at her two-month check-up, she weighed in at 12 lbs., 2.5 oz. She had just begun sucking her hand, and, more importantly, granting us the gift of her endearing smile. We had also seen her display a "self-pleasing smile"—smiling to herself while alone in her crib and looking up at a toy or the animal pattern sewn into the bumper—smiling because something she saw or felt made her happy. And then just a mere three days ago, she discovered the self-soothing delights of her left thumb. Time between feeding sessions has started to stretch out and she has finally taken to napping.

But last night, last night was special: Taylor slept for eight and a half hours in one stretch. And she woke up with a dry diaper.

We've been practicing elimination communication (EC) with Taylor. We listen and look for cues that she needs to go to the bathroom, then we undress her and hold her over the toilet while making a "pssssss" sound. We get it right a lot of the time, and when we don't, we make the associative sound anyway so that she gets the right idea. There were three nights during the last week when she slept for five and a half hours at a stretch, woke up fussy and dry, and was successfully EC'd. But eight and a half hours—eight and a half hours of sleep and bladder control! You have to admit that's impressive.

Twelve pounds, eight hours. That's really worth smiling about.

Taylor at 10 Weeks

Taylor is 10 weeks old today, succeeding her father's 40th by one day. I spent yesterday cooking Suzanne Goin's recipe for braised beef short ribs with potato puree, Swiss chard and horseradish cream, christening my ocean-colored Le Creuset Dutch oven for the affair. John and Clay were kindly complimentary, and Taylor joined us at the table to lend her commentary. We sipped on Consilience, a Californian Petite Syrah, and salivated over an Old Fashioned cake by Sweetish Hill.

On Saturday, we celebrated here at the house with a party catered by Alex Gates of Latasca Austin. As I sat talking with Joni on the couch, Taylor proceeded to play her first game of hide and seek: Joni smiles, Taylor smiles back. Joni smiles harder, saying "Hiiii." Taylor buries her face in my chest. Taylor slowly turns her head toward Joni, a smile expanding across her cheeks. Joni smiles in response. Taylor buries her face in my chest. Repeat. She kept this up for five minutes and has been inculcating her dad and uncle into the cult of cuteness ever since.

And just now, whilst the wee one slept, I snuck in a workout: 150 sit-ups, 100 walking lunges, 75 push-ups, 50 jump squats in 15:59. Part of the Strength and Beauty Challenge and my first foray back into Crossfit.