The Age of Giggles

 Seven months old is an incredibly fun time with Iris.  She gets the giggles and can’t stop! (finally, something from mom’s genes)  Babbling has progressed beyond “mama” to “baba”, “gaga”, “lala” and I swear she even said “Obama”!  (alas, still no “d” sound.  Sorry dad…)

 

She’s learned new tricks, including:
• Turning the pages of books as we read together
• Playing peek a boo – she removes the mini blanket I put over her face
• Pulling a box towards herself to get what is inside or behind it, or to dump out all contents
• Pulling herself to standing on my arms, and holding herself up against the coffee table
• Beginning to wave

 

Iris is still determined as ever – this time to walk or crawl.  She can scoot backwards while sitting or lying on her tummy, especially on the hardwood floor.  Unfortunately, she really wants to move FORWARD, so the learning process is extremely frustrating.  But she keeps trying. 

 

My favorite thing about this time though is definitely the peace and relaxation of a baby that has reached a happy stage, but can’t yet crawl… it’s wonderful to be able to leave her lying or sitting on the floor (even the hardwood floor) with a box of toys next to her, where she entertains herself for awhile, just pulling out each toy one by one to eat, bang it against the floor, or throw it.  The favorite toy is still the plastic cup, but the wooden spoon is a close second especially as her first top tooth comes in.

 

I know very soon we will move into a whole new world of mobile baby, and that’s probably when all blogging/photos/phone calls will suddenly cease.  It’ll be exciting to see her walk, but right now we’re enjoying the stillness all we can.

A Mother's Day Poem From Iris (with help from Dad)

This is poem is to a  lady who’s now in the Mother’s club.
The first of many for Mama Bear from me, her precious cub.

It was seven months ago when we became three Khaunds.
Sorry about tipping the scales at five ounces and eight pounds.

When I arrived, the family resemblance was plain for all to see.
You kept smiling and laughing and daddy kept saying “Mini-Me”.

Now the time has past and we’ve become the best of buds.
You wash me, massage me, and change me, and put me in new duds.

You sing to me and play with me and read me stories too!
Like ones about bowls of mush and bunnies who eat broccoli stew.

You take me to visit my friends—you’re quite the chauffer service.
But any reason why they’re mostly boys? Dad’s starting to get nervous.

Sorry I sometimes scream or cry or throw my random fits.
And go for milk like Animal from your favorite show, the Muppets.

I thanked you in the best way possible, saying “Mama” instead of “Dad”.
I know the big guy understands, I just hope he’s not too mad.

I know where you learned this stuff because your Mom is just as great.
But when’s she getting me my onesie, the one that says "Hillary in ’08"?

Since every day is Iris Day thanks to all the things you do,
I give this one back to you—Happy Moms’ Day, I LOVE YOU!

Wondergirl

A child’s first year is defined by the many milestones that are encountered.  It seems like every day is something new.  Cherise wrote earlier about baby’s first word (yes, it was "mama"–she won that round). We also had baby’s first feeding and baby’s first teeth and now we anxiously await the many more big milestones that we keep hearing about as well as the dozens of mini-milestones that will surprise us daily.  But last week, there was a milestone that may be one of the most important in dad’s eyes.  Let’s play out how the discovery of this milestone would go with a normal pair of parents:

SANDY:  Cherise, come quick.  You’ll never believe what Iris did.  It’s the greatest thing ever!
CHERISE:  What?  What is it?  Did she say "dada"?
SANDY:  Better!
CHERISE:  She walked?!?  Oh my goodness, she walked!  Let me get the camera. 
SANDY:  No, better!
CHERISE: What?  What did she do?
SANDY:  Iris threw her first fastball!  She picked up the spongy baseball and fired it into the wall.
CHERISE:  That’s the big milestone?
SANDY:  I’m telling you–it was a four-seam fastball and she threw it low and away.  That’s what the Orioles pitching coach teaches the team.  I swear–she’s got a gift!
CHERISE:  Stay away from my daughter.

Fortunately for me, this is more how it went:

SANDY:  Cherise, come quick.  You’ll never believe what Iris did.  It’s the greatest thing ever!
CHERISE:  What?  What is it?  Did she throw her first fastball?
SANDY:  YES!
CHERISE:  I’ll get the baby book.  We need to write this one down.

(Men, pay attention.  There is nothing more valuable than a loving wife that humors you.)

 

Anyway, needless to say, this is one of those milestones that aren’t in any of the baby books we keep, but I still made Cherise write it in.  From the velocity on her throws, it looks like she inherited daddy’s lethal arm.  Unfortunately, she also has daddy’s lack of command of the strike zone.  We’re working on it, though.  When she is sitting on my lap, I literally move her arm in the motion of a pitcher and she loves it. Suddenly, daddy-daugher bonding takes on a whole new light. I have visions of the move "The Natural" where a tree gets struck down by lightening and the father helps the boy build a bat from the fallen tree called "Wonderboy".  Iris and I are gonna have to go out and build "Wondergirl" (don’t worry–I’ll keep her away from the power tools).  This is all too cool–daddy has himself a jock for kid!