Haircut & "Shon"

I'll have to admit, I've been dragging my feet about giving ESK her first haircut. I love the little curls that form at the nape of her neck, especially after a bath. Unfortunately, after a few hours, her hair really starts to look a little wild, getting in her eyes, straggly at the ends and uneven all over. It doesn't help that she pulls out any kind of hair accessory I try to put in. How many barrettes have I lost?

So last week, ESK had her first haircut at a specialized children's hair place called Pigtails & Crewcuts. It went over pretty well, thanks to an experienced hairdresser, the special shiny airplane seat and a mesmerizing episode of Dora the Explorer. ESK stayed very still and actually didn't want to get off the seat when the haircut was over. And much to my satisfaction, she still has some of her curls!

The finished product:

"Ta Da!", as ESK likes to say these days....

First Portland Snowstorm
We had our first snowstorm here in Portland on Sunday. Last year, there were numerous weather reports portending white-out conditions and piles of snow in the Portland metro area. But of course, every morning we woke up to the usual .... rain & gray skies. It was like the weather forecaster who cried "Snow!" And when we actually got snow, it was a mere dusting, which amazingly still seemed to paralyze the city (see this post).

So this weekend, when everyone was abuzz about a snowstorm, I said to myself, "Pfff! I'll believe it when I see it!"

Of course, it snows all day Sunday. It was nice and cozy inside with our fireplace running and the whole fam in pjs all through the day, but I was definitely ill-prepared. For dinner, I was rummaging through the freezer to see what kind of meal I could scrap together. And as of lunchtime Monday, ESK has no more milk to drink!

We did venture outside for a short while with ESK to play, and despite the howling wind and snow stinging her cheeks, she had a great time. The rest of the evening, she had her nose pressed to the window and pointed out all the "shon". I guess that "sn" sound is kind tricky.

The city and Portlanders are just ill-equipped to deal with the white stuff. There is evidence that a snow plow has gone through the major artery in our neighborhood, but shockingly no salt. Hubs went out to work (with chains!! attached to our tires) and said that the major highways are fine, but that most locals streets are in pretty bad shape.

To cap it all off, it is frigid here (mid-20s), something I haven't experienced in a long time. I have spent two winters away from the Northeast and I have definitely gone soft.

Mommy & Me Nightmares

So along with all the other classic pregnancy symptoms, I've been having very vivid dreams. Mostly good dreams, but so vivid, I still remember the emotions I'm feeling in the dreams when I wake up. The other night, I had a very upsetting dream (the details of which I still unfortunately remember) and I cried in my dream. The next morning, I vaguely remembered crying and asked the hubs whether or not I had cried in the middle of the night or if I was just dreaming it. Turns out I was sobbing inconsolably, so loudly that I woke him up. He apparently tried to comfort me and then at some point we both fell asleep. I vaguely remember this.

We also think that ESK has been having nightmares. She woke up crying in the middle of the night for a few nights this past week, something she hasn't done in over a year. I doubt nightmares are contagious, but maybe my pregnancy hormones are rubbing off on her. I wonder what her nightmares are like? Maybe her milk sippy cup runs away from her. Or her favorite stuffed animals turn on her? Who knows. Funny to think about though.

Thanks

Our Thanksgiving this year went by in a blink of an eye. Things to be thankful for this year:

- a cozy new house
- a healthy and vibrant, if stubborn, toddler
- a devoted and hard-working hubby
- a loving family
- good friends -- old & new
- a baby on the way

There are lots more, but those are the biggies.

Supposedly Liberal PDX
Over the summer, President-elect Obama had a rally here in Portland that had record attendance. Oregon and Portland in particular overwhelmingly supported Obama, and Portland is supposed to be a liberal stronghold. I'd agree with that statement for the most part, but lately, I've been meeting a LOT of political conservatives. It always catches me off guard because I had been assuming everyone here was true-blue Democrat. Apparently not. This only means that I've had to be more careful about introducing politics into conversation. But thank goodness the election is OVER! I'm sick of walking around on egg shells!

Pregnancy update
All is well in Preggo-ville. I am feeling less nauseous every day, but still tired from time to time. Having gone through this process once before does help with the worries (is the baby still there? am I eating the right things? am I exercising enough? too little?). Not to say I haven't been worrying a bit. It seems no matter what I do, I cannot gain weight. I have been trying my hardest to eat as much as I can -- until I am stopped by nausea or heartburn (pass the Tums please). The doctor says this is perfectly normal at this stage, but if my mom or MIL knew, they might fly out here and force feed me. Who knew that sittin' around, stuffing my face and sleeping lots would make me lose weight? I'll have to try this diet post-pregnancy as well...

Numero Dos

So, if you're wondering why I haven't been posting much... it's because I'm preggo again. It's been hard trying to think of other things to write about without revealing the big news. So, finally, there it is.

We are excited here, but at the same time scared. Excited to have another little one around and the opportunity to see ESK as big sister. But scared as heck as to how it will affect our day-to-day lives. As a friend and I discussed, with two little rugrats around, SK and I will have to transition from zone defense to man-to-man. Ack. On top of that, ESK's schedule is really becoming regular, her eating has gotten better, and naps and bedtime are a breeze. It makes me wonder what we're doing to ourselves...

Anyway, besides those thoughts bouncing around in my head, I am doing pretty well, although not as well as my first pregnancy. I am pretty much over my nausea, but still tire easily and sometimes take a mid-day nap with ESK these days. I had no morning sickness and minimal tiredness with ESK, so these changes to my body caught me off guard. In fact, it is making me feel old. Last Sunday, I tried to pick up ESK along with my diaper bag and some books and my back went into spasms. I had to hobble over to a bench and sit down. Old, old, old.

You

ESK is really picking up talking these days. It's a lot of fun listening to her "talk" and trying to make sense of her babblings. She is definitely learning by mimicking and it's funny to hear her apply intonation to the jumble of sounds that come streaming out of her mouth. The mimicking also has her "reading" her favorite books. We know it's not real reading, but it sure is neat to watch her match phrases with pictures.

One of the more funny things she's been trying to learn is the concept of referring to herself. The concept of "you" vs. "me" is hard to explain to a toddler. But when we point to pictures of ESK, she recognizes herself and we tell her, "Look, there you are!" So now when she sees herself in pictures, she points and says, "You!".

Unfortunately, she refers to herself as "You". I point to myself and ask her, "Who's this?" "Mommy". I point to SK and ask, "Who's this?" "Daddy". And then I point to her. "Who's this?" "You!" When she's in a bind (stuck in her highchair, wants something from up high, etc.), she says, "Help you!"

Whirling Dervish

I know it's been a very long time since I updated. Things here are busy mostly because of ESK. She has really taken her busy-body-ness up a notch in the past few weeks and it takes a lot out of poor ol' mom over the course of a day.

It's amazing to see her exploring, testing and pushing her boundaries these days. The entire world seems to be opening up to her. This is of course very exciting, but I feel as if I'm not able to provide her the stimulation she needs. So, I've been trying to fill up her schedule daily with some kind of activity outside the house. Storytime at the library has lately been a new favorite.

Besides ESK, we've really been digging in here in PDX and networking with new families, churchlife and neighborhood. And of course, we've just generally been trying to enjoy the fall weather before the winter rains here begin. Pumpkin patches, apple-picking, hikes, etc. Fun!

Economy
Scary isn't it? In my former life as a business reporter, I used to follow the markets on a daily basis and was always dazzled by the highs of the market. As a New Yorker, I used to walk past investment houses and admittedly envy the freshly-pressed bankers who used to stream out the doors. Now it seems unbelievable that our economy is in such a vulnerable position and that the era of mega-investment banks are no longer.

As an outsider, it's easy to say good riddance to such gluttony and wanton greed. But I will admit (and I believe most people should admit) that most people have benefitted (even if unknowingly or indirectly) from Wall Street's success. I remember in the heyday of the Internet boom, I knew many people who dabbled in daytrading and made off like bandits. Or what about the latest real estate boom? Sold homes for double what they bought it for.

The economy stresses me out, but the public backlash against the bailout stresses me out even more because a lot of people just don't seem to understand where our economy might end up without a bailout. I understand the anger and resentment. And mind you, I have no sympathy for the current lame duck administration. But I also know the stock market has no remorse and is a swift, efficient machine that will not wait for human error or Congressional hemming & hawing. If no action is taken, it isn't the CEOs who will suffer most, but rather regular Americans who are already tightening their belts. Republican, Democrat, Independent, whatever. God help us all if this bailout, in whatever form it takes, doesn't remedy the problem....

Politics as Usual

In my younger days, I fought tooth and nail against the Republican party and the politically conservative, but today I do not consider myself a very political person. I am still a left-learning moderate, but gone are the days of heated discussions and table-pounding pontificating.

I am registered to vote and like to do my research. I hate watching any kind of TV coverage because I inevitably end up getting annoyed. I find there is often too much opinion (MSNBC? Fox?) mixed in with coverage and if that's what I wanted to know, I would read it in a newspaper or magazine without annoying broadcaster's insinuations and accusations. Nor do I care much about speeches at conventions, personalities, or families for that matter.

What strikes me about this election is that both parties are trying to embrace the message of "change". And Democrats and Republicans alike are excited! Obama (despite his inexperience) strikes a chord with me, I dislike Palin (read this article from the Wall Street Journal that pretty much makes up my mind about Palin and says a lot about the Republican party), and actually did like pre-election, pre-Rovian McCain. He was a speaker at my youngest sister's graduation and read up on him (back in 2001) afterwards. I was impressed and said to myself, "If I had to vote for a Republican, I would vote for McCain." In fact, at the early onset of the election, I continued to like McCain even more because most dyed-in-the-wool conservatives hated - no, despised - him.

In the spirit of that statement, I am trying to keep an open mind about this election, not an easy thing to do with the usual mud-slinging and hate-mongering. Lately I've been reading both the Times (liberal) and Journal (conservative) for campaign news to get a balanced account of the day's events.

Unfortunately, I am leery of McCain not because of him, but because of his party. There are many things he says that make sense. I am impressed that he promises to work across party lines and appoint Democrats into his cabinet. But as of late, many of his messages seem barbed with nasty attacks on Democrats and the so-called Washington elite (which I don't understand). Ugly stuff.

It's politics as usual. Never pretty and always disappointing.

Big Girl

ESK is growing up really fast these days. All of a sudden, she looks like a girl vs. a baby. She's slowly losing the Michelin man arms (her thighs are still quite hefty), and her entire body is getting longer. Pants are becoming floods and tops are becoming belly shirts.

Besides physical growth, she's unfortunately become a lot more mischievous and stubborn. Crayon murals, freely using parents' clothing as napkin, whining about, well, everything. It's definitely fun to see the world opening up around her, but sometimes I wish she was just the little bundle of protoplasm that just lay in her crib.


Babysitter Incident
For the past year, SK and I have been looking for a good reliable sitter. We had one for awhile, but she started flaking on us once the summer started. So, we started our search again this summer and through another mom friend, met a girl named Susan (not real name of course). She works in the Kids Club at the gym we belong to so I would see her from time to time and she seemed nice. And obviously, she had experience with kids. Best of all, my friend used her on a frequent basis, often entire days to watch her own 18-month-old daughter. There were nothing but glowing reviews.

After her first gig with us, we chatted with her for awhile about her plans and turns out she had been accepted to medical school. We immediately feel even more comfortable with her and talked to her about medicine, medical school life, financial aid, etc. An hour later, we wave good-bye and SK and I agree that we're lucky to have found her.

Then a few weeks ago, I called her to see if she was available for a Saturday evening. We begin chatting and I asked her if she was excited about school. She admits that she's nervous and will probably defer for a year. Then she adds that she has time to think about it since her medical school doesn't start until late September.

This little comment set off a silent alarm in my head. What kind of graduate school (let alone medical school) starts in late September? After I got off the phone with her, I reluctantly checked the academic schedule for her medical school. Sure enough, orientation for first-year medical school students had already begun! She had lied about being accepted to med school and elaborated on it for an hour with SK and I. I felt nauseous.

What really gets my goat is that she really didn't have to lie about medical school. We would have used her as a babysitter anyway since we don't need anyone with an MD to watch Elise (although that would be really nice). But now that I've uncovered this lie, it's hard to know what other falsehoods she's already told or will tell in the future.

I awkwardly shared my discovery with my friend as I knew she would be using her on a weekly basis. But as it turns out, she was starting to have her doubts about her as well with other bizarre behavior, like calling my friend at all hours of the night about a break-up with her boyfriend??? Weird.

We are still going out this Saturday night, but we are ponying up more money to use a sitter service that thoroughly vets all their employees. This particular sitter has been employed by the service for seven years. SK and I will actually be able to enjoy ourselves at dinner. Whew...

5 states, 12 days

We're back from our trip to the East Coast and after a few days of R&R, we're finally recovered. The trip was jam-packed with weddings and visits with family. Not much of a vacation for me really. But nonetheless, it was a great memory-making trip. We hit 5 states in 12 days, with 18-month-old in tow. ESK was pretty darn well-behaved for the duration, although she wasn't such an angel on the flight back home. The solo flight home was the straw (or rather the iron anvil) that broke this camel's back. We're buying ESK her own seat the next time we fly.

I'm not going to even try to recap this whirlwind trip. Instead, enjoy some pics:

Wedding in the Berkshires

Visiting our peeps in NYC


Peach picking in West Chester, PA


Back to NYC, in my old 'hood

Beach time w/ cousins and ee-mos in Little Compton, RI



"Doe a deer, a female deer...."
Music time w/ Ee-mo VonTrapp in Boston


Old skool wedding in NH


Last night in Boston w/ Grandpa

Welcome to No-land

ESK has been babbling a ton lately. Blah blah blah blah gobbledy gook, etc. Sometimes she throws in a few words here and there. Lately, her favorite word? You guessed it: "NO". She uses it with abandon. "Do you want to read a book?" "No." "Do you want to eat?" "No." Do you want to go night night?" "No." "Do you want to go to college?" "No."

Ah well. I knew this time was coming.

Living the Dream
This summer has flown by for us. I think moving into a new home really consumed our lives for awhile. And now that we're pretty much settled in, I feel a bit lost and anxious. I put my work on the back burner and haven't pursued any projects. So in the professional sense, I feel a bit adrift. But otherwise, I feel as if SK and I are finally doing some things and tackling projects we've talked about/dreamed about since we first got married.

Some background... Right after we got married, we moved to San Francisco and lived in a tiny, run-down, non-insulated apartment. When we first got to SF, we found the apartment had mold on the walls and a disintegrated kitchen floor. That was the worst of it, but the rest wasn't that much better. A half hour before we went to bed every night, we would have to turn on a space heater in our bedroom to prepare the room for sleep. As we huddled under the covers at night, we would talk about how it would be nice to live in a 1)warm home 2)our own home 3)a home where ESK had her own cozy nursery.

So, while our new house is far from perfect -- it's tiny and apparently has a rodent problem (see previous post) -- we are pretty darn happy. [Cue soundtrack: "Our House is a very very very fine house..."]

EEK!

Last night I was curled up in a blanket on our living room couch, I saw a little mouse scurry behind our TV. GROSS.

I went straight up to bed and made SK look behind the TV to see if the mouse was still hanging out. He didn't see anything. Where did it go? Double, triple gross.

I'm going out to buy traps today. Ah, the joys of homeownership.

I heart summer

Our new neighborhood is full of school-aged kids. Seeing the kids hanging out on the sidewalk tonight reminded me of how much I loved summertime (before I had to worry about SATs and getting into college). We spent most of our days hanging out at the pool, going to summer camps, riding bikes, our skin getting darker and darker by the day. So carefree, so fun...

I feel a bit of that this year here in Portland. I still have a lot to do around the house, taking care of ESK, running errands, etc. But because ESK is more mobile and embarking on a more exploratory stage, I feel like I'm starting to relive that summertime excitement.

The summer weather here is wonderful and after the long rainy months, I try to take advantage of the weather as much as possible. Going to the outdoor pool. Walking to the playground and hitting the swings, then the jungle gym, and finally the slide. And last but not least, the occasional ice cream treat. Yum. It's amazing to watch ESK experience all these things for the first time and it's more amazing to witness the pure joy she exudes. Peals of laughter, endless giggles, big dimpled smiles. Makes mom's heart melt.

Montreal
This past weekend, I met some friends in Montreal, Canada for a bachelorette weekend. It is an inexplicably popular destination for bachelor/bachelorette parties. Everywhere we went, there were large packs of men and women, drifting to the next restaurant, bar, club. None of us in the wedding party new this when we chose our destination. Who knew?

Montreal is a very European-style city and much more French than I was expecting. All the signs, television, and service was in French. And the old parts of the city had the requisite cobblestone, narrow streets and alleyways. It was a much larger city than I imagined with better shopping and a more sophisticated feel. The two nice dinners we went to both had music thumping in the background and folks at the bar checking each other out. There was just an energy in the air at these places that reminded me of NY, but that I never run into in Portland. I suddenly felt like a country bumpkin. Or just a mom who hasn't gone out in awhile.

Anyway, I had a good time just hanging out with girlfriends. But I would highly recommend Montreal for a romantic getaway weekend as well. It's a taste of Europe, but just next door in Canada. Isn't that what it's billed as?

So, what did I do with ESK you ask? Hubs watched her for the entire weekend, a first for him. I was actually more curious about his experience at home with ESK than my own experience in Montreal. SK is a good and attentive dad, so there were no disasters or mishaps. But as he has ZERO kitchen skills, I wrote out a menu of pre-made food in the fridge and cooking directions for things like scrambled eggs and grilled cheese sandwiches. Oh, not to mention SK's food. And just in case he was at his wit's end, I had some friends invite him over on Sunday afternoon. There was a lot of preparation involved for this three day trip.

When I returned, we were both exhausted and he admitted that his days were a lot busier than he imagined, with very little time to himself. And he also said he would never underestimate the amount of work I did daily in raising our ESK.

I ought to go away on girls' weekends more often!

Happy 4th!

I don't remember really celebrating the 4th of July much growing up or in my 20's. But now that we have a kid, I'm discovering there's all sorts of family fun on the 4th. Parades, fireworks, picnics, etc. Our neighborhood had a small parade and picnic, which we totally missed because we're so new to the neighborhood. Apparently this picnic is a big deal because I drove by and saw saw rows of BBQ grills and smokers, tents, everyone dressed up in red, white & blue and kids with face paint. I don't remember seeing stuff like this in the Philly suburbs, and certainly not in NY.

Instead of our neighborhood shindig, we headed over to a party one of hubs' co-workers was throwing. This family has a beautiful spread in the countryside, complete with tractor and two fat dogs. Every year they have a huge 4th of July celebration with their own fireworks (firefighters and fire truck show up) and BBQ feast. They also have 7 kids, the oldest in high school, the youngest at 2 years old! This year they were expecting 200 guests.

We got there on the early side, so we got to see the family interacting. Basically, everyone was running every which way all over the property. It was a complete zoo (even before the 100+ guests arrived), but what was great to see however, was all the siblings watching out for the youngest brother. Mom was able to get ready for the party without wondering where the toddler had toddled off to.

I don't think SK and I can handle 7 kids, but watching this family made me realize how great it would be for ESK to have siblings. We're going to start on that project right away!

Just kidding. Ha ha ha! Eventually though, yes, we'll get started on that project sometime...

Baby Cleavage

I thought I was trying to cover ESK's "polka dots" up, but instead, I created cleavage.

Moved In!

Yay, we're all moved in. We have minimal belongings, so it didn't take very long to unpack. We still need a few more shelving/storage type items though. It's going to be a struggle to finish off these projects. Hopefully, I won't let them languish for too long.

I would post some pictures, except my camera battery has died and the battery charger has gone missing. I know I packed it somewhere, but have yet to find it.

Another P-U
ESK had another P-U moment this morning. She was holding unto the couch and straining, so I went over and asked her, "Are you P-Uing?" Still holding unto the couch and semi-squatting, she whispered weakly, "Pee...Uuuu..."

For all you experienced moms out there: When do you start potty-training? I know it's still early yet (ESK is only 17 months), but I'm thinking about getting her a little potty, just so she starts getting used to seeing it around.

Moving Day

We're moving. Again. Although we're only going a short 10-minute drive away, I have mixed feelings about leaving our downtown neighborhood, especially with rising gas prices. Our new home is more suburban, so mo more walking to the store and no more public transportation. I'll miss it for sure.

But for now, it doesn't even feel like we're leaving because our apartment isn't close to being packed up. Hubs and I keep saying, "Wow, we still have a lot of packing to do". But we don't actually pack anything up. I wonder when the panic will set in??

P-U!
Little ESK is learning a new word every other day. Yesterday, we were in the elevator and she got the "i'm making a poopy" strained look in her face. Hubs and I chuckled. Presumably when she was done, she started waving her hand in front of her face and said loudly, "P-U!" And sure enough, when we got home and checked her diaper, there was plenty of reason to say "P-U".

Shared Parenting

Just gobbled up this interesting article from the upcoming NYT's magazine about shared parenting. Basically, it follows a few parents who have tried to go even Stevens on parenting duties. That's right 50/50, halfsies, down the middle.

Obviously, this isn't for every family, but it does raise interesting points about the sociological roots of why women usually become the caretakers and men the breadwinners, as well as great statistics on the ratio of housework and childcare that each partner takes care of. Did you know....

- A stay-at-home mom does twice as much housework than a working dad.

- Even in households where mom does work, mom still does the same ratio of housework (2:1) in comparison to the dad.

- AND despite gains in women's rights and more women in the workforce, this 2:1 ratio hasn't changed much in the past 90 years.

- With childcare, the stay-at-home mom spends 15 hours a week to dad's 2. For working parents, it's mom's 11 hours to dad's 3 hours with the kids.

What's your "madeleine"?

I was reading this NYT op-ed piece about the salmon shortage this year and it made me think.... What is my madeleine? What's that one food that is a taste of your childhood?

The madeleine is a French cookie and a reference from Proust's In Search of Lost Time. In the book, the protagonist takes a bite of a madeleine and is immediately flooded with memories of his childhood. If you've seen "Ratatouille", the evil critic Anton Ego's madeleine is ratatouille.

I have a few, but my ultimate culinary memory from childhood is my grandmother's sahm-kae-tahng (chicken soup with ginseng) with rice and pickled radishes (not spicy). One spoonful of rice soaked in the soup, and then my grandmother would place one piece of radish on top of the rice mound. Then down the hatch. So good.

Another meal that has a lot of good memories attached is Sunday afternoon ramen and kimchi with the family. I think it may have even been Sapporo Ichiban. A little bit of egg, some green onions, and if we had it, ggak-du-gi (radish cubes).

What's your madeleine?

Angry Asian Lady

I was going to write a delightful post about my entertaining weekend. Fun in the park, SATC movie, parade, etc. But instead, I'm going to vent about a really annoying experience I had this afternoon.

We are in the process of closing on a home (can't even bring myself to write about for fear of jinxing the process) and have been dealing with our mortgage. The bank we chose is one of the largest financial institutions here on the West Coast, so I considered them pretty trustworthy. Up until this point, they had been pretty good about communication and customer service in general.

Since we are first-time homebuyers, we are going through all the documents with a fine-tooth comb, mostly so we understand exactly what we're paying for. We have, from their perspective I'm sure, some pretty annoying and nit-picky questions. And since hub's work schedule doesn't allow him to make calls during the day, I have become well-acquainted with our mortgage associate... Let's call him Jack.

Today, I called Jack with a list of questions (written down and checked off as he answered them), including one about our escrow account for tax purposes. Basically, we felt as if they were asking for too much money in escrow, even if it was for taxes. I asked him repeatedly to make sure that the amount they were asking for was correct and that the reason he was giving me was indeed correct. And he confidently told me that was in fact the case. Simply company policy and state law, he said.

Of course his answer made no sense. And so when I talked to hubs, he was getting increasingly frustrated and called Jack himself....

Lo and behold, hubs gets a TOTALLY different answer! An answer that actually made sense! Basically, the bastard made up a story, pulling numbers out of the air, telling PURE fiction to satisfy my "annoying" questions! Sometime after I hung up with him, he must have talked to someone and gotten the real answer. So when hubs called, Jack had his ducks in a row and an intelligent answer to give.

I cannot even express to you how angry I've been feeling all afternoon. Jack thought he could get away with telling the silly little lady, essentially, lies (!!) and patted me on the head and sent me on my way. He didn't have the courtesy to even put me on hold for a minute, ask a co-worker or superior for the correct answer, and tell me what I needed to know.

For me, the moral of this story is that in order to get anything done in the business world, you can't be nice. You have to be pushy and demanding. Unfortunately, that kind of behavior is a stretch for me. As a woman, I am conditioned to be nice. Demanding for service and threatening to take away my business feels so unpleasant! Anyone else have a story like this?

First Parade

Things I've noticed about Portland people: 1) sincere and open 2) a little kooky. If you drive around Portland, you'll notice a popular bumperstickers on cars that say, "Keep Portland Weird". So, every now and then, you'll get these strangers who will come up to you and harmlessly say something kinda strange. Sincere kookiness.

A shining example of a weird tradition here in Portland is the Starlight Parade, one part of the many events that make up the two-week long annual Rose Festival (Portland is also called the "City of Roses"). It's a night-time parade with brightly lit floats with the typical marching bands and even princess and queens in tiaras and gowns doing the pageant wave (not sure if they were in earnest or ironic).

I know this all sounds like standard parade fare but it's hard to explain why the whole experience was such a spectacle. Let's see... there was the large group of Star Wars storm troopers, the Elvis riding on a really tall unicycle, the tap-dancing step dancers.... And then there were the crowd members watching the parade: a random group of joggers that ran through the middle of parade dressed in togas, the person standing next to us in the head to toe bee costume (including bright yellow face paint and oversized glasses), the woman dressed as a pink flamingo riding a homemade bike built with tires from a truck...

It was ESK's first parade and she loved it. Here's a picture of her with a new friend and a trio of Royal Rosarians (still not sure what they do?!):


New Home
We closed on a new home yesterday! After renting for so long, SK and I cannot believe we are homeowners. This confirms that we are in complete adulthood. Weird.

Random Thought and Addendum

Sometimes in the morning, when ESK is bounding around full of energy, I keep her busy by turning on the TV. I know, she's not yet two years old and she's not supposed to watch the ol' boob tube. But in the a.m., I've still got crust in my eyes and am totally useless until my first cup of coffee (motherhood has addicted me to coffee). Hope she doesn't become one of those TV zombie children, although it may be already to late for that. Oh well.

So, part of the morning line-up is "Handy Manny", a show about a cheery Latino fix-it man and his coterie of talking tools. I'm sure you moms are very familiar with the show. And so my random thought today is: I think the writers of the show put this undercurrent of sexual tension between Manny and Kelly, the comely hardware shop owner. The other day, I was listening to the dialogue and here's what I heard:

Tool 1 (with enthusiasm): Kelly will probably have what you need at her store!
Tool 2 (snidely): Kelly has EVERYTHING Manny needs...

I know there are other little bits here and there that are suggestive like this, but this is the only one that comes to mind. Am I totally crazy?

Addendum
I re-read my last post and wanted to clarify a few points. I am not belittling these women who have these life problems. In fact, I don't know what I would do if I was faced with the same issues in my own life.

But I guess the last post was just a selfish and self-absorbed rant. I want friends to provide light-hearted entertainment and companionship for me. Maybe what I'm looking for is just activity partners, and not true friendship. Yes, sometimes I do feel that these women are just unloading their baggage on me out of sheer loneliness. But also, aren't these shared thoughts and life stories the basis of real friendships? And I know as an isolated mom, I've had my own moments of verbal diarrhea.

Which brings me to another point that my sister and I discussed the other day. Is motherhood always lonely? Or is this loneliness just a part of getting older and growing up? With increased responsibilities, I do get the feeling you get wrapped up in managing your own life and family, whereas when I was younger and unattached, I could drop anything to go hang with friends. What do you think?

Random Pictures

Just realized I have not posted any pics in awhile. Here are a few from our last trip:

Bathtime fun with cousin GMK



Hanging with the cuz



I LOVE watermelon

Got Issues?

It's nice to have companionship, but lately, I've been wondering, "At what cost?" I've recently noticed that nearly all of my new female friends here in PDX have some kind of deep issues or difficulties in their lives. I know I have some issues, but the problems that these women face are much greater than mine. I hate to air their personal business, so I won't include any details, but they either dealt with serious medical issues, death, or, on the more prosaic side, flakiness (although SK suspects bipolar disorder or schizophrenia).

As I reflect on this, I realize the situation is pretty funny. I'm not sure how I've managed to put together such a motley crue. Actually, none of them have met each other (about three women so far), but frankly, I'm afraid to introduce them.

Why can't I meet any normal women? I know, I know... What is "normal", right? But I guess what I'm really looking for is someone who I feel I can relate to. And there is certainly something each of these women have that I have in common with. One recently moved to Portland with her husband and 15-month-old daughter, just around the time we did. The other is an ex-New Yorker, just like me. And the other is Korean-American.

I guess I'm looking for someone I have more in common with than just these minor things and I guess it'll take time!

Recap

Gosh, so much has happened and I don't even know where to begin. I guess I'll just spew out some random thoughts on my trip back East:

Plane rides
Flying with a baby is such a crap shoot! I feel like we have tried every permutation of flying cross-country with her. Flying at night direct, flying during the daytime direct, flying during the daytime or nighttime with a layover, snacks, books, surprise toys (new toy introduced on the flight)... There's no telling when she'll be a little angel and when she'll decide to be crankmonster.

During this last flight, we woke at 4 a.m. for a 6 a.m. flight. She was mildly cranky on our first flight because she was tired. I was hoping she'd sleep during the second flight, but instead she wanted to run up and down the aisle. You know in the cartoons when you see machines starting to whirr out of control and steam starts streaming out until finally the machine just blows up? That's what I felt like ESK was doing. She was twisting out of my arms, climbing all over me, even scratching my face.

I was ecstatic when the plane landed and happy to let her run around the spacious and relatively empty Portland airport. But I still had the get our bags -- one 60+ lb. suitcase (which I paid extra to check-in) and ESK's car seat which was in a protective backpack. As I pushed ESK in a stroller in front of me, pulled the suitcase behind me and strapped the car seat to my back, people were kinda chuckling because I looked so silly. Another onlooker told me I looked like a sherpa. I wish someone could have taken a picture because I think I would have laughed as well.

Old & New Tricks
ESK's favorite word these days is "up". She says "up" when she wants to be picked up, when we're carrying her and she wants to be put down, and when she's seated and wants to run around. Lately, she's been saying it with a very commanding tone to her voice. "Uuuu-PUH!" Cracks me up.

While we were back East, she learned a lot of new tricks from her two grandmas and even her cousin GMK:

1) winking -- of course she ends up shutting both eyes; priceless
2) tickling -- learned from GMK; wiggle fingers around your neck and says, "ticka ticka"
3) finding nose -- touches nose when asked "where's your nose?"
4) peekaboo -- covers parts of her face (not necessarily eyes) with 2 hands and uncovers
5) "cheese" -- also courtesy of GMK; says something closer to "chee" when I take a picture
6) traveling up and down stairs (we don't have stairs in our apartment)

AND much much more.

When her dad saw her again in Portland, he couldn't believe how much she had grown -- physically and in every other way. She's really starting to look like a little girl!

I'll post pics of my trip soon...

Can't Talk

I am back on the East Coast for a brief visit. This past weekend, SK and I dropped ESK off with her grandparents and went to the Big Apple for a wedding. It was busy between the wedding events (SK was a groomsman) and trying to squeeze in visits with friends.

I felt a little naked at first without a baby in tow. But I quickly got used to it and then it was like I never left NY. Except for the fact that everything in NY changes so fast! Old restaurants gone, new stores, new buildings, construction everywhere!

The wedding itself was beautiful at the Central Park Boathouse. A New York Times reporter and photographer were there, so it may be the featured wedding in the Style section next Sunday. The only hiccup: one of the ringbearers tossed his cookies toward the end of the ceremony. Poor kid.

I must have worn myself down however because I have completely lost my voice.
What started out as a little frog in my throat, developed into a pubescent 12-year-old's cracking voice, and finally degenerated into mere whistles and screeching noises. It's been frustrating not being able to properly communicate.

ESK on the other hand is being spoiled and having too much fun exploring new places and things. She's been sucking down watermelon and spaghetti noodles like a champ. Unfortunately, like her cousin GMK, she hates grass and cried when her grandparents tried to make her walk through it. She's definitely a little city girl. SK and I are going to have to do some more stuff in nature, or at least grass, when we get back to Portland.

Little Miss Mess

ESK is having a tough week. She's had an upper respiratory infection (a.k.a. snotty runny nose) for the past few days. I'm always chasing her with a snot rag to wipe her nose and now she knows to run away if I have a tissue or aspirator in hand. The little booger is getting smart.

Of course, with her clogged up pipe, she's lost her appetite and sadly, her cherubic cheeks are a little less round these days. And her sleeping has been totally off. And that means my sleep is off as well.

On top of that, I inadvertently tripped her while she was walking around with her SnackTrap. And now she has a red imprint of her SnackTrap on her forehead. The poor girl looks a mess.

Communicating

ESK just made some big leaps in communicating today at lunch. I was so excited I had to share. First, she made the sign for milk (squeezing her fists). Then she said she wanted more applesauce, clearly making the sign (fingertips together) instead of her previous clapping. Then she actually said, "All done", or something very close to it, when I started clearing off her tray and taking her bib off! I'm sure the last one was just a fluke, but it still made me giddy to hear it.

Of course, all this is after months of trying to get her to sign. I think we started at 10 months, but not consistently. Finally, 4 months later....

Fake Outs
I'm not sure why I'm sharing this, but ESK has been totally faking us out lately. She'll smell like she has a dirty diaper, but when we open up her diaper, there's nothing there. Just gas. What's amazing is that sometimes we can smell her from across a room. Quite a set of pipes she has. Phew!

Politically Disengaging
People here in Portland are pretty politically engaged. And just so I could tell my Portland friends and neighbors that I voted, I checked yesterday to make sure I was registered. Voting in Oregon is also different because it's all done by mail-in ballot. I think I'll miss going to the voting booth, pulling that old lever and having the curtain shut behind me, but I can see why this mail-in system works better.

Anyway, despite being in the midst of a pretty exciting presidential primary race, I'm feeling pretty removed from the political process. This is not for want of trying. SK and I went to a U.S. Senate candidate's fundraiser (capable and sensible choice, but blahs-ville personality) and I'm volunteering to do the publicity for a family-focused mayoral forum. But everything I hear about politics these days just goes in one jaded ear and out the other.

As for the presidential race, I've been long tired of the jabs traded between Hils and Obama. Their stances on things are really only *this* far apart, and it makes me sick to my stomach to see so much energy and fund-raising power being wasted in a primary race. (Will there be enough left over for the Republicans?) Both candidates are very qualified, with one a bit more seasoned than the other. I get that Obama is charismatic (Yes we can!), but it bugs me that his speechwriter is practically a decade younger than me. And while I don't necessarily love Hils, it irks me to no end how people blindly bash her, sometimes largely for being a woman! For the record, I am as of yet, undecided.

Anyway, that's my not-clearly-thought-out rant for the day.

ESK in the Emerald City

ESK and I took a weekend trip to Seattle while SK was at a conference in Chicago. I was reunited with an old college friend I hadn't seen in six or seven years. She also happens to have a 13-month-old son, so it was great for them to "play" together and for the two of us to catch up.

It wasn't fun driving up there however. We started out right after lunch on Friday, but with traffic and a lengthy pit stop to stretch ESK's legs, we got into Seattle at 4:30. Not terrible, but it was stressful to think at at any moment, ESK could have a meltdown in the backseat. We got through with just one 20 minute cry session. Whew...

Anyway, the other fun thing about the weekend was getting Elise doggy-trained. We have a ton of dogs in our apartment building and while she's curious and points, she doesn't like it when they start to sniff her or lick her. But there was no avoiding the canine curiosity this weekend because my girlfriend has two dogs. By Sunday, she was giggling when they stopped to give her "kisses".

No, Seriously
As I look back on my previous posts, I realize I write only the good, fun stories. Y'all must think I live some kind of charmed life. Skiing, Seattle, hanging out at home with the little one....

I do have thoughts that go deeper than "is ESK's diaper dirty?"... But I usually forget to write about them. Will have to do a better job of being more serious/interesting/important.

First Snow, Skiing Adventure

We spent the last week in Central Oregon on a ski vacation with some other families. It wasn't the most relaxing vacation since there were five kids under the age of 5 with us. But it was a lot of fun.

I had no idea it snowed so much in Central Oregon in the spring. We got at least 10 inches of snow during our stay there, more on the mountain. This was ESK's first exposure to the white, fluffy stuff. She loved it of course. She couldn't stop staring and saying, "Ooooohhhhh".

Cross-country Skiing
This was a sport I never had much interest in. Howevever, our host family were big fans, so when in Rome... It turned out to be a lot of fun. First, it is really relaxing with nothing but beautiful winter scenery and the "shuushing" sound of skis. Cross-country skiing was also a great workout. Not too difficult like running a marathon, but more akin to a low-impact aerobic workout.

I fell on my butt after thinking the skis were like regular alpine skis. But then I imagined myself on a NordicTrak and that actually worked!

The other neat thing was that we took ESK along with us. We buckled her into a sled, which we then strapped unto SK. She was a little fussy about it at first, but after awhile, she fell asleep and napped the entire time we were out. Here she is after a long cross-country ski run:



And here she is relaxing at the lodge with an apres ski drink (milk):


Alpine Skiing
We also got a chance to do the other kind of skiing, the regular downhill kind. I was especially excited to do this because I hadn't gone in several years. But turns out skiing is kinda like riding a bike. You don't forget the basics.

This was my first experience skiing on the West Coast. It was spectacular. I was knee deep in powdery snow on some of the runs and I felt like I was just bouncing around on the slope. I literally was letting out little yelps of joy like a loony on my way down the mountain. Luckily, there were very few people around to hear me.

It was also my first time skiing with the hubs, which made this a very special ski day. We dropped ESK off at the resort daycare and crossed our fingers. We hadn't had much luck with her in other daycare situations, but this day she cooperated! Woohoo!

By the way, ski gear is really unattractive. No matter what you wear, you manage to look fat and stumpy. See below.

Pretending

ESK woke up around midnight last night and wanted to play. As SK had surgery scheduled for the next day, I stayed up with her in bed and tried to entertain her.

She entertained me however. All of a sudden, she started using her pincer grasp to pick at things on our pillows. I didn't have my glasses on, so I squinted to see what she was doing. Turned out, she was pretending to eat! She would pick up "food" and then bring it to her mouth and make this munch/gulp sound. She did this over and over again. I even got her to feed me some "food".

This child-rearing thing is pretty fun!

Another Dream
Yes, another bad dream. This one happened right before I woke up this morning. It wasn't bad overall, but it ended horribly. SK and I were both facing the prospect of going to jail and we were talking about what we were going to do with ESK! Scary and upsetting!

Not What I Thought

So, during Xmas break while we were in PHL, we discussed this new birthday party fad for kids that kinda grossed me out. Apparently, there are salons for little girls that give them mani-pedis, make-up, dress up clothes, etc. I thought for sure this was an East Coast/big city phenomenon. People that I've met in Portland seemed too crunch-y, granola-y, to buy into this kinda thing.

Alas, it is NOT! I just saw an ad in some Portland family magazine for one of these salons.

So, it's made me rethink this idea. My initial reaction to this trend stems from the fact that I wasn't allowed to wear make-up and dress up until I was much, much older. My parents always used to say, "We don't want you to blossom to early!" Ha ha ha! But when I got older, it took me a long time to get used to the idea of dressing up, taking care of myself and wearing make-up. I'm still pretty bad at it.

I don't think I'll ban ESK or any other daughters (hopefully just girls will have interest in this kind of thing, although I hear little boys can be curious too) from experimenting with make-up or going to these kinds of parties. Maybe someday they'll be make-up artists, or stylists or something. Or maybe they'll just want to look more polished. I will draw the line somewhere, but I'll have to decided where that demarcation is when I get there.

But I just cross my fingers they won't like it too much and decide to pursue reading or playing sports or something. Hee hee!

Scary Dreams and Morning Routine

I've been having weird, vivid dreams lately. The one I had two nights ago was especially creepy. They aren't really scary in the super gross-out factor kinda way. Just spooky enough to give you a bad night's sleep.

Like most dreams, I can't really remember the details of the people in it, or the place we were in. But I remember vague feelings and atmospheres. Does that make sense? For instance, I remember this one woman was kinda evil, but there was a reason why she was evil, like she was a woman with a sad history. And that her evil was more of a bitter kind.

Anyway, I must totally sound like a nut. But last night I had a hard time falling asleep because I was afraid of having another bad dream.

I do believe that there is something stressing me out. Maybe it's the house hunt? Maybe it's my job stuff? I dunno. Luckily, I didn't have a bad dream last night.

But on the other side of sleep, is the morning. And these days, SK and I have a blissful a.m. routine. Usually we're awoken by little ESK babbling away in her crib. Sometimes she's crying, but that is increasingly rare.

One of us stumbles out of bed to her room and when we turn on the light and her eyes adjust to the brightness, she usually says, "Hi-eeyyyy". Or something that sounds a lot like "Hi".

Then she quickly roots around in her crib, looks for her stuffed bear and stands up waiting to be picked up. It's as if she's saying, "Okay, now I'm ready." We carry her back to our bed, where she plays for 15 minutes before her daddy has to get ready for work.

Farewell to The Wire
The series finale of The Wire aired on Sunday. We bid a sad farewell to all the characters we had grown to love, but the last episode didn't disappoint. The writers did a great job of wrapping up all the plot lines.

SK and I will miss recapping the show after each viewing and it also leaves us at a loss with what to watch now on TV. There is kinda this empty space in our lives. I know that sounds dramatic, but it's only a small empty space. Not a big hole in our heart or anything.

Stuck

Here's a series of pictures of ESK getting into trouble about a month ago. Now that she's more mobile, she loves exploring. But this time it backfired on her.

Here she is happily hanging out underneath her high chair:


And here she is trying to get out from underneath her chair:


And here she is starting to get upset now that she's realized she is stuck:


She started crying a few seconds after I took that last picture. And then I had to lift the entire high chair over her head because she couldn't figure how to get out herself. Poor thing.

Missing Dad

The hubs is away this weekend and so it's just me and the little peanut for the next couple days. A year ago when SK went away for the weekend and ESK was only a few months old, I thought I was going to die. But it's a whole lot easier now that ESK is a little older. Plus, sometimes I like to just eat a bowl of cereal for dinner. That's something I can't do when hubs is home.

Anyway, ESK is definitely her daddy's little girl. Last night as I was getting ready to put her to bed, we heard a door closing/opening from outside, probably a neighbor getting home/leaving. Elise suddenly got up and walked down the long, dark corridor to our front door. Halfway down, she stopped, dropped to her knees and started crying softly.

Apparently, she thought her daddy had come home and was expecting to see him round the corner. I fetched her and went about trying to distract her. But she went down the hall two more times, looking for her dad and crying. I finally put her down for bed, but she had a very good, hard cry before she finally fell asleep.

We're missing daddy for sure.

Terrible Blogger
I'm terrible at posting things on this blog. Lots has happened since my last post, include a visit from my styling' NYC sister EMK, and in my head I think, "Oh, I should write about this!", but it never happens. It's just plain laziness.


Winter Over?
So, unless this year is an anomaly, methinks the rainy season here is much exaggerated. We're at the end of February, and we've had a long stretch of gorgeous weather. Every morning I wake up expecting to see streaks of rain on the window. And every morning since mid-February I've been gladly disappointed!

SK and I have decided that if this is as bad as it gets in Portland, it's something we can definitely live with.

Awkward Politics
Portland is by far and large a liberal city. People here are passionate about the environment and left-leaning politics. When the weather is warmer, there are all kinds of people standing on corners passing out leaflets, asking for donations, and trying to persuade you to sign their petition. Anyway, there are Republicans here as well however, but mostly in the suburbs. Interestingly enough, SK's co-workers pretty much fall on the Republican or Democratic side depending on where they live. Party affiliation by geography. Or so we thought.

So this past week, SK and I went to a casual dinner party at one of his co-worker's homes in the suburbs. Another co-worker and his wife were there who lived in the same suburban town and we knew to be staunch Republicans. All was going swimmingly until SK innocently said, "How exciting is this election!?" He only meant to comment on the increased political engagement of the American public this election.

This launched a heated political debate. Unfortunately, little did we realize that the host and hostess were actually Democrats. And not just any run-of-the-mill centrist Democrats. They are dedicated enough to the Democratic party that they are hosting a fundraiser for a Democratic senatorial candidate in March! Ugh. It got ugly. And both SK and I found excuses to leave the table to help out in the kitchen or tend to Elise (our babysitter was unavailable).

House Hunting
As you know, we are in the midst of a house hunt these days. And as I've mentioned before, it's been a little discouraging at times. The homes in our price range are either out in the boonies (and since we're in Oregon, this is the real boonies we're talking here) or fixer-uppers. I keep having to remind myself that this will not be our dream home and that we're lucky to even be able to buy something.

The other side of this impending move is that since the owner of our condo unit is selling, we have buyers and realtors coming into our current apartment as well. It's been a pain getting Elise out of the apartment in time. The up side? The apartment is certainly cleaner these days!

Ch-ch-ch-changes

It seems ESK is going through separation anxiety. Which is a total bummer because she was such a social baby before, and we were crossing our fingers and toes she wouldn't hit this stage. But alas, it's here and it doesn't seem like we can do much about it. Here's a picture of her losing her cool when I walked too far away from her in our apartment:



I let her stay on the floor for awhile to see if she was faking. But she cried pretty hard for a few minutes. I guess her tears were for real.

As long as we're in close proximity however, ESK is a very happy baby. She squeals with glee when we come chasing after her.

Unwelcome Change
We've also started the weaning process with ESK. She has taken to it quite well actually and doesn't seem to miss the bonding time. I thought I would be so happy to stop breastfeeding, but I actually miss it. It's sad to think she doesn't miss those special cozy moments.

So besides losing special bonding moments with my baby, I think I've actually gained some weight back! AAAGH! This totally sucks. I remember my sister telling me that she gained some weight when she weaned GMK and it's happened to me as well. No more second servings of dinner. No more muffins at the coffee shop. Sigh...

Snow Day

There definitely is something to be said for having lazy weekends. After an action-packed weekend with a friend visiting from the Big Apple, I was mighty tired on Monday morning.

My lack of rest only made what happened this morning only more painful. ESK has her swim lessons on Monday mornings. I'm not sure why I decided to schedule a Monday morning swim class, especially considering how much work it takes to get ESK ready for swimming. Anyway, I fed her breakfast, changed her, got all her swimming gear together and headed to the swim school a little early so I wouldn't be too rushed.

As we headed toward west toward the 'burbs, I noticed a light coating of snow, perhaps an inch, nothing more. It was beautiful to see snow again, but everyone was driving at a snail's pace. I've probably complained about this before, but people here actually drive at the speed limit on the highway, even in the leftmost lanes. So you can only imagine, how slow the traffic was with the "snow".

By the time I got to the pool, I still had plenty of time, but there were no cars around and the office was dark. The pool was closed. When I called, they said they were opening two hours late because of inclement weather!

What inclement weather?!! I wanted to shout out my window at everyone, "This is NOT SNOW! You wusses!"

Okay, just had to vent. I feel better now.

Sunshine and Housing Blues

The past week has been nothing but blue skies and sunshine here in Portland. All week long!! It's been nice. Unfortunately, it has also been really cold, hovering around the upper 30's/lower 40's. I suppose this is how cold it is on the east coast, but people here just aren't used to it. And having spent last year in the Bay Area, neither am I!

It's been nice to have this short break of sun. But every day I wake up and wonder, is is it going to be cloudy and rainy today?

Housing Blues
Some of you know that SK and I have started to look around for a new home. Our first home purchase! After spending all of our 20's in one rental unit after another, it is nice to think of living in a place of our very own.

But our second week into the home search, I'm realizing it's going to be harder than I originally imagined. There really isn't anything (at least not in our price range) that is going to be our dream home. In fact, it seems anything in our price range is going to need a lot of work.

I know you're supposed to see beyond the bad paint, fixtures, carpet and clutter in the home. But sometimes it's tough. The other day, I looked at a home that clearly had been owned by an elderly person, evidenced by the portable toilet that was still sitting in the bedroom! Totally gross. Believe it or not, this home had more potential than the other four homes I saw that day. Sigh.

The real estate people keep telling us to make a list of "must-haves". But having only lived in apartments, I'm not even sure what should be on our list. Anyone have any suggestions?

Little Girl

It's been awhile since I posted. I guess the holidays just wore me out. We were back East visiting family as many of you know. And while it's great to see my sisters and friends, we also had ESK's dol. Planning and preparing for the party and shuttling back and forth between my parent's house and my in-laws really tired me out.

I'm glad to be back in Portland, even though it's typically gray and rains often. But there really is no place like home. Yes, my everyday routine is boring, but sometimes, I just need "boring".

Sometime during our trip East, I feel like ESK turned into a little girl. She's not quite walking yet, but something about the way she looks has just changed. And between all the attention she got from our relatives, she learned some new tricks including: hugging her stuffed animals and patting the on the back, clapping, shaking her head "no" (not too happy about this one), and most recently, learning to give things when we ask, "Joo seh yo".

Lately, she's been eating pretty well, although she still doesn't like to eat any vegetables. People tell me that it's better to have babies try to self-feed, even though they make a mess. Well, here she is making a mess:

Food gets on the floor often of course, and not just around her high chair. Little pieces will stick to her clothes and then will fall off later all over the apartment. So, I find myself stooping over often to pick up little pieces of food. Apparently, I do this so often, ESK has started to imitate me -- stooping over with a pincer grasp to the floor, even when there is nothing there for her to pick up.

I'm just trying to savor as many little moments with ESK as possible. Time is going by so quickly. Before I know it, she'll be walking and then it'll just be harder and harder to keep up with her.