Are We Human?

So fun.  Halle jumped through this album without stopping until dinner was ready.

Lately, Anneka is quite happy playing on her own.  I have a window to her imagination as she talks through her play.  She's often playing school with imaginary  "friends" giving instructions and reading stories.  I know it's important to still get involved in her play but it's also nice to be doing my housework alongside her "work".  She often joins in the kitchen and helps out.

She's now going to our Waldorf preschool two mornings a week after being home full time all summer.  I love this time of back-to-school, always have.  It's sad to say good-bye to the freedom and warmth of summer, but it's also to get back to a bit more structure, routine and focused learning.  Our little girl is starting preschool - new kids, new teacher, new space, new activities.  I'm excited for her and it seems to be going really well.  There is no guessing with Anneka, as she tells us all about it.  Two little class mates are already close little buddies from the community - I hope they branch out from their little threesome.  We wouldn't mind a bit more time, but from a developmental perspective three hours twice a week is about right for the kids.  We have lots of playdates and gymnastics (of which Cerys is a part) to fill in the other time.

Halle is crawling really well now (there she goes into the kitchen).  I keep trying to read her books but she is just too busy.  She doesn't take time studying the pictures the way Anneka did.  She goes from one to the other and then on to something else - grabbing, briefly studying, and then chucking before on to the next thing.  The difference is quite interesting - she's only still when sleeping!  She has been quite independent for the past couple of weeks, when she could really start getting to things.  It seems like she may have started either teething again (she has four little teeth already) or going through some big developmental changes because she has suddenly become rather temperamental the last few days.  Actually the change is quite dramatic.  Three days ago I would have said she was so easy going and such a pleasure and now she's a little T-Rex.  I'd like to start doing some more Halle-centred activities.  She loves to be around other babies and has been completely into Baby Storytime at the library the two times I've made it.  I hope to get her in a swim group and take advantage of the library group more often.  Anneka's many play dates seem to take priority.

Meetings and organizing kept me really busy at the end of August, but now that classes are underway we have a schedule.  I work at home on Thursdays and teach an evening math class, and then Biology classes all day in North Vancouver.  Today we were so tired after Halle was up for much of the night.  Paul looked after the girls and took them to Shannon Falls while I was in Van.  I mustered up some energy and feel pretty good about how my classes went.  I'm really enjoying getting reacquainted with Biology 12 and being back in the lab.   I honestly think I am happier than if I were at home full time.  Right now our situation is (almost) ideal as we don't need childcare.  One of us is always with the kids.  It will change come January, where if things go as planned we will need some help.  

We spent an hour this evening watching the documentary "Babies" together on the laptop.  Halle mostly crawled all over the three of us, but was interested anytime there was some babbling.  Anneka had lots of questions.  Babies are just so cute!

Collage Happy

Halleballoo

Halle - 6 months. Working on crawling.

It is no exaggeration, to say that you love the swing. If you haven't had enough you cry when I take you out, so I plunk you right back in.

Halle - 7 months. Making the first motions.

"Hey Halle! What's new with you?"

"What's that? You're seven months already!"

"Really? You're babbling and laughing and playing peekaboo? Wow, you're really one of the gang now! Keep on smiling and laughing, girl, you're doing great!"

Halle, Halle. My goodness, I do owe you an update. You are just a great kid. So sweet and lovely and quite an action girl. Yep, life is busy, but it's so fun with you in it. You are very good to us, and what's more, you're mostly interested in Anneka anyway. You get mad if she's having fun in the next room and I'm trying to dress you or change your diaper. You want to be near Anneka most of the time, unless you're tired then you want to nurse, cuddle and then suck your blankie to sleep! I love that, that you suck and gnaw on a fleece blanket to fall asleep. It makes it easy to put you to sleep, and you came up with that all on your own.

When you're happy to see us you squeal and make cat-like noises and wave your arms right in our faces. You do this equally to your dad and I. You've been hanging out with him so much I'd say he's as much in tune with you as I am, and you are pretty attached to him. That's pretty rare for a baby your age. You initiate peek-a-boo games with blankets and face cloths, and think it's just the best thing that you can hold a toy or cloth above your head with both hands. That's pretty good - you must have long arms to get around that baby head. You make "words" that sound a lot like "hi" and "ma" and "da".

You're creeping around the floor and getting on your hands and knees and rocking. Then you lunge forward to your tummy, then do it again, making your way along. You've done a little crawling by moving each hand then moving your knees as one unit. Soon you'll be really mobile, and then you can get into ALL of Anneka's toys and games.

You still do mostly quite well in the sleep department. Of course it's never as good as I'd like it - no sleeping all night long. You still go down quite easily and take long naps: three a day but I think you're moving to two. It makes more sense for you since you usually sleep at least 1.5 hours during a nap. Suddenly you're sleeping in your own bed - the playpen beside our bed. It happened relatively quickly. You started chewing your blanket to sleep in there and then usually sleep for a pretty good stretch 4-8 hours. Then the nursing gets more frequent and you often end up in the bed. When you sleep long, like 6 - 8 hours it almost makes it harder because you don't settle so well again. I find sometimes the only way to get you to re-settle then is to leave you to squirm, fuss, squawk and sometimes full-out cry in the play-pen. Otherwise, it's just nonsense in our bed.

You are ridiculously sweet and cute. Enough said!

Well, not quite. Another thing you love is the bath. Everybody says that about their kid, right? But you really do. You love it. Again, you often cry when taken out. I'd say there were times, probably about 5 months, when you were an outright maniac in the bath. You would splash and kick so hard sending water all over Anneka. She, unlike you, despises getting water in her eyes. She's the first to admit it. She also isn't reluctant in commenting how brave you are as she pores cups full of water over your head. You have to be watched very closely in the bath, because you lunge forward, headfirst into the water.

OK, so no baby can be perfect. You don't like having your diaper changed, or a poopy diaper. No big surprise there. The other day you slept for only 7 or 8 hours in a 24 hour period! Amazing. You were pretty sensitive that day. No surprise there either.

Birthday Bash Photos

Hil and Mil: two turquoise cuties

The "bash" in Anneka's Birthday.

Last, but in on way least, the presents!

And it's all over for another year.

Thanks Becky for the photo collage tips....

And now for Becky's grand collage:

Three is a Magic Number

Three is a magical age and our little girl is three. There is so much emotional turbulence in me when I think of my little girl growing up. I feel joy for the enthusiasm and curiosity of a young developing mind and the imagination it sparks within me. I feel deep aches of nostalgia for my own childhood and the vulnerability of children. I feel spurts of adrenalin generated by a passing fear of the unknown future and that which I can not control for my child, and excitement at the possibilities of a life unfolding. I am stepping back more often to let Anneka forge ahead and then we join in hugs and kisses galore. I adore her and right now I am adored and this I want to hold forever. I want to hold my little girl forever and although she is only three, she is now three and older, and so am I.

Anneka, I am yours and I give you myself. At the same time this turning of three frees up some of my time that you previously needed. In doing so it allows me to nourish myself in many ways and I feel a rebirth of facets of my life that were inactive. A concrete example of this is the sharpening of my mind through study and work. I feel oxygen rushing to my brain as I read academic material and my mind lighting up as I discuss all aspects of education with colleagues. Being with you girls makes me a good mommy, but a balance makes me a happier, more interesting and creative mommy and a more present mommy when I'm there. Anneka right now you have enough of me, but I feel a pang sometimes for Halle and wish to spend more time with her than I am currently able. I know things will settle down a bit once school is underway and hopefully it'll only be hard a couple of days a week.

You're third birthday is over and it was a success. It was so anticipated by you. I think you and your friends had fun. Throwing a party is a lot of work. Being so occupied during the party, it is a bit hard to judge how it is received and keep track of all the guests and their needs. You requested a caterpillar cake that included cupcakes with candles in the cupcakes, a pinata, lollipops, candy and bubbles. You got it all! You were involved in the cake design and making the pinata. Dad did the crepes. Gramma and Granpa O. came the night before and helped out. The best part for me was making the pinata with you and Daddy just before you went to bed. It was a fun craft project born out of my unwillingness to buy a commercial dollar store cardboard pinata.

Happy Birthday! Let's enjoy the next 363 days until you're four!!! xox

Links to some party pics: Bubbly