After nearly a week of driving across the country and unpacking in my temporary bungalow, the jet lag leaves a faint recognition of the absence of road hiss as it moves from behind my eyes and makes one last stand in the motivational center of my brain. I could have sworn the reality of what I have done would sink in after I saw my belongings set up in a strange place without the bug, or wifey.
There's still the vacation-esque feel to the whole move. I've decided that's hope telling me they will be able to move out here with me very soon.
In the meantime, frequent phone calls with the little bug voice filling in the background help me feel connected. She has selected a new group of toys and settled into a nice daily routine with her recently "retired" mommy. More flavored foods than not are greeted with gusto, chatter, and the rhythmic slamming of palms on the high-chair tray. A few foods have been outright rejected.
I'm rather amused that after driving 2,800 miles and successfully navigating all over town I now have to wait at the DMV and be tested on my ability to drive. Speaking of being amused, stay tuned and find out if I wound up failing that test.
Showing posts with label baby babble. Show all posts
Showing posts with label baby babble. Show all posts
16 January, 2012
23 December, 2011
A Home for the Holidays
Family on Friday!!!
We're waist deep in the Holiday Season now and I would like to send a special season's greetings to everyone celebrating Hanukkah, Christmas, Xmas, Kwanzaa, Wholidays, Io Saturnalia, Winter Solstice, and last minute entries for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences film awards. Whatever it is making you happy this time of year, hold on to it and keep the happy going.
I've often heard it said that "Home is where the heart is." I like to think of it more that "Home is where you belong." Those two concepts are not mutually exclusive, but neither are they perfectly interchangeable.
Too many people wind up spending this time of year where they don't belong:
See the difference?
This really should be a time of positive reflection (regardless of your belief system) and you won't get there by taking on other people's pain. Hold on to those people and things that give you a sense of belonging. Let it fill you with guilt-free joy, unabashed appreciation, and childlike wonder.
Then, when you've got that, maybe... just maybe... other people will take on your mirth. You can be one of the bright lights. And when everyone around you feels like they belong, ask them...
"Who's got it better than us?... Nobody!"
We're waist deep in the Holiday Season now and I would like to send a special season's greetings to everyone celebrating Hanukkah, Christmas, Xmas, Kwanzaa, Wholidays, Io Saturnalia, Winter Solstice, and last minute entries for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences film awards. Whatever it is making you happy this time of year, hold on to it and keep the happy going.
I've often heard it said that "Home is where the heart is." I like to think of it more that "Home is where you belong." Those two concepts are not mutually exclusive, but neither are they perfectly interchangeable.
Too many people wind up spending this time of year where they don't belong:
- streets
- prisons
- combat zones
- other people's business
- abusive relationships
- playing live music loudly in front of the grocery store entrance, hurting the bug's ears and making her cry. (being carried by daddy got her back to flirting and grabbing attention with babble and smiles)
- Las Vegas
See the difference?
This really should be a time of positive reflection (regardless of your belief system) and you won't get there by taking on other people's pain. Hold on to those people and things that give you a sense of belonging. Let it fill you with guilt-free joy, unabashed appreciation, and childlike wonder.
Then, when you've got that, maybe... just maybe... other people will take on your mirth. You can be one of the bright lights. And when everyone around you feels like they belong, ask them...
"Who's got it better than us?... Nobody!"
20 December, 2011
The Lighter Side of Violence
I probably shouldn't laugh when the bug repeatedly slams a toy either into a flat (and remarkably noisy) surface or against another toy. But it's just too cute.
Partly because of the flinching eyes, instinctively closing in case pieces fly off in all directions. Partly because seeing such unintended violence burst out of the sweetest looking baby girl embodies a kind of dichotomy that caters to my darker sense of humor. Partly because such actions are often preceded, accompanied, and/or followed by top-of-the-lungs sustained vowel sounds not entirely dissimilar to singing.
If by "singing" you can include throat-popping moans a la Peter Boyle in Young Frankenstein.
I worry that I'm encouraging violent behavior by laughing - sending mixed signals and all that. But, on the flip side, isn't this an important developmental stage? We need to encourage her to explore her capabilities. As long as she doesn't start in on the cats.
I've already started thinking of appropriately encouraging Christmas gifts:
Partly because of the flinching eyes, instinctively closing in case pieces fly off in all directions. Partly because seeing such unintended violence burst out of the sweetest looking baby girl embodies a kind of dichotomy that caters to my darker sense of humor. Partly because such actions are often preceded, accompanied, and/or followed by top-of-the-lungs sustained vowel sounds not entirely dissimilar to singing.
If by "singing" you can include throat-popping moans a la Peter Boyle in Young Frankenstein.
I worry that I'm encouraging violent behavior by laughing - sending mixed signals and all that. But, on the flip side, isn't this an important developmental stage? We need to encourage her to explore her capabilities. As long as she doesn't start in on the cats.
I've already started thinking of appropriately encouraging Christmas gifts:
- hammer
- drum
- piano
- those weighted bottom inflatable rocking things
- XBox 360 controller
25 October, 2011
Ahhhbuuuum Eeoieeeee
The bug turns four months today.
Sure. Yeah. Not exactly a reason to bust out with a cake. But, then again, any excuse for a cake is a good excuse. There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of hype to the fourth month milestone. (Just the typical photo of baby doing Upward-Facing Dog)
Perhaps the fourth month changes are just not that easily captured in a photo. All the motor skills and balancing and dexterity are starting, but not quite there. It's a fun stage. Exciting for both parent and child as we feed off each other's joy that "Ooo. That was two seconds of sitting up by yourself. If you hadn't looked over at the cat so fast, you might have stayed up longer." or "Yay! You just grabbed the toy with both hands and put it right in your mouth (I can already see where today's encouragement becomes tomorrow's bane)." Especially seeing the bug light up when she realizes she's more capable makes the fourth month a big step in my eyes.
I've seen her frustrated at her limitations for quite a while now. Her noticing when she's not as limited is new. She'll try something (grab for a toy, try to right herself before toppling over, laugh while exhaling...) and it will work out the way she intended it to (for the most part). That's when her eyes get wide and her jaw drops. I crack up. She smiles real big and does the four-limb shimmy.
One big, important development - talking. Not really talking, per se. It's more of an incessant rambling of vowels with the occasional soft consonant thrown in to keep the listener on his/her toes. Kinda like the news. Where it gets difficult is when she wakes up for a bottle around three in the morning and gets all chatty.
I sit her in front of me (on the Boppy, on my lap, on the glider rocker) and listen while she regales me with what is clearly a rather amusing account of something. I listen politely, playing the dumb foreigner by smiling, nodding, and generally pretending like I'm following along when, in fact, I'm waiting for her to run out of steam. The other night, after a particularly edge-of-your-seat dramedy played for thirty minutes, I swear I heard her say, "Now let me tell you about my second minute of life."
If you've ever rented a Czechoslovakian comedy without subtitles by mistake, you have a pretty good idea of what I'm working with. Not that I mind, say, around three in the afternoon. For that matter, if I'm not trying to get back to sleep, I'll join in and we'll have long father-daughter talks using sounds that would make the Teletubbies scratch their heads.
It does beg the question. How long can one engage in baby babble without it compromising the integrity of one's novel writing? Considering I'm going for the commercial voice and eschewing the literary, I'll take my chances. Wouldn't want to miss out on any of the bug's stories.
Sure. Yeah. Not exactly a reason to bust out with a cake. But, then again, any excuse for a cake is a good excuse. There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of hype to the fourth month milestone. (Just the typical photo of baby doing Upward-Facing Dog)
Perhaps the fourth month changes are just not that easily captured in a photo. All the motor skills and balancing and dexterity are starting, but not quite there. It's a fun stage. Exciting for both parent and child as we feed off each other's joy that "Ooo. That was two seconds of sitting up by yourself. If you hadn't looked over at the cat so fast, you might have stayed up longer." or "Yay! You just grabbed the toy with both hands and put it right in your mouth (I can already see where today's encouragement becomes tomorrow's bane)." Especially seeing the bug light up when she realizes she's more capable makes the fourth month a big step in my eyes.
I've seen her frustrated at her limitations for quite a while now. Her noticing when she's not as limited is new. She'll try something (grab for a toy, try to right herself before toppling over, laugh while exhaling...) and it will work out the way she intended it to (for the most part). That's when her eyes get wide and her jaw drops. I crack up. She smiles real big and does the four-limb shimmy.
One big, important development - talking. Not really talking, per se. It's more of an incessant rambling of vowels with the occasional soft consonant thrown in to keep the listener on his/her toes. Kinda like the news. Where it gets difficult is when she wakes up for a bottle around three in the morning and gets all chatty.
I sit her in front of me (on the Boppy, on my lap, on the glider rocker) and listen while she regales me with what is clearly a rather amusing account of something. I listen politely, playing the dumb foreigner by smiling, nodding, and generally pretending like I'm following along when, in fact, I'm waiting for her to run out of steam. The other night, after a particularly edge-of-your-seat dramedy played for thirty minutes, I swear I heard her say, "Now let me tell you about my second minute of life."
If you've ever rented a Czechoslovakian comedy without subtitles by mistake, you have a pretty good idea of what I'm working with. Not that I mind, say, around three in the afternoon. For that matter, if I'm not trying to get back to sleep, I'll join in and we'll have long father-daughter talks using sounds that would make the Teletubbies scratch their heads.
It does beg the question. How long can one engage in baby babble without it compromising the integrity of one's novel writing? Considering I'm going for the commercial voice and eschewing the literary, I'll take my chances. Wouldn't want to miss out on any of the bug's stories.
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