Friday, September 23, 2011

Ten and eleven months



It's been way too long, and the longer it gets, the worse it feels. Posting, I am talking about, of course.
SO much has happened over the past two months and I had so much to talk about and now, where did it all go.
In my queue for posts at a later date - which I hope will come:
  • Scattering our parents ashes
  • Visiting our home town and taking part in a memorial service for my mum
  • Visiting our old house, which was sold three years ago, and peeking in through the front window to see what it looked like
  • Flying with Isobel plus, trains, ferries and automobiles, oh my!
  • Funny, weird and great things about being back in the UK, including beds AKA torture racks from HELL
  • Introducing Isobel to her 7 year old cousin, Murray. He and his mum christened her Isobel McGorgeous and doted on her the whole time.
  • Going back to work and leaving Isobel in the capable hands of her other mom.
And much much more...  ( I know, exciting isn't it?)

But back to the subject of the post: Isobel's last two months and the march ever forward to her first birthday!
There have been some huge strides forward. Mostly in engagement with the world, understanding of words and how things work, and crawling towards standing and maybe soon walking. Teething did not happen practically the whole month of August when we were in the UK. Which was good for everybody. But more teeth are in and on their way. She now has three visible top and bottom. And more coming in.
She surprised us all with her first non mama word - cat!
We were reading her a book about a black cat ( similar to ours ) called Slinky Malinky, and she pointed to the cat in the book and said, "cat", three times while pointing at the cat. That was followed by endless exclamations of the word  at all times of the day and night. Now she usually reserves it for when there is a cat in the vicinity. Next words were "toes" - as in, "where's Isobel's toes?" a game her cousin Murray and her auntie Chayley  we liked to play with her. Since then she has said "down" - as in "get down" and "go". This is all to her other mom's credit, because she talks to her a lot and is always looking for teaching moments. Me, I tend to be much more  of a quiet companion for Isobel. Good job there are two of us, or Isobel may have never uttered a word. Oh and the  other day she said "hi" to a passer by in the street.
In motor skills news, she is a fantastic and avid crawler and now loves to stand up, pull herself up, get in corners that she has no business to be in and crawl under chairs and tables. She crawled under a big heavy chair at the hospital the other day when I had an appointment and had to be rescued. It hasn't deterred her from more exploring.
When we were in the UK we discovered a childrens  TV series called "In the Night G.arden",  which is like the Telly Tubbies but a lot better, and she got really interested in it, especially as a bedtime ritual. Now she knows all the songs ( it's very repetitive, which is good) and claps and wiggles and dances when Makka Pakka's song comes on. If you haven't checked it out, google it. There is even an "In the Night Garde.n" app for the I Pad and phone.
The biggest highlight of the trip for me was Isobel's equanimity at all the traveling. She didn't mind being pulled in and out of the carrier so we could go through security, she made lots of friends along the way, and she loved being on the train and standing up on the seat while I held her so she could look out of the window. The Er.go carrier was an absolute lifesaver and helped her to take naps when we were on the go, and helped me keep her close and secure when we were changing trains, or walking t the store, or in the park. She never christened her little surfer dude suit that we got her for "swimming" in the sea, but she did have a ball on the beach, crawling and throwing sand and eating it as well.
She makes all kinds of sounds as she explores her verbal ability and one of these is clicking with her mouth, which we refer to as her  African Clicking Language.
Oh and the kicker - tonight she picked up the TV remote, pointed it at the TV and turned it on. She looked back at her mommy to show how pleased she was with herself. Classic!
Okay it's late and I am wiped, so here is a link to our September pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cybersue/sets/72157627576601465/

13 comments:

luckyduck said...

Darling girl! Sounds like you had a full summer. . . hope you have a great fall!

Jill

Journey Girl said...

My gosh, your little dot, Isobel, is absolutely gorgeous!!! I'm encouraged to hear that the traveling went well, I'm freaking out a little bit about our forthcoming trip!! The photos are divine, glad to see you back!!

Fran said...

We were so close in space I could almost feel you across the irish sea! the pictures are fantastic, I looked at them all, the one where she tastes the sand is priceless! and she's definitely very advanced in her speech!! I always look at babies a bit older than Oliver and think "he'll never do that by that age..." it always seems so far away but then a week makes a massive difference!Much love, Fran

ps: post more often!

anofferingoflove said...

that picture is so sweet - what a beautiful girl! :)

love the "african clicking language" description, lol! :D

Anonymous said...

The color of her hair in the sunlight is absolutely breath-taking! I loved reading all the tidbits about her and your travels. Great post!

Anonymous said...

She is just too adorable! You're not kidding - you have had a busy summer.

I hope to see a post on your sleep breakthrough soon :)

Gina said...

I get so behind in posting, too. She's getting so big!

Eb said...

oh she is adorable! kissable cheeks nummmmmm.
I hear you about the beds. Dear lord what are they like!

I see your in Chicago? Next time I'm on biz fancy a coffee??
Em

K said...

Um, I'm sorry...HOW is it possible Isobel is almost a year old?! You guys have had quite the summer! It sounds like a wonderful trip. Isobel McGorgeous... I love it. :-)

MAJ Bryen said...

I love her smile! I also love the green pics. It sounds like quite a successful trip!

Suzy said...

argh In the Night Garden drives me bonkers!! I cant believe she is nearly one, but at the same time, it feels like you've had her forever!

Unknown said...

Quite a summer! Welcome back. Sounds like she is thriving - and she's gorgeous!

Billy said...

She is so cute! And how many words!! (still waiting for that first word from my 15.5 month old..)