monkey see monkey do

After many months of waiting for some real communication, it's finally happened. Sadie has shown us five new signs/gestures in the past two days! Most of it she's learned through imitation, but it's clear she gets the context. For example, when she waves bye-bye, she looks at the front door to see who's coming or going. When you say "Sadie, where's the christmas tree?", she POINTS at it now. It's all pretty amazing. So at the risk of bragging about our child genius, here's her repetoire:

- The Point: I first saw it today when she pointed at a helium balloon in the grocery store. Naturally I bought it for her after such a prodigious display. Now she points at anything you ask her about---the balloon, the tree, the ball, daddy.

- The Wave: Not the kind you do in a football stadium, though we're working on that too. She waves at you anytime you say "bye-bye Sadie" and leave the room. She even waves at Curious George when on the last page of her book it says, "Goodbye George."

- The High Five: Reid has pioneered this one, and I have to say she's getting it after only a few tries. She holds her hand to yours palm open-and-face-out, but has yet to master that satisfying SMACK! sound.

- Clap: Hooray! There's nothing cuter in the world than a happy baby, grinning from ear to ear and clapping with gusto. All you have to do is say "Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!" and the ovation begins.

- More: As in, give me more of that applesauce. Or that yogurt. Or those sweet potatoes. Please not included.

- Aaaah: Okay, this isn't a sign, but a sound. And an expression. And it's the funniest thing we've ever seen. You know how when you take a drink of something really refreshing, like ice cold water or beer, you might open your mouth wide and say "AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" for emphasis? Yeah. Well, she does that after every drink of water from her sippy cup. I did it once---at lunch, about three weeks ago---and she hasn't stopped since. It never, ever fails to crack us up.

- Book: Although she doesn't sign this herself quite yet, she understands it. When we say, "Sadie, go get a book" (in conjunction with the sign for 'book'), she crawls over, picks up her book du jour, and brings it over for you to read.

When I start to think about the fact that she's learned all of this in less than 3 days, my mind starts to reel. Just imagine what the next year will bring...

mug shot

Sadie got her passport picture taken today for our upcoming trip to Mexico. It totally cracks me up every time I look at it.

Hahahahahahahahahahaa!!!

happy birthday sadie

Today you turned 10 months old, and I think it's a much bigger milestone for mommy and daddy than it is for you. The one-year mark looms large on the horizon. The holidays will fly by as they always do, and before we know it we'll be planning your big birthday celebration!

Ahhh, but Christmas---your enjoyment of it adds a whole new meaning and dimension to this time of year. On Saturday we endured the freezing cold and light snow to go to the tree nursery, so you could pick out your first Christmas tree. Each time daddy held one up, shook off the branches, and spun it around for you to examine, you went wild with excitement. We selected the one that garnered your most rave reviews: kicking, squirming, and laughing all at once. And wouldn't you know? It's just perfect in our living room! You've even learned what the words "christmastree" mean, turning your head in its direction any time we ask, "where's the christmastree, Sadie?"
From a mobility standpoint, you're getting around faster than ever---and not always by crawling. You've discovered that standing and pushing furniture around is just as effective as walking, and probably a lot less scary. So you navigate chairs, barstools, your little push wagon, whatever...from room to room, making lovely screeching noises on the hardwood floors as you go. But seeing you walk on your tiptoes, your tiny bottom swinging from side to side, is too cute to resist, so we don't stop you. Keep truckin', little one!

Your personality is more evident than ever before, and you clearly have some favorite things that should be noted:
Favorite Food: cheese (any kind. the sharper the better!)
Favorite Book: That's Not My Dragon
Favorite Thing To Do: pull out whatever barrette or rubber band is currently holding your hair in place

That's right---you finally discovered your clips---and take great delight in removing them in record time. We hope you'll get over it soon, so we don't have to cut your amazing hair (THAT can wait until AT LEAST your first birthday).
In the meantime, enjoy your 10-month birthday, sweet girl!

rsv

No, I'm not missing a "p" on the end of that subject line. RSV is "respiratory syncytial virus" and that's what Sadie came down with while we were on vacation. Luckily, it appears to be a pretty mild case and the doctor isn't too concerned. She's sleeping a lot, but otherwise in great spirits, eating well, and breathing fine. Poor baby! :(

turkey and cheesesteaks

Well...wow. It's been a hectic week or so in Simonton-land. We had a great Thanksgiving, marked by copious mimosas, football, and feasting at Jen & Dan's house. Avery, Sophie & Sadie were angels---aside from a little hair-pulling and toy-grabbing, everything went smoothly---a monumental feat considering we were there for almost 15 hours. The girls ate their requisite sweet potatoes and went to bed early, allowing the adults to hang out (like adults!) for a while. Next thing we knew, it was 2:30 in the morning and what we were most thankful for was that we live only half a block away. Aaaah, good times.
Two days later we departed for Pennsylvania on a redeye flight through San Fran. In theory the redeye seemed like a fabulous idea: we would board just past Sadie's usual bedtime, she would sleep the entire flight, and when we landed in Philly at 7 am the following day, we would be exhausted but she would be just fine. The reality of it was that we didn't sleep, she didn't sleep, and although she didn't really cry either, we were all crabby and sleep-deprived when the plane finally touched down.
And thus began the bizarre sleep cycle that she's been keeping all week long. Go to bed at 9 pm, wake up at 10 am (or noon!), little to no naps, and repeat. The lack of any real schedule combined with the constant shuffling to and from various family member houses has all of us completely drained and, worse---sick. Sadie has a monster case of the sniffles. It doesn't seem to be bothering her too badly, except that she can't really breathe through her nose, which means she can't really suck her thumb, which in turn means she has trouble soothing herself to sleep. Poor little girl, this trip has been rough on her. If she never sees her carseat again I'm sure it'll be too soon.
All the sleepiness and sickness aside, it's been a wonderful visit---we got to spend a few days in Philly eating cheesesteaks and going to a Flyers game; a few days in Scranton showing Reid and Sadie all the landmarks of my youth (and the more recently famous landmarks from "the office" TV show); and finally, a few days in Bethlehem where we'll go to my cousin's wedding and experience what has to be the most beautiful city in the US at this time of year (as you can imagine, Bethelem really embraces the Christmas holiday). We'll return home on Sunday totally exhausted, looking forward to at least a week's worth of staying inside and ordering takeout.
For what it's worth, this vacation has taught us all sorts of things about traveling with an infant. If I had to narrow it down to one piece of advice, it would be: find a house that's relatively baby-proof, make it your home base, and let everyone come to you. Not that you asked.

Pictures to follow upon our return...

nine month stats

Sadie passed her 9-month checkup with flying colors. She's performing all of the developmental milestones (using a pincer grasp, imitating sounds, standing and cruising) and has graduated on to a more diverse menu of table foods. Our homework: to buy a toothbrush and start brushing twice a day. Should be interesting...

By the numbers:
Weight - 20 lbs, 5 oz.
Height - 28 inches

We had such a long list of our own questions this time that we forgot to ask how those measurements compare to percentiles, or what her head circumference is. D'oh! Well, let's assume that if anything were out of the ordinary, the doctor would have told us.
The best part of the 9-month visit? NO SHOTS! Hooray!


See my spaghetti? All gone!

happy birthday sadie AND kaia rose

Sweet Sadie,
Yesterday you turned nine months old, which means you've now been out in this world longer than you were in my belly. It's fitting, then, that you should seem like such an individual these days. You've outgrown the label of 'baby', and although 'toddler' doesn't quite fit you like a glove either, it's certainly a more accurate description of your abilities.

When you stand, you can now stand on your own---without support or leaning of any kind---for up to 20 seconds. You've taken one unassisted step from the coffee table to the couch, but seem reluctant to go much further for now. It's as if the moment you realize you're standing without help, you plop yourself back onto your bottom. Fine by us, really. Things are moving quickly enough already!

It's difficult to remember what those first few weeks were like: you were so helpless, we were so clueless, and everyone was so sleepless. I guess that's why it seems so hazy now. But this weekend, we glimpsed the past a little again when your new friend Kaia Rose was born, to our dear friends Jeff & Rachel! Kaia Rose arrived early Saturday morning, healthy as can be at 7 lbs, 5 oz and 20 inches long. Congratulations to the happy family!

Somehow, hearing the news of Kaia's delivery made us relive the excitement, the emotion, the exhaustion, and everything that comes with being a brand new parent. It was hard work, fraught with constant worry and concern, but interspersed with immeasurable joy and amazement. Today, the worry is still there---but over smaller things like bumps and bruises---and the joy and amazement are tenfold. We never imagined it could be this good. Every day we thank our lucky stars that WE, of all people, won the baby lottery!

Happy 9-month birthday, Sadie Rain. We love you!