The baby chick plays peek-a-boo

So, Valerie has this musical barn toy that she inherited from her cousin, which her cousin inherited from her other cousin. I now know why they were so eager to pass it along, because I have that stupid song in my head all the time. Is it a rule that kids' toys have to make annoying noises? That they can only play obnoxious, made-up songs?

Toy makers, here is a million dollar suggestion for you. Feel free to use it, no credit required. All I ask in return is that you send me one of the first ones off the assembly line. Make a toy that plays REAL MUSIC. Seriously, it can't be all that hard. iPods are so tiny now, you could easily squeeze one inside a toy. You don't even need to include any music, just make it so that parents can upload their own MP3s to it. Then, if my child manages to play whatever songs I used to like to death, I can always upload new ones. My sanity thanks you.

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Readiness for solid foods

Question:
Does the baby show interest in the food you are eating?

Answer:

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What do you call it when...

So, I was driving by Circuit City today, and there were big signs advertising their 50% off store closing sales. I had the following three thoughts in quick succession:

"Wow, 50% off, we could get some really good deals!"

"But we're broke."

"With all of these stores going out of business, there are a lot of good deals to be had right now, but we don't have the money to take advantage of them. This is a terrible time to be unemployed!"

And then I started laughing out loud. Because isn't that the definition of a recession?

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Six Months Old!

Dear Valerie,

You are six months old today! (I really shouldn't start these letters like that anymore, because the honest side of me wants to explain that you actually turned six months old a week ago, but we took a trip to Canada that same day and we were too busy having fun with Grandma and everyone else to write birthday letters. Meanwhile, another part of me doesn't want to waste a whole paragraph of your special monthly letter explaining why it wasn't written EXACTLY on the fifth day of the month. Let's start this over.)

Dear Valerie,

You are six months old, now! This has been an exciting month for you, developmentally. You started sitting up pretty well on your own, in spite of what some videos might lead you to believe. (I actually have a video of you sitting up on your own for over a minute, but how boring is that to watch? Babies falling over are much funnier.) You also discovered your feet, which you play with whenever they are within your reach. Diaper changes are fun, because those bare little piggies are right there in front of you, asking to be grabbed, and you conveniently maneuver yourself into a very good bum-cleaning position as soon as you see your toes.

You're still big for your age, weighing in at 18lbs 3oz (75-90%) and measuring 27 1/4 inches (90-95%) at your six-month check-up. You seem to be right on track developmentally for most milestones, except maybe for mobility. I used to think it was because you were growing so fast that you couldn't move all that weight. But I've seen you roll halfway over, and I've seen you roll the other half of the way over, so I think you're capable of rolling over, you just don't want to. I think you're just generally pretty content with where you are, and don't see the need to go rolling around to change it. That, and I think you figured out that if you roll over, you end up facing the wrong direction, and that's counter-productive if you're trying to get a closer look at someone or something. You much prefer the more direct approach, and will lean forward until you reach what you desire, or topple over in the process.



I don't really mind if you put off rolling over for a little while longer, though. Rolling leads to crawling, and crawling leads to me having to baby-proof a home that currently has electrical cords running all the way across the living room, and fun toys like batteries scattered about on the unvacuumed carpet.

You're becoming an easier baby day by day, and I know I should cherish this brief window while you're old enough to be fun and interactive, but small enough to carry around. I took you with me to New York City for my birthday, and wore you in the wrap all day. You had so much fun looking at all the big buildings, and being told you were beautiful in at least four different languages, and staring at all the shiny Chinese New Year decorations. I loved not having to lug a stroller around all day. But most of all, I loved embarking on an adventure with you. My life, as I knew it, ended the day I had you. But life as I could never have imagined it started that day, too. I get to see the world through your eyes, now, and it's a wonderful, amazing, fun place, where ordinary things are new and exciting, and it's always a good time to burst into song. I've learned to be more patient with life, and not mind so much that I can't really keep to a schedule because there's always diapers to change and a tummy to fill, because any given moment can be worth enjoying together. Sometimes, I will admit, I get frustrated, and wish I could wake up at 8:50 and still get out the door at 9:00 like I used to be able to do, without having to worry about packing a diaper bag. But other days, like the day we spent in NYC together, I remember why Jeremy and I wanted to start a family in the first place. A life worth living is a life worth sharing, and sharing our life with you has made our life richer than ever before. Thank you.

Love,
Mama.

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