Iris The Flirt

So, most of you who have heard my theories on raising a daughter. They mostly involve the use of a shotgun and a series of intimidating scowls. After all, I know what boys can be like. Now if we’re lucky, Iris can find someone like her father (a little slow and clueless on the smooth moves with the ladies). I also take heart in knowing she was my daughter and therefore she would likely be little awkward herself for years to come. Besides, this won’t be an issue for another 15 years, right?

So imagine my surprise when I hear Iris is the class "flirt". Cherise reports back to me with stories on how she is making googly eyes at all the little boys in the playgroups. I refused to believe it. Not my little girl. But then I saw the pictures. It was incontervertible evidence that this girl was putting the moves on all the boys. See for yourself. And then came the live show for daddy.

When Iris gets a little fussy, we often take her into the bathroom to look at the mirror. Usually, she’s just so amazed by seeing the kid in the mirror that she calms down. But lately, it has been a new phenomenon. She sees the baby in the mirror and begins to flirt. And, in fact, when she sees the baby flirting back, she REALLY turns on the charm. Her head tilts, she smiles, and I think I even saw a wink once. And she is doing this in front of her father! Apparently, I don’t intimidate her at all. Now, I know things can change and maybe she’ll still be the awkward kid that will let daddy sleep peacefully at night. But who are we kidding? I’m in for it.

Three Generations, Four Month Old Iris

Sandy was out of town on business last week, and my mom came to stay with Iris and me.  We had a ball, and I now understand why extended families live together in so many other countries and cultures.  It just makes sense! 

 

Iris loved spending time with grandma Mary Kay (who kept trying to make her say “aita”), and I felt relaxed and happy to spend each day partly with them and yet also with my own space when needed.  I could hand Iris over to mom for everything from taking a shower to taking a phone call from work to taking a much-needed nap after a long night.  And eating well certainly didn’t hurt!  Cracked crab, artichoke and champagne were delicious, even though we ended up needing to eat individually that night because Iris decided she needed to be held at the time. 

 

Mom also has a knack for organization, so each time she comes I get a few more systems in place to store all the baby stuff that has taken over the house.  And she’s a speed walker, so even though she was pushing the stroller, I had to jog to keep up with her on our sprint around Green Lake.  But I did entice her to stop for some yummy chai at my favorite coffee house, Café Maree.  Iris turned 4 months old yesterday, and is getting more fun every day.  She’s grabbing everything in sight, and she slept for 8.5 hours on Sunday night (amazing because she hasn’t done that since December).  Mom even successfully got her to laugh while playing on the changing table.  Thanks Aita!