Major Holiday Number Two

Thanksgiving went well, her second big holiday if you don't count the 4th of July or Labor Day. We celebrated twice, early with Calvin's family, then on the day with mine. Both were pretty low key, just some delicious food, aunts and uncles (Elijah played a large part)and cousins, and friends from church.

Adessa didn't feast on Thanksgiving day, but she did try out some rice cereal a few days later. And she loves food. We started feeding her solids because she's terribly interested in food, especially what we're eating, and because... drum roll... she's sitting up! For minutes at time, our girl sits up, reaches for toys in front of her, totters a bit, rights herself, keeps sitting. Each sitting session has ended with a face plant into the floor, but she is not discouraged! Oh no, not Adessa, she try, tries again. So fun. I'm getting kind of freaked out by the milestones, as the baby part is just starting to make sense, soon I'll have to pack food for her, she'll crawl, she'll talk back, YIKES!

A side benefit to babies, though- today she got me out of jury duty. Jury duty is something I believe in absolutely, as part of our democratic process. I feel deeply my responsibility to my fellow Americans. However, I pleaded hardship as fast as I could and got out of the court room towing my breast pump! It never hurts to bring props, right? Yipee!!

Happy Halloween, now it's almost Thanksgiving?

The first few weeks with Adessa seemed to go by pretty slowly, actually. We were present, right there in each and every moment, marveling, and it seemed to take... a few weeks. And we continue to marvel at her, but darn! does the time fly by! She turned five months old yesterday. Wait! Am I getting this? I try to quiz myself and see if I remember the smaller version of Adessa, but it's hard when the 16+ pound version is so all-consuming. She's almost sitting, can balance on her own for a few seconds at a time if her legs are out in front of her at just the right angles. She has not tired of staring at her hands, holding them out as if they were fabulous treasures she needs to inspect. She found her toes a few times, and they seem to be neato, as well. There is a whole new level of interaction because she has more control of her hands. She babbles to us while holding our chins with one mini-hand, reaches for toys, bats at toys, eats napkins, crinkles paper, etc. She lets us know her more sophisticated needs, now, so there's a bit more crying in our house. Also some whispering. I held her hands on her chest and whispered sweet nothings to her at bedtime the other day, and I promise you, she whispered back. It was the baby babble equivalent of whispering, out from behind her pacifier: shhheeehshuuushhaaaa. Really cute.

Halloween was spent with much spirit and revelry! We went to little Sadie's Halloween Party with Adessa as the Cupcake Fairy. (She probably wondered if this was the first of many humiliating homemade costumes she's going to be subjected to. Probably is.) (The Cupcake Fairy, for those who don't know, is the little sprite who leaves money under your pillow whenever you loose your cupcake. Yep.) And on Halloween itself she promenaded downtown Santa Cruz as a darling sweet pea in a pod. (Or Edamamie, for those who appreciate Japanese cuisine.) She's a trooper. It's fun to take her places, she likes riding in the car (for reasonable time periods) and is taking in all the new stimulus and activity like a pro. She rocks!