friends

Before our visit with Adele Dalia and I had our somewhat weekly visit with Amy and Archer. It was a time for momentary reflection realizing how big they were and where we had come together. It is such a fun time this 10-11 month range and so exciting to see how they are developing. Most exciting, though, is to see how they are playing together. It was more obvious this visit than ever that Dalia and Archer not only know each other, but like each other. They are not just being forced on each other because their moms want to hang out. It's still just as beautiful and magical to think about them growing up together. We are so lucky. Archer, thanks for so graciously sharing all your stuff with Dalia. We love you!

this first shot looks like Dalia is really telling Archer something.


this second one looks like Archer telling us he knows already and isn't Dalia bossy. what didn't get captured is Dalia trying to kiss Archer.

So much fun!

Rachel and Adele came to visit again, this time with Richard. It was so fun to be with all of them and to see Adele and Dalia playing. They knew each other right away. The day they got here Dalia decided she could climb stairs so she practiced with Adele all weekend. Also, we went to Sellwood park one day and I think Dalia had about the time of her life. She loves the tube. She has been trying to stand on her own a lot and this morning she wanted to walk all over the house with me holding her fingers. Also, the most exciting part of the weekend - Dalia has a TOOTH!!!! YAY! I'm so excited about it, but no one but me has been able to feel it. It's like being pregnant and feeling kicks all over again. Here are some photos from the weekend.

signing

Dalia is 11 months old tomorrow! She is so inquisitive and smart, wanting to not only know what everything is, but wants to be able to say it or identify it herself. We've started teaching her some sign language and she has caught on pretty fast. We have these books from the library with other babies signing and reading them is pretty much all she wants to do. She surprises us all the time with signs she knows. It's like she mulls them over in her head and then suddenly she figures out how to do them. This video is of Dalia doing animal signs. They are hardly relevant in cutting down on frustration, seeing as we don't see many frogs in real life and it's obvious when she's looking at a dog, but they have become her party tricks. Seriously, the other night we were at a b-day party for one of her library buddies and all the parents got wind of her frog sign and would walk up to her and say, "Dalia, what's a frog say?" She pretty much walks around with her tongue out now, but boy is it cute. She can also sign more and all done; toothbrush, duck, tree (my favorite), elephant (which we made up) and light; and can say bye-bye, mama, dada, cat (more like dthat), belly button (more like bebe bubu while pointing at her tummy or yours).

She's beginning to stand on her own more and more and we think she'll be walking soon. Also, she got a "lovey" this sweet little IKEA bear that's been stuffed at the bottom of her toy box. It seems to really be helping her sleep. We snuggle it each time she goes to sleep and she hands it to us for a snuggle as soon as she wakes up. When she snuggles it, she says, "mmmmm". For the record, Dalia slept from 9 until 5:20 last night. I was up every hour or two. Figures.

Anyway, we feel like we finally got the hang of this parent-thing and are feeling more confident and more joyful everyday. Everyone is always commenting on what a happy baby Dalia seems to be and we agree. She is so fun and funny and full of life and sounds. From outside the house I can sometimes hear her squealing around the house as she crawls.

As I finish this she is sitting with me pretending to talk on the phone. That's my girl.

out with Grammy

We took Grammy to the doctor to get her eye patch removed. She was finished being a pirate for the week. She actually had cataracts surgery and can see like an hawk now. Look out. She drives fast. Anyway, she treated us to lunch at the Laurelwood. Here's a photo of Dalia waving at me. I don't get this a lot as I'm usually the one holding her while she waves at others. But I've started working a bit more and getting out for a yoga class once in a while so I'm starting to get the pleasure of being the recipient of just about the cutest wave ever. Grammy gets the best grammy of the year award for holding Dalia's plate while they both ate so Dalia didn't fling it across the restaurant.

Uncle Scott

First off, I can't believe how long it's been since last posting. Not much going on besides being SO HOT! It's 90 degrees in our house right now (at 9:07pm). The pool Dalia is sitting in in these photos has been filled with cold cold water (we are trying to get her used to the water being cold for camp). We've had fun cooling off the past couple of days. We don't have it on video yet, but whenever she sees a yellow duck she sings her version of ernie's "rubber ducky". It's so cute. There's a yellow duck at the bottom of her pool, so there's lots of singing and splashing going on. Anyway, none of this has anything to do with the post I intended, which was to say thanks to the Seattle clan for making it down here to get in some fun with Uncle Scott. Wish she had been feeling better. Thanks for taking such good care of her and loving her so unconditionally. See you at camp!

vacation all I ever wanted...

Mark and I took Dalia on a vacation preview to Central Oregon this past weekend. She did GREAT! Even sleeping wasn't too bad and we forgot the pack n' play. She actually went to sleep on the floor! She loved the trees, got to see some deer (we think she thought they were dogs - who, by the way, she's learned the sign for, which is panting) and finally went swimming in a swimming pool. She's so mellow in water, it's amazing (those of you who know our little energizer bunny know how remarkable this is). She had fun taking a couple little walks and seeing the sights as well. I'm going to include a video here because it is so funny! We started throwing rocks into the lake and she started cracking up.

amelia

it's been a couple days coming, this post and the only other exciting thing that's happened is we've discovered that dalia is 20 pounds! Goodness, our big girl is getting bigger. anyway, jen and amelia came over for a great visit this week and we got to play outside. it was monumental as dalia played in the dirt and rocks and didn't attempt to put one thing in her mouth. amazing! here are a couple of photos from the morning. there are more at amelia's blog www.bettycrockerass.blogspot.com.