Finally!

It is official! Rachael has said "Mama". Well, she actually keeps saying it over and over. I guess the lesson is to be careful what you wish for. I now have little Rachael hugging my leg and saying, "mama, mama, mama" a lot. She is very proud of herself, though. She says "Mama" and looks at me, she says "dada" and looks at Mike. We are now working on "Rachael". When Rachael is eating, we like to look at the pictures on the fridge and talk about them. She likes to walk around with a particular picture of all three of us from a Cubs game last summer. She waddles around the room, shakes the picture, and says, "mama" and "dada" . She then shoves the picture in her little red barn where all her favorite things go (this week). In this picture, Rachael has just finished shoveling in handfuls of delicous black beans and avocado. The messier the better!

Recent travels...

The weekend before Thanksgiving, we visited my parents in Michigan City to have a turkey dinner. My mom made a great meal, but unfortunately, Rachael had been sick for a few days, and spread it to the rest of us. I have learned that parenthood brings lots of opportunity to be vomited on...Mike, the champion eater, couldn't even look at the food! My friend Andrea came by to visit which was great. I felt sick too, but sucked it up so I could enjoy some turkey and time with Andrea and my family. I didn't feel so well the next day, and slept most of it away. Sadly, we also spread it to my parents who had to delay their trip to North Carolina by a day. I guess sharing yucky stomach viruses is just part of being a family, right?

Luckily, we were feeling better for our trip to Seattle! Rachael took her first flight over the Thanksgiving holiday, and she is an amazing little traveler. Since I hate flying, it helped to be able to focus on Rachael instead of thinking about the flight. Rachael had no problems with take off or landing. We gave her a bottle, and she didn't seem to have any issues with the change in air pressure. She slept too, which made the trip much easier for us all. We had a great time in Seattle. Rachael enjoyed all the toys that Marjean had collected for her. We spent time with Joe and Lee (Mike's brother and his wife) and their "ga" (dog) Yoshi. Rachael hasn't quite got the word for dog mastered, so she points and says "ga". I guess she recognizes the difference between da-da and dog is the "g" sound. We look forward to our next visit somewhere now that we know Rachael enjoys traveling! The pictures are of Rachael with her Grandpa (my dad) and with Mike's brother Joe, sister-in-law Lee, and Rachael's 'cousin' dog Yoshi.

Busy, busy, baby!

Wow! Rachael has kept us very busy these last few weeks. She is really on the move. She is walking more adeptly each day, and she is discovering new things. She enjoys playing games, and I think we have quite the comedian on our hands. (she takes after her mommy, I guess) Last night, in the bath she was tugging at the hair on Mike's feet and pretending to eat it. She would grab at it, put her hand to her mouth, "offer" me some, and then do a little "num, num, num" action with her mouth. Then giggle a little. It was pretty darn funny. She also likes to be chased around the living room and giggles uncontrollably when we pretend to be stuck under the coffee table. Here is a recent picture of us! Can you believe she is only 10 months? She looks so much older...

Rachael walks!

Rachael took her first mutiple unassisted steps tonight. It was shortly after she gorged herself on black beans and avocado for dinner. She fought the face wiping, got out of her high chair with black beans mashed all over her thighs. Mike was standing in the kitchen, and I was sitting on the floor talking about random things. Mike was blabbering on about an idea he has for writing a book, and Rachael was holding on to a chair and exploring. Then, she just started walking right behind Mike, and he kept talking and didn't notice. I was stunned and stammered. I muttered out a "uh, uh, she's walking!" He missed it, but luckily he saw her take a few steps later on. Watch out world, she is going to be walking all over the place soon. Probably just in a diaper and shoes. No pants. No shirt. No time for clothes to slow her down! (The picture is from a few weeks ago, but it gives you an idea of her recently acquired walking skills...)

Hug addiction...

Rachael has started hugging. Everything. It is so gosh darn adorable. She hugs her stuffed animals, she hugs us, she hugs random objects. She hugged a plastic Curious George plate yesterday. Sometimes, she does a full body hug with a few wrestling moves thrown in. I hope this is a phase she doesn't outgrow. I hope to post a picture of her in action soon. For now, this cutie will do!

Goomba and Ganna Visit

We are spoiled and delighted that Mike's parents, Marjean and Harold, aka Ganna and Goomba, are visiting this weekend. Rachael has been showing off her best crawling, standing, and giggling. Rachael had her nine month appointment on Friday, and she is in the 90th percentile in height, but she has dropped to the 25% percentile for weight. She feels heavy to me, so I can't imagine the biceps that these mothers with babies in the 50th percentile and above are forming carrying those round babies around. Rachael is long and lean (unlike her mother)...She is growing well, and her ear infection has cleared up. She took her flu shot like a little champion. A little crying, but tough as nails.

Rachael is starting to stand for a few seconds on her own and attempting to take steps. She was treated by Ganna to some new soft soled shoes to help her as she becomes more mobile. We have spent our weekend in bookstores (Goomba's favorite) and Starbucks (Marci and Marjean's choice)...Mike and I took advantage of our babysitters and went to a movie too! I am sure the other parents reading this can relate to the feeling of actually sitting through a movie in a movie theater uninterrupted. Golden!

Today, we went on the great search for a pumpkin patch to celebrate Rachael's first Halloween. Like Marjean said, we were truly like Charlie Brown searching for the Great Pumpkin that would never appear. I guess our 'pumpkin patch' will be the local Jewel or Whole Foods...we also enjoyed a great lunch that included some Matzo ball soup that Rachael loved. I guess I will have to learn how to make Matzo balls. She gobbled up the soggy little bits with glee...

It is such a treat to have family visit and enjoy all of these amazing moments with baby Rachael. The next post will probably be her misadventures in her monkey costume trick or treating...If the neighbors don't have any good candy, I imagine Rachael will have a little poopy diaper surprise for them!

Na-na and sentimental journeys...

Rachael has started playing with my childhood monkey. I got this monkey from my Grandpa when I was about 5 years old. Yesterday, I packed up the little clothes that Rachael has grown to big for. I folded up the little clothes, and I can hardly believe she fit in them only a few months ago. I reminicsed as I folded up the fuzzy footed sleeper that we brought her home from the hospital in, her plaid green dress she wore on St. Patrick's Day with the cute little bloomers, her tiny little 'Loved' onesie she wore on Mike's birthday, the tiny little shirts with 'monkey business' written in tiny letters near the tiny monkeys...the outfit she wore to my sister Christy's wedding...

I floated down memory lane and said goodbye to the little clothes as I vacuumed the air out of the Space Bag and tossed the bag on the top shelf of my closet. Who knows if we will have another girl to wear these adorable clothes! I wanted to take this moment to thank all our friends and family once again for your generosity and tremendous taste.

Also, little Rachael has started to say "na-na" when I prompt her to say 'mama', so at least she is trying! I won' t have to cry yet since she is making an effort to recognize that I am her 'mommy'.... Or she is trying to say "grannie" since my mom just visited...

This weekend Goomba and Ganna (Mike's parents) are visiting. We are off to Rachael's daycare Halloween party and the pumpkin patch which also has a petting zoo and pig races. Look forward to a full report soon!

Spoiled by Grandma

Rachael had her first night away from mom! It was more traumatic for me than her, of course. Mike and I went to Davenport, Iowa to celebrate Mike's friend Jeremy and his new wife Farrah's wedding. My mom stayed here with Rachael. Grandma Nancy arrived on Friday with bags and bags of goodies. New clothes, new toys, cookies. The cookies were for Mike. On Friday night, before we left, Rachael gobbled up Grandma's yummy beef stew. She graduated from being a vegeterian to a carnivore in a second. No thoughtful inquiry of, "should I eat the cow, or should I continue to sustain and grow on fruits, grain, and veggies?"

Saturday we left for Davenport with another couple who was also abandoning, ahem, I mean leaving, their little boy for the first time. I had a great time talking babies, teaching, and babies with my new friend, Elizabeth! Mike yammered on about triathlons with his friend, Ruben. I called on Saturday night to make sure Rachael was doing okay without her mommy. She was doing fine. I called Sunday morning. Still doing just fine. Wow, you would think she might have missed me a little while I was gone that whole 24 hours. She didn't seem to even notice! I was hoping that I would get back and she would greet me with a big, "Mama...wah...I missed you so much...Mama", but she took one look at me, continued playing, crawled around, and then eventually greeted me by grabbing my leg. Well, I guess we are developing an independent little girl. I will confess my heart dropped a little to learn she was functioning so well without me. Next thing you know she will be off to college. Gosh, they grow so fast.

Ear Infection

Baby Rachael is battling her second ear infection. My fear is that she will develop an ear infection each time she gets a lingering cold. On Wednesday night I noticed she felt pretty warm and she wasn't her usual high energy self. She had a slight fever, but it did not respond to Tylenol. Throughout the night her fever got a bit higher, and we were off to our wonderful doctor Thursday morning. Rachael was so cooperative until Dr. Cathy tried to look in her left ear. Rachael screamed and squirmed, and the doctor diagnosed she has an ear infection in that ear.
Her last ear infection was in July and in her right ear. That one developed over the weekend, and her fever reached 103 while we waited until Monday morning to get her into the doctor. When this one started to rear its ugly head, I wanted to act fast. So we are on the amoxycilin train, and I hope that her tummy tolerates it more now that she is on more solid food. She developed such a diaper rash the first time, but we are already letting her little bottom air out as much as we can to avoid that. Nothing like taking the gamble with a naked crawling baby--- it's "craps" at a whole new level...

Mike and I really want to avoid giving Rachael too many antibiotics, but the general consensus is that ear infections should be treated aggressively. They could clear up on their own, but it isn't advisable to let them heal on their own. It would be painful and could cause damage to the ear, and I guess amoxycilin is a relatively benign antibiotic.

The last few days, she has wanted to be held so much. Rachael is not a snuggly baby, so we know she doesn't feel well when she just wants to crawl up onto our lap and suck her thumb. Grandma Nancy is coming today to visit Rachael this weekend, so I hope that our little girl feels better soon.

Nine months and growing!

Rachael turned nine months old on Monday. She is turning into such an amazing little person. As I think back on the last nine months, I can't believe how much our little girl has changed. I remember the day we brought her home from the hospital, and she sat in her new bouncy seat transfixed with the lights on the Christmas tree that we kept up for her to see. From the moment we began our life together, she has been very observant and inquisitive. Now she loves to investigate everything she finds. We are constantly trying to stay ahead of her. As I type this she is pounding on the glass door that looks into our back yard and screeching at the birds and squirrels. A few minutes ago she had a hold of her dad's giant shoe and was sliding it across the floor. Although it keeps us very busy, I know that every little moment she is learning something new. That is the truly amazing part!

On Valentine's Day, when she was a month old she smiled for the first time. A few weeks later, she giggled for the first time. Now, at nine months, we love to chase eachother around the room. She crawls away from me and laughs and laughs. I catch her and tickle her and she giggles herself into hysterics. She is such a happy baby!

Physically, she has grown from 22 inches to about 30 inches. She is still long and lean, and weighs at about 18 pounds. Her dark curly hair has turned a golden brown long enough to put into pigtails. Her eyes are very blue, and she has six adorable little teeth with a space between her two front teeth. She is very ticklish-- especially on her belly and the backs of her thighs. She loves sucking her thumb and toes.

I can't believe how much my life has changed in less than a year. Rachael (and Mike) are my world, and I am loving every minute of being a mommy. We get to play every day! Now, if only Rachael would say "mommy"...

Hide the ball...

Rachael started playing a new game that amazed us! I hid a ball around the room, and she quickly found it. After she found it, I would say, "your turn, Rachael...hide the ball from mommy", and she would hide it in the same place she found it. I hid the little ball under my sweatshirt on the floor, and she found it, looked at it, then looked at me. I pretended I wasn't looking as I said, "Your turn. Hide the ball." She shoved it under my sweatshirt, pushed the sweatshirt into a corner, and crawled to her toy basket waiting for me to find it. After I found it, she smiled and giggled, and the game started over.

Worry, worry...

Have you seen the news about the crib that was recalled because it bascially strangled three little babies to death? Yep, that is the exact crib we have...Luckily, I am overprotective, and Rachael is still sleeping in her pack and play in our room at nine months. We are out to buy a new crib today, so I can finally feel comfortable transitioning her into her own room. I know many of you may be surprised that I have become "one of those mothers" who keeps a nine month old sleeping by her side unable to put the baby across the hall. I suppose the incessant worrying gets easier over time.

I had a nightmare last night that little Rachael turned into a Cheerio and I accidentally "crunched" her on the kitchen floor and a Rottweiler (don't ask me why we had a Rottweiler) licked her up. I tried to scoop up the little remaining crumbs and put her back together like Humpty Dumpty. In the back of my mind, I must have been stressed about the messy kitchen floor, thinking about "dawgies", or thinking about old school nursery rhymes. The things that creep into our dreams!

"High Speed" Rubin

Mike was nicknamed "high speed" Rubin for his constant talent for running on all engines in college. He drove fast, he swam fast, he talked fast, and he functioned on no sleep. The legacy of "high speed" Rubin continues. Rachael was either hopped up on sweet potatoes last night, or she has the legendary energy of her father mixed with the spurts of spazziness from her mother. After crawling around the daycare room all day, she came home and enjoyed crawling in circles around her exersaucer, chasing a ball across the room, and zooming under the coffee table and dining room chairs with ease. She has created her own little obstacle course where ever she goes. If we join her on the floor, she is guaranteed to giggle into hysterics as she crawls away from us. She understands the "fun" of this little game, and I fear it is the beginning of a long stretch of toddler years of her running from us and laughing. It is a good thing that Karin gave us a shiny new monkey backpack style "toddler leash". It will be needed.

Rachael's First Cubs Collapse

Rachael managed to stay awake during much of Game 1 on Wednesday night. She sported her tiny blue Cubs cap and gnawed away on the souvenir ball she got from Soriano at her first game on June 16. (You may remember that as the game that Derek Lee got in a fight and created an exciting bench clearing brawl! ) I think she pooped her diaper about the time that Carlos Marmol gave up that homerun. It was definitely time to go to bed after that. For Game 2, Rachael stayed awake for a few innings--- wearing her hat and Cubs t-shirt. She threw a few blocks at the t.v. when Aramis struck out for the third time. For Game 3, she was smart enough to time her nap at start time. After Chris Young of Diamondbacks scored a homerun on the first pitch of the game, I decided it was best to just let her sleep and remain oblivious to the heartbreak until she is a little bigger. Maybe next year, kid...I mean, there are 99 year olds that have experienced as many Cubs World Series victories as you have. Exactly zero!

Favorite Games

Rachael is growing so fast, and I thought you may want to know about her favorite ways to pass the long lazy days of fall. She is quickly discovering the world around her. Every object must go through a rigorous set of analytical tests---she is her daddy's daughter! She usually takes two toys at a time and runs each through the tests. She must taste it, see if it rattles, see if it slides, test its sounds against furniture and the floor, etc. After these tests are complete, she will shake the two objects vigorously and squeal with glee. You can only imagine how hilarious it was to see her conducting this test with Mike's shoes!

She loves pulling newly folded laundry from the basket piece by piece which keeps me very busy folding a few times. It is amazing how fast she can crawl/slide across the floor with a sock in each hand. She has pulling up on everything and cruising around holding onto an empty Sam Adams beer box. Hey, it was her choice...it must be just the right size!

Rachael Tries out New Words

Rachael loves doggies. She first was introduced to the world of dogs by meeting Grandma's dog Kiwi and Aunt Christy's dog Stoli when she was only a few months old. She has been drawn to dogs ever since. At the park, she flails her arms and says "daw-daw" when she sees any fluffy four legged friend. She crawls after her pull dog toy, and a few days ago, she said "daw-daw- augie". So, although Mike insists her first words are "da-da", her second word must be "doggie". We are still working on "Mommy".