Notes from May 2005

19th May 2005

Miranda's hit a bunch of milestones since I last wrote any notes for the website.

Sound

She is doing more babbling, including a sad tirade when she's tired and being changed instead of fed. She and Orson have a secret language to giggle over that consists entirely of raspberries. She will say "muh" "buh" and "gah" as well as single vowel sounds.

She's understanding more words including "kick" and "bang", and will do these actions as you request them.

Mobility

Miranda's full-crawling now. We referred to her previous phase as "The Butterfly" after the swimming stroke. She's now finally synchronized hands and feet, and when we praise her she struts her hands in pride and promptly collapses.

She can also pull herself up to standing with the aid of a chair if there is sufficient incentive like an out-of-reach toy or Oma.

She's good at grabbing and will pass objects back and forth between hands a will. She's dropping things on purpose now.

Growth

Miranda is pretty much average in height and weight from what we can tell. Her hair is starting to grow in earnest and is indeed darker than Orson's. Her eyes are not yet brown. She has seven teeth and is expecting the eighth any day now.

Sleeping

Miranda generally naps in the Baby Bjorn during the day, either one nap or two. She won't nap in the same room as Orson - he's just too interesting. At night she falls asleep in front of my computer and I plop her into bed when I finish up at night. She's not really happy in her own crib, preferring to snuggle with us but we start her there every night.

Unlike Orson, when she decides to go to sleep - and she does decide, and maybe that's the difference as Orson fights sleep at every turn - she just settles down and almost nothing will phase her. She sucks her thumb while she's kissed goodnight, but won't open her eyes. And then she's asleep.

Food

Miranda's doing some solids now. Basic veggies, meat and fruit are on the menu, with citrus started today. We've bought some Motherly Cubes to supplement our pre-prepared offerings. Green beans and cheese are to be re-offered when she's older as she may have had a slight adverse reaction to each. I'm trying her on egg yolks soon.

She's moved from a little solid food and a lot of milk to more solids and less milk, for the three meals where solids are offered. It would be too early to say she's beginning to wean but she is cutting back.

Behavior

Miranda's a delight to us all, smiling and laughing and now waving too. She is very patient waiting around for food or watching Orson instead of getting to play herself when it's too hazardous to have her crawling about when there's a rampaging lion or some such. But when she gets time for herself, she really shines.

She's very interested in everything, but is less interested in soft toys than solid plastic playthings, and has a fascination for things that do things, such as door handles, just as Orson did (and does).

Two Kids

Miranda adores Orson. Orson's not so sure about Miranda but I think he's slowly coming around. Sometimes he is upset as she's playing with his things (and he's too young to share yet, really) but sometimes he'll peekaboo or tickle her, much to her great delight (and ours).

At night no-one wakes anyone regardless of the volume used by the upset party, but from about 6 either can cause the other to wake for the day. This is more likely to happen at 7am which is a much more acceptable time than 6. If someone wakes up first and it's very early, usually the awake one and attached parent will whisk away to the upstairs front room and attempt to resettle there until a more suitable hour. The front room's still-set-up bed is good for sick kids too.

Background

Liam's 3 day a week contract at Melbourne Uni will be renewed for a further six months from July to December this year, giving Liam a little more time to think about his future. Judy can't see working in the foreseeable future. She did an online course in 3D Graphics and nearly zombified herself keeping up with the reading and assignments which were admittedly not too strenuous.

Liam and Judy have bought bikes and are beginning to look for places to cycle in safety with the kids attached on the back of the bikes.

Judy is trying to keep her online gaming at night to a minimum, but Liam isn't.

Look at Images from April and May 2005...