Not another Ear Infection

This year Maggie talked us into starting a new tradition - the Edaville Railroad. They have a winter festival of lights and you take a train ride through the bogs and see all the lights while they play nice holiday songs. You can meet Santa and have hot cocoa & gingerbread men. In reality it was really cold, Shara wouldn't let me put her down, and none of us met Santa. We still had a good time. The lights were beautiful and there were so many kids. Shara had a good time on the train, which I thought she'd have have trouble with since she freaked a bit with the loud noice.

The next day, Sunday, I knew something was wrong. Shara wouldn't let me lay her down, she threw up when I tried to give her a nap, and was generally miserable. We got an appointment with the after hours doctor's office and after throwing up more all over daddy & mommy, the diagnosis was another ear infection. They put her on zithromax and the next day Dr. Walcott called me at work to say she wanted to see Shara for herself. She didn't think it was another ear infection and that it was viral. Turns out it was RSV with bronchiolitis. So no school for Shara for the week and nebulizer treatments 3x a day for a week as well. She also put her on a decongestant/cough suppressent.

Though Oma & Jidor didn't want Shara to be sick, they were really happy that they got to spend the week taking care of her. We were really lucky we didn't have to take time off of work, though she was acting not very sick after Monday, so it wouldn't have been that much of a hardship. It was good that her grandparents got to spend this time with her though. At work, Kristin said to think of it as their Christmas present.

She's been doing great with the nebulizer. I turned it into a little treat since she gets to watch the Wiggles while we do it. She's also been talking up a storm. She tries to repeat everything we say and her proununciation is getting much better. I'm sure it's the teeth, but it's probably also a developmental stage as well. We're really looking forward to the holidays and introducing her to lots of new traditions. We'll start tomorrow with the Hanukkah party at Bubbe's, then go to visit with Grandpa Bobby & Nonnie at Chris' for Christmas Eve, finishing the whirlwind tour with Christmas Day at Oma & Jidor's.

Teeth must make a difference

Now that Shara has her back molars she's been talking up a storm. Alan got her cute new words on tape, which is a good thing because neither of us can even come close to imitating it. She uses the same unpronouncable sound for tomatoes, snowman, mermaid, and some other things - it's kind of like nmeme and rolls out of her mouth. It's so cute! And yesterday she was doing a whispering voice with ssipppess like sounds and we got her cracking up by doing the same back to her - sppss in her ear, then sppss to daddy, daddy does it to mommy and then back to Shara. She was rolling!

We also went out in the snow and she couldn't really walk - bundled up to much. Alan suggested we get the sled - thank you Maggie. Told you we'd use it. I got good exercise running her around the front yard in circles. She also like going down the little slope to the driveway. She wanted more but mommy was ready to pass out so we went inside for blueberries and yogurt. She ate the whole bowl with her spoon - after fishing out the blueberries and getting really gooey.

Mommy also learned that we don't go shopping with Shara after she has any breakfast with maple syrup. She was off the wall. Wouldn't go in the front seat of the cart. Would barely stay in the back of the cart. I almost gave up and brought her home. She walked a little holding my had, until she tried to run away. I carried her a bit. It wasn't a very good time, but when we got in line, she got in the front seat and I had easy Shara back.

Thursday I got a call from daycare, just as I was checking out from Job Lot, that Shara didn't have a fever, but she woke from her nap and was really crying and not at all herself. I went to get her, making a doctor's appointment on the way. We went up to the doctors and it turned out to be an ear infection. She really was crying really hard but she stopped while we were driving. I put on some of Shara's music. She was wet when we got to the doctor's and I didn't have the diaper bag with me so I had to go in the trunk while holding her. I had just bought a rocking horse at Savers and I knew she'd see it, and she did and said, "rock rock". I told her to forget she saw it!

We got to the doctors office and she was miserable and tired looking but in better spirits. As soon as we entered the exam room she started crying again. I got her to stop by looking out the window and seeing the lights on the ambulance, the people walking around, the trees, etc. The nurse came in and had her throwing up mucus she was so upset with her taking her temperature rectally. We stopped that and switched to under the arm, but it was too late. After she left I calmed her down again and then it was time for the exam. More crying but not nearly as hysterical as before. So to put an end to this story, we went to Brooks to get the prescription and she was walking around the store looking at Elmo and wanting more Elmo. You'd never know she was sick. Talking to the pharmacy and giving our information I said, "Alan" and shara repeats back, "Alan", so I had to tell her that we call daddy daddy, not Alan, etc. But we did say it for daddy later and it's one of the few words she pronounces perfectly!

Potty Time!

Don't know if this will happen again, but Shara sat on the potty, without any diaper on, before her bath, and pee'd. I didn't think she would have do it or I would have been prepared. I had to call Alan and tell him to clean it up because I was holding dripping Shara. We weren't too coordinated, but we were excited. So excited Shara started crying and got really upset. We're not sure if it was our reaction or she got freaked out. Either way, we had a good bath and Shara found out she likes to pour water over her head. Made rinsing her hair much easier. You'll probably like giving her a bath much more now Liz.

Another really cute thing; at dinner we were eating turkey soup and Shara was waving her soupy spoon. I told her to be gentle, nice and she made nice to herself - rubbed her cheek and said, "niiii", just like Bubbe taught her!

Kind of gross

Last night after dinner, where Shara ate lots and lots of meatballs, she started putting her fingers in her mouth and farther back to her throat, sort of gagging herself. I told her that she could choke herself and she shouldn't do that, but she kept doing it and gagging and laughing each time. How nice! Luckily we weren't revisited by supper.

Sunday night we were getting ready for bed and reading our stories. I told Shara we should read these books (I had them out already) we got out of the library because I had to return them Monday. I didn't phrase it exactly that way, but she understood what I was saying and went to her bookshelf and pulled out the Cordouroy goes to the Library book.

IKEA!

As Liz said, "this is like Disney". They have everything set up to allow people to stay all day. We got there just when they opened at 10AM and we still had to park a bit away. We decided to split up and go our separate ways, since Share wouldn't have liked going slowly. She did fine, but wanted to play for a long time in places where we didn't want to play. For example, she found it very fun to empty a basket in a kitchen set-up, then move the basket back and forth. People wanted to look at the kitchen and she really was in the way, but getting her to move on wasn't an easy task. But eventually she found something else of interest.

I checked out the mother's room with Shara and got her changed. She washed her hands at the little sink and would still be there if it was her choice. Lunch was fun. We met Bubbe & Papa in the cafeteria and they had already gotten there and grabbed a table. It was getting full by the time we got there. Alan got Shara and his lunch while I watched Shara. She had meatballs, some mac & cheese, a bite of carrot, some bread from my sandwich, maybe a bite of potato. She did like the meatballs though. Not much of a vegetable girl today.

Bubbe & Papa were done shopping but we hadn't even gotten to the kids area yet, so we went back and Shara test-drove the kids furniture. She really like the rocking moose and the curved chair-floor thing. Alan thought the egg chair would be good for her, which she also liked. We'll probably check it out again - Alan recommended waiting a month and if the furniture was still in good shape after the abuse it was taking, it would probably hold up for a long time! Shara was really tired by the time we left, but she would have happily stayed longer. She fell asleep before we got out of the parking lot, so I stopped at the market. Apparently she woke up after I was only in there for a few minutes, so she didn't have much of a nap.

We had dinner - leftovers of course - and played a little and went to sleep. Shara ended up sleeping with us. She woke up around 1:30AM and was fussing for a long time, trying to get back to sleep but clearly miserable. She finally fell asleep in our bed, but after being up for probably an hour.

Sunday was a nice, relaxing day. Bubbe & Papa departed after a nice, weekend eggie breakfast, where they saw that Shara can eat like a trucker sometimes. Most of the morning was spent eating, then playing with daddy so mommy could get the turkey soup going and banana bread baking (yes Jill, with your bananas). Shara had a good 2 hour nap and we all played at home the rest of the day while doing laundry, etc. She liked the turkey soup and ate some out of the bowl with a spoon and the rest off a plate with fingers and a fork. She started out slow, but then finished almost the whole bowl.

Things got pretty much back to normal, but just in case, we gave Shara tylenol before bed. I think she's teething again and this was just a reassurance that she'd have a good night. Alan had to put her to bed because she didn't want mommy to do so.

Thanksgiving - come & almost gone

This years Thanksgiving was another great one. Jill and the girls came in on Wednesday evening and "dragged" me to IKEA. I haven't laughed so hard in a along time! Jill almost pee'd her pants and I was crying most of the time. The girls are so nice and I'd love it if Liz decided to go to school around here. Samantha is a sweetie too. She talks really fast, but I think that's how her mind is working. Some things she says and I have to think a sec, then realize she's made an interesting word-play or something that isn't apparent at first listen. They're both really smart.

Thursday they got to play with Shara. Liz gave Shara a bath, though it was more of a group effort. Shara loved having so much attention and she really likes her extended family. Jill and the girls set the table, which was such a huge help. Alan ran around cleaning up and vacuuming - shar helped with that by moving the cord around for him - and fixing a mail problem at work. Basically, with everyone around, helping out, things went really smoothly.

Mom, Irwin & Andy were running a little late, but got there around 1PM and Jidor, Uma & Auntie Chris arrived about 12:30PM, bringing a beautiful assortment of vegetables & hummus for all. The traffic was really bad, and it snowed in the morning, which is what held up the New York contingent. Shara kept her usual schedule so was napping when everyone arrived and didn't get up until about 2PM.

Some memorable moments:

Shara certainly knows the word "cake". Boy was she excited with Aunt Jill's chocolate cake. She also was very good at wiping her face and amused everyone by bringing it back and forth from the tray to her seat.

Her seat worked out well - Alan brought her booster seat down to the living room so she had her own place to sit.

She was great at dinner - entertaining everyone by dropping food and making squealy noices, but she did eat until she was done eating.

Taking a napkin from the table and wiping her mouth, then putting the napkin back on the table, and getting it again and wiping her mouth. This went on about 20 times, as far as I can guess.

It was just really nice to have everyone together again. Hopefully we'll be able to do this for many more years to come.

Snuggle Bunny

The other day when I went to get Shara, after she woke up earlier than usual, I picked her up and she snuggled into me, over my shoulder. I was rubbing her back and she was so gently patting my cheek. She was so sweet.

Things have been going well. She doesn't cry so much when I drop her off in the Toddler room, which is great because it was so hard on me. They are different in there as compared to the infant room. In the infant room they do baby the babies and give them lots of lovies, etc. In toddlers it seems as though they work hard on making them independent, as they should at this age. They teach them how to climb, wash their hands, etc. Not so much babying. It's an adjustment for me too but it's probably good for her, and she really likes playing with the other kids.

Today we're going to go shopping at Target and pick up a few things to get ready for Thanksgiving. We're so excited that everyone's coming to spend a nice, relaxing day. Tonight Alan & I are having a date and going to see Harry Potter and have dinner at Cafe Bene.

Note to bubbe - sorry we don't have more pictures. I had no idea we hadn't taken any in a couple of weeks. Shame on us.

Yea, a Birthday Party

Yesterday we went to Hannah's 2nd birthday party. We had a good time and Shara was so good even though she didn't have any nap. We tried, but she just played in her crib. Hannah was cute and there were a couple other little kids there too. Without spending a lot of time with a child, they really seem like they're all on about the same level. None of them talk much and they all seem to move and play about the same way, though Hannah but her "baby" in the pack and play while Shara threw hers in.

We're done nursing and from what I saw of Shara drinking her milk yesterday, I'm feeling much better about it. It's a concern about her getting enough calcium, but she guzzles it down. I remember doing the same when I was little and Alan agreed that milk isn't thirst quenching. It tastes and feels good going down, but after it's not so great, so you keep drinking. The only issue with not nursing is that Shara's ready to eat about 1/2 hour after she wakes, so there's a rush for breakfast. This may be a habit since she eats right when I drop her off at daycare, which is about 30 - 45 min after she wakes up.

Speaking of waking up, she's been going to bed great, at least after we go into mommy & daddy's to say good night to the kitties. That has made it into the routine. She may or may not fuss for a few minutes, but then sleeps through until at least 7am.

Mornings at school have been difficult for both of us. She has been crying and really sad when I leave, which makes me really sad, though Friday I wasn't as affected. This should get better. It's too bad since in the infant room, the last few weeks she'd been very happy as I was leaving. I thought we were finally over the hard goodbyes.

Well, next up is Thanksgiving. I can't wait. It will be very nice to have the family together for a relaxing day.

The topic of today is meat - going to make cocktail meatballs (lots so we have some for the freezer) and meatloaves.

Pictures should come soon. We have many, just haven't done anything with them yet.

Officially a Toddler

Shara's had a bit of a difficult week. Ever since Halloween she's not wanted to go right to bed, like she used to. Last night I was able to get her to sleep and I think it's because I read some stories that we haven't read in a while and before putting her in her crib, I held her for a while and we rocked and cuddled. Other than the sleeping issues, all seems well. I had also stuffed Shara full of mashed potatoes and meatloaf to see if her being hungry and eating lots of blueberries and crackers and cookies after supper had anything to do with her not going to sleep well. That may be part of the reason, but I'm guessing the fear factor is also there. She didn't give me a hard time about more though, which was great, since I don't like it when she isn't satisfied with her meals. She did wake at 3am and again at 5am. She's still sleeping now though. There's a lot going on; she's growing up and realizing that everything isn't perfectly safe. Sunday, while playing in the yard, we heard gun shots and she got scared from the sound - "up, up". So I picked her up and she was ok, but that's when I understood that things are starting to scare her now and they never used to.

This week we begin paying toddler fees, and today's the first day where I drop her off in the toddler room. She's really a big girl now and will have her breakfast with the other big kids. Yesterday she didn't want to nurse, and I'll offer her again today, but I don't think she'll want to. The other day she didn't want any, but the day after she did, so I have no idea what she wants and I don't think she does either.

We had a great weekend with Aunt Jill and Liz. It was so much fun. We went to Providence and walked around Wickenden St. and got pizza at Pizza Pizer. Shara loved the company and I loved spending time with family. It doesn't seem to happen often enough.

First Real Halloween

Well, let's just say that Shara ended up sleeping with mom ma and dad dy last night. Things went ok at the beginning. I had to answer the door while we were finishing up supper and Shara didn't like that I left the table to go outside and talk to kids - she didn't get the whole trick or treat issue. I didn't think she'd have much trouble but boy was I wrong! I'd never seen her so scared and upset. Poor thing. We were eating dinner when the doorbell rang for the first time. I got up and gave out the candy. Shara didn't seem to like that there were people at the door, but wasn't too bothered. Then we finished dinner and more tricker treaters came to the door. I thought she'd be upset about this group - lots of goules & vampires, but again, not too bad. We then went outside to check out our neighbor's house (she always does a great job on the decorations) and our other neighbors came over. I had Alan run inside and get the stickers for the little boy, who was at the door with his friend, while I stayed outside with Shara and talked to the mom. The little boy was dressed as Scooby Doo and after he got their treats, started running back to his mom. Shara saw the doggie/boy and started screaming like I haven't heard her scream since what must have been a bad dream. It took her a long time to calm down and then wouldn't be in a room without both Alan & myself. She ended up sleeping with us. We put her in bed fine, but then she started crying so we went in and gave her "grapey-grape"; tylenol, and we sat at the dining room table, reading mail and eating a
frozen bagel. She is getting at least 3 teeth in, 2 are molers and they have been bothering her when she isn't able to ignore it by keeping busy. When I load the pictures there may be one showing how cute she would have looked if she hadn't been crying.


Today she's back to her normal self, but she did test us tonight for going to bed. She started crying as soon as I shut the door, so I went back in and we had water and took a trip to mommy & daddy's room to say night night to the kitty cats. Then she was ready to go to sleep, but still cried a bit after I shut the door, and quickly stopped when I didn't go right in.

Dinner at Uma & Jador's

Today we went to Phantom Farms with Uma & Jador, then over to their house for dinner. Shara had fun on the slide, with help from Uma & Daddy. She looked so happy sliding down. She just has to learn how to stay sitting up. She kept laying back, which doesn't work on a slide, especially the wavy kind like this one was.

We got some apples and went back to the house and took a walk around the neighborhood with Auntie Chris & Uma. Before dinner, Thea put out hummus, carrots, celery, and pita chips. She found some Ritz crackers for Shara and we made a plate of 4 crackers topped with hummus. She ate them on Auntie Chris' lap and asked for more. We put more out on the tray and gave her a few more on her plate. She finished those
and walked over to the platter and helped herself to more. We tried to teach her not to double-dip, but that will hopefully come in time. Dinner went very well. She really liked the chicken cutlet and pasta. Mostly the pasta. Apparently she has a new favorite - Boston Cream Pie. Her eyes lit up when she got a taste of the chocolate icing. It was a very nice day. We got her dressed in jammies for the ride home and was able to pop her in bed without any problem. She did wake up when I got her in her room but I just said, "we're home" and she got right into bed.

Katie's Birthday Party

Last week Shara spent almost all her time in Toddlerland and loved every minute of it. Her attitude at home was great. I think she's been so happy with the older kids and she's feeling more her age and excited about the new things she's learning and experiencing. She's been having most of the school lunches and must like them because she eats at least 2 servings a day.

Today we went to Katie Slater's for her two year old birthday party. It was so cute seeing her and Shara playing together. They're the same height and temperment and they got along very well. Shara followed Katie around the house and Katie looked to Shara as well. Shara also had a good time crawling up the stairs to look for Buddy, making kissy noises all the way up. She also liked that we had her booster seat for her to sit in. The funniest thing was when Katie was opening her presents Abigale sat in Shara's seat. She then got up and Shara took the seat away from her. Abigale's dad said don't worry, she's just a baby and Abigale said, "she's not a baby! Stop saying that." And she was right. Shara knew exactly what she was doing. It was a very nice day.

So funny - where's baby?

Last night we had Shara's baby sleep with her. She's so funny with this baby. She burps her and makes the pretend burping sound (don't know where she got that from :-)) and last night a real burb escaped - sounded just like daddy. This morning when I got her up, she shared her juice with the baby and tonight she took the baby into the bathroom for tooth brushing. Before we got to brush the teeth, Shara had a good time sitting on her potty with baby. I let her brush her teeth while sitting on the potty - fully clothed, potty has never been used - and daddy started getting grossed out so he took baby and Shara did her normal brushing at the sink. We finished brushing and I asked Shara where the baby was. We looked in the tub, in the potty; which is where it could have been since the first thing Shara did when we got into the bathroom was put up the lid and put the baby inside, everywhere, but no baby. Shara started saying, "ohhh, ohhh", and we walked into the kitchen to ask daddy for help. We finally found the baby and everything was fine.

At supper tonight Shara was having a tough time with her chili. It was a little spicy (even daddy thought so), but she liked the flavor. What she didn't like was the way the spicyness made her cough, so I gave her some o's to eat with the chili. I had also tamed it considerably by adding a big scoop of sour cream. At one point, we were just talking and Shara started fake coughing and the o shot out of her mouth. I started to make big eyes at Alan and he said now would not be a good time to laugh. Shara must have heard him because she started laughing so hard that it got all of us going and we were all crying over it. I guess you had to be there, but it was quite funny, for the first few minutes and then it got a little tired for the adults, but the toddler would have laughed all night if we hadn't calmed things down. She's so funny!

She spent another afternoon in toddlerland, as her teacher likes to call it. She had a good 2 hour nap and ate the school lunch and had a great time. I don't think she'll have much of a problem staying there full-time. Donna's going to miss her though.

Last weekend we took a trip into Cambridge to visit the server and had lunch at Red Bones. We really liked the bbq hash and french fries. After we went to see the server and the people who host it have a 20 month old girl and the two kids had a chance to play for a few minutes. They had a good time and Alex, the dad, had a great time trying out his silly faces and airplane ride on Shara. She liked seeing their Elmo toys and playing with the blocks. Then it was off to Trader Joe's where dad got to walk around with Shara while I shopped. It was really good to have a chance to see some of the foods they carry, since I often don't get a chance to browse. Then back homeward for dinner & sleep! Sunday was uneventfull except for a trip to the toy store where Shara had a great time playing with a toy grand piano and looking at the lifesize yellow and chocolate labs. Auntie Chris came for a visit and took some Shara pictures. Can't wait to see if they came out.

Visit to Bubbe's

We had a really nice couple of days visiting with Bubbe for Yom Kippur. We had tzimmis and bagels, and even tried and liked herring! Shara had fun playing in the toddler room at the synagogue and then back at Bubbe's with Aunt Jill and her cousins Liz & Sam. For break the fast, Shara loved the kugel, which was made with Somersweet, not sugar. It was the best Bubbe ever made. For dessert she tried the honeycake and of course liked it. What took me by surprise was the halava. I broke off a couple little pieces, but she grabbed the big piece and shoved it in her mouth, it took me completely by surprise. She gagged a little, because it's so thick, like peanutbutter, but wanted more!

We went to Lakeside Farm before going to Vincy's for a very short visit with Grandpa. Bubbe said that this was the fourth generation to go to Lakeside. We got some good produce including some apples and also a couple of cider doughnuts. I got a plain one for Shara and a couple sugar for Alan and me. Shara was hungry when we left Lakeside, so Alan gave her some doughnut. She ate the whole thing! She was sleeping by the time we got to Vincy's, so Grandpa could only give a peek. We should have woken her up because less than 1/2 hour later, she was awake, and for the whole trip too.

On Saturday, most of Alan's day was spent drying our first floor. It got flooded and we even had a river running alongside our yard. It was very pretty, but we were lucky there wasn't any serious damage and that we were home when this happened and that we saw the flooding early in the day. As soon as the river started flowing, it diverted water from the house, so the water never came in after that. Alan's parents brought over a dehumidifier and came back in the evening so we could go to Serenity, wonderful!, and out to eat. We ate at Cafe Benne, which we hadn't been to in quite a while. They changed their menu and it was much more interesting than it used to be. The food was just as good, so we'll be sure to go back a lot sooner this time.

As I felt after the last vacation, it was wonderful to be able to spend so much time with Shara. I do feel she makes big leaps in her vocabulary and abilities after we spend the week with her, but if I were to be at home with her all the time, I'd be spending a lot of time doing housework, etc., Alan wouldn't be playing with her while I was busy and vice-versa, so she wouldn't have the full attention we were able to give her on vacation. I'm looking forward to getting back on schedule with work and the routine, but know tomorrow morning's going to be rough.

Pictures from Cape Cod

Pictures from Cape Cod - 10/07/2005 - 10/11/2005

Homeward Bound

A typical morning - we wait for Shara to get up after a good night's sleep, have juice, nurse, get dressed, and then we head out to the Hearth and Kettle for breakfast. Shara started a little restless - translation; throwing things and being generally crabby. We finally ordered; Alan needed to take care of something at work and didn't have a good phone connection in the restaurant. The waitress didn't seem put-off by Shara's spiritedness. She said she had a 12 month old grandchild and that Shara was so cute! Well as soon as the food came, Shara was great. She ate almost all of her cheese omelette and had some of mom's raspberry french toast, which was soooo good, and some home fries, that must have been sauteed in bacon drippings, and a few bites of strawberry, brought from the room.

After breakfast, we went next door to the chocolate/gift store and Shara was wonderful. She held my hand, as she's been doing in public, and didn't really touch anything. We had a nice after breakfast poopy, so exited a little early and did another van-change.

We went back to the room and Shara and I went right to the beach. Alan joined us after stopping up to the room. Shara loves the beach and walking after the seagulls. She gets so excited and says, "shush shush" with the waves. She's also saying, "mom mom" all the time. That's become her new favorite word.

The trip home was uneventful. It's really a short ride - about an hour, 15 minutes. We didn't go straight home but stopped at the South Shore Plaza for Alan to get a hair cut. We had a bit of a mess in the food court; Shara leaked a little and wouldn't sit down to eat her pizza, so it wasn't the neatest dining experience. She also wasn't too hungry. She made up for the little lunch of a 1/2 banana, a bunch of "snack" and a few bites of pizza with dinner - a good amount of beef lo mein and chicken and broccoli.

She's really so cute and sweet. Aside from the new biting she's been doing when we nurse, which I had to stop, say no more nursing, put her down, watch her cry, etc. for several minutes until we gave her another chance, she's been great. It's been wonderful to be able to have a full week together. I'm really looking forward to going to Bubbe's for Yom Kippur and want to take Shara apple-picking on Friday and to try a cider doughnut. Don't know if we'll go to Lakeside Farms or Riverside Orchard. Have to consult Aunt Jill and Bubbe, which we'll be able to do today!

Zooquarium

We started the morning with breakfast in the room and Shara's first shower. It wasn't too pleasant for her but it did get her clean. Alan and I tag-teamed and got the job done rather quickly. After we all got showered and dressed, we headed out to Zooquarium. Shara had a good time watching the sea lion show and wanted more of the animals: goats, chickens, lambs, etc. even though it was raining and cold outside. Well, mom mom and dad didn't want to go swimming anymore and it was close to noon, so we headed out, did a quick diaper change and got on the road to the Pancake Man. Before we got out of the parking lot Shara was asleep. Rather than go back toward home, Alan & I decided to go somewhere to park the car, let Shara nap and listen to our audiobook. That's where we are now, thanks to Alan's new Treo 650! We're at the Hyannis Harbor and close to a lot of good family restaurants for when Shara wakes.

We started driving back toward the Zooquarium, in search of somewhere to have lunch. The right place jumped out at us - a family, and obviously popular restaurant called "Captain Parker's Pub". It was one of the only ones with a crowded parking lot at 1 pm on Columbus Day. It was a great choice. They seated us after only a 2 minute wait and had the high chair already in place. Shara had the hot turkey sandwich with mashed potatoes and carrots. So much better than the one she had yesterday in P'town. These were real potatoes and home roasted turkey & gravy. Supplemented with the broccoli we brought, it was a very well received meal. I think she ate more than the college kid at the table next to us. I had fried clam strips and Alan had a reuben. It seemed to make more sense at times to get Shara a full meal, rather than a kids meal, since it was only a few dollars more and it came with so much more. We had the refrigerator in the room, so we could use the leftovers.

After lunch we went back to the Zooquarium. We took a look at the outside animals in a much more relaxed way than before, since the rain stopped. As we headed in, the music was going near the sea lion show. Shara started getting excited and wanted to go and see. How many people can say they saw 2 sea lion shows in one day? Well we can! This time we sat closer to the front and she took a little while to relax. Once she did, she had a great time.

We went back to the room and played for a bit, had supper and went to sleep a little earlier. Again, mom and dad had a glass of wine on the deck. We really lucked out with the weather at night. If it would have been raining, I suppose we could have sat out in the hallway, but this was much nicer!

Great Walk

Our third day on the Cape went very well. We started with a leisurely breakfast in the room and headed out to the Zooquarium. Shara fell asleep before we got there so we decided to go to Provincetown instead. The weather continued to be unperdictable, so we had our coats, umbrellas and other assorted things.

We got there at about 11:30 and looked for a place to eat. I had remembered Jill going to the "Post office", so we stopped there. It wasn't a place for kids, no highchairs, so we strolled up the road while waiting for the Mayflower Diner to open. Shara had a great time looking at all the dogs!

We ate in the diner and it worked out fine. Nothing too special, but Shara filled up on mashed potatoes and french fries. We then had to make a trip back to the car to change a diaper and then we were off to fing the Pilgrim's Monument. It turned out to be prett easy: we just looked up. I was wearing Shara in the Bjiorn and the trek up the hill to get there seemed enough for me, especially since it was cold and wet. We did dry off and get back to normal temperature looking at one of the exhibits. We then decided to look at the history exhibit after the walk up, so we were off to the monument. I had to move Shara's feet to either side of my legs as we walked up stairs, but once we hit the ramps it was much better. We all had a good time and Shara enjoyed the open windows with the strong wind coming through. Maybe she'll be a downhill racer? The way down was full of stops to look over the edge. Every few ramps Shara kept telling us "more". We started walking through the exhibit when Shara had another poopy. We checked out the restrooms but again, no changing station, so we headed back to the car. I was really annoyed and wanted to change her right on the floor of the gift shop, but knew better and didn't. It wasn't the clerks fault there was no place to change a baby. The bathrooms weren't handicap accessible either.

We got back to the car and sooper-trooper Shara had another cold diaper change in the back of the van. We were going to go back into town and walk around some more, but Shara was clearly done and opted for going back to the room. We did so and had a casual dinner standing around the kitchenette while Shara sat in her high chair. After dinner we took a ride to Wood's Hole and had dessert at Pie in the Sky bakery. It reminded me of some of the grungier health food cafes in Albany, with a big, smelly, but really nice, man behind the counter. Shara had her first taste of a chocolate croissant and I had a wonder bar, which is a magic cookie bar.

Sleep time wasn't anything special, though the way Shara has been sleeping is certainly special. She's great. Goes to bed without any trouble and sleeps through the night. As long as we give her enough time to wake up in the morning, she's fine. I can just imagine what she's going to be like as a teenager. Probably just like most other teenage girls...

First Full Day

Today we had planned on going to the Children's Museum, since we knew it was going to rain. It was cute. The kids there were generally older than Shara but she held her own and found her place to play. They had one big room and several small rooms off the main. It looked like it used to be a church. The center room had a big ship and Alan went inside with her to play with the foam blocks. The other room Shara liked was the kitchen. She had fun opening the cabinets and putting the food away. The older kids were in heavy pretend mode. The other room she loved was the unfinished music room. There was an organ there, like a casio, and she played and played. We then went and looked at starfish and play in the American Indian house and watch the balls roll down shoots. The only time Shara wasn't having a good time was when mommy wouldn't let her walk around with "snack".

After the museum, we came back to the room for lunch and then headed out to the mall. I was waiting in the food court with Shara while Alan went to the bathroom and we watched the carosel go roun. Shara said she wanted to go on, so when Alan came back, I took her on. She started crying when I put her on a horse, so we joied another girl and her "friend" in the chariot. Shara loved it! When we got off, she kept saying more, so we stayed an watched the next go-around.

For dinner, we went to Sam Diego's, what one would think a perfect spot for a toddler. Shara likes Mexican and there were lots of people, yet this was our worst dining experience with her ever! I ordered her a soft beef taco, which she started eating fine. I checked and it wasn't too hot either temp or spicy. She was doing a strange caughing thing, but wasn't choking. I gave her a little of my refried beans and you'd think I'd have given her glass. She screamed, wouldn't have water and wouldn't stop screaming until I told her she had to have a drink of water. Obviously we lwft as quickly as possible, but she was fine after a drink. Alan finished what he wanted while I took her to calm dow

Our Room

We arrived at Seaside Village today at around 2 PM, after lunch at Dave's Diner. The place is really nice. It is small, but right across from the water and has a "private" balcony, which is where we hide out while Shara is going to sleep. It is a one room studio, so it's like a hotel room. We have the best view, since it's on the 3rd floor. We took a walk on the beach and then went into town to check out the village of Falmouth. We had good subs at a pizza shop and some ice cream at Bill & Dave's Chocolate Emporeum.

Bedtime went very well. Shara was happy to go to sleep in her "crib" and Alan & I had a glass of wine on the deck while she fell asleep. We then quietly read Harry Potter until we were ready to go to sleep.

Busy Busy

We've been so busy with family visits and enjoying the Fall that I haven't stopped to write any of it down. I'm going to try and remember all that's happened in the past 2 weeks. Shara's doing great. She had a couple bad days, and I'm not sure if it was because of the upheval at school, with Miss. Nancy leaving, or just a general frustration. She went through one of the complaining about everything phases, which mommy just loves! But it only lasted a couple of days and we were back to our usual happy selves.

She's had a great time visiting with her Grandpa Bobby, Aunts Jill & Susan, and cousins Samantha, Liz & Bella, last weekend. They came for lunch and we just hung out for the afternoon. We went for a walk, played outside, and talked. Mostly we watched Shara and all the fun tricks she can do, like getting a dirty sock and putting it in the laundry bag. You know, the things in life that really matter.

The next day we went to Uma & Jador's for daddy's birthday party. Like the day before, we didn't have a nap because we spent the morning at the NRT Harvest Festival. That was so much fun. There were ponys which we got to pet, and pulled pork sandwiches we got to eat and music and lots of kids running around. It was so much fun that Shara fell asleep in the stroller before we even left the place! I put her into her carseat and she slept until home, then screamed when I tried to put her in her crib to finish her nap. That may have been because she was soaked through, but even after a diaper change, she wasn't having any of it.

So we went to Uma & Jador's and had the good luck of seeing Aunt Margaret as well. She was so sweet and got such a kick out of Shara. We also visited with Auntie Chris, who gave us some great pictures of, who else? Shara! Dinner wasn't very relaxing. Shara was too tired to really eat the great meal Uma prepared, but did manage to have a few bites of chocolate, cherry cake.

All this lack of napping over the weekend was made up at school. She slept a lot and proved that she really does love Uma's cooking. She ate so much of the Sauerbraten. She's a real carnivore, for sure. She's been doing very well at school. As soon as they get another teacher for the toddler room, they'll start moving her up. I expect by the time we get back from vacation, they'll be ready. She's more than ready. I think she needs some new toys to play with, but she really loves Donna. I can see that she'll be ok though. She stopped crying when I leave and now gives me a nice kiss bye bye, and she hasn't had any problems with the new teachers, at least that I can see.

So we're on our way to the Cape today, as soon as we get all packed. I'm sure we'll have a lot to blog about that! We're only going for four days, so it's a quick trip. We come home Tuesday and then we're off again to Bubbe's for Yom Kippur. That should be a lot of fun too. We'll be able to have a nice, relaxing visit, since we're not going tbe going for just the day, as we've tried to do before.

Well, I'm off to print the packing list and itinerary!

Wow - so many new skills shown today

Today Shara really impressed me, a number of times.
First, this morning when I asked her if she was ready to nurse, she went over and tried to pick up the boppy to give to me.

A short while later, she brought me to the bathroom where she somehow gave me the impression she had to go poop, so I asked her if she did and she said yes. I sat her on the toilet - seat down, and nothing happened. I got her down and a few minutes later, after playing near the tub, she pooped. So we're now the proud owners of a potty. I'll set it up tomorrow, just to have around, but I don't want to rush things. She's only 15 months old and you're not supposed to even think about it until 18 months, but it's good to be prepared and mentally it seems like she's understanding when she needs to go, so we have to take advantage of that.

We went to lunch at BigFrogs and I ordered her a couple of scrambled eggs. Alan had a hamburger w/ fries & I had a tuna melt w/ sweet potato fries and broccoli. We were both giving her fries, and that was all she would eat. Alan tried giving her some eggs with his fork (I had tried earlier and it didn't work). They started wrestling for the fork so I suggested he just give it to her, pointy and sharp though it was. She ended up eating all her eggs and most of the broccoli, even after several fries.

Tonight when I put her to bed, she turned off her light the proper way, not just sliding the knob down, to dim it all the way, but actually toggling the switch!

It really seems like it's all coming together for her. That being said, tonight was the first time she didn't nurse off both sides. She was done when she was done and I couldn't force her to have more. Maybe it's the start of her self-weaning? She is growing up so fast, it wouldn't surprise me.

Looking for a Chair

Last Sunday we all went to the West Bridgewater Park Day. We had a nice time. Shara loved seeing all the balloons!

We (Alan, Chris & Ed) also closed the pool and Uma & Shara played in a bucket of water. From what I understand, Shara was helping water the flowers by ripping out the flowers and putting them in the water.

The big thing now is the walking. Although it's been a long process, she's fairly steady and doesn't fall much anymore. She's also not holding her arms over her head as she walks. We're still working on finding a chair for her. She's been spending some time in her old swing. It's cute, but not really easy to get in and out of.



I really like the chairs from Jonti-Craft, but haven't decided on which model yet. If anyone has an opinion, please post. It's between a charrie and a Toddler Chair.. With the charrie, I'd need to specify a size and I'm not sure what that would be. I think they use these at her daycare, so I'll ask what they'd suggest and maybe we can go into the toddler room and test a couple out.Speaking of her school... They're just waiting to hire a teacher for the toddler room - Miss. Jenny went to another position (promotion) in another location - and Shara will be able to transition to the next level. This will be really good for her because we can all see that she's too big to be in the infant room right now.

Enjoying the Weather

Last weekend we went to Jacob Wirth's in Boston with Alan's parents for their anniversary. It was fun and I had a really good beer with dinner, which was good. Shara really liked it - she ate everything; the pulled pork from my quesadilla, red cabbage, sausages, her chicken fingers, and french fries. She also had fun walking around the restaurant and waving at everyone and saying, "hi". Before getting the van, I don't think we would have considered going into Boston. Originally Chris was supposed to join us, but was sick - maybe had what Shara had?

On Labor Day we really enjoyed hanging out in the back 40. We took the neat sheet, some toys, music and snacks and sat out there for about 2 hours. It was so relaxing we really appreciated all the work Alan's been doing back there.

The week wasn't anything too unusual. Shara's teething, so she's been getting her "grapey-grape" nightly. This seems to get her through the beginning of the night with no trouble. Last night was the first time she didn't wake every couple of hours. She gets herself back to sleep, but I don't like hearing her cry out. It's obvious she's not happy, but I'm glad she's able to go back to sleep. She has been waking up at about 5 am though. I don't know if it's the teething or she's sensing the change in seasons. Today we all slept until 6 am. It was good, but I miss my "me" time in the morning. I haven't been able to exercise all week - all I hear is "up, up" as soon as I start.

Today we went to Frothingham Park for their 75 anniversary celebration. Wayne Potash performed. We're really lucky to have someone so talented in our town. He's a great children's musician and has been performing for the residents of Easton for years. Shara had a great time seeing all the kids running around. We had lunch in the park and sat and listened to some stories from the library. It was a wonderful day and the weather couldn't have been better. Daddy stayed home and did more Shara-proofing (moved around the pc's in the office), among other things.

Tomorrow we have plans to go to West Bridgewater for their "park day". It sounds like a lot of fun and we may get to see "Dale and the Dudds", my friend Carole's husband's band. I never saw them before and would really like to. There will be clowns, food, crafts, and other fun things. In the afternoon, Alan's going to close the pool, assuming his parents can come over and watch Shara while I help Alan, or play with Shara while Alan's dad helps.

Lots of pictures.

Really Moving Now

Well Shara's offically walking now. First she took a couple of steps, waited a few days, took another few steps and then last night she went from mommy to daddy and back again! Then today she walked at school. When we got home it was like she had been walking for a number of days. She's doing such a great job! What a big girl!

First Haircut!

Shara had her first haircut today at Snipits in the shops at Cobbs Corner. She did a great job, but wasn't too happy about the whole experience. She looked so cute! They put her hair up in ribbons and she got a certificate of bravery with a picture and a few locks of hair.



After we went to the Village Toy Store and Shara had a nice time feeding the ducks the toy bugs.



Then we went to the Plant Depot for ice cream and to visit the turtles, goats and birds.

Pee'd on the floor

Good thing we have so much practice from cleaning up after Scratchy. This time it was Shara who piddled. Finished her bath, Alan took some cute tushie shots, I had out the diaper, and she crawled off the towel, and started reading her book and pee'd. I knew from Scratchy that moving a peeing animal/person is worse than just letting them finish.

More New Words

Mommy and daddy had such a great time with Shara on this vacation week. Shara is a wonderful little girl and a real traveling baby - having a movie playing in the car helps a lot though. She's so outgoing and sweet-natured, and smart! She's also not a baby anymore. Her level of understanding is very high and she gets really frustrated if she's tired and we don't understand what she's trying to say. And she's trying to say a lot! Here's the list, and much of it is based on her inflection and pauses, so it all looks the same in writing, but not when you see and hear her say it:
Brown Bear - bra bra
apple - ap...el
pocketbook - pa...pa
fish - ssshh
tigger - ti
hot on pop - hop
pop - pop

She also has a new thing of squinching up her nose and mouth when she's smelling something. It's really cute - she smells her socks and makes the face. We tried to get a picture of it, but I haven't uploaded to see if we did or not.

Today we're going to get her first haircut. Oma was worried that they'd cut off all her curls. We just want to get the front trimmed a little, since it gets in her eyes. I also mentioned to Shara's daddy that if Oma saw how Shara grabs her hair after eating her new favorite - penne w/ tomato sauce - she's actually want to get her head shaved!

Visit with Bubbe & Papa

We took a trip to Hadley, MA for a lunch & shopping date with Bubbe & papa and had a great time. We had lunch at Chili's and went to Trader Joes. Shara had fun walking up and down the frozen food aisle and saying hi to everyone and blowing kisses. She really is such a cutie-pie.

Bubbe's nose

Pictures from Long Island

Pictures from Long Island

LI - Day 4 - The Trip Home

The trip home went really well. We found the best little deli on the way off the island. We got bagels and a sandwich for lunch. They had an omelet bar, and an oatmeal bar. When we were leaving, they were putting out the lunch entrees and everything looked really good. It was also right next to a Starbucks, so we just walked over for our coffee drinks, and back in the car and we were off. Shara had her first New York bagel and ate almost an entire 1/2.

Alan drove the whole way while I handed toys back to Shara. She slep for much of CT, but as soon as she woke up it seemed she was ready to hear Aladden again. We stopped at a park in RI for lunch. It was really cute. Near Burlingame State Park and it had a little lake and playground. Shara went on a swing for the first time and loved it. It was the bucket seat type. She also went down the slide but didn't love it too much. We layed out our beach blanket and had our sandwiches while Shara had her usual smorgasbord for a meal. This time it was deli turkey, a couple crackers w/ hummus - which she didn't like too much today, some broccoli, and she showed us how she eats her banana like a big girl - holding it with the peel over her hand and taking bites of the banana, not the peel because that's yucky, or so we tried to tell her.

We got home at a reasonable time and Shara was ready to eat again, so I just kept throwing food at her and she kept eating it. She tried a couple bites of Antie Chris' stuffed grape leaves and liked them a lot. We played and played and Shara got really tired so she went to sleep after screaming for only a couple of minutes, in her own crib. As always, it's good to go on vacation but nice to come home.

LI - Day 3 - The day in the Hamptons & the Visit w/ Old Friends

We had breakfast in the room - we ate bars and Shara had a nice mix of banana muffins, gold fish, crackers, and applesauce. We then took the trip to Southampton and walked around the town. We had a great time. We fed Shara yogurt, crackers & goldfish from a park bench in a little courtyard by some shops and enjoyed looking at the people. I'm glad we didn't go on the weekend. There were plenty of people there on a Tuesday. When we left, neither of us were hungry, but as soon as we got in the car and out of town, Alan got hungry. We tried to find a restaurant the other night and Nora didn't have the correct address, so I had gotten the correct one and we tried again. Before we got to it, we stopped at the cutest farmstand. They had bunnies, goats, and horses. The goats got to climb up to the top of a windmill. I missed it because I was getting a wonderful mixed berry pie - still warm, and a little watermelon, which turned out to be yellow inside. Shara and Alan had fun looking at the animals. We'll be sure to go back next year - they also have a corn maze. Well, I found out how to get to the restaurant, and we were in a bit of a rush because we were supposed to be at Pat & Faith's at 2 pm and if we skipped the restaurant we would get there in time. We tried to find it but weren't successful, so skipped it and hit the road to the Rotolo's, with a quick stop at a Taco Bell. This was basically the first fast-food I had eaten in 2 years, so I tried to get something nutritious. I got a bean burrito for Shara and the spicy chicken bowl for me. Shara wanted to try what I was having, so I gave her some and she really liked it. It was good, and probably not too bad since I skipped the dressing it came with. We didn't bother with the burrito for Shara.

We got to Pat & Faith's and couldn't believe how big Nina was. We hadn't seen her in 2 years, so she's already over 4 years old. Sophia is about 7 months and very cute. It was really hard to spend much time with her because Nina's at the age when she's the center of all things. She was really cute and had a great time with Shara. It was really good for Shara to have another child to play with, especially someone that much older than her. I got a feeling of what it would be like to have an older sister. Nina was so funny - she had the hoola hoop on the ground and we were sitting around it and it was the campfire. Shara kept lifting it up and Nina would say, "No Shara, that's the fire!". They also spent a lot of time with Nina's Princess phones. Nina was pretending to be talking to her on the phone and Shara was happy to have the attention. It was cool to see how they played - Shara is still in the parallel play stage and Nina's all about pretending and using her imagination.

It actually worked well because Shara was another "toy" Nina could play with. It was also great to see Faith & Pat in their own home and with the kids. Pat made a very good eggplant parm. We had salad and a very good bruschetta with an artichoke topping that I have to remember to look for at the market. They also got a very yummy oreo cookie cake and we had the pie from the farmstand, which was really excellent.

I didn't feel a longing for the past - the irresponsibility and freedom to go out and party all the time, but would like to be closer to them so our friendship could continue easier. Especially since we're all in the same place in our lives. That's always the part which I find disappointing. We didn't have too much time to really talk but it was so nice to get the kids together and just hang out. Maybe this will turn into a yearly tradition as well. We'll just make it part of our annual trip to the beach.

LI - Day 2 - The Beach & Shopping

Today started about the same as the day before, but when we got closer to the beach, we realized it wasn't going to be a hot, sunny day. In fact, it didn't get up higher than 73. That didn't stop us! We decided to go check things out anyway. There wouldn't be any crowds and we wouldn't be sweating at all. We also needed to get a picture of Gnome at the beach, so we went. Shara had another fun trek down to the beach and liked seeing the big waves.

Alan got a couple of pictures of Gnome and Shara played for a couple minutes before pooping and then quickly losing interest in the beach. Apparently much of the appeal was the other people, the sun, and the warmth. Alan & I could have stayed a lot longer, just relaxing, watching the waves, but Shara was happy to leave. It turned out to be a good idea since it started to mist heavily on the walk back to the car.

We didn't have a good idea what else we could do, so we decided to check out Huntington on the North side of the island. The article in the little vacation guide from the hotel room made it sound interesting, and I had always wondered what it was like, so we punched in an address and away we went. It was a cute town and at first glance, reminded me of Carmel, CA. There was a map posted around the town called the Restaurant Map of Huntington. Every other business was a restaurant, and we didn't manage to eat in any of them! The timing was off, and there really wasn't any place that seemed too family-friendly. We walked around, Shara in the stroller, and had a nice time checking things out. When we got back to the car we searched for a restaurant which would me more appropriate and opted for a diner. This was an interesting experience. The waitress was just over the line of personal space. She was very helpful keeping Shara occupied, and gave her crackers and obviously liked her very much. What bothered me was her questioning what we were feeding her - surprised that she ate all the same things we did and worried about her being able to chew what we gave her, and hovering the whole meal - we were trying to eat and I'm sure she was trying to be nice and helpful, but it got a little annoying. Shara had a little of what we had - some grilled chicken and french fries. I ordered carrots for her and she wouldn't touch them. I thought they were really good. We (I) stopped at Carvel for dessert.

Shara went to sleep much better this night. We hid in the bathroom until she fell asleep, after I basically nursed her to sleep. We then quietly read some Harry Potter.

LI - Day 1 - The Beach

We woke, got dressed and went to the buffet at the hotel. Shara really liked the eggs, home fries and french toast. Shara was asleep in the car after just a few minutes, so Alan took his time in the market, picking up a few odds & ends for the beach. We got there about 11 am and it was really crowded. We park at the far end of field 5, closest to the Lighthouse and by the time we got there, we had to park almost 1/2 way down the lot. The beach is great, since they have a well kept boardwalk all the way to the beach and we don't have to trek through lots of sand to get to a good spot. We got to our spot, me wearing Shara down to the beach, and Alan set up camp while Shara & I basically watched. After two minutes I came to the conclusion that controlling the sand would be impossible - it gets everywhere and eventually it will come off. I didn't know that at the time, but I couldn't imagine we'd have sand on us by the time we got back to Easton.



So we didn't have Shara eat anything she'd have to put her hands on, since she didn't appear to like the taste/feel of sand in her mouth. She didn't hate it as much as I would have, seeing as she kept putting her hands to her mouth and eyes. She had so much fun playing with the sand. She was concentrating so hard on scooping it with her shovel and putting it into the pail. It kept her occupied for two hours. My occupation was with worrying about how much sun screen she had on. At least she didn't fight me with wearing her hat. She didn't fight us about anything. It was really great. A wonderful first trip to the beach. The only thing that cut it short for us was the tide came in much earlier than it was supposed to. We heard that it was due to a hurricane and came in closer to 1 pm, rather than 3 pm. So we were actually chased out. Had we stayed any longer, we would have had to go onto the dunes.

That evening we went toward Southampton and found (with a little bit of Nora the navigation system's help) a nice little Italian restaurant. It was early, so they put us in a room by ourselves, and we didn't have to worry about Shara acting her age. I got the fried seafood platter (fish, calamari, shrimp, stuffed clams, & french fries) and a salad. Alan had eggplant & chicken parmesan w/ penne & a salad. He got the mild sauce and Shara had about 8 penne, 1/4 cup of the parm, a little of the fish, and 5 or 6 fries. All that and 2 small slices of bread to keep her occupied while we had salad. We went across the street for ice cream and I got so caught up with the melting ice cream all over the place, I forgot to ask Shara if she wanted any.

Bedtime was interesting. We had to give in and let Shara sleep with us. It's a little harder to let her cry in a hotel room with others living so close. We were glad we had the king size bed because she spun in circles throughout the night.

LI - Day 0 - Travel Day

We left Easton at around 10 am and got to the hotel in Long Island at about 6 pm. Shara slept for the first hour and a half. We made our first stop in CT for bathroom break, diaper change and yogurt & crackers. There was a nice little picnic area with people having lunch & dogs, so Shara was well entertained while Alan & I fed her, using Alan as the high chair. Back in the car and the next stop is for lunch at a diner in CT. I can't remember where, but it was a typical diner and Alan had a bacon cheeseburger & fries, I had a turkey melt and fries and Shara had fries & some of my turkey and a bite of Alan's burger. Throughout the day I'm telling myself that she had her vitamins and a good egg breakfast. This is similar to what I'll tell myself throughout the rest of the vacation. Things started to get more challenging as we got stuck in traffic on I95. Shara was great, but toys fell and naps weren't really taken. We introduced her to Disney's Aladden, with Alan being the responsible parent to sit with her and monitor if something was scarry. She seemed to just turn her head when it got to be more than she wanted to see. We made one more stop to go to the bathroom and do another diaper change before we got to NY. We also wanted to let Shara walk around a little. She is so good at getting smiles from people and attracting attention. It's really funny and nice to see how much happiness she can give to people, not just her family. I switched with Alan and fed and entertained Shara until we got to the hotel. She was great until about 20 minutes left to go. She was tired and had had enough. She got herself to sleep just before getting to the hotel. We did the usual checkin and got the luggage to the room (Alan) and gave Shara a bit more to eat. Since she wouldn't go to bed, probably because she sat in a car all day, we took her walker and she walked up and down the halls until she got tired out, around 8 pm. We then tried to get her to sleep and could only do so by going to bed ourselves.

New Pictures mostly from July

July Pictures

Walking into School and Other Fun Things

Bad mommy - haven't updated Shara's blog in well over a week. Things happen rather quickly so here's the run down.

Shara has a new car! She's now the proud passenger of a 2005 Honda Odyssey - just recalled yesterday for a problem with the air bags. We'll be getting that fixed soon. It'll be very nice for our trip to Long Island next weekend.

We've also been walking into and out of school, rather than being carried like a baby. We're a big girl now. As long as Shara has a hand to hold, she's fairly steady. She also stands for many seconds at a time unsupported.

Shara is expanding her diet. She had fish for the first time last night and really liked it. I put a flavorful rub on a mild fish - haddock, so she wouldn't be overwhelmed with the fishy flavor. She also tried avocados (guacamole) again and seems to like them.

The August 3rd doctors appointment went very well. Her iron is up and she gained well over a pound in the six weeks she last got weighed. We're keeping the vitamins going just as a cushion, plus they have floride.

I'm trying to talk her daddy into going to the Newport Folk Festival this Saturday, so maybe we'll be able to update with something exciting before we come back from Long Island.

Visit From Bubbe & Papa

We had a really nice, though short, visit from Bubbe & Papa yesterday. We took some video, but they took most of the pictures, so if they give them to us - get a CD made! - we can post them.

Most of the day was spent feeding shara, which is typical. We had lunch, then went for a swim. Bubbe & Papa watched and enjoyed relaxing by the pool. Shara had fun and made car noices as we sped her around the pool. She even did kickies like a pollywog and blew bubbles in the water. I think that was unintentional, but didn't bother her.

We then went and played in the family room. Shara took 3 or 4 turns around the room with her walker. She did the same with her daddy in the morning. She had a lot of exercise. She was tired, but also full of energy. She loved playing with the pail & shovel Bubbe brought, and showed all of her tricks - said "papa", something that could have been "bubbe", "bye", "hi", etc. Threw food on the floor, grabbed her poopy diaper while changing, all the fun stuff! One thing she did which raised all of our eyebrows - made a funny face and noise, then touched her crotch. It seemed that she knew she pee'd, and we immediately changed her diaper. Don't know if it was that or if she just realized she was needing a change. Either way, no one's ever noticed that she's never noticed before.


Bubbe & Shara playing on the computer. 

Using a spoon

Last night Shara used mommy's spoon quite successfully to eat her peas. She did a great job! She's also been enjoying the pool and we have to start trying some of the swimming lessons in the Waterbabies book, which neighbor Anne Marie gave to us.

At the market yesterday, Shara was the store greeter. I was picking out blueberries right across from the entrance and she was saying "Hi" to many of the people who entered the store. I thought it was cute. I assume others did as well. She wasn't screaming it, but saying it in a conversational voice. I can't say she had a conversational voice the whole time we were there. Much of the time was spent exercising her vocal cords.

Shara's also been practicing singing a lot now. We have to record her because it's so cute. She uses a really high, sqeaky voice. She also dances like this "puppy" at school. You sqeeze it's hand and it sings "love hurts, love stinks" (I can't remember the band, but not J. Giles) and rocks back and forth. If you ask her to dance like the puppy at school, she'll start rocking back and forth and gets really happy.

Standing Unsupported

Last night Shara stood unsupported for at least 5 seconds. She's so solid she could do it for longer, but squatted down and crawled onto something else. She also walked next to me for the first time, rather than me walking behind her, holding her hand (even if it was just 1 hand I was holding.)
She's also saying:
Hi Jake - a boy at school
bye, which I forgot to mention before, but she's been saying that for a while
She oo's like a monkey and ss's like a bee, does raspberries for a car, or when she's on her trike or using a walker.
She's used a spoon a couple of times - has an easy time getting it in her mouth, but hard time getting food on it. Brushes her teeth very willingly, especially since we got her a Pooh toothbrush.

Our "Toddler" Shara

She isn't walking by herself yet, but any day now! Last week wasn't too pleasant but after reading a little about the mind of a toddler, things seem much better. I have much lower expectations for myself and her. I've also learned to only push the really important things or I'm going to be saying no to everything, though it seems like I'm already doing that! Our list of house rules is growing, mostly all safety related.

As far as the tooth brushing, we're doing that where and when we can. She's not fussing about it much anymore and I'm guessing because I'm not making it a struggle. But of course that could change tomorrow and she won't let me brush again!

She is really fun and starting to say so many things. I've recognized the following words; cat, ball, duck, drink, yeah, book, up, mom (lots of them now), dad, all done. I think they probably all sound about the same to the untrained ear, but she's saying and understanding so much. It's really cool.

I'm almost mentally prepared for our trip to Long Island - the first long car ride and hotel stay. Should be very exciting for all of us!

Real Parenting

In the last couple of weeks we've finally reached the phase of parenting, vs. caretaker. now begins the need for discipline & the art of negotiation. I'm sure it will only get more challenging. I remember what I was like as a kid.

We've also been having dinner as a family each night and Shara appears to be eating more. Last night we had turkey, spinach, feta & mint burgers and she ate a whole one!

Vitamins Baby

We started Shara on the vitamins last week - multi w/flouride & iron. She certainly has more energy! I was also telling people that we have our sweet happy baby back. For a while, she was rather cranky, but last week she was all smiles and laughing - real belly laughs. One evening I was letting her explore the kitchen/dining room area and she got so excited to be in places she isn't usually in "by herself". She was just so happy she was laughing as she pulled herself up on a dining room chair, or a kitchen chair. It was funny and great to see her so happy.

Well this week she's back to being a bit moody and we think it's teething related. She had a "no reason fever" on Friday. It was 101.7 under the arm, so that was pretty high and wouldn't be that high just for teething, but the next day it was gone. I think she runs high and it's normal for her to have really high fevers. We're going to keep an eye on her ear that had some fluid in it at her last appointment. It wasn't infected and we've been working on helping it drain, but maybe it's getting infected now.

Yesterday we went into Cambridge to go to lunch and Trader Joe's. We had lunch at Redbones in Somerville. Shara really liked the pulled pork and pulled beef. She also enjoyed the black eyed peas but not the pickles. I was surprised about the peas because they were a little spicy. Not hot spicy but heavily flavored. We ended on her new favorite - Gerber vegetable crackers. Leave it to Gerber to make addictive baby foods. It used to be their finger food puffs. At least with the crackers she doesn't have to eat 80 for a serving and they are enriched and low sodium. We then went to Trader Joes where Shara started acting like a true toddler. She had her hands on everything and I gave her a banana to carry and I don't know how many times I picked it up. Then a can of kidney beans which are now under some rack, lost until they remodel. Alan finally came back from MicroCenter, and I was thankful because I was not happy with how many times I had to tell Shara "no". I don't like to be telling her to stop everything she's doing, but everything she was doing was worthy of a "no". After Joe's we took a little walk by the river and then stopped at the farmer's market down there. It was a good one, though small. We got peas, radishes and some baked goods. They didn't have any blueberries or peaches, but I had gotten strawberries at Joes so we weren't looking at a fruit emergency.

At home we had a snack - granola bar & strawberries, played for a while downstairs then had dinner. Shara appeared to be headed for a good night sleep - went to bed with no problems - but at 1:30 woke up as she had done a few times last week. After getting her water, cuddling, then finally nursing her a little, I got her to sleep, but not without a struggle. I did have to leave her room with her screaming, but she settled down almost immediately after. We don't know if they're bad dreams, or what, but I scared of it becoming a habit.

First Bday Party at School

Shara brought in chocolate cupcakes to share with all her friends at school. Thank you Ms. Donna for taking the pictures!

Visit to the Aquarium

Shara had her first visit to the NE aquarium today, thanks to our nice neighbor Lisa. Alan snow blows out the bottom of their driveway and she gave us passes! We had to use them by the end of this month, and we wanted Shara to be big enough to enjoy it, so we waited to the last minute. It was such a hot day but that added to the adventure. We went in the afternoon, after lunch, and brought in the stroller. Next time we'd definitely use the Bjorn, but this was fine. Here's Shara & her dad watching the penguin show.


We spent a lot of time looking at the big fish in the center tank. We also saw the huge sea tortoises. The fish were a little scarry at first, since they were just as big as Shara and right near her face, but she got used to them. No tears or anything like that. Just a little wariness. After having a nice snack, we took a walk to the North End and had a little ice cream from Mike's Pastry.

That night we had a quick dinner at Maquires. Shara had chicken fingers and french fries. She didn't like the cole slaw, but enjoyed the chicken.

Pictures - Birthday & a Bath

Several Pictures. We don't have so many of the birthday party, so please feel free to add a link to your pictures, if you have them available online. If not, we'd love for you to email them to us!

1st Birthday!

Yesterday was Shara's first birthday. We celebrated on Sunday with family and friends. It was a great party and so good to see everyone. Shara wasn't feeling her best - was sent home Friday with a fever, but she still had a good time. The first time having cake and ice cream was a little anti-climatic. I still have to look at the video, but she wasn't that into it. I'm not complaining. She liked the ladybug balloon much more.

She got some wonderful toys and we spent some time on Monday playing together. We also went to visit SAILS and to Barnes and Nobel, but she just wasn't herself. I thought it was teething, but at her 1 year physical we found out she was actually quite sick. Monday night she broke out in a rash, which I thought was an alergic reaction to the hummus - sesame seed paste & lemon juice. They kicked her out of daycare so luckily Auntie Chris came to mommy's rescue. It turns out it was roseola. So by the time the rash came out, she was no longer contageous. We have to let the Slaters & Senays know to look out for high fever in Katie & Hannah and not to be worried if they get a rash.

I spent some time yesterday looking at pictures and remembering what things were like a year ago and am much happier now! It's nicer having a person to play with and take care of, rather than a lump! Next year she'll be more aware of her "birthday" and it won't be just another day. Bubbe did call with the required singing of "Happy Birthday", so it was an official occasion, even if Shara didn't seem to notice.

Notes on physical - she has low iron. We try to give her cereal and broccoli, meat, etc. but I think this began when we stopped with the cereal 2x a day - when she started refusing to eat it. So we're giving floride drops with iron. Not a lot, since we're still doing things with her diet to get her iron. We have to go back in 6 weeks for another iron test and her shots. She couldn't have them because of the rash. She's a little below the 50 %tile, but if I did the math correctly, she's has tripled her birth weight, which is what should have happened. She weighs just under 20 lbs., so the cats still weigh more than her.

Happy First Father's Day!

A special message to daddy, from Shara (with a little help from mommy).
Thank you so much for all you do for me. You make me laugh when you tickle my belly or when you dance with me and mommy. You make me cry when you try to wipe my face after a meal or when you change my diaper or dress me in unmatching outfits. You make me happy just by spending time with me and helping mommy in so many ways. I'm really glad you stayed with me all by yourself when mommy went away for work. It was great we had that special time together.

I know this is all new for you, but I love you even more because you try. Don't worry about mommy and her "looks". That's just her and she thinks your really terrific and highly capable and that I'm a very lucky girl for having a daddy who loves me as much as you do. Well I love you too, and the love grows as I do. Imagine how much I'll love you next year? And the year after that, and so on and so on!

P.S. Thanks for cuddling me when I cry. Although it may not always sound like it, it really does make me feel better. And you're much better at "gelling" me than mommy.

Love from your little girl Shara.

New Pictures - Finally

These are pictures from May 26th - June 3rd. The newest are at the top.
Click here for pictures

Small update - Shara and I had a great day yesterday. I took a 1/2 day and we went shopping at the outlets. We got lots of cute clothes for summer and got Shara's feet measured at StrideRite. She thought it was funny when the man measured her. She's a 3 1/2 W or E. She's actually a 3, but he recommended getting a 1/2 size larger. We're going to wait until she's really walking to get a new pair of shoes though. Who knows what size her feet will be then!

Cruisin'

Yesterday at school I spent some extra time just watching Shara stand at the toy shelves and play with the toys on the top. She's now able to pull herself up very easily and really get around either crawling or cruising. I let her sit on the kitchen floor and she loved being in a new place. I've been reluctant, since we have tile, but she's pretty steady. She was really tired so I cheated and put down the quilt. Good thing because she did topple over, from a sitting position, and cried. She couldn't have hurt herself, she toppled very slowly, but she was so tired after school that everything was making her cry.
We went for a walk around the neighborhood, hoping to relax her before trying to get her to eat - teething again and not very into food. She's also been sleeping poorly. She had a great time on the walk but daddy pointed out the nice doggie, sitting so quietly in his yard, and he scared the dog and then Shara - big woof! She was much happier with the little yippy dog we came across next. The kids playing in the street were a big hit too.
Last weekend Shara was able to spend some awake time with her Oma & Jador. Usually when they babysit she's asleep within 1/2 hour of their getting here. They had fun. On Sunday we went to Peaceful Meadows and saw cows. Shara got a big kick out of them and was less reluctant to drink her moo juice - big girl! She getting to like it and has it at school now.

Brief Update

Just a few things to report, that I don't want to forget. And also, she's sick again! Shara has a cold, but no fever. Maybe last week's fever was a lead-in to this cold? At least she's had a couple good nights sleep. For a few nights, she was up coughing every 4 hours when the alergy medicine wore off.

• Shara's sleeping on her side now - very cute, I put her in bed, usually quickly because she's basically grabbing the side of the crib and pulling herself in, and she goes right onto her side, and hugs her Pooh bear. She can also reach the aquarium again.
• Shara must have grown over an inch in the past week. She's eating a ton each day and her pants seem rather short.
• Last night she began walking with one hand on her walker and one hand holding an object. In this case, it was Alan's phone. She also dropped it and bent down to pick it up.
• Last night while nursing she discovered that mommy's nipples are fun toys. She started flicking them with her finger and laughing - a real belly-laugh that I couldn't help but join in on.
• She's really good at throwing up whatever's stuck in the back of her mouth - good gag-reflex. It's lovely.

That's about it for now. She is eating really well. Like broccoli again and ate 1/2 chicken sausage in one sitting. I think her favorite is still a toasted cheese sandwich. Nice and easy, and good for you too!

Fun Time at Bugaboo Creek

Saturday we went to run some errands and had lunch at Bugaboo Creek. Shara loved trying everything off our plates. We couldn't cut things up fast enough. She even saw a talking buffalo - and even laughed at it. We weren't very close at all, yet she saw it and found it funny. Makes me want to go to Disney!

Sunday we had a visit from Auntie Chris, who had a good time playing with Shara, after she stopped crying and let Chris pick her up. They went for a walk, played with the wind-chime, and walked around. Shara started playing with the walker mommy got at Savers and reallyl liked it. Took so long to play with it because it hadn't been cleaned yet.

At night, we went for ice cream at the plant depot and Shara got to look at all the birds. She loved them and was wide-eyed! She didn't have any ice cream. She decided to wait for her birthday party. She also spent some of the night sleeping with mommy and daddy. Don't know why she cried and cried, but she finally fell asleep.

Sick Again

Just got a call from daycare asking how Shara is, because a number of kids are out today as well. Tuesday, Shara came home with a 103 temp. Daddy had to pick her up because I was at MLA. He gave her tylenol and put a cold cloth on her and got her temp down. She ended up sleeping with us and Alan was able to stay home with her on Wednesday, since he got the new router configured the night before.

Wednesday she still had the fever, but Alan managed to keep it down with tylenol and cool cloths again. When I got home, she ate a little and then threw up onto her bib, which dribbled down to her highchair tray. Have to say, it was very easy to clean up. After that she started chatting away and calling to the kitties. We gave her a bath and she went to sleep. She wolk up around 8:30, hot as can be, so I got her undressed and we put her in a cool tub. She was screaming so much that she ended up throwing up, but this time it was just mucus from her super runny nose. Poor baby. I had called the doctor and she said that what we were doing sounded fine, but if her temp continued tomorrow, to bring her in. I was ready to bring her to the hospital after the bath episode, but after we calmed her down, she started cooling off.

She slept with us again and had tylenol every 4 hours, as the doctor's office recommended. This morning she felt cool, phew! She's now sleeping, still! Since she didn't nap much yesterday and was up a lot during the night, she's really doing a good job catching up. We'll go for a nice walk later and get some fresh air.

First Mother's Day

We had a great time on Mother's Day. We all went over to Northampton and met Bubbe & Papa, Aunt Jill, Uncle Andy, Liz, and Samantha at the Hotel Northampton for a wonderful Mothers Day Brunch Buffet. Shara was so funny. She had spicyish potatoes, chicken, green beans, summer squash, red peppers, grilled cheese & applesauce. Bubbe gave Shara a little rubber duckie and I made the mistake of putting it on Shara's head. She tilted her head back and we made friends with the large family next to us!


It was great visiting with everyone and though it was a short visit, it was real quality time. Aunt Jill got to see the many moods of Shara and really noticed some of her funnier qualities like her frustrated mood, where she closes her eyes, takes a couple deep breaths and tries to relax and have patience with the not so smart people around her.


The rides to and fro were uneventful. Mom and dad got to listen to Magic Kingdom for Sale while Shara got in some good catch-up sleep.

Peter's First Communion

Yesterday we went to Sandra & Peter's house to celebrate Peter's first communion. As usual, it was a very nice group of people with great food and we all had a wonderful time. Shara loved being around so many people and the great surprise was that there was a 15 month old boy, Ryan, for her to "play" with. Actually, she took away his sippy cup, but gave lots of loves - seemed a little rough, but apparently he was used to it.

Here are all the pictures.

Some old pics from Daycare

Click to view full image

Mobility Update

Shara's wanting to walk, with assistance, all over the place. She's still crawling, but would rather walk. Daddy installed the gate at the top of the stairs, so Shara can go with her walker down the hallway. She's also starting to "cruise", but we don't have a very good setup for that.

She's also waving, with the hand pointing more to her, than who she's waving to. She also likes to give her dollies kisses - the nice open mouth wet ones. I also heard her say baby, but always clearly. Certainly the "b" sound was there. Nancy also heard her say baby when we were at the bookshelf in daycare and looking at the baby animal books she loves. Like most of the women in her life, she really likes flowers - to look at them and sorta smell them.

We're getting another tooth and for the past 2 nights, Shara's been waking up out of a sound sleep and crying, not wanting to go back to bed. It seems like the Oragel actually does work.

Officially Crawling

Tonight, while playing in Shara's room, she crawled over to look at something under the ottoman. Two full "steps". Then she crawled about 5 "steps" to a couple of toys strategically placed on the floor. Looks like mom can't shower with Shara playing on the floor in the bedroom anymore. Gonna have to bring up the exersaucer!

Hello

While I was exercising in the bedroom with Shara playing on the floor, her toy phone rang. Shara had a peeka-block in her hand, but it to her ear and said, "hiiiii". It was so cute!

Shara's First Passover

Yesterday we all went to Bubbe's for Pasach. We had a good time. There were lots and lots of people and Shara had enough at close to 8 pm. It was well past her usual sleep time and she only slept for about 40 minutes in the afternoon. We thought she'd sleep on the drive over, but only slept about 1/2 the trip. I fed her butternut squash from the Boston Market at a rest stop. It went well and she managed to eat o's and drink water throughout the ear-popping of the Berkshires, so no crying. Maxine & Abby gave Shara a couple of cute outfits, but the cutest part was when Shara started giving kisses to the baby on the gift bag. It was an Anne Geddes bag of a baby wearing purple flowers and I showed it to Shara and she leaned in and gave her lots of kisses!

It was great spending time with Bubbe. She gets to see Shara so infrequently, but it doesn't seem to matter. She knows her Bubbe! Probably because the time they do have together isn't brief. They usually have at least a full day.
Shara had Bubbe's brisket today and really loved it. Other than that, she didn't eat too much, but pooped so much that she must have eaten enough. If she was hungry, she wouldn't hesitate to let everyone around her know!

So, she's now saying mama, nana (Bubbe figured out she was saying banana, which I never would have thought of), cat, duck, that (Alan says they're all "that"), she says "p" & "b" sounds. She's also pointing an awful lot - but it does get her point across. She's very good at going where she wants and since she can make it around a room, I don't know if she's going to crawl. She is going to walk any time now. She's starting to let go one hand at a time, when standing still. She's also good at crying for what she wants, and since she can't talk, it's what works best. She's really so good and cute. It's a little frustrating that she doesn't eat as indescriminatly as before, but it seems that when she's hungry enough, she does eat pretty well.

Loving to Walk

Shara's so funny. If she could have someone's hands to hold and walk her around all day, she'd be so happy! Since yesterday Shara turned 10 months old, her first birthday party is in full planning mode. The theme will be ladybugs. As long as her cake has a big smile on it, she'll like it. Although some people are criticising me for not giving her a chocolate cake, I still can't see the need. Believe me, her cake will be sugary good and we'll also have banana cupcakes with cocoa whipped cream frosting (which Shara will have), and carrot/apple cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.

She's also getting close to crawling, but I think she'll skip it and just go to walking. She's been enjoying a spinach, ricotta "sauce" that I mix with pasta. Words some may recognize, though probably an interpreter is needed - cat, hi, dada, duck. She also loves to blow kisses, make raspberries when she tastes something she doesn't like/want, wave hi/bye, wave arms rapidly when she doesn't want to eat something (smart to hold on to spoon with a deathgrip), uses the universal "all done" sign - which is fairly new and very much liked and encouraged by mom, as opposed to the alternative of hitting.

Shara's Trip to FL - pictures

Here are the links to the pictures of Shara's first trip to Florida. She had a great time with Nonnie & Papa. The last day was fun - we went to Atlantic Ave and ate cheeseburgers and fries at Cheeburger Cheeburger. Shara liked it a lot. We also went to the pool and the beach again. The plane ride home was uneventful. Shara fell asleep again and slept for about 1/2 the trip. It was great that the nice women behind us enjoyed entertaining Shara, since she did get a little antsy.
April 7th, 2005
April 8th, 2005
April 9th, 2005

Shara's First Trip

Well, mommy was really nervous about traveling with Shara by plane, but it turned out to be a piece of cake. We got to the airport, checked the bag with a skycap and got on the security line. When I saw the length of the line, I got a little worried, but it went really fast. Maybe it took 20 minutes. I had Shara in the front pack, and needed to take her out to go through the checkpoint. It wasn't as hard as I would have imagined. We then made our way over to gate and got right on the plane. It was boarding as we got there. I was really wanting to be nursing her when we took off, but it was really hard to determine when we were going to do so. Alan kept saying to wait, we're not ready yet, but it felt like it could be anytime and I wanted to be ready. It turned out that he was right and it took much longer than I thought. Anyhow, when we finally did, Shara had already been nursing for a while, so I just kept putting her back on and it was fine. She also fell asleep after takeoff, and then napped for a whole 2 hours! I couldn't really move, but managed to a little later in the flight. We played trivia on the touch screen displays, which were on the backs of all the seats. We played against other passengers. We also were able to watch live TV, which made the time go by really fast. Shara woke up around 11 am, and we fed her, which wasn't the easiest! She wasn't that messy, but not clean either. She was great. Loved looking around at all the other passengers and only cried when we landed. I did nurse her then, but she'd feel fine and stop, then start screaming again - along with all the other babies on the plane!

Grandpa picked us up, right on time, and off we went to Highland Beach. It is a really beautiful part of Florida. The architechure is amazing. It's hard to believe that people live in the homes down here. And they're all right on the water. It is nice, but the people we saw at Mizner Park shopping center today were really snobby. I wouldn't be able to live around those people all the time. Anyway, the first night we just hung out and relaxed. Shara impressed everyone with her smiling good nature. Nonny made her laugh and laugh. She's not grandma as we had planned. Evie said that the other kids, after Sam and Liz, all call her that. Grandpa is grandpa because Pappa is already taken. On Friday, we went to the flea market, which wasn't as good as I remember. The prices weren't cheap. Shara had fun looking around, but we needed to keep moving or she'd get restless. I could understand. I don't really have the patience to look at everything either. So much is the same in all the places. That night we had Mexican takeout from this really good place we ate at last time. I had the mole chicken burrito and Alan had the flank steak.

Saturday we had another easy day. It's harder than I thought it would be, since we're slaves to Shara's nap schedule. I hadn't really remembered about that, but it's not that bad. What's tough is that it's hard to know when she'll be sleeping. She's only been taking about a 30 minute nap in the morning and an hour in the afternoon, if we're lucky. At least she's sleeping through the night, though she's waking a little early for our tastes. So on Saturday we went to visit Nonny at her work. Shara cried the whole time over and we couldn't figure out why. I thought she was hungry. It turned out she was thirsty. That was the one thing we forgot to bring - her sippy cup. We won't forget that again! It was good that Ev had a bottle at work because Shara downed a cup. She had some sweet potato and some of my leftover non-sauced chicken. Then she was back to her normal self and we went to the market there and picked up some applesauce and puffs and had lunch at a little cafe there. We/I managed to spill a 1/2 glass of water all over Shara and the floor. At least it was only water. We left and went back to give Shara another nap. When she woke, we did a mini meal and took a walk on the beach. Shara's first time at the ocean! She really liked it. We got a little shell to commemorate it. We saw waves and sand and people walking. The people were the most interesting. For supper we got Chinese. The chinese down here is really good. More like what I was used to from Schenectady. Shara went to sleep and we stayed up and had a nice time talking and laughing. It really was fun. Good, fun topics too - living wills and life insurance.

Sunday was another good day. Shara had another first - first time "swimming" (with mommy's help) in a swimming pool. She was so cute and really loved it. She kicked and splashed like she was in a really big bath. The water was nice and a perfect temperature. It was in the shade, but that was ok. When we got out we warmed up in the sun. I think she's going to be a good swimmer. She wasn't scared of the water and I wasn't scared holding her. She was easy to hold and floated well. I didn't have the feeling that I needed to hold her with a death-grip. After swimming we took another nap, since the first was only about 1/2 hour. After the nap, we tried to eat some more. Shara hasn't had much of an appetite today. The last couple of days she didn't stop eating! Maybe she's evening out. Well we took a trip to Mizner Park and walked around. Mom had frozen yogurt and dad had some candy. When we got back we went for another walk on the beach and saw a guy flying kites. He was really good - so in control of them. He went out in the water and was practically leaning back into the water. Shara really liked the kites. We stopped and watched for a while. When we came home we tried to feed her again, since we were going to give her a bath. She didn't want to eat and had her bath in the kitchen sink. I was a little uncomfortable, not having my bathtime routine that I have at home. Shara either picked up on it, or wasn't having fun all on her own, but it wasn't the most pleasant experience. After the bath, we played with some fun toys Nonny bought for Shara. We then had macaroni dinner and Shara ate applesauce with disguised yogurt. Also plenty of O's. She wouldn't let food into her mouth without the O's available on her tray. Toward the end, she had a drink of water and started screaming. Her teeth are really bothering her. Yesterday and today I put on the oragel and it helped. She had a good time playing with her Nonny and Daddy and then mean mommy took her to put her to bed. She was more than ready. She fell asleep while nursing and couldn't wait to be put into her crib.

Tomorrow we plan on doing the same as today, but instead of Mizner, we'll go to Atlantic Ave in Del Ray. Hopefully we won't repeat the painfull teeth either. Off to have a piece of pumpkin pie and ice cream!