Goodness, Ofelia will be 7 years old this month! Time flies, but it flies in irregular patterns; it's really been "the longest, shortest time". I skipped last year's blog update altogether, and much has happened, including:

• Home remodel complete - we finally got a couch!
• Learning how to ride a bike
• Losing first baby teeth - three so far
• First jump off the high dive
• Losing her tonsils!
• Successful completion of kindergarten
• Successful start of first grade
• Many hikes, some backpacking trips
• Learning to read, add, and subtract
• A Summer away from home in Chicago!

Ofelia is bright and outgoing, an expressive extrovert. She really loves playing with her friends and the peer interactions at school. This is good, because her days there are long, with both parents working full time. She enjoys gymnastics, rock climbing, and above all, swimming. Creatively and scientifically curious, the times I make her "go find something to do!" are filled with art projects (most recently, repainting a couple of My Little Ponies) and experiments with dirt or plants or food coloring, or water or ice...

Also likes:

• YouTube Kids videos, mostly instructional
• Anything in the upstairs studio with Mommy. Activities are open-ended, and can include, drawing, painting, coloring, sculpture, paper works, printed projects, photography, collage, playing the piano, building with LEGO blocks, cutting, measuring, sewing together, taking apart.
• Zootopia (and other animated classics)
• Social time with Daddy, going downtown and such
• Shopping with Daddy
• Xtra Math with Mr. C!
• But mostly... playing with her friends

I'll get to the photos, divided by year. These pics are limited, they're just the  ones I have - if you have photos of Ofelia you'd like to share, send them to me and I'll post them! Thanks!

2014-2015

2015-2016

Year of Change

I'm finding that I can't write the words to document this 4th year in Ofelia's life. Finally her physical development has slowed down - it's not so dramatic as those first years when every couple of weeks would bring great changes. Her hair has grown, along with her vocabulary and the rest of her, gradually. She's a little girl now (so no more liberties with n@ked photos on the internet!) and the most stunning displays of her growth are internal. She says funny things - like "sminksmof" (Sphinx Moth) and "dingray" (stingray) and "I love you soooooooo much!" Panda is the spirit animal for the Year of Change, and Spiderman was the favorite icon. Ofelia loves drawing, and climbing, and playing with her friends. Most of all, like all kids, she wants to be engaged directly and learn. Her mom and dad provide her with worldly exposure in their own ways and she benefits from the best that both have to teach.

The change that's come has been external. Pictures tell the story best:


Click to view images

Extra, extra! The New Year is now marked on Ofelia's birthday

At last a chance to pause and reflect, look through the photos and mark the moments.

If Ofelia's 3rd year was focused largely on communication, this year's theme was character development. Boy, she's a firecracker, already apt at testing both mom and dad at their least known limitations and carefully manipulating each weakness. I don't mean to make her sound exploitative; on the contrary, she is very compassionate, cautious, and even complementary. She likes to make people feel good, often remarking how much she likes someone's shirt, hair or something or other. I'm so proud of our capable little human. She is exhibiting strong signs on her father's penchant for shoes, stopping me in the store isle to try on several pairs before we can move on to party supplies. Next week we're celebrating her 4th birthday at the local gymnasium (a favorite kid birthday center, second only to the pool) along with her long-time classmate, Carter. They used to be very close friends but have since changed circles a number of times. Still, they're both excited about sharing a fete and having all their friends there together. It may be the last chance they get before moving on to "big kid" schools.

Favorite topics in school this year were 1. dinosaurs, subsequently surpassed by 2. planets, then 3. bugs. She was fascinated by Armadillidium Vulgaris, aka rollie pollies (thank you Sid the Science Kid) and therefore caused the extinction of a small colony that lived under a tree stump in our yard...

Favorite things to do include 1. playing with friends, 2. playing with Mommy, 3. reading, 4. puzzles and games with a bit of - but not too much - challenge, 5. going to the park and river to climb on stuff. She's not particularly fond of sleeping, preferring the action of wakefulness.

Two major events occurred this year that will forever mark its place in our personal histories: 1. the purchase of our home, the 800 sq ft, 105 year old house we've been renting since my sixth month of pregnancy, and 2. the re-opening of Ty's dream, Concrete Skate Shop. Also, Ofelia's school moved to a new, upgraded facility. My nostalgia for the old, homey, stone-floored, wood-paneled & wood-chipped Riverhouse is not shared; Ofelia loves the new building and continues her growth and learning with the staff and peers she's enjoyed since infancy. Boy, we've been busy campers - it's been a damn good year!!!!

So, what follows is a lot of pictures, in some sort of chronological order with storied captions (those show up on the right in Google+ now). Many were taken by my mom, sister, or others - thank you! It's not brief, but genetic self-interest may compel some to view them all. I advise the rest to skim until you come upon something of interest. Enjoy!

Click on the fox to bring up the gallery:

Summertime is here again!

Ofelia will turn 3 in just a couple months. My friend told me a very nice story about how they celebrated their daughter's third birthday: first thing in the morning, cuddled up in bed, they reviewed all the memorable events of her brief but considerable existence. I like this idea a lot.



So much has happened since the last updates that it's difficult to summarize. The theme has been communication. Ofelia went from making up stories only she could understand to more pronounced words and phrases - like, "canu-elpme-opendat?" - to a still somewhat enigmatic but definitely comprehensible language through which we can communicate rather freely. The secret world is opening; we are catching glimpses into what's happening behind those eyes. Case in point: they were studying dinosaurs at school and she was very into it. I asked, "What do dinosaurs eat?" and she said, "Dinosaurs eat meat." This was followed by "dinosaur's gonna eat mommy's face", but then we decided that pizza was better.

She's grown long and healthy. Her breathing is greatly improved, and despite battling a few colds this winter, spring and summer have been mostly unblemished by sickness. We are sooooooo thankful and relieved for this. Instead of worrying, we've been enjoying exploring the natural world around us (mommy activity), getting to know the town (daddy activity), and playing a lot with our friends. Ofelia is still very social,friendly, outgoing, empathetic, and sweet. Mostly well behaved, she is definitely showing signs of a capacity for skillful manipulation. We do not always let her have her way. She's gonna show us both....

Our routine has stiffened up a bit of late, due mainly to me taking on a new job in March. This has been difficult on me, but Ofelia's days have remained stable: Mon, Tue is school, Wed with Daddy, Thurs & Fri back at school, Sat with Mommy. We do family fun time or split personal time on Sundays. I think this is an ideal schedule for her, as she gets a fair amount of stimulation and curriculum during the week, but is broken up with chill time at home. She loves chill time. Ofelia (like most other kids, I suppose) is simply wonderful when properly stimulated. Bored, she becomes difficult and challenges everything, whereas sensory overload makes her meek and she starts wanting to bury her head in the soft of my neck. We strive for threadlike balance. Our assurance comes randomly - she'll suddenly state in a collected way: "Mommy, I'm so happy." [insert heart explosion]

Other things we like to do include frequent trips to the park, visiting with friends, camping, swimming at the pool, playing in the sand at the beach, the discovery museum, short hikes, looking at bugs, building with blocks, snuggling in the big bed in the morning, doing flips, cutting paper with scissors, and reading stories. I try to read before bed each night. Recently, Ofelia is inclined to "read" to me, which is great!



Along with our home photos, I'm including pictures from school. I love these! They give me a glimpse into the piece of Ofelia's life that is outside of "us". We could never provide her with this variety of social experience by ourselves. Being in a safe, comfortable environment with friends her age, lead by ever-patient teachers in endless thoughtful activities is so enriching to her development. Case in point, in her most recent propriety she's started referring to everyone as Miss. So it's not only Miss Laura and Miss Sara (her teachers)... but also "Miss Daddy, can I have some milk?" Daddy doesn't think it's as funny as I do.

I should add here that Ofelia is a fabulously fashionable little girl, being dressed so well by her grandmas. Thank you grandmas!

Grammas, you missed this!

Perhaps to spare you from undue concern, I haven't made this available for viewing... until now. Happy Valentine's Day!

From Autumn Update - 2011

(click to view video)

Autumn Update

We're well into Autumn now - snow caps the mountains around town, there's a familiar chill in the air, and everyone is shifting to snuggly indoor activities - but It's been a great Summer! Fiki and I got to visit Chicago in July to see my family, and we all went to Phoenix for Ofelia's birthday. Although we enjoyed the "Fiki Fete" when she turned one, we decided her second birthday should be a bit more low-key. It was different, but very fun! My mom came to visit us the week prior, and we enjoyed her company and took it easy. Immediately upon dropping her off at the airport, we continued on to visit Ty's family. In Phoenix, Mike and Lottie organized a family get-together that was intimate, relaxed, and very fun. Ty stayed on and visited with the San Diego clan while I returned home to enjoy some "Mommy Time" and take care of home projects that seemed to be hounding me all summer long. The big one was re-organizing Fiki's room:  Fiki - who is a self-proclaimed "big girl" - now has a real bed, no longer a crib.

In August, Ofelia "matriculated" to the Caterpillar room, the third-level classroom at the daycare. It took about a week to get adjusted - at first she was just a little shy and intimidated - but then the strings of words really began to flow. They really work on language skills, colors, shapes, and numbers (which Ofelia is grasping readily, to my delight). We now communicate quite well, although much of her speech is still... well, her own. Sometimes she tries to tell me something and I have no idea for the life of me what she's trying to pronounce - she patiently repeats it over and over until she grows frustrated with me (this must be the early start of "You just don't get it, Mom!").

It's a lot of fun these days! A big load of the work has been taken off of me as Ofelia gains independence of being, and I can step back and enjoy a lot more. We're not quite as exhausted as in months previous, but she definitely still draws a lot from us both. Ty feels it strongly now - he says it's gotten harder for him, which is in accordance to advice we've received. Most women tell me "It only gets easier from here on out", while the men sigh that "It only gets more difficult from here on out". I can deal with that ;)

We still spend the bulk of our fun time outside, and I don't anticipate that changing a whole lot during the winter - we stocked up on our cold weather gear and we're set to go! All I'm missing is a pair of snow shoes for when it gets deep. Fiki will most likely be taking her first slippery steps on skis on the mountain this year - we're excited to see how it goes!

Only the nose knows...

This entry is intended as a reference point for information regarding Ofelia's ongoing respiratory puzzle - it is not intended to alarm or freak out the overly-worrisome ;) Interested family members are welcome to comment and contribute resources and ideas.

History

Fiki started daycare at 3 months and soon after began contracting colds, as expected. Of the vying points of view, we chose to accept that this would ultimately help her immune system develop, as exposure was inevitable sooner or later. The first Winter was difficult, as she was "snotty" most of the season and into the Spring. Her pediatricians assured us that this was common and she would eventually "grow out of it". We experimented with diet for a period of about 6 month during this time. I found that cow's milk contributed to her mucus production, soy milk (at the time) contributed to constipation, but other dairy products (specifically, cheeses and yogurt) had little effect. We have been successfully nourishing Ofelia with almond milk since that first year.
Her colds became less frequent that first summer, but as autumn came along, she began suffering a continuing string of colds, during which mucus build-up eventually led to ear infections, which were treated with antibiotics (azithromycin or amoxicillin, the latter generally working more effectively). To date, she has been on antibiotics 5 times. The second winter was very worrisome, as she was continually congested. Again, pediatricians reassured us about "daycare nose" and explanations that as she developed, so would her respiratory organs, tissues, passages, and immune systems.
As the weather warmed, her body did seem to become more resistant to viruses. She stopped contracting colds frequently, and through the Spring, Summer, and into Autumn of this year (2011), Fiki has been actually sick only 3-4 times. Nonetheless, she remains frequently congested with no other symptoms. I often consoled myself with the hope that teething was a major contributing factor to the general irritation and ensuing inflammation in the region, and that this led to excessive mucus production.
In recent weeks (since late August or early September), we noticed that there must be something else going on, since she was no longer even congested, yet continued to exhibit struggled breathing. This is particularly apparent when she sleeps, chronically mouth-breathing, snoring, and showing mild signs of apnea due to some constriction or blockage. We had this tested immediately after her birthday (around which time her night-time symptoms peaked). A pulse-ox test showed dips close to 70%, which resulted in her starting from a deep sleep in order to "catch" her breath and resume a normal pattern. It is not clear how this remittent lack of deep sleep affects overall physical, mental, and emotional development.
Our goal is to help her to breathe and sleep normally: meaning soundlessly, clearly, and peacefully.

What we're doing

The Ear-Nose-Throat specialist confirmed swelling of her tonsils, (most likely) adenoids, and nasal passages, but did not recommend T&A (Haha! sounds funny but it's not: Tonsillectomy and Adendoidectomy) at this time. He stated that she is still too small and too many things in her system are still changing. The general age for the procedure is 3-4 yrs. We were given Nasonex to try. I have to follow up regarding recommendations for continued usage. When I asked what is causing the swelling, the reply was vague: it could be anything, previous infection(s) may have started a process of irritation.
I also sought advice from a chiropractor, hoping to arrive at a "cause". Their focus is the nervous system, for which the spine is the "highway". I was told there are tensions in key areas of her spine that may be causing obstructions. The exact connections/correlations between these points of tension in her spine and her nasal cavity were not clearly explained, nor was the chiropractor's ability to detect them - it's just what they're trained to do.
Neither practitioner mentioned much about diet or allergies (although the ENT performs full-fledged allergy testing). The chiropractor recommended removing dairy, especially pasteurized dairy products, but stated that it would be best to observe whether several weeks of chiropractic care alone showed any effect.
So, our course of action:

1. Solicit recommendations from pediatricians: test oxygen, see ENT, see chiropractor
2. Solicit recommendations from ENT: try nasal spray (after three nights of treatment , it does seem like her nasal passages are more open, like she has "more room to work with". At the same time, she is still congested, and the mucus is still making it difficult for her to breathe. we will continue clearing and spraying her nose and watch for signs of apnea. After a couple of weeks, I will request another oxygen test).
3. Solicit recommendations from chiropractor: bring her system out of its current, albeit mild, "crisis reaction" through chiropractic adjustments (Ty has rejected this course - I'm on the fence)
4. Renew dietary experimentation:
   
   1. Remove all dairy
   2. Re-introduce slowly to confirm effect
   3. Repeat with other commonly allergenic food groups

Resources

Here is a list of articles I'm finding helpful (many out there that are not, they only add to the complexity and confusion of the problem):

• http://www.webmd.com/allergies/features/the-truth-about-mucus
• http://allergies.about.com/od/noseandsinusallergies/a/pnar.htm
• http://www.mysinustory.com
• http://ezinearticles.com/?Sinus-Pressure-and-the-House-Dust-Factor&id=3618983 (same author as above)

Thank you, Babcia Cecylia, for the following info:

• http://www2.cochrane.org/reviews/en/ab006286.html
• http://www.childrenshospital.org/az/Site1380/mainpageS1380P0.html

We will also look into the benefits of iodine on the respiratory system.

To Concerned Parties

Fell free to read through this documentation. Are we on the right track? Are we covering our bases? Please contribute your experiences, other knowledge, or ideas by commenting or contact us directly.

Moje swodkie dziecko, dzieli sie...

(my sweet child, she's sharing)

This was today at Vallecito lake after we took a ride...
We're getting better at these family days!

Summer's here!

The past couple of months have been a time of lengthening - days, joys, and Ofelia's body! She's moved from the 6th % of her age group to 26% in height! She's such a little girl now. Still fascinated with rocks and all things outdoors, Fiki loves to hike and discover, play in her sandbox, go to the park, watch the river, and observe any sort of living thing. We went camping for the first time Memorial Day weekend and she had a blast. We saw a horned toad (which is actually a lizard) sunning on a rock; he let me pick him up and while Fiki was very excited to see him and screamed Hiiiiiii!!!! at him repeatedly, she would not pet him with her hand. For that purpose she employed a leaf. I wonder if she gets this natural caution from her Grandma Lottie? We went again with Ty the following weekend and this was even more fun! We plan on continuing going on adventures together and watching Fiki learn from these experiences. The great thing about Durango is that there's so much right here. There's a tendency to seek distant and exotic places on our time off, but Fiki gives us the opportunity to explore the great terrain so close to home: while it's still cool, we can have fun scoping out dessert sites, and when it really heats up we head high!

Ofelia still loves school and socializing. She is especially fascinated with older children, as is the norm for her age. The one kid I really get a chance to observe her interact with is our friend's daughter, Ayla. Ayla is 4 months older and runs fast. I cannot yet tell who will be the "bad influence". They are a couple of lil ladies together and it's super sweet.

One obstacle that's been challenging is this teething phenomenon... Molars breaking gum make Fiki all kinds of irritable. Literally, she gets uncomfortable, at times whiney, can't sleep, drooling, fever, congestion, indigestion, unexplained restlessness... oh boy! Through it all, she is still a mild-mannered and pleasant child, and fun to be with. She loves to climb and does so every chance she gets, and she's paying more attention to her baby doll, which she calls "my baby" and repeatedly wraps in her snot towels. Other words in her vocabulary include:

• Hi
• Bye, see ya
• Mama, mommy
• Tata, daddy
• choc (Polish: come)
• zaba (Polish: frog) interchangeable with English: shovel
• bucket
• the beloved: shoe & jacket (signal going outside)
• tak, yeah
• doggy, piesek
• puppy
• ptak, birdy
• cat 
• rock
• daj (Polish: give; pronounced d-ah-y, as in "Mama, daj")

As well as a growing number of mimicked words, but fortunately no cussing thus far.

Miscellaneous extras

Some have been patiently waiting... Here are some catch-up photos!

I have a new phone number: (970) 317-1053.
My 773 Chicago number is no more...

mOlar

Oh yes, we have a new tooth!

(Can you see it? It's way back there on the right, all cute and pokey... Made Fiki wake up at 1:AM last night and she wouldn't go back to sleep; Papa Bear had to play with her for almost 3 hours!)

New games and attitude

This weekend Fiki "noticed" her Cabbage Patch Kid for the very first time. She picked up the baby, carried it around with her, then found a small towel and proceeded to make a bed. I suggested a pillow; she liked the idea. She lay down her baby, covered it with the towel, and gently patted it on the chest. What a wonderful mommy! I think this is the time to upgrade some of her toys (yay Ayyam-i-Ha, a time of giving and hospitality!) and next time I have the chance I'll find her a little buggy for that baby and a kitchen set. My girl is a real girl, not a tom-girl like her mommy.

She is also very strong willed and knows what she wants. She asserts herself when she doesn't get it. She looked me straight in the face and slapped me when I told her we couldn't leave the doctor's office, clearly showing her displeasure. She is going to give me a run for my money... Not that I'm indulgent, but my own will is not always so strong, and boy does she pick up on it if I'm questioning myself! Thank goodness Ty can back me up - he don't stand for nonsense. Moreover, he has the delicate skill of making things fun. Fun!

new digitalocale

We're now on Facebook! I recently posted a few pics of Fiki's 16th month.

Backtrack one winter: 100K

Fiki doesn't know yet just how cool her dad really is... Last year at Zumiez 100K conference (party), Ty got this amazing footage. As usual, it's taken me forever to get it together, but as he left for this year's 100K today, we managed to edit the raw goodies into something watchable.

It's basically the greatest gift of the winter. Not the kind of stuff you'd expect to find on this lil' blog, Ty gets baby props from some of the top pros in skateboarding and snowboarding. Like who, you ask? Christian Hosoi, Rodney Mullin, Mike Carroll, Danny Cass, Cara-Beth Burnside, Bob Burnquist, and others (Spanky, I don't hate you!). The video documents the Zumiez goings on and general hob-nobbery of the industry.

Here's the video (it's a huge file, give it time to load)...
Thank you, Ty!

Post Script: What I hear, the night didn't end well... Ty got caught peeing on a plant in the hotel lobby, and was peaceably detained in the "deviant employee" room. Better luck this year, Poppa Bear!

Just like that, it's Winter...

It's a remarkable day in late November: it was snow-storming earlier this morning, now the sun peeks out between these thick, dark clouds. Even the lowest ridges are hidden in a snowy mist. Fiki is, you guessed it, asleep (you can tell by the fact that I'm writing!) after a busy morning of forgotten wallets and friendly visits.

Summertime... before my birthday,
before my teeth came in

Looking over the last post, I can say that life is still running in a similar pattern. Only, things have changed... Boy, have they changed!

Ofelia had her first birthday. She was kind enough to take some of her very first self-facilitated steps while her grandmas were visiting for the occasion. Since then she's been walking like she's got places to go! It's one A-Ha! moment after another as she learns and comprehends more and more.  Though most of her speech is bibble-babble, she clearly knows the meaning of things - she'll show you, if you ask her "where's my nose?" or request a kiss - and we interact as a family in a rather natural, organic way. Most of the time we understand each other just fine.

Two teeth appeared at approximately the same time. They are striking leaders who have yet to be followed. Hence, Fiki has two significantly long teeth in an otherwise empty set of smooth, pink gums.

Even more than before, Ofelia loves school. I don't even call it daycare - it's school. Fiki is the oldest in her room (shortly to move up) and acts like she runs the place. Let's just say she's quite comfortable. She runs to her teacher some mornings to embrace her legs, eats well, sleeps comfortably. Most importantly, she's engaged with other kids in the projects and play they do together. She's always happy when I pick her up, sometimes shows me the day's favorite spot or what she learned or made. It's stimulation Ty and I would not be able to provide for her on our own. I feel a little sad writing that, but I believe it's true.

I'll try my best to fill in the rest of the story with photos. I'm still not taking many. Most of these are from the grandmas. Thank you grandmas!

Grandmas Visit

These Apples

Busy

Fall

August update

Since our trip, there's been a lot of development.  Although it looked for a while like Fiki would skip crawling in favor of upright walking, she reconsidered and is now a full time rug-rat.  She's also getting better at discerning edibles from non... After some experimentation with her diet, Fiki's congestion has cleared up and she's eating well, sleeping well, and chatting all the time.  I can't tell yet whether she knows what she's saying.  As for her parents, we're doing fine.  The task at hand is getting back on track with "normal" life.  I'm at work most days and Ty takes good care of her when she's not in school.  Life is busy and full.  I have not taken a picture in quite some time, as my hands are too full to hold the camera ...well, perhaps one.

June 2010 - The Big City

Here it is, folks, the post you've been waiting for! I'll let the photos speak for themselves... I'm too tired to write.


Additional bonus material: Shots we took at Agnes's photo studio.

Additional SUPER BONUS: Ofelia in Chicago video. Watch it here!

we've hit the big time!

Fiki's been eating real food consistently all month. The past couple of weeks we've made it a priority to eat one real meal a day, and she's loving it. She enjoys pureed vegetables, and baby snacks! So this morning's poop was over the top... Seriously, I can't believe that her bowels are working this well. No longer yogurt consistency, this poop sludged up the back of her diaper pungently and by the time it was over, it was all over - a thick, orange, insidious magma. There was no saving the jumper. We had to take a double-bath. Strangely, this makes me very proud. Still, we'll have to teach her to use the potty soon.

We recently finished our first family road trip. It was awesome. Fiki had a wonderful time, we could tell. We met Ty's west coast family, who fell in love with her and showed her a good time. She loved being held by her aunts and coddled by Grandma. She also hung out with Madi, a cousin of similar age, and we saw a lot of development just in that week. Fiki can tell some full-on stories now when she gets into it. Someone or something out there must be able to understand her! Also, I think she simply enjoyed traveling - she was a great car companion, and it was cool to introduce her to all these new things and people all the time. Road trips are great for that.

One more thing to add: Fiki's taken a strong liking to rattles. She seriously reacts to them! She had no qualms picking out a toy when Ty took her to a kid shop in Flagstaff - a small, standard-issue yellow & green baby rattle, no hesitation. Perhaps she'll be a percussionist?

half way around the sun

The Thursday after our last post, Ofelia started daycare. Two days a week - parents have lives too, right? One of our biggest fears of this exposure was her still-building immunity. Sure enough, come Sunday she had a fever. Her first fever! Stay calm... it's normal... it's just the body's way of fighting off viruses... stay calm... We were at the emergency room just after midnight. Hospital staff chuckled pleasantly before sending us off. It never developed into a real cold. Despite this, we kept her home the following week to let her system recuperate. Fiki loves daycare. The facility is warm and friendly. They play bird songs in the infant room at nap time. Fiki doesn't usually nap long during the day. She loves to play with the other babies and is always happy when I come to get her in the afternoon. Favorite activities include looking at people & smiling, floor time, and the bouncer. Yes, she's quite the bouncer these days! Not inclined to crawl, Fiki's moving straight to walking. While she can't stand up by herself yet, she's definitely comfortable upright and stands readily with support. She's also sitting very strong these days (although tumbles are still common). Her attitude and attention have seen much development. No longer content to lay around for any length of time staring at things, Fiki loves to be on the go. Go go go! Walks, drives, new places, these are the things that soothe and interest her. She had a blast on our first road trip! We went to Santa Fe to visit our friend Rachelle and explore the land. We saw piggies, collected rocks on the banks of the Rio Grande, and danced as a matter of course! Shortly after our return, I started signing to Fiki, simple things like "Milk" and "wash" and "walk" and "light". She hasn't signed back yet. Spoken language must be difficult with swollen gums, because Ofelia still just coos, squeals, laughs, and mumbles her grumbles incoherently. But since we've been a family for so long - a whole six months! - we understand one another just fine.

4 months, and counting...

It's the fourth moon of Fiki's existence, and we have seen many changes. Moving past the most basic physiological challenges of birth and with the body's sustainance cycle under control, it's time to focus on more advanced functions.

Most mornings we wake up happy and alert. Ty changes diaper before getting ready for work, and places her next to me for breakfast (after which she may poop again). Then Fiki and I have our morning meditation: we stretch, touch fingers to toes, toes to nose, tummy on tummy, then rolling over (off my tummy). There is a lot of laughter these days, and increasing conversation. Ofelia delights in her growing capabilities. She's started "playing" with small toys, especially one colorful parrot with crinkly fingers and gummy feet*. She holds the parrot by its plastic ring with assurance, confidently passing from hand to hand. She's also discovered her feet, which she loves especially bare. Other times she becomes enthralled in the expanses of her voice and throws it across the room in squeals and joyful shouts. These often become more intentional, signaling hunger, or.. boredom?

By far, Fiki's favorite activities are just that: active. She loves walks, whether it's a full-on hike or just hanging out (in a sling) as I walk about the house. Sitting around while still actively engaged is plausible, but forget sitting in front of the computer! She certainly knows if you've stopped paying attention and simply wants to be included in whatever's happening. Bath time is a blast. Fiki's always shown enthusiasm for water, so our deep tub is an amazing playground. When I float her with my hand under her belly, she kicks forcefully and knows to expect a forward reaction - it's hilarious to see her go!

For a couple of weeks now, we've had success putting her to bed between 8-9 in the evening. She still wakes up every couple of hours or so to eat, but she's usually half-asleep and dozes right off when she's done. Ty usually doesn't have to wake up at night, which is wonderful since he has to be fresh for work most mornings. I get some hours here and there to "work", and with a project or two off my head, I look forward to seeing my baby's face all lit up in discovery of our world.

3 months

On Christmas Eve, December 24th, Ofelia completed her third month of life. Mom made a first attempt at traditional festivities, including a red-meat-less dinner of salmon fillet, cabbage, borsch, and breaking of bread. This minimal example mimics the time-honored celebrations of her Polish clan. Time is an abstract beast, marked by physiological developments (started drooling, holding head consistently, much hair rubbed off), external events (visiting relatives, Dad separates shoulder, Mom finishes a project), and the back and forth swinging of the QuietTime in the kitchen... Ofelia's skin rash - finally diagnosed as seborrhea, or the common cradle cap - has cleared up a bit, but she's still experiencing minor flare-ups. Mom uses a soft brush in the bath to scrub the crud off the delicate scalp. Ofelia likes it, as she likes most things. She smiles a lot and tolerates most forms of parental torture, like sucking out buggers and bundling up for the cold. This her mom attributes to an unrelenting supply of delicious milk, love and encouragement.

Pleased to meet you!

Mid-December, just before her 3-month birthday, Fiki received a visit from her Aunt Jane (mom's only sister). Boy oh boy, what a difference 9 months make! Gone are the self-indulgent, care-free days of mutual singledom... There's a baby in the nest! At first, there was a sense of curiosity - speculative looks were exchanged, tentative touches, giggles - but within a couple of days the two were dancing to rowdy klezmer like a couple of old pals. Jane noted that her initial skittishness subsided once she got a better feel for Ofelia's physical abilities and limitations. This is of course what we're working on and evolving every day. Jane has gone back home now and we miss her big-time!