Monday, August 20, 2007

Stats and Silliness

Mather had her 9 month check-up at the doctor on Friday. She's doing great.

15 lbs. 4 ounces
26" tall (2' 2"!!)

And, in case you wanted to knit her a hat, her head circumference is 43cm (about 17 inches). I am actually trying to learn to knit! Hats and sweaters are on the way... slowly.

In the meantime, take a look at all the silly shirts that Mather has in her wardrobe:

"Mysterio predicts I will be a donut tycoon"

"Mysterio predicts I will be a criminal mastermind"

A little St. Patrick's Day cheer.
Do we really need a reason to kiss her?

We've got the copyright for this cutie!

Dirty Dancing flashback, anyone?

Maybe next time around we can elect a president smarter than a baby.


And from the girl who is weaning herself...

"hand over the tit and nobody gets hurt"

Is she threatening me with that tooth? Check out the shorts! It was actually really hot (upper 70's) in San Francisco this past weekend. Daniel refers to them as "hot pink hot pants"... too true, too true.

How many more ways can we humiliate her before she can fight back??

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Whatcha Doin'?

News from the world of Mather....

Mather is an expert blueberry picker.

We are introducing more finger foods into Mather's diet. It is so fun to watch her try something for the first time. Blueberries and grapes are definitely a hit!

Who wants to ride shotgun?

Ah, the wonders found inside mommy's purse. The keys take the prize for best new toy.

Look ma, no hands!

Mather is building her standing skills while using the crib rail for support (or not!). Kudos to daddy for the girly dress-up day, I had nothing to do with it. Mather is also sporting some new shoes (thanks to GrandMather's ebay shopping spree), these are lavender with cute snails on them.

Mather is discovering that diaper bags are full of fun stuff.

Check out the incline push-up position. Mather often ends up in very athletic, yoga-like postures as she combines her love for sitting, crawling and standing simultaneously.

Standing up tall with Dad's help.

It is adorable to see someone so small standing up so tall. Check out that smile too!

I want them all!

Mather is still enjoying swimming class (this Friday is our last one for the session), she loves playing with the brightly colored balls. I think she's trying to grab five at once in this picture.

Savage!

Oh the joy of raw, bloody meat! Just kidding... they're raspberries, of course. This was part of tonight's dinner. And when it was all over, she was a mess...

Check out my messy face, and my big ol' tooth!

Yep! There it is, in all it's toothy glory. Standing solo for now. We thought both of the bottom front teeth were coming in together, I guess not.

You mean I don't get to stew in raspberry juice overnight?

Big girls take baths in the big tub and play with duckies! Mather has officially graduated from the kitchen sink spa. She'll be ready for a mud bath, massage and facial in Calistoga soon enough.

Mather is also on her way to graduating from breastfeeding. Frankly, that new tooth scares me and she's not always polite when she's hungry. I also hate pumping milk. The bigger picture is that Mather is loosing patience with breastfeeding. It's a lot more work than taking a bottle. She's also eating a lot more solid food these days (you should see how we have to shovel it in to keep her satiated!). She had her first bottle of formula on Sunday night... she liked it! I still breastfeed in the morning, and I've been pumping milk once a day at work. This week, she's had two bottles of formula each day, and two bottles of pumped milk. I'll see if she'll take milk "straight from the tap" while I'm home over the weekend. If not, it's no big deal - if she wants to wean herself, I'm o.k. with that.

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

Puck the Great

Two days ago, the Downey Street denizen Puck Ransom disappeared. He was a fifteen year old feline, struggling with rapid weight loss, arthritis and a host of other myriad ailments. We don't think we'll ever see him again.

Puck in December. I'm sorry I don't have a better picture.

Puck was a genial giant, in his prime a twenty pound cat that loved nothing more than to while away hours in my mother's lap. He was always eccentric. He was a runt with a funny limp at birth and was rejected from the litter by his mother; fortunately, he was adopted while still young into Ash's litter. We -- my mom, dad, Elsa, and myself -- took both Puck and Ash in as kittens when Elsa and I were still in high school. The two cats had been inseparable since, sharing both the Downey Street house and specifically my parent's bed for many years.

After the Downey Street fire, Puck and Ash lived with us for a year, and they got to meet many of our friends. Just about everyone commented on Puck's charming oddity and friendliness.

Puck had a number of endearing traits. While cats are famed for their grace, he was always an awkward creature. He would attempt to jump to a high perch and miss. He would knock down every object on a table and pretend he wasn't involved. And he would plop down legs splayed and belly up, entirely unaware he was showing a mass expanse of belly so plump he didn't have enough fur to cover it.

Puck was exceptionally sweet. As a young cat and then throughout his life, he would let his adopted sister Ash eat first every time food was served. Even as he aged -- picking up arthritis and a ghastly wart dripping from his chin -- he sought human attention throughout the house. He did always seem a bit more human than cat; I don't think he could have hunted a creature if it ran in front of his face, but he sure knew how to find the tuna bowl.

His sister Ash has been skittish for many years (since the fire), and often Puck was the only "person" she would tolerate for long. My mother did notice a peculiar sweetness between the two for the two days prior to his disappearance. They may have been saying goodbye; cats are said to know when they are going to die. Her behavior has already shifted since his disappearance; she wanders the upstairs pining for him, moaning and complaining. I can only hope she finds a little vigor and seeks companionship from my parents to fill the void.

Here's to Puck. We won't forget him.

Wednesday, August 01, 2007

9th Lunaversary

A month-by-month photo retrospective...