Tiny Dancer

Hi Sidra,

The purpose of this post is to introduce Sidra the dancer to the outside world. You have a unique set of moves that might be rooted in your babysitter’s ballet moves, but in any case are quite riveting. Your song of choice is ‘bling blang’ by Arlo Guthrie. You just sort of started steppin’ out to the song when your mom played it. Anyway, the video is here.

There is also a couple of pictures of you taken today in the snow that fell at our house. You are in your snowsuit and near the snowman we made. Actually, your mom made it while we watched.

I should also report that for the last few nights you’ve been able to pick one of your favorite books off the shelf on demand. That is, when we ask you to get ‘snuggle puppy’ off the shelf you can pick it from the twenty or so books that are on that shelf.

Love, aba

Tiny Dancer on Google

Chow Hound

Hi Sidra,
You are a chow hound! You can put away a ton of food for someone who only weighs a little over 20 pounds. I am amazed that you can eat so much. The doctor told us you would start eating a lot more after you passed a year old. He was right! Here's a typical day of eating for you:
Breakfast-- Oatmeal with milk and a banana. I mean a whole banana, too. I have stopped trying to fit your portion in a kids bowl. I use the adult one.
Lunch-- Sweet Potatoes with carrots, rice, or some other veggie. Again, adult size bowl.
Dinner-- Lately has been whatever we are eating, Lasagne, chicken with stir fry vegetables, pizza.
Dessert-- Applesauce, a baby YUM YUM (a crunchy sort of cracker there), animal crackers. Yogurt (Yo Baby).
Snacks-- String cheese, Goldfish crackers, Wheat thins, Pita Chips, Rice cakes, Kix or cheerios.

There is a tall chair I sit in next to the kitchen counter where I sit while I am eating or snacking. When I sit there, you are keenly interested in what I might be eating so you always come over and ask to sit in my lap(by holding your hands high and yelling). I usually let you have some of what I'm having.

I also just recorded a sound file that is me humming the lullaby that i've used when rocking you to sleep. I tried to post it here but it didn't work. Maybe I can figure that out and get it connected here soon.

Love, aba

You Say it's your Birthday!

Sidra,

It is time to report on your first year with us. Well, mostly I am going to tell about your birthday. We had a party for you and you got a lot of gifts but you were the only one your age in attendance. You also got to have your way with a piece of the birthday cake. That’s what is in the picture.

It’s hard to believe it’s already been a year since you were born. But then again, you have changed so much in that year it’s just amazing. I remember being amazed at how you appeared so quickly that day (well what should I expect, it was a C section delivery) and how things changed so dramatically for you that day. One minute you are inside your mother breathing fluid, and the next minute you’re out on your own breathing air. Looking at pictures of you from those first few days, I can’t believe you were ever that small.

For the record, you now weigh about 21 pounds and are about 28½ inches tall. That means that in a year you’ve grown about 9 inches and gained about 13 pounds. It’s hard to say really how much taller you are, because you weren’t able to stand up a year ago so you had to be measured laying down. Anyway you have increased your height by about 50% and your weight by about 160%. I am going out on a limb and say that you will probably not have any other years of growth more dramatic than that the rest of your life.

As I write this it is New Year’s Day 2008 and you are still asleep at 8:48am. You usually sleep pretty well. You went to bed about 11:00pm last night, although you didn’t go right to sleep. Your routine now is to take one long or two shorter naps each day. You usually wake up in a pretty good mood though not always. And you are usually not testy about being put to bed. Well we were going to take you skiing again today, but your mom isn’t feeling well, so we will be staying home.

I have had a super time on this vacation for the last 16 days because I’ve been able to hang out with you a lot. Alas, I return to a regular work schedule tomorrow morning. Early.

You will be awake soon, so I am off to get ready to dress you in day clothes and feed you breakfast.

Love, aba