Babies with Talent

As I was feeding Charlotte in her room this morning, I started laughing. Makela heard me, and this was our conversation.

Makela: "What are you laughing at, Mommy?"
Me: "Charlotte is blowing a raspberry while she's trying to nurse."
Makela: "Well, babies can be pretty talented. Especially this one."

Of course, I only laughed harder at that. Where does she come up w/ this stuff?

Baseball Stadium Food

Joe took Makela to her first baseball game today. He scored free tickets from Fish & Richardson, so they were sweet seats -- 13th row right next to first base. Not a bad way to start, especially with a Padres win over the Mariners.

But the funniest part of the adventure happened in the car on the way there. Joe was explaining all the fun things that they have at the baseball stadium, and the following is a snippet of this conversation.

Daddy: "Do you know what they have to EAT at the stadium?"
Makela: "Hot dogs!"
Daddy: "How did you know that?"
Makela smiled.
Daddy: "Do you know what ELSE they have to eat?"
Makela: "Pizza!"
Daddy: "Pizza? How did you know THAT?"
Makela: "Daddy, I'm good with stadium food."

Best. Sound. EVER.

I've always loved the sound of children's laughter. But I'll never forget hearing it like I did today. On the way home from school today, Makela started giggling in the back seat. Charlotte laughed at her in return -- first time she's laughed other than being tickled* -- and pretty soon they had me giggling, too. They went back and forth for a couple of minutes. It was the BEST sound EVER.

(*NOTE: I thought Charlotte might have laughed at me earlier this week, but I wasn't sure. Today there was NO question!)

Voracious Reader

Makela now wants to read anything and everything, usually out loud (although she recently started reading silently, telling us that she "can hear the words inside her head").

Joe took her to her swimming lesson at the YMCA today, and here's what happened:

While waiting for her lesson to start, Makela read the "One Long Whistle" sign at the pool all by herself! It includes the words apologize, inconvenience, aquatic, policy, requires, emergency, and participants, with participants being the only word she needed help with....

Future Crayola Exec

Recently, Makela told us that she wants to be a toy designer when she grows up. To do that, she also decided that she'd be willing to design toys for boys every now and then. Then she came out with this announcement today:

"Daddy, I think Crayola is a really good company. They make really cool stuff. Someday, I think I would like to go to work for them. Maybe I'll write them a letter and tell them."

Holy Growth Spurt!

Well, if there was any doubt that Miss Charlotte has had another growth spurt, the proof was in today's impromptu weight check. Of course, I for one had no doubt, given her appetite this past week (can you say constant nursing?). However, I was SHOCKED at her growth this week.

After the preschool drop-off this morning, I took my breast pump to the lactation consulting service that I used when Makela was a newborn. They made sure the vacuum and parts were still in working order. Then it was time to feed Charlotte, so I joined the breastfeeding support group that was about to start.

The first and last thing we did was weigh Charlotte to see how much milk she drank (it was just shy of 3 ounces, although part of her feeding was projectile vomited up all over both of us). I almost fell over when the woman told me her weight: 9 pounds 3 ounces! HOLY CRAP! Of course, Charlotte was wearing her clothes and diaper this time, as opposed to being naked on the doctor's office scale. But assuming that her clothes and diaper only weigh about 4 ounces (so I was told), that still means she weighed in at 8 pounds 15 ounces. That's a whopping 12 ounces since LAST WEDNESDAY -- FIVE DAYS AGO!!!

No wonder we've been calling her an eating machine....

Charlotte's Current Stats

We had a doctor's appointment today for Charlotte's one-month check-up. She's doing GREAT. Here are her current statistics:

8 pounds 3 ounces (18.8%)
21.5 inches long (63.82%)
15 inches head circumference (73.3%)

The biggest change was in Charlotte's length. She was measured at only 19 inches at birth and again at two weeks, so I seriously doubt that she's grown 2.5 inches in a mere two weeks. I guess it's possible, but I think it has more to do w/ the fact that Charlotte is still scrunched up and loves to be curled up in a ball on our chests when she snuggles. And it was a different nurse this time, and she really stretched her out on the table to take the measurement.

The Reluctant Baby Whisperer

Okay. I just have to give credit where credit is due. Honestly, I think I'm pretty good with babies. I babysat my first newborn when I was about 13 years old. I once walked a friend's screaming newborn for hours, with the poor little one suffering from an ear ache. I learned to soothe Makela when she was driving us all insane with undiagnosed reflux during her first few weeks of life.

But Joe -- he's just amazing. We had tried swaddling Charlotte a couple of times in the last few weeks, but she increasingly fought it, somehow getting her arms free and wiggling out of the receiving blankets. She also has spit out all of the pacifiers we've tried, not wanting to suck on anything other than our pinkies and my breasts. We'd given up, figuring she just didn't like either of these soothing techniques.

However, Charlotte has been pretty fussy the last couple of nights, and she refused to be put down all last night and was ONLY quiet when she was being held. It made for a long night. So tonight, Joe decided to take matters into his own hands. I was in the bathroom, and when I came out, he was finishing up the swaddling and promptly inserted a pacifier into Charlotte's mouth. He swaddled the way he did with Makela -- tight and cozy. Charlotte's arms were pinned to her sides, forcing her to focus all of her frustration on that passy. She fought it for a good while, and we did take her out to make sure her diaper was clean (it wasn't). After reswaddling and reinserting the passy, she quickly calmed down. Granted, she's exhausted after fussing all evening and resisting this forced relaxation, but it WORKED. We may have a few more nights of adjustment as she gets used to her new bedtime routine, but it's a good sign that she's currently sound asleep in the bassinet next to our bed.

Joe won't admit it, but he IS a baby whisperer. He's an only child. He's never done any babysitting, other than for Makela. But he's a natural, and I for one am impressed. One more reason to fall in love with him just a little bit more today....

First Smile

Okay, so it wasn't completely under her control, but it also wasn't a smile in her sleep. Charlotte gave me a huge, beaming smile today as I was talking to her. Now if she could just do it all the time....

The Little One Said, "Roll Over, Roll Over"

Unbelievable. Charlotte rolled over on to her tummy today. She's only 20 days old today! And I thought Makela rolled over early....

According to BabyCenter.com, babies normally roll from tummy to back first, around two to three months of age. Supposedly flipping from from back to front requires stronger neck and arm muscles, so that doesn't usually happen until five or six months of age. Hmmmmmm....

But, given that Charlotte has been lifting her head up since the day she was born (as did her big sister), I guess I shouldn't be too surprised. She's a strong little one.

Smart Cookie

Okay, just have to brag/share two things from today's adventures. First, Makela just read the word "oxygen" in a new book about sharks she just got for Christmas. WITHOUT any help. Joe and I don't have any idea how she knew that one, but she read it!

The other thing is her question of the day: "Mommy, how was the earth built?" Yes, I gave her a quick discourse on the Big Bang theory and planetary formation, as best I could while driving on the freeway and in semi-preschooler terms....