Mother's Day, and More

It's a first for me this time, not Adessa- Mother's Day. It was great! I was terrified I'd overdo it with my expectations and be disappointed, which has plagued me with "occasions" in the past, but I had a lovely day, all day. Calvin did a great job of celebrating me, and Adessa did a great job of being cute and endearing. I am so thankful for her, and for Calvin, too! It was nice to have a special day set aside to think about how thankful I am.

Adessa is talking. Well, she definitely repeats words. A few words. Is it too soon? Am I deluded? I think she says: Mama, Dada, Roof-Roof, Li-Jah (Elijah), Doggie/Dog, and "Bad Breath, Mom." Just kidding about the last one, though it may be one of her early thoughts.

Right now I am getting increasingly excited about having summer time with Adessa. Our mom's group has several fun field trips planned, (some involving baby animals!) Between baby animals, swimming, and vacations, it's going to be great. Not working is going to be dandy, as well. Part-time working was as close to perfect as we could manage financially, and it has had its other side benefits. Watching her light up and flap around with excitement when she sees any of her four, care-taking grandparents just warms my cockles. But she cries when I leave her each morning before work. Its just for a minute until she's distracted and busy, but I will be glad not to have to leave her for the few months of summer.

Reading a book together first thing in the morning, on Mother's Day.


My mom and dad. I'm thankful for my parents, too. Having a kid changes the way you look at all your relationships!


Posing with Elijah, hanging out in the cool den of my parents' living room. It's possibly the coolest place in the San Lorenzo Valley, definitely cooler than our house during this heat wave we're enjoying.

Nevada!

Sitting with Grandpa Lewis on the way, at lovely Lake Tahoe.

With Aunt Florence and Grandma and Grandpa Lewis. Are those trees?

I'm hot, I'm thirsty, I'm standing!


It wasn't Adessa's first trip to Nevada, or even her second, but it was her longest and most authentic. What a state! We went for Calvin's uncle's funeral, which was a joyous affair, remarkably. The best part of it all was meeting Calvin's Aunt Florence for the first time and feeling like she appreciated the family support.

I was uber-fascinated with the difference a fleeting seven hour drive makes to the landscape and culture. My geography/anthropology roots kicked in and Yarington, Nevada, impressed. It's an old copper town, depressed since the huge, looming copper mine closed. Since copper is so valuable now, there is talk of starting it up again. There was a lot of wind, few trees, the main crop is hay, and there were very few young people. (Of if they were young, they were certainly weathered!) Due to the lack of trees and money, most of the houses were mobile or modular homes. I thought they could have built houses so much cooler with something like this:
especially since they had few trees but plenty of dirt! So interesting.

Adessa did incredibly well, considering all the driving we did. The days after we got back have been really hard with her, though, which may be the aftermath of such a trip. It also may be her two front teeth, which have been coming in. I have no idea why she's been such a wreck yesterday and today, truthfully. I make up scenarios and stories to tell myself about why she ever does what she does. Until she can tell me otherwise, that's all I have to go on.

She is starting to stand up on her own, and did so in the middle of the desert at a pit stop. Standing and walking around assisted are the newest developments, besides one more: she's starting to show a little fire, a flash here and there, of big, bad, ugly...will. Already? I guess we knew this day would come. I guess we have thought about it. Now that it's here, though, I'm definitely not ready for it. She gets frustrated if she forgot the fact that she can't stand up and topples over. She shrieks if you take something away, or don't give her what she wants. Already! She is luckily easily distractable, most of the time, but man...already?

Pictures of the Picnic

Tired bunny.

I found one!

Super tired bunny, after a full day of fun!

Pascha!

Early and bright Pascha morning, Adessa opens her Easter Basket.



Adessa's first Pascha was terrific! We didn't make it for much of the mid-night service, but the picnic was super fun. She egg hunted (mostly took the eggs out of her basket), played in a jump house, and even napped amid the revelry. It was a new stage in parenting, being at a big function, but it went great and we all had a good time.

More Pics!

In Grandma Lewis's garden.

Geez, mom, turn off the flash!

Found a Camera

A taste of summer! We had a few days of hot weather and had to splash around in the yard.

New tricks.

We're looking for a grunge band for Adessa to join, to go with the bed-head and attitude.


When I think of how sweet and adorable and amazing Adessa is these days, I feel disloyal to how sweet and adorable and amazing she's been all along. I have thought each stage and tiny change in her development has been a marvel, I have loved her the most every day, since the beginning! It seems unbelievable that she will just continute to get more fun. (Until the terrible twos and threes, I guess, then the fun will level out for a while, her amazingness will plateau... and possibly even decline.) But just now, these days, she's a wonder.

She can push herself up to sitting, which she does whenever possible, especially at bed time. She likes to shove or drop her pacifier down the crack between the bed and the wall and then look for it. This is a fun game good for hours of delight (and lighting fast crawling and shoving to try to get the pacifier down the crack before mom or dad pull her away,) again, most magical at bed time. Her crawl has not progressed beyond a graceful, lizardlike slither on elbows, belly, and thighs, but she gets to her destinations. She has started pulling herself up on everything she can, stands propped on coffeetables, toys, knees, etc. for longer and longer periods, moved from couch to coffee table, and has even stood by herself for a few seconds at a time.

The most fun, I think, is her ability to interact. She gives kisses, sweet and slobbery because she hasn't got the timing part down, yet. She'll lean in with lips puckered and makes the appropriate "Mmmaaa" sound, but by the time we get to her lips, her mouth is open. She giggles easily, dances to music, meets our eyes with surprise or wonder when she sees or hears a dog or cat or duck. She still barks a lot, for every animal now. She'll try other sounds to make the "quack" or "neigh", but all animals bring her back to a bark. She says "Mama" and "Dada" with precision, sometimes. (I sound like the milestone check off list- I could skip the detail and just write that she's doing everything a ten-month old should be doing. The detail is for me, though.) She's more interested in books (thank goodness, I was getting worried) and will point to pictures and turn to look up at me when I make an animal noise or a different voice. All around wonderful!

Lost Camera!

Hanging with daddy.

Hanging outside on a lovely day.

Hanging out!!!

With Auntie Kanani and Uncle Elijah.



So... you'll have to take my word for it that Adessa's as cute as ever. Somehow in transporting it we lost the camera. Darn. Until we get a new one, I'll post some less recent highlights.

We're doing fine! Adessa's pulling her self up on everything, crawling all over the place (still dragging her belly on the ground, army-style, though), and singing, cooing, barking, laughing,and dancing. She's so fun! Ten months old on Saturday! Woah. Crazy. She's going with me tomorrow on an all day field trip to San Francisco and Chinatown. Should be fun, but as with many big events that need a lot of organizing and preparation for the unknown, I'll be glad when it's over. We've started doing swimming time with a group of local moms, which Adessa loves. It's right during her normal nap time, but that doesn't stop her from being very excited to splash and play and twirl and kick around in the warm water. It makes me really excited for summer!