Eluned G. Sharron Bethea » November 2008 Journal Entries » AboutMyBaby - online baby scrapbooks, photo albums, videos, birth and pregnancy announcements

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Sat, Nov 29, 2008 6:00 PM
I am now certain that Eluned has begun moving in time to music. Sometimes it's a whole-body bouncing kind of dance, sometimes just a leg shake, but she is definitely keeping time.

Comments:
Sarah: wasn't it Aunt Ginny who said (awhile ago) that she is going to be a mover and shaker? probably in more ways than one!

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Mon, Nov 24, 2008 9:00 PM
As we walked in to church yesterday, I was thinking it would be nice to keep Eluned with me during the service. We'd gone out to a friend's the night before and I thought she might be maxed on strangers. But on our way to the sanctuary we passed the playground with two 17-month-old boys running around, and Els went nuts.

There was no shade outside, so I took her in to the nursery and set her down where she could watch the older girls do their art project. I set out some toys and started edging toward the door. Everything seemed to be going very well until I opened the door, and we heard a wail from the back of the room.

So I stayed in the nursery for the first half of the service. I did catch the second half -- thankfully, since yesterday was Rev. Anne's annual ice cream service. When I came back afterward Els was playing happily next to one of the 17-month-olds.

Comments:
Sarah: Sorry about using "there" in the above entry. Must be a hangover from listening to all that bumbling mumbling from a certain political person earlier in the year. Mea culpa!

Sarah: I know I've said this before, but I'm always struck by how self-possessed and aware of her surroundings and social context she is. At her age, she seems so much older, looking and listening and learning. You see other children at that age, often off in their own little world and not paying attention--but not Els. She's incredibly intent and alert. I keep getting the impression of a powerful personality there in that little body.

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Fri, Nov 21, 2008 1:00 PM
When I left Eluned at Bertha's this morning, Els showed no interest in me at all. See, the almost-2-year-old boys, Nathan and Stephen (I think), were carrying over a tub full of toys. Els clearly wanted in on some of that action. In fact, I rather got the impression I was blocking her view. As I left, Bertha was lowering Els next to the boys and Els was going full-kick.

Comments:
Kate: I'm really doing OK with it. (Thanks for asking.) I like what I do, I don't have a choice about working -- and I'm usually running late. So I don't get too emotional in the mornings.

Sarah: And how is *your* separation anxiety going? My mother tells me when something similar to what you described happened to her, I went off happily to play, and she burst into tears.

Mom/Nana: Your sister, Rachel, of whom Els reminds us so much was the daycare's poster child for "happy child with little or no separation anxiety". She also would get right into play with hardly a wave goodbye. Interesting, isn't it, how Els' development in this and other ways is similar to Auntie Rai's?

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Thu, Nov 20, 2008 10:00 PM
Food(s) of the Week: Dirt.

Over the weekend Eluned got hold of a philodendron tendril and pulled the whole plant over, onto the floor. Will cleaned up the potting soil and stray leaves pretty thoroughly, but this morning we found her with dirt on her chin and a big goofy smile.

Comments:
Aunt Ginny: She's going to be a mover and shaker if she isn't already. Can't wait to see you all next week.

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Wed, Nov 19, 2008 10:00 PM
More nicknames: ____est Baby in the World (Best, Prettiest, Smartest, etc.), ____est Baby I Know, Fit-Throwing Baby, Handful, Elsworth, Destructor, Nibbler, Grumble Rumble, Squeezlix, Fisty McGrabber, Li'l Slugger

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Sun, Nov 16, 2008 4:00 PM
In case you couldn't tell from the photos, Eluned has reached the stage where everything goes in her mouth, including her feet. For reasons we'll probably never understand, she has a particular penchant for her own socks.

Will and I took this opportunity to introduce self-feeding. We had tried a few times before, but Els wasn't ready. A few weeks ago, though, as we watched more and more things go into her mouth, I set a pile of shredded cheese on her high chair tray -- and she fed herself most of the pile.

With that success, we set about introducing more finger foods. Naturally, one of the very first things we offered was Cheerios (actually, Trader Joe's O's). Then in a burst of inspiration, I gave her one of those little peeled carrots. We watch her closely with those, but they've proved to be a snack and teething relief all at once.

We're now those people who carry cheerios everywhere. Els loves them, and they've opened up all kinds of new options for us. Els is quite content to hang out and munch cheerios. Since she's mobile now, and squirmy, this lets us keep her on our laps. It also makes car rides easier.

I've been making purees and faithfully introducing new foods one or two at a time, but more and more I've been wondering when Els might eat foods that are more like what Will and I eat. Actually, given that Els' diet is whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables, we should meet her halfway and start making meals for the whole family to share. Els has gotten hold of our food before, but she just squished it and/or dropped it on the floor.

Last night it all came together. Will and I drove up to Ventura (for my birthday and to escape the fires) and had dinner at a little Mexican place. Els sat on my lap, and when a pinto bean fell out of my burrito she grabbed it -- but this time she tried to stuff it into her mouth. So for the rest of the meal I left a few quartered pinto beans on my plate and she happily fed herself pinto beans pieces while we ate. It felt right. She was ready.

Comments:
Cindy: Hi guys,
She is so adorable. And wow, mobile!! This is when life gets interesting. Enjoy!
Love, Cindy

Sarah: It's fun to join you vicariously on your gustatory adventures. Did she digest them OK? Beans are such a great food, but depending on preparation methods, can give you gas. Trader Joe's organic baked beans are the best! IMHO ;-)

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Sat, Nov 15, 2008 2:00 PM
I don't like to sleep with my feet covered (unless it's very cold). No reason, just thought it was one of those personal quirks. Well, guess who else likes her feet uncovered? Eluned kicks off any blankets until her feet are out. We have to wait until she's fast asleep to pull the covers back up.

Comments:
Sarah: She and you seem to need a heat sink while sleeping. Can you judge the ambient temperature by how much the legs/feet are uncovered?

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Tue, Nov 11, 2008 12:00 PM
Eluned can reach the top of our coffee table now. This morning she pulled the stack of mail off the table. Then, as Will and I sat on the couch with our coffee and watched, a little hand appeared over the edge and made its way along the table, until she found the last piece of paper and pulled that down too.

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Mon, Nov 10, 2008 9:00 PM
Bertha has taken on a few more children, including a baby girl just a few weeks older than Eluned named Angelina. This has created an interesting dynamic, because the two girls are often together, and they invariably want what the other one has. Bertha reports that Els likes Angelina's juice, and Angelina liked Els' potatoes.

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Sat, Nov 8, 2008 9:00 PM
Will and Eluned played a game today, a talking game. That part's not news. What's news is that they played it from two different rooms. Els was sitting with me on the couch in the living room, and Will went in to the kitchen for something and out of her line of sight. Somehow they started a call-and-response game. Although I've suspected this for a while, today was the first time I knew for certain that Els understood that someone she couldn't see was still present.

Comments:
Sarah: Have they done the "sing" back-and-forth yet? I don't know how to describe it...just tone without words....

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Fri, Nov 7, 2008 12:00 PM
Will, Eluned and I attended a special church service at Emerson on Weds. night. Afterward, on the refreshment table, I found persimmon slices and offered one to Els. Will and I got chatting with a visitor, and the next time we looked at Els we couldn't find the persimmon; it wasn't on the floor, in her hand, anywhere. Until she grinned at us. Els had stuffed the whole persimmon slice into her mouth the way an older child might an orange slice, with the rind covering her teeth for a bright orange grin.

(Since Els liked her persimmon so much, and there didn't seem to be many other takers, I bagged up the rest of the slices and took them home with us.)

Comments:
Sarah: It was a particularly yummy persimmon. Those Fuyu persimmons are my favorites! Your little girl has quite a sense of humor (as well as taste).

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Thu, Nov 6, 2008 7:00 PM
Of course I've read that babies are tuned in to our emotions from birth, but over the last few weeks I've been able to see it more clearly than ever before.

Will recounted a memory to me that made him very sad. We looked down at Eluned, and she had teared up too.

And then on Election Night -- now, Els did come home and have a nice long power nap, then a meal, and then we fed her Joe's O's throughout President-elect Obama's speech, and any one of those things improves her mood. But by the end of the night she was a bundle of excitement: giggling, bouncing, rocking. We put her in her little chair and she was rocking herself back and forth. Then when we took her up to bed she invented a new game that entailed pulling herself up on to something (like a pillow) and deliberately falling backward. She thought that was the funniest thing all week and did it over and over. I was a little worried she wouldn't go to sleep, but, thankfully, she did.

Comments:
Sarah: The very air was electric with excitement and relief. More than a few people were in tears. When she grows up, she'll be able to say, "I was there when Obama was elected."

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Sun, Nov 2, 2008 10:00 PM
This was a weekend full of firsts:

First Halloween. Eluned was intrigued but not overly impressed by her first Halloween. She was a fairy. Her glowing fairy wand was a big hit, and much to my surprise, she allowed her feathery fairy tiara to stay on her head.

We stayed home and sat out front with a bowl of candy, watching the parade of trick-or-treaters. Els seemed to enjoy all of the younger children, but a couple of times when big older boys in costumes came up, she started crying.

First illness. It had to happen eventually, and I am glad we made it to the end of 9 months without Els getting sick. She has picked up some little cold bug, and she's all sniffles.

First real rain of the season. We had another Halloween party Saturday night, but with Els sick and the beautifully stormy weather, we stayed home. Classical music streaming off an Internet station, a pot of soup on the stove (http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/09/moroccan-lentil-soup-crockpot-recipe.html, very good), damp snuggly cats -- we had a lovely day.

First time in the church nursery. We've been working up to this. I got to hear my first complete sermon in...? I stayed in the nursery for the first 20 minutes or so. After that, Els did beautifully until the very end (I'm told). Will walked in to get her, one of the other little girls gave her a hug, and Els just lost it. We'll try again, with a couple of little changes.

First Dia de los Muertos. I grew up celebrating major Mexican holidays alongside American ones, so I was pleased to discover a small annual Dia de los Muertos festival a block from Emerson. Els seemed to have fun, but she likes just about anything with kids running around.

Comments:
Sarah: This feels like the first "little girl" entry with no "baby" comments. No matter how many times I watch a child grow from infant to little child to older child to teen, I'm newly amazed and delighted. "Every child comes with the message that God is not yet discouraged of Man [and Woman]."

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