Memo from Tadpole

Dear Daddy,

As you are aware, for the past couple of days I have been standing by myself (while holding on tightly to things for stability), and sometimes have leaned and taken a few steps.  This is very exciting for me, so I know declare myself an Independent Explor-A-Baby.  In my new status, there will be some changes:

First, I do not like sitting, since I can't stand by myself from a sit yet.  So you will carry me or help me stand.  I will indicate if you are doing the wrong thing by fussing.

Second, the toys I have been playing with are suitable for small babies but not Independent Explor-A-Babies.  So we will need to find new toys to play with.  This may include things previously off limits such as your glasses.

Third, Independent Explor-A-Babies do not eat or sleep.  We are much too interested in the world.  Please disregard all previous routines and do not attempt to calm me or give me a bottle.  This will be rejected.

Finally, I reserve the right at any time to stop being an Independent Explor-A-Baby.  I suggest you pay close attention for this moment, as I will likely be very hungry and sleepy.  In fact, if you time this right, I will fall immediately asleep without fussing and you can breathe a big sigh of relief.  Don't get comfortable ;)

Love,

Tadpole

Tadpole goes exploring

It's been a big couple of days for Tadpole.  She's working on exploring her world in new ways, socially and physically.

On the social front, Tadpole had two playdates scheduled Wednesday (we attended one, with friends C and c, and slept through the other one - trying to follow a one-year old who's walking around can be exhausting and require extra sleeping time on dad's shoulder!), and another today.  It's been fascinating for me to watch babies interact with each other.  They're really intrigued by the other baby, what the other baby can do, and what the other baby finds interesting.  (Although at times yesterday, Tadpole gave up on trying to keep up with c & just settled into some serious nomming of whatever toy c didn't try to take from her).  I'm going to be curious to see how today's visit with a younger baby in our apartment complex goes.  This one's on neutral ground in the lounge - dad needs to make sure to pack some blankets and toys as well as the diaper bag!
(And yes, play dates are also great for me - listening to NPR and babbling with Tadpole are insufficient reminders of my adulthood, so these help).

The really exciting news around here, though, is that Tadpole is crawling!  (And by "exciting", I mean that R and I turned to each other and almost in unison referred to it as "the beginning of the end" ... much babyproofing is needed in a short time!)

Tadpole's been army crawling for a little while now, dragging herself forward on her forearms, but especially on the carpeting in her room, the coefficient of friction is high enough that this is a pretty tedious process. (And yes, I do enjoy explaining the difficulty to her in physics terms).  Tuesday afternoon, I set my glasses down well out of reach, and was shocked to find Tadpole smoothly pivot (a skill she's had for a while), then bring her knees up in order to push herself forward.  By the time I go over my surprise, she was happily clutching and nomming on the glasses.

For the rest of the afternoon, I tried to induce her to crawl again.  The glasses & phone were great inducements.  All other toys were insufficient - she returned to her former method of reaching them, banging the ground in frustration and yelling at the toy to "Come Here Now!" in Tadpolese.

After a nap, however, things changed significantly.  I was worried about showing off Tadpole's new skill to R, and wanted to make sure that I had the proper inducements ready.  None were needed.  I set Tadpole down on the ground and reached for my phone to put it just out of reach, only to find that my daughter was halfway across the room moving steadily towards her shelf of toys.  Crawling skill: Mastered!

On the one hand, this means I have to be a bit more vigilant with Tadpole, but she's not really very fast yet.  Most importantly, though, she doesn't have to interact with the world through me, which is really great for both of us.  Tadpole's figured out that if there's a toy she wants, she can crawl over & get it ... there are times now when I try to interact with her & she ignores me in favor of the cool-toy-that-she-got-all-by-herself-because-she's-a-big-crawling-girl.  Ah well, I still get the naptime snuggles since someone wakes herself up after 40 minutes and can't get back to sleep by herself.  Maybe next we'll practice that skill ... I'm just not sure how to work in bribing her with the phone!

Day 2 - So much to do ... so little time

So Tadpole's sleeping for the second nap, and the work emails that need to get fired off have been sent.  This is just a quick check in, since the day has been surprisingly busy, and I probably don't have more than about 15 minutes left.  So far today has been a lot busier and more complicated than yesterday, but also felt a lot better.  Tadpole and I had a bit more of a routine, went on a couple of shopping expeditions, and may even have a surprise or two waiting for R when she gets home.

Contacted a daycare about a tour, and I'll be taking Tadpole to check them out on Thursday.  Tomorrow, a friend is coming over with her one-year-old, so Tadpole and I both get some extra socialization.  I don't think we're going to go on the big shopping expedition we had planned, but that's because we've got a lot to do around the apartment!  Cleaning, laundry, and maybe even dinner are all on the agenda for this afternoon.  I'm thinking Tadpole in the Bjorn or doing tummy time in order to help daddy fold laundry and wash some dishes.

The bottom line for today, though, is that there were a few times that Tadpole was awake and we interacted while she did her thing on the playmat or in the jumpy chair, and I got a few minutes to check email, respond to friends, and otherwise stay involved in the world.  Those brief intervals made a world of difference in today.  Maybe I can do this after all!

Gotta run - Tadpole is restless and the cat litter needs more serious cleaning ... hopefully I can sneak that in before she wakes up!

Baby Workout

Tadpole is down for her second nap, the remnants of lunch are cleaned off of counters, floors, clothes, highchair, dishes, etc.  Now I have somewhere between 20 minutes and an hour of writing time!  Up today - the baby workout.

I swam in high school (10 years ago), but haven't seriously worked out since then.  At the beginning of the year, I actually started working out in the fitness center in our building.  At least a half hour every day, generally on the elliptical machine.  That lasted right up until Tadpole was born.  I don't think I've been back to the fitness center since then.  Babies tend to interfere with other routines.

I have done a fair amount of walking with tadpole, often carrying her on my chest in a Baby Bjorn, but I've been thinking for a while that it would be good to get back into shape, without really any hope for finding a Tadpole-free time to get back to the various devices downstairs.

Today it occurred to me that I've got an 18 lb. weight with enough trunk and head control to enjoy being tossed in the air.  Who needs a workout machine when you've got a baby!
(Disclaimer - Tadpole enjoys being tossed in the air.  She also doesn't spit up when this happens.  I understand this makes her at least somewhat unusual as a baby, but I'll take it!)  So without further ado, the baby workout routine:

Tadpole tosses (straight up in the air, watch her giggle!)  - 2 sets of 10, 1/day.
Sit ups (Tadpole sitting on stomach / chest) - 2 sets of 10, 1/day
Push ups (Tadpole watching and giggling, because daddy's head going rapidly up and down is funny) - 2 sets of 10, 1/day

Steady walk of at least 30 minutes every day.  Ideally at least 3 of these each week will involve carrying Tadpole in the carrier, rather than just pushing a stroller.  (This will get more difficult in the winter, but hopefully will still be doable).

I haven't done 10 tosses in a row before today.  It's a bit of work.  And it'll get harder.  So will the sit ups. But hey - my biggest challenge with working out has always been finding some way to enjoy the time.  A giggling baby is pretty much the best way to spend my day, so that much is solved!