First Day of Skiing

Sidra,

On December 25^th we took you up to the mountain for your first time in the snow. Actually, you weren’t in the snow that much but your mom and I went for a play day on the mountain and we took you along. You have ridden in the bike trailer a lot already, and this time you rode in it while I cross country skied. The bike trailer can be used for skiing with some keen attachments.

So you were all bundled up in your snow suit with two pairs of tights and a jacket underneath. It was a pretty cold day but not snowing or blowing. We dropped your mom and Jen off at Timberline where they went skiing/snowboarding on the lifts there. Then you and I went down to the Trillium snow park to do our thing. You were a trooper as we went around the Trillium lake loop. As we went down the first pitch I said “whee” and told you that would be the most exciting part of the ride for you. I tried to sing to you when I wasn’t too out of breath but I’m not sure you could hear me. Then after a half hour or so you were asleep so I stopped singing. It took about an hour to finish the loop.

When we got back up to where the car was I took you out of the trailer and let you stand in the snow. You are used to surfaces that are completely flat and the snowsuit doesn’t really have booties for walking in. So I am explaining why you didn’t stay on your feet very long. But you looked like you were going to try getting up so I thought I would let you do it yourself and busied myself with taking apart the trailer to put it back in the car. Soon you started crying. When I picked you up I realized that your hands had slipped out of the snowsuit gloves and you were bare handed against the cold hard snowy ground. When I got you fully upright I saw that you had had your face against the snow, too. You weren’t very happy. It took you quite a while to get over that one.

The picture here was taken just before you had your face plant and lost your temper.

It was great fun. I can’t wait until you can ski along with me.

Love, aba

Giving the Sign

Sidra,
I can't remember if I've mentioned it before, but we've been trying to teach you sign language since you were about 4 or 5 months old. You've been watching videos called 'signing times' probably 5 times a week since then. Also, we try to show you the signs as often as we can ourselves. The idea is that you will be able to clearly communicate with us by sign before your speech abilities will allow you to talk with us. In addition, you should be a better communicator with speech once you are capable.
Anyway, I think you are beginning to finally give your first signs. Yesterday, I think you gave the sign for eating, indicating that you were hungry. We've also noticed that you're giving a sign that is like 'thank you' to us when we give it to you. Like when we ask you to bring us something and we say thank you in word and sign, and you say thank you (we think) back. We've been watching you pretty carefully because we know that when you give the signs it will probably not be a textbook performance but your own version or dialect.
We're pretty excited about it and when you start doing it regularly we will get some pictures or videos posted so you can see.
On a another note, I am continually amazed at the devotion you show me while also being very comfortable with strangers.
Only 5 days until your first birthday! Uncle Ben will be here tomorrow. The picture here is the one we sent out as our holiday greeting to everyone.
'til next time....
love, aba

Making the Jump to Lightspeed

Sidra,
you have been going into hyperdrive. By the time you are old enough to read this that will be a dated (well it is already dated) reference to Star Wars, where the space ships accelerate up to lightspeed with all the stars rushing by the ship in streaks of light. Anyway, I put together a video of you walking (you just snuck your hand up here and got in a few keystrokes of your own) when you were just starting and just recently. I guess you've been walking for over a month and you have really sped up which is why I mentioned the jump to lightspeed.
So the video is mostly at double speed so that you can see about six minutes of action in about three minutes.
In the process of making the video I finally had to succumb to the time sensitive nature of the project. You kept improving daily so using the logic that 'I can get her to do a better stunt tomorrow' would put the finished product off indefinitely. You can see that in the earlier scenes you hold your hands up by your head while walking and in the later ones your hands are at your sides, mostly.
There are two opportunities to see the video, either with the link or in the video player. You might get a bigger view window with the link.
Enjoy, love, aba

She's going Mobile

Almost a Year

Sidra,
Time has passed quickly since you were born. Even now, I see pictures of you a few months ago and you seem to have changed so much. I guess it's hard to notice day to day changes but if you look back only a month things seem so much different for you already. I suppose that for us this will be the most exciting part of your childhood because you are going to change so fast. You've already progressed from a few halting steps at a time to confident striding wherever you want to go. The crawling disappeared this week. Soon you will be running and going on a scooter.
Anyway, the thing I really wanted to write about is how you make me feel. When I come home, whether it has been two days or two hours, you come to greet me. Every time, it makes my heart swell. It swells a little bit each time you show interest in doing something with me, even if it is only taking a walk down the hall to a different room. Maybe it's because it's hard for me to compete with your mom because the two of you at this stage in your life (and probably for most stages of your life) have a really tight bond to each other. So, any time that I get to have your attention I feel a warm glow.
I recently read a book that said since God can't command children to love their parents they are commanded to honor them instead. I guess I am grateful that at least for the moment you show me affection and I hope that doesn't fade.
I didn't put any new pictures up, but I've discovered I can put in a link to one of your videos, so here it is.

sidra video

Love, aba