Natalie pretty much takes all our time - but recently I've managed to squeeze in a few extra projects.
First, there was this cake for a recent dinner party we attended. The crust called for chocolate graham crackers, but I couldn't find any of those at the store. So, in our cake, the secret ingredient was Teddy Grahams! No one seemed to mind . . . .Second, after an early start, a late snow, and then a late-late re-start, the garden chugs along.If the basil above looks like it has perhaps seen better days, it might be the fault of the creature below. (And because I'm an ex-apartment girl, I had to grab the camera and take pictures, even as I had a sinking feeling that the bunny and all its bunny friends might regard our yard as salad bar central)
The mint is doing well.We'll have some berries in a few weeks.And I'm also nurturing a volunteer peach tree (and, yes, I know it may never fruit. But I'm holding out hope, anyway).The last of the bulbs I planted are just fading.But the Natalie Tree is leafing out nicely - I was worried that the cold winter we'd had had hurt it, but I guess things are fine.And here's the Natalie baby herself.(the picture above was my submission for the New York Times' "A Moment in Time" photo project) (And this picture was just too sweet not to share!)
Natalie turned nine months old this week. Now she's been out in the world approximately as long as she was in me. And what an impressive change! Looking back, I feel there have been clear stages - at least, certainly, in how she looks, from newborn (alien-baby) to infant to baby to almost-toddler.As if to underscore this point, we bought her a new car seat this month. Her old one is good to 32 inches and 32 pounds. While we don't think she's anywhere near that on the weight limit, we fear she might be getting close to the height limit. She looks like such a big baby in it, no?In other milestones, Natalie is crawling! She'd put together two moves before we left for San Diego, but that third kept vexing her: she forget to put her first arm down, pick up her second arm, and promptly face-plant. Unfazed, she'd get up and try again. Eventually, in our little enclosed "baby jail" area of the living room, she'd manage to arrive at what she wanted. But the wide-open expanse of my grandmother's living room presented a serious challenge. And Natalie made the best of the opportunity! Now she's a little crawling and climbing machine - and quite destructive, especially with her sharp little kitten-claw nails.(Now, some short movies of her crawling. As will soon become apparent, I lack my brother's cinematographic skill. But I have a good subject! And I'm learning!)
She's also become an expert sitter and kneel-er. Here she is in "baby-jail".I've also seen her push herself to sitting once, but she doesn't do this all that often.
Generally, she's a little wiggle-potomus. The only way to keep her still, so you can change her diaper or get her dressed, is to give her something to hold. She'll also give you five when you ask. This, along with waving, is a sometimes-skill, but it's totally cute when she decides she wants to play. Her favorite "game" is taking off her socks. She loves to put them in her mouth.
She also puts, uh, everything else in her mouth, too. She enjoys reading. Natalie isn't really talking or making distinguishable, meaningful sounds yet, but she loves it when we talk.
In the food department, she continues to eat her usual purees-plus-oatmeal. She drinks from her sippy cup with mixed success - although this may be a case where her goals aren't our goals - she loves to spill out the water and smear it around on her tray. She's also started to grab and mush the food in her fingers. She's also - very slowly - started to get a third tooth. This one seems much slower than first two; we've started to tell people that she has "two-and-a-half teeth." (or, "two-and-a-half teef")
She continues to enjoy baths. Also, here's a picture of all the generations that missed the last blog post. And two pictures of Natalie and daddy, just for good measure.
Last weekend Natalie and I went to San Diego. San Diego was lovely, of course.We walked on the beach lots.We also went swimming in the pool (See? Those swimming lessons are totally paying off!).Natalie also got to meet her pseudo-grandparents, Judy and Fred.We also had plenty of fun with the local folk:And we had some good family time:
This is the story of a young couple from Seattle. They started this blog when they moved to Japan for year in 2005. Since then, the blog has become a record of their lives, friends, cooking, and travels. Follow along at home as they discover a new foreign country: Texas, where they moved in 2008. In July of 2009, the couple added a native Texan, Natalie Beth, to their family. In January of 2013, another native Texan, Jacob Samuel, joined the team.
Second, after an early start, a late snow, and then a late-late re-start, the garden chugs along.
If the basil above looks like it has perhaps seen better days, it might be the fault of the creature below.
(And because I'm an ex-apartment girl, I had to grab the camera and take pictures, even as I had a sinking feeling that the bunny and all its bunny friends might regard our yard as salad bar central)
We'll have some berries in a few weeks.
And I'm also nurturing a volunteer peach tree (and, yes, I know it may never fruit. But I'm holding out hope, anyway).
The last of the bulbs I planted are just fading.
But the Natalie Tree is leafing out nicely - I was worried that the cold winter we'd had had hurt it, but I guess things are fine.
And here's the Natalie baby herself.
(the picture above was my submission for the New York Times' "A Moment in Time" photo project)
(And this picture was just too sweet not to share!)
