First Steps

Magdalena is learning how to walk in fits and starts. She's experimenting with the whole thing I guess.





Her first steps may or may not have happened on Thursday, September 23. She took a couple toward someone while reaching for something. Then they happened again the next night when I was late coming home and she sort of accidentally walked to her dad, crying for me. Then they happened a few times and then she fell on her face.

Update: She refused to walk for about six weeks after that, finally getting her confidence back up about a week after her first birthday. I didn't know babies could learn lessons at that age :)

Skinny Minny

"You have to eat," Da tells Animalia, "because you're a skinny minny."
"I'm NOT A SKINNY MINNY!" she says, clearly angry. "LOOK AT THE SIZE OF THESE THIGHS!"
She points to her thighs. They're skinny. "Mom, do I have big thighs like my sister?"
"Yes," I tell her, trying to comfort her rage. "Your thighs are enormous."
I'm lying.

Teeth and other tricks

Saying "dientes" makes Madi show her teeth.

Saying "caritas" makes Madi make this funny crumpled monster face.

She does both for food. She does everything for food. She throws tantrums for food. What can I say? She likes food.

Her top two front teeth are coming in.

Madi says...

Madi says mama when she's sad or when she wants me. It's nice.

Frightful!

"Amalia, make potty. I can tell you have to go."
"No! I won't go that way."
"Why not?"
"I have to pass Mads."
"What's wrong with Mads?"
"There's a frightful smell!"

More words?

So Magdalena has been saying papa as in food for a little bit now and lately she's started to say ma papa. It could just be a new sound, although she's been saying mama when she cries for awhile now. But that seems like just a sound. Ma papa... I don't think she's saying mama. I think she's saying "mas papa." More food. All her first words are going to be food related. I bet she says frijoles before she says mama.

First word

Her first word is..... Papa! Not papa like dad, papa like food. Of course it is, "teeny."

At first I wasn't sure. Maybe she was just making that sound, so I watched and waited. Sure enough, she started to say it again, pointing at a bowl, and then making that lip smacking hungry sound that some babies make. Papa. Really?

Eight month measurements

20.25 pounds. 29.25 inches. Big.

She climbs now

And now Mads climbs. Up flights of stairs. She's only seven months old.

Her first crawls

On May 21, 2011, we saw her first real crawling "steps." She'd been dragging herself for about a month.

It happened right after storytime at the library. Made me remember that Animalia's first real steps, walking steps, happened at storytime too. Maybe I work too much. Or maybe these girls are just inspired by my amazing storytime skills.

Teeny bo beeny who eats like a weenie

Animalia made up that title.

Mads is 27 inches and 17.75 lbs at her six month checkup.

She is no longer the tiny little thing we thought she'd be. No, she won't be her Nana when she grows up.

A week later

A week later, Madi is sick or something. She hasn't really eaten for almost a day so I take her to the doctor. I explain the issue, no eating, etc., and she is weighed and measured. She's gained a pound and an inch and a quarter in a week.





The doctor says," Maybe she just stopped being hungry" and I can't help but laugh. This is now the punchline to many jokes about how awesome she's growing.

Almost crawling

The almost crawling started, after rolling and dragging herself for a few weeks, a couple of days ago.

Mads pushes herself onto her hands and knees, rocks back and forth to gain momentum, starts moving her legs just right, but still doesn't know what to do with her hands. She falls on her face.

The actual crawling will happen soon. Sooner than we're ready.

My sunshine

"Please don't take my sunshine away."

--Animalia, telling a visiting Tío not to take Mads with him.

Happy Easter

Post-Easter coma.

4 months

At four months, Mads weighs 15 lbs and is 25 inches long. She's almost her sister's size at the same age. So much for being petite!

Anxiety

Teeny has major separation anxiety. She has major crying fits, big tears and all, when I'm not with her. I don't even have to be holding her. As long as she can see me and maybe reach me with her big toe, she's fine, happy, relaxed.

These crying fits are a major source of anxiety for everyone but me. Her poor dad... poor nana... eh, I don't think it bothers tata as much. When she's into a fit, there's almost nothing that can distract her for more than a breath, although being taken outside seems to help some.

It makes it that much harder to leave her, knowing that she's torturing people who love her.

Teeny and Toony

They're called Teeny and Toony now. Animalia made it up.

Grabby

Mags is grabby now, grabbing her toys, making noise, trying to pull herself up on her bouncy seat using the bar that holds the toys. She grabs her sisters hair, my hair, and grabs onto blankets, pulling them either into her mouth to relieve the teething or covering her head (danger! danger!).

Animalia is mostly entertained by this, even by the hair thing, convinced that her sister is trying to get her. Getting her is something that is funny.

Teeny

Teeny is still a little teeny. She recently, at about 3.5 months grew out of 0-3 month sized clothes into 3-6 months. I guess that doesn't sound like a big deal but really, I think Animalia was around 2 months old in that size. So back to Teeny... she is impatient, occasionally demanding, happy, active, and curious. She has been rolling from her tummy to her back for a couple of weeks now and we are all suitably impressed. She's grabbing things now too and sucking on them, I think to relieve the teething. That's right... have I mentioned that she's teething. What the heck?


Looking into the future, I predict:
She'll be into everything.
We'll have to watch her like hawks when she's more mobile.
Aya will be her first word. She loves her sister that much.

Logic

So Animalia went to this work event with me. I was working and her dad was volunteering. Teeny tiny Magdi stayed with Nana and Tata. Animalia was thrilled to hang out with some big kids and watch the presentation which is really like the biggest best storytime/pizza party ever. Curious George was our special guest. The man inside the suit was Animalia's Nino Peter. That and the fact that all the big kids were saying that Curious George wasn't real led to this conversation:

Animalia: Mom, is my Nino Curious George?
Me (unsure if I should admit it, I mean, isn't it like saying the Easter Bunny isn't real): Mmmhmm.
Animalia: Curious George isn't real.
Me: No?
Animalia: No. Monkeys aren't real.

I see how she came to that conclusion. Now I'm going to have to take her back to the zoo and crush her world.

Poop

Poop. Baby poop. My least favorite thing in the world aside from . Animalia didn't do it so much which later led to many doctor's visits and issues. Magdi does it regularly. I guess I should know exactly what it's all about but since I didn't see so much of it with baby #1, the whole diaper experience with baby #2 has been a rude awakening.

The last few weeks

The last few weeks have been filled with me working part time, two sick kids, doctor's appointments, cuddling, and exhaustion. First Animalia got sick, then Magdi, then Animalia got worse, then Magdi did. I think I was sick in the middle there somewhere too but I didn't have time to dwell. The only one who didn't get sick was the dad. I'm inclined to add a curse at him here, resentful as I am, but maybe one day Animalia and Mags will read this.

So Mags is seriously a cutie. She has her sister's long eyelashes and dimples when she grins her huge toothless grin. And she does love to smile, that is until she's mad and her anger comes swiftly and with ferocity. The girls get along pretty well, Animalia still shows very few signs of resentment, mostly love and kisses and "Look at me baby, I'm your big sister!" Animalia continues to be very helpful and this is a source of great stress to me (no, don't pick your sister up!) but I guess I could be complaining that she's a secret hitter or something so things could be worse.

I love these babies.

Back to work

Starting today. Back to work. Part time for a month at least, otherwise it'd be too painful for words. It's already painful enough as it is.

Madi is now Magdalena Luna Lunera Cascabelera Cinco Pollitos, according to her big sister. What a nickname, no? This one is definitely harder to leave than her sister was. She's grown so much but is much more attached than her sister was, even at the tender age of 10 weeks. She needs me more for some reason and I say that knowing the absurdity of a 10 week old not needing mama, but Animalia was just less like that. Does that make sense?

Madi's 2 month checkup:
First vaccines (she cried and then fell asleep but was cranky for 2 days after), weight: 12lbs (catching up!), length: 22.75 inches (shorty!).

Everything else:
Getting used to getting ready in the morning is going to be rough. Dropping off Animalia at school and leaving Madi with Nana and Tata is going to be rough. Pumping during my breaks is going to be rough. It's all going to be rough. I'm exhausted already and it's only 9:30am and I've only done this once so far. Low grade panic setting in... breathe.... breathe.