ch-ch-ch-changes

Micah had his first full week of day care (in his case that is Tuesday-Thursday, from 9-5) and well, he seems different. Is it him? Is it us? Is he fighting one of the many colds he will inevitably get from being socialized with other kids 25 hours a week? Is it his age and that he is turning one in 10 days? Would he be acting like this anyway, despite daycare?

We have lots of questions. What is clear is that he is adjusting well while in daycare, perhaps it is just us that isn't. I am probably just misplacing some buried guilt that I have and am reading waaaaay too much into every gesture, noise or look he gives me but I swear he actually seems shy with us when he comes home. It's like he needs a readjustment period to realize that we are indeed, his primary care-givers. He also shoots me these near-defiant big boy glances of indifference (like he doesn't need me anymore!). He also can be so sedate it almost scares us. He just stares and watches us like he is studying us or something. It's weird.

That being said, he is also making all sorts of GREAT sounds and vocalizations. We had a big "Hi!" followed by a waving frenzy this afternoon. When he is standing you can see him pondering a step--though he hasn't taken the plunge yet (at least not that WE are aware of--we specifically asked the daycare provider to NOT tell us when he walks) and he has practically forgone classic crawling on his hands and knees for this hilarious hands and feet hominid like hybrid. He is also, and perhaps this will not come as a shocker, an avid CLIMBER! Cr*p!

Well that's the Micah-update because I know inquiring minds want to know. Oh and
sorry for the older picture. We never see our child anymore during waking hours to take his photo.

Ride 'em vaquero!

Dame mas Mexico

You asked for it, so here they are: more Mexico pics! Courtesy of our artistic and much more talented cinematographer/cook Darin. Check out his Flickr album for more Mexico action.

p.s. Grampa G: Your homework assignment: please identify the "exotic bird" from the Coba ruins in Darin's photos. Range would obviously be the Yucatan peninsula.

flying colors

Micah passed his first (short) day at day care with flying colors. He apparently didn't cry once and even ate green beans! The day care provider's assistant, Zahara, even asked if he had been in day care before he was so well behaved. Naturally he was happy to seem me, but honestly, once he got a milk fix, I could have disappeared. We're going to bump the hours up tomorrow from 3 to 5 and see how he does. Then Thursday it is a full 8 hours. Hopefully he'll start to nap there (Cross your fingers).



p.s. In case you were wondering, YES! the 3 hours of free, unencumbered, there-is-no-risk-of-Micah-waking-from-a-nap time was incredible! What will I do tomorrow?

Ride 'em cowboy

Thought we'd share a cute pic of Micah that just came our way. Yee Haw!

home

We've returned from our Mexico vacation and I can report, happily, no microscopic parasites have come home with us this time (at least it doesn't appear to be the case thus far). All in all I'd say the consensus is it rocked. There was so much to do!

Mayan ruins to climb in Coba:


Sand to eat:


Beaches to explore:


King-sized beds to jump on:


And of course pools, to swim, crawl and splash in:


But there were sacrifices to be made too:


It was all very tiring:


But we had so much fun we'd definitely do it again (just never flying through LAX again though!)
For a complete view check out our online album.

What goes up....

must come down. Micah has (thankfully) figured out going down the stairs now as well. (Sorry for the sideways video)

vamos por la playa!

We leave tomorrow morning WICKED early for Mexico. You'll find us lounging at the Mayan Palace in the Riviera Maya until the following Saturday so all will be quiet on the blog front. "Did Amy just say, 'lounging'?" you may be asking yourself. Let a girl have her fantasy. Don't burst her bubble with the reality of 6am wake up times and perpetually protecting Micah from drowning in the sea, chasing him down to reapply sunscreen, keeping him from eating sand and monitoring to make sure he doesn't leave any floaters in the pool.

Yes, we will be lounging...

T-minus one month!

Our little boy is growing up. Today marks his 11th month birthday! We forgot to get a shot today, though the car shots below are from yesterday and I doubt he has changed much. But since we are purists, we snuck in this shot after we put Micah to bed:

Beep! Beep!

Some cute shots of Micah and Caswell playing at this week's mommy book club meeting:

DOG

Micah said his first word today (excluding "Mama", of course)! No, it wasn't the same as Zack's, "King Louie" (so the story goes). It was...CAT. (Ha! I soooo faked you out with the title.)

Actually Micah is really on the verge of all sorts of communication. He uses the sign for nursing to mean everything from well, nursing, to "more", to "get the sun out of my eyes." I've also been hearing him utter G and D sounds of late. And of course the "ka" sound for "cat". "Dada" should be any day now...

Here are some peculiar utterances (from mom and baby alike) and bizarre tongue athletics:

Some like it hot

We're experiencing a bit of a heatwave here in sunny California. Bare baby bottoms abound these days. Water play...eating sand...naked play...and mom always trying to reapply sunscreen are some of Micah's latest adventures. A preview for next week in Mexico. Just look all the fun he's having!

(Warning the following video is rated B for bare baby buns and bits)



Sporting the tank:



Here we are at a recent local find, Lake Temescal, in Oakland. Sandy beach + grassy shade on a lovely residential lake in a warm valley of Oak-town. Best of all it's free on a weekday! Here's Micah in what I have dubbed the "super-dorky-baby-sun-hat" (Does the cool rash guard make up for it though?):



Abby mesmerizes Micah and Caswell with his amazing water-shoveling abilities:



Air drying:

Bye-bye

Micah can wave bye-bye! He did it last week for the first time when Uncle Justin was leaving, but now he is really gettin' into it. Of course I was a bit confused on the bus today when he was "waving" bye-bye with both hands (his bye-bye is a clench and release of the fists that looks an awful lot like the baby sign for nursing). Was he hungry or saying bye-bye? We decided he was saying farewell.

bye-bye.

Today I will find a job...

That was the name of one of my favorite albums by a little-ole group by the name of Protein.I used to rock out to them at Slim's and such as a younger, wilder Amy back in the day. This older and more mature Amy has a husband, a baby, a graduate degree, (thankfully no mortgage) and is turning 30 in 34 days(ouch!). She also has, as of yesterday, a JOB. Looks like I'm growing up just in time for my 30s. My start date is exactly one week before the big 3-0.

"Hey wait," you say, "where's the stuff about Micah?" Suffice it to say Micah is going to experience some major changes in the coming weeks. We are hoping to ease him into it though. My new employer is exceedingly child-friendly and is willing to be flexible as we sort out (yikes!) day care.

So a word on day care. Nothing says, "Holy sh*t! I'm an adult," than having to contend with the likes of childcare. I swear this is more life changing than Micah's birth! And is it only that I am now paying attention, or have day care facilities always been negligent, death traps? I mean, I was never a fan of secret cameras until I had to think about sending my own flesh and blood into the unknown arms of effectively a stranger. Furthermore, my neighbor told me a horror story about the used hypodermic needle found in the sandbox of his son's UC Berkeley day care located across the street from the city's needle exchange program. Now as a public health person, I am a huge fan of needle exchange, but geez people?! Across the street from a day care??? Now THAT's some city planning for you.

I'm exaggerating, of course. All the testimonials of amazing, caring and attentive nannies and childcare centers on Berkeley Parents Network can attest to that. But how do we choose? Furthermore how do we get in? The wait lists are months long! Any Micah-sitters out there?

Hanging out in the papasan chair

Mowing the Tile