Jaynie Jaynie Jaynie

Helping with laundry

Here's a little Jaynie update:

NOT walking yet.  She's just too efficient of a crawler, and sees no point in altering her current mode of transportation.  She does push her wagon, and cruise around everything.  I give her a month or more to take those first steps...

I love to bounce on my knees!

 She's FINALLY eating more and has gained a little weight.  Yeah!   She's been gobbling down bananas, cheese puffs, snap pea crisps, raviolis, and quinoa.  And she still eats her babyfood purees at daycare, which I'm still making.  Lately I've made: Brown butter sweet potatoes with clementine juice, roasted pears with vanilla, apple-blueberry barley crumble,  and mashed potatoes with broccoli.  She loves it all, but was not a fan of the carmelized carrots and fennel. 

Babyfood making afternoon

Books are her favorite toy of the moment.  She crawls to her bookshelf, and brings books to Scott and I to read to her.  She likes to sit in our laps and snuggle under a blanket when we read to her. 

Reading with mom

 When we finish a book, and crawls off and brings another one to read.  She also likes to look through the books on her own.  I am so excited that she loves books so much...I hope she turns out to be a voracious reader like me!  She already has some favorite books, which she prefers us to read over others.  They include: Brown Bear Brown Bear, Where's Spot, and Mother Goose Rhymes.  

Busy "reading" on her own

Bringing me a book to read

And now bringing the pillow to cuddle with

Copying her book (this is one of her new faves: Head Shoulders Knees and Toes)

She's learned how to blow kisses.  She blows kisses when she leaves daycare, when she comes home, to Grandma on Skype, and even to pictures in her books.  She also gives Scott and I real kisses on our cheeks.  Love it!! 

Reading on her own again...seriously, favorite activity

New Years 2012

 Is it too late to post about New Year's Eve?  Been slacking lately on my blog, but that comes with the territory of being a full time working mom.  But part of my New Year's resolutions is to post more Jaynie.

Jaynie can party too!

Originally, our New Year's plans were to stay home with Jaynie, watch a movie, cook a nice dinner, have a quiet night (I wasn't even going to attempt to find a babysitter and actually go out!).  But after a few conversations with my friends Andrea (in town from Montana) and Nicole, we decided to host a New Year's Eve Crab Feed at our house.  So our quiet evening morphed into a dinner party for 10.

Scrippsies Nicole and Andrea watch the pots.

Carlin attempts to shuck oysters.  Oh yeah, we had oysters on the half shell too!

It was the perfect evening.  Jaynie joined us for a few hours, and then was off to bed.

Raquel says goodnight to Jaynie

We cooked fresh Dungeness crab, drank bottles of champagne, and watched the live feed of the Phish show in New York City.  What a great way to welcome the New Year...good friends, good food, and good fun!!

Come and get it!  Ready to eat.

Matt B., Elin, Mike, Jason, Carlin, Nicole, Raquel and Andrea with the aftermath

 

 

 

 

 

The next day Scott and Jaynie made crabcakes with the leftovers

12 months

Dear Jaynie,
Happy Birthday To You!!  I can't believe you are 1 year old.  Where did the time go?  When I look back on the past year, I just cannot believe how much you have grown and developed, yet you are still that same little baby I held in my arms for the first time a year ago.

This month, you had your first taste of Christmas cookies, first visit with Santa, your first Christmas, and your first birthday.  Busy busy busy!  We made Christmas cookies at Nonny's house with Uncle Max, and you loved your first cookie taste.

Decorating your cookie

A few days later, you tried another Christmas cookie, this time one of Grandma's, on Christmas Eve.  You weren't into eating your cake on your birthday, but had fun touching the frosting.

Eyeing your cake...

And checking it out

Your second Christmas was a busy day.  Grandma and Aunt Kelly stayed at our house, and we all went to Nonny and Grandpa's house to celebrate with all sorts of family and friends.  On Christmas Eve, we stayed home and had gumbo with Grandma, Aunt Kelly, Nonny, Grandpa, Uncle Jason, and Great Grandma Marianne.  We celebrated your birthday on the 26th with a "penguin & peppermint party".
At 12 months old, you are on the verge of walking.  Cruising around the family room is your favorite activity, but you are not quite ready to stand without support yet.  For Christmas, Santa brought you a Radio Flyer wagon that you love to push back and forth through the house.  However,  crawling is still your preferred mode of transportation.

Santa brought you this push wagon

You've been eating like a bird lately, and are still long and skinny.  At your 12 month doctor check-up, you were in the 89th percentile for length, and 2nd percentile for weight.  The doctor put you on a diet of whole milk and high caloric food to fatten you up!  So far, you are loving the switch from formula to milk (but really, I have a feeling you never really liked formula from day one).  Other foods you love include goldfish, graham crackers, quesadillas, chicken (especially chicken & dumplings, chicken with rice, or chicken noodle soup), lasagna (we even served it on your birthday!), and yogurt melts.
Breakfast seems to be your favorite meal of the day.  You'll eat pureed fruit with yogurt, some cheerios, and then some banana.  Not so into your lunch, but you love meat for dinner.

You got a kitchen from Mom and Dad for your birthday!

"Cat" is still your favorite word, and now you point to everything you see and say "cat".  Anything new you see, you also point to it and Mom or Dad has to tell you what it is.  You are very alert to your surroundings, just as you were as a newborn, and want to know what everything is!  I have a feeling you will be asking MANY questions when you start talking.

You are a joy to have around, and everyday after work I am so excited to pick you up from daycare and take you home!  You make Mom and Dad laugh everyday, and we still can't get over how cute you are.  We are very excited to see what comes this year.

Love,
Mom and Dad

Your first birthday cake.  Grandma made it for you.  

11 months

Dear Jaynie,

This month brought your first Halloween and Thanksgiving, which made for lots of fun for you!
On Halloween, you were a lion, since you have liked to "roar" since you were about 3 months old.  I can't believe that you actually would leave your hat on.  You really love looking at yourself in your costume in the mirror.  On Halloween, we went to Nonny and Grandpa's house for a Halloween party.  You also participated in a Halloween parade and the local farmer's market, and a downtown trick or treat with our friends Brian, Irina, and Carly.

Roar!!

You & Grandpa at the Farmer's Market

Nonny & you at the market

 

 We traveled to Orange County for Thanksgiving at Grandma's house this year.  It was a full house for your first Thanksgiving: Grandma, Aunt Kelly, Uncle Jeff, soon to be Aunt Caroline, Caroline's sister Jessica, her husband Lenny, and their daughter Celeste, Carla, and even Matt Biscaro joined us.  We also visited Brian, Nichole & Micah. 

With Grandma at the tree at her work

Testing out the turkey pan!  The turkey weighed more than you!

The day after Thanksgiving, Nana bought you your first Christmas ornament.  You picked out a lion at Bloomingdales.  Nana used to buy all the grandkids Christmas ornaments every year, so the tradition continues with you!

First Bloomingdale's shopping trip

You officially said your first word this month: "cat".  You adore our kitty, Cleo, and love to point at her and say "cat cat cat".  You also say "hi", wave bye-bye, and are still babbling away.  You like to take my phone, hold it up to your ear, say "hi", and then proceed to have a long babble conversation with yourself.

Dad, Mom, you, Grandma & Aunt Kelly

This month, you are not only pulling yourself up, but you are also cruising around the coffee tables and couch.

This chair is how old??? Sitting in Dad's high chair at Grandma's house.

You continue to eat homemade babyfood at daycare, but WILL NOT eat it at home when Mom and Dad try to feed you.  You will only eat finger food, and your favorite is meat.  You love chicken sausage, meatballs, and spaghetti sauce with meat.  Atleast you are getting your fruits and veggies in at daycare!

We love watching your language and mobility develop.  We can't wait to see what happens next month!!

Love,
 Mom & Dad

Santa Baby

It may be Jaynie's 2nd Christmas....

But it's her 1st trip to see Santa!!

Just reminding Christmas that it's my birthday too!!

10 months

Dear Jaynie,
At 10 months, you are quite a blabbermouth!  You love to babble all day, everyday.  At daycare you stand at the gate to the kitchen and "chat" with Lindsay.  At home you have full on babble conservations with yourself in the mirror and the cat.

Oh yeah, and you also are able to pull yourself up into a stand!  You like to pull yourself up on the coffee tables and take anything you can get your little hands on: magazines, coasters, cell phones, and your favorite...the remote control.

When I'm cooking, you enjoy playing in the kitchen.  You have a few cooking gadgets of your own, mainly a salad spinner, wooden spoon and colander.  They also make nice hats.

This month you attended your first concert.  We went to Hardly Strictly Bluegrass in Golden Gate Park.  It is a huge free bluegrass concert, that mom & dad have attended for the past 3 years.  We got you some pink headphones to protect your little ears, and you enjoyed the day playing on the blanket and napping on Daddy.  Uncle Jason and Aunt Kelly also joined us at the concert.

You also had your first pumpkin patch experience this month.  You had a ball pulling yourself up on the pumpkins and posing for photos.  We picked out a lovely pumpkin to put out on the front porch for Halloween.

I can't wait to see what will happen with all your babbling and standing next month!
Love,

Mom & Dad

9 months

Dear Jaynie,
What a month of transition for you!  You began crawling (and are now a master crawler!), and started your stint as a full time daycare kid.  You've adjusted to our new fall schedule quickly and easily, but Mom and Dad are still getting used to it.  Let me tell you, life with a 9 month old is a lot busier than life with a 3 month old!

Enjoying the last days of summer at the park

Your day begins at home with mom.  You watch as I frantically make my lunch, pack your food, gather diaper bag and work bag, and run out the door balancing you, coffee, bags, and breakfast.  You then go to daycare, where Lindsay watches you in her home all day.  You eat breakfast and lunch there, and then I pick you up on my way home from work.  We speed back home to squeeze in a little down time with you and Mom before Dad comes home and the dinner rush starts.  Mom and Dad are testing out eating earlier so you can join us.  Dinner on the table by 6:30pm is a new feat for me, but I am getting it done!

At daycare you will eat your homemade baby food purees from Lindsay, but you won't let Mom or Dad feed you any baby food!  Since you won't eat any food from a spoon at home anymore, you now are eating whatever Mom and Dad are having for dinner.  So far, you eat anything we offer you (I hope you keep that up!), but you especially liked the kale-bacon risotto and the chicken & dumplings.  You're also supposed to be eating lots of cheese and egg yolks, to help you put on a little weight since you are so skinny!  It doesn't look like you have a gluten allergy like your Dad had as a baby (thank goodness!!)

Oysters at Hog Island in SF...you didn't have any, but you were delightful dining company

This month you weigh 17 pounds, and are in the 10th percentile for your weight.  You are 26 inches long, and in the 85th percentile for length.  Tall and skinny!  Its getting difficult to find pants that fit your skinny little waist and long long legs.  They either fit your waist, but only come down to your knees, or fit your length, but fall off when you crawl.

Testing out your crawling skills at the park

Now that we're in the swing of new schedules, new crawling, and new eating, I can't wait to see what new things come next month!

Love,
Mom and Dad