Happy to try something new...

Time to start our daughter on solid food. Mmmm, yummy rice cereal! Seems like a winner for Liora. Can't say she loved it, but she didn't hate it, spit it in our faces or throw it up later. She seemed mostly perplexed and interested in the sensation of eating something other than breast milk. She ate no more than a tablespoon of food.

Uh.... that really isn't breastmilk, huh?

Daddy, what is she feeding me? Is it OK?

Hey! I like it!

Gimme that spoon! Mmmmmm, spooooon.

Look mom! Partially chewed food!

Baby Sitting

Guess who is sitting like a champ? (And holding a cup with both hands? Next - chewing gum!) Her sitting has been developing by leaps and bounds over the past three weeks. She's also tracking sounds well - she knows where a sound is coming from, even if she can't see what's making it. Clap behind her and she will smile while looking to the side. How fun!

(Notice the breastfeeding pillow surrounding her rump - that's for when she occassionally flops over in pursuit of a runaway toy or just forgets that she's sitting up.)

Relaxing With the Aunties

We relaxed the day after Thanksgiving at the Weinberg-Levine house again. In these two pictures, Liora enjoys the attention of Auntie Jayme and Auntie Arie.

Thanksgiving & 1/2 Year Birthday

This November, the 23rd marked the Thanksgiving holiday and Liora's sixth month out of the uterus. We had a lovely time with the Weinberg-Levine clan. Here we are gathered on Grandpa David's and Nana's back porch, before the Thanksgiving feast.

All the adults quite enjoyed the day playing with the baby, but I have to admit that Liora was a bit of a cranky pants. It seems that she is developing some anxiety in large groups with being held by a non-parental unit. We were blessed with many giggles and laughs, but saw THE POUT quite a bit.

The Real Thing

It is a Weinberg-Levine tradition to take a picture of the uncooked Thanksgiving turkey with the child of the house. Here, both Arie and Liora take part in the ritual, with David showing off the bird.

This picture may reveal that, alas, Liora probably is not a vegetarian like her father. However, I argue that Liora is fascinated with the pot rather than the fowl. We also took a picture of Liora with the Tofurkey that I feasted on. I must admit, though, she seemed rather bored and uninterested in the smartly packaged fake meat product. More evidence of omnivorousness? Maybe.

Table Manners

Liora sits in her "Bumpo" seat at the Thanksgiving dinner table. She just finished eating Thanksgiving breast milk. We just finished eating Arie's fabulous squash soup. Mmmmm.

Look Ma, 2 Hands!

It's been facinating to watch Liora's coordination with her hands grow. At first, she could grab objects with either hand, but not with both at the same time. Then, she could grab with two hands but did not seem to understand both hands were grabbing the same object. It's clear now to her that she is grabbing and manipulating the same object, in this case her Whoozit toy. As with all objects in her hands, it quickly went to her mouth. When I feed her a bottle of breastmilk, she knows exactly how to reach for it and pull it to her. She also can hug, which is wonderful for us.

(If you think that she's sporting some red hair in this picture, its just the coloring of the image. Sorry.)

Here's looking at you!

It's really funny the way babies get excited at something and then have to either look away or turn to the side, while still looking. This shot of Liora captures it pretty well. We see it a lot.

Things that get her steady attention have to be fairly low-level stimulus, or stimulus she controls. Her floor toy is an example of that - she can lie beneath it and play with dangling toys for an hour before getting bored.

But, then there are giggle fits. When she gets on a roll with giggling, it seems that high stimulation activities like big kisses everywhere or tickling become very enjoyable. Her laughter moves through her whole body while she giggles through her entire vocal range. It may be the most joyous sound I've ever heard, as it completely lacks the bittersweet undertones that any being with more than a few years under their belt has.

She definitely has to be in the mood for the giggle fits, though, usually at the end of the day. For the rest of the day, for example, tickling get barely a smile. Ho hum, daddy. Next!

Liora and friends greet trick-or-treat'ers

Liora (the pumpkin) and her harem of super boys from Tama's "mom's group" got together to play and to greet the parade of trick-or-treat'ers in the neighborhood. In this picture, she is happily explaining Halloween to Alex (the host tiger). They all had a great time! Wow, how they have all grown. - Tama

Three little pumpkins

We've been calling Liora our little pumpkin for quite some time, and it was time to put our money where our mouth is. Let's make her a pumpkin for Halloween! At her first party, she found herself amidst a veritable baby pumpkin patch with two of her buddies (Elizabeth and Natasha). They are so sweet, we could just eat 'em!

Liora's First Halloween!!!!

Liora got all dressed up with many little friends this year to celebrate her first Halloween. (She's anchoring this costume review on the far right in the picture). She had a blast! On Sunday afternoon, she went to a GAO baby/toddler party at Natasha's house where she joined two other pumpkins, a firefighter, a bunny, Elmo, a quarterback, and a frog in some Halloween mischeif.

Liora shows off her new hand-nose coordination

Liora had a great day with the family - - and spent much time on her Nana's lap. She just loves the cuddles! She has also gotten much better at manipulating her hands. She can even put her fingers in her nose and mouth at the same time (thankfully, not one and then the other... yet).

Baby's first sushi

We thought it would be cute to order Liora a catepillar roll on her first sushi night out. Once it arrived, we realized it was a bit much for her. In fact, it was almost as big as her. Luckily, Grandma Penny and Grandpa Nick were on hand to take it off her plate. Instead of the roll, we gave her some saki. (Just kidding, Dept. of Child Services!)

The Kraken

The Kraken is a legendary sea monster that haunted the shipping lanes of the Norweigians, often portrayed in movies as a giant squid from the depths of the North Sea. What is the relationship between the Kraken and our innocent daughter, you ask? Not much, except that both the giant squid and Liora focus on one thing these days - bringing everything within their grasp into their maw. The Kraken draws in sharks, floatsam and small ships; Liora draws in burpcloths, Tama's hair, my glasses and whatever we are holding. If it can be held, in the mouth it goes. The good news is that the Kraken is huge, darts swiftly and has a monstrous will of its own. Thank heaven she does not have those qualities!

So, I should comment here about my Dad. He looks so grandfatherly, peering over his bifocals at me! He also look protective of Liora, like I'm not doing my job. We offered for him to take over for the day but he declined.

Kisses all around

There's nothing like a baby to bring out the kisses in adults. Here grandma Penny showers adoration on Liora, who is quickly becoming spoiled.

It's not clear to me whether she fully understands what kisses are yet, but I think that its beginning to sink in that they are signs of affection. It sure seems like she's getting in the hugging mood, too. Up till recently, having her arms around us was primarily for purchase, and we had to place her arms strategically. But she is beginning to open them up when we lift her to us or even open them up when she sees someone she wants to be held by. It's not really a hug, in the sense of a brief burst of affection, but it's definitely something that comforts her.

And we find ourselves supplying hugs and kisses on demand. It's hugtastistic!

Visit from the Grandparents

Liora spent last weekend with Grandma Penny and Grandpa Nick. They flew down from Washington for a few days in the Bay Area. Liora was shy at first, but warmed to them on the second day. I was thrilled to have my parents here and have their first chance to spend time with "happy baby." Last time they were here, they visited "colicky baby." Or, just "cranky baby." This time around, she laughed, and giggled and played with abandon, as the very young are want to do. Here is the Greenwich/Weinberg/Levine gang, minus me. (The Micheline Tire baby on the far right is, in fact, our daughter. Excuse me, where is tiny Liora and what did you do with her?)

Elevator up!

Liora really enjoys the elevator game now. And helicopter. Here we are at a birthday party for our friends' daughters' birthday. Playing elevator can happen at any time. Helicopter can only be played 30 minutes after her last meal.

Liora's first protest

Liora joined in her first protest this morning. She stood (sat?) in solidarity with housekeepers at the Woodfin Hotel in Emeryville, who are being threatened with a mass firing for organizing to protect their rights. Although supportive, she seemed distracted from the issue at hand by the drums, cowbells and other noisemakers keeping us marching and dancing. Her cooing was a welcome voice, but I am afraid it was drowned out by the general din and went unheard by the hotel managers. However, despite her meager contribution to the event, she made everyone at the protest smile!

Sinead Look-Alike

If Sinead O'conner was a little bit shorter, more pudgy, wore Pooh fleeces and was preverbal, she would be confused for our daughter. Really.

Cute picture of the day

Awwww. Mom and baby enjoying a giggle. My heart melts.

Baby Rendezvous

Olivia and Liora seemed to hit it off well. Olivia is a mere five weeks older than Liora, although, its hard to tell by the pictures - Liora's sumo wrestler body puts her on a pretty even scale with her cousin.

In this picture, we capture a moment of distress for the babies. What's funny is that Paul and Michael look like they are trying to get the babies to fight. Of course, they weren't, and soon after, mutual oggling and giggling ensued by all parties.

Uncle Paul comes to town

Over the weekend, Uncle Paul and Aunt Jayme came to share the Yom Kippur holiday with the whole family. Liora seemed to really enjoy Kol Nidrei services (the eve of Yom Kippur) at Temple Netivot Shalom, but earsplitting squeals of glee and fun required a hasty retreat from this very solumn event.

That day, we met with Uncle Paul, Aunt Jayme and her sister Maria, brother-in-law Michael and daughter Olivia. Here is Uncle Paul having fun with Liora at Lakeshore Cafe.

Bond, Arie Bond

Here is Aunt Arie bonding with the baby. We encourage this behavior as it bodes well for future caretaking of Liora and vacations for us.

It's about time

So, after a month hiatus, and cries of laziness from friends, I am posting pictures again. Here is our amazing daughter asleep on the breastfeeding pillow. Notice the plump cheeks. I swear she knows winter is coming and is putting on fat like a bear getting ready for hibernation. She weighs 16.5 pounds now and her pediatrician tells us she is in the 95th percentile for weight. But, she's only at 75th percentile for height (which won't last long, we assure you, as tallness is not in either parental gene pool).

Baby x 2

Liora plays with her younger friend Natasha.... good times!

Tummy Time

More hair. More baby fat. More smiles. Life is good.

Cute picture of the day

Can't believe she is 3 months old.

Bjorn Free

Liora loves being in the baby bjorn. When all else fails to entertain her, she can hang out like this for hours. Funny thing is, I don't need to do anything but keep busy. As long as I don't sit down for more than five minutes, she is happy baby.

When she was first born, I was all about the sling. Now, I am all about the bjorn.

Liora in Wonderland

Big chair, small child.

Oh, and looks who's sitting up... with some help.

Cute picture of the day

Sleeping Baby, Happy Parents

Over the last week, Liora has begun to sleep a 6-7 hour shift when we first put her down to bed.

Oh glorious sleep! A sea change in our lives.

So, in honor of newfound parental restedness, I offer this picture of sleeping Liora.

We know, we know, you veteran parents are saying it may not last long. But, we are thankful for now.

Nana, Gramps & Baby

Here are Liora's doting Nana and Grandpa David, the morning after they took care of her while we went to our first movie in months. (We saw Little Miss Sunshine - we are already thinking about the baby girl pageant circle!) We much, much appreciate it when Nana and Grandpa David take her off our hands so we can spend time together. Liora likes it too - she get's bored with us all the time!

Flybaby

Liora's first flight was much like her second: sweet and calm... until the landing. We discovered that her lungs are more powerful than a jet engine! But, it could have been much worse and we are thankful. We hope it bodes well for future flights. [Note from mama: For the first time ever, Liora actually reached out and grabbed her Whoozit toy and played with it! Big developmental milestone! Woo-hoo!]

Family on Ferry

Here we are riding the ferry away from Seattle, on the way to Howard's sister's home. This past weekend, all of Grandma Penny's Grandchildren were together on Bainbridge Island for a family get-together: Howard's sister-in-law Sue and her girls Dakota and Sierra; Howard's sister Selena, brother-in-law David and kids Cerys and Keiran; and, of course, Howard's parents, Penny and Nick. We were only missing Alex, who is serving as a soldier in the Mideast. A good time was had by all, despite missing him terribly.

Fat Hand

That breastmilk goes straight to baby fat. Is this one pudgy hand, or what?

A hard day's day

We visited my sister in Sebastopol over the weekend. Her family swaps houses with one that lives there, nestled in an apple orchard and up a dirt road. It was Liora's longest drive so far.

We had a great time. We had ice cream and sorbet. We played air hockey. We swam. Liora took a quick dip to her tummy before deciding she was unhappy with the pool. Howard stayed in the pool to play with his neice and nephew while the girls cooled off under a parasol. Here are Liora and I zonked out after a long day in 103 degree heat and lots of activity. Although the cat did very little that day, she took advantage of the sleeping people to do more napping.

Clean Baby

Baths are becoming much easier for us to give and for her to take. I can't say she is enjoying them, but the sensation of being in water and being washed seem interesting to her now. Here she is post-bath in her flower towel. Her look of surprise was after we told her how hot it was outside and that we have no intention on getting an air conditioner.

Cute Picture of the Day

Uncle Paul Visits

Liora is showing off her people skills here with Uncle Paul.

4th of July

Liora is celebrating her independence from the womb at a 4th of July barbeque at Tama's parent's house. We all sacked out asleep long before the fireworks that night, but her smiles and giggles were fireworks enough for us.

Cute picture of the day

Party on, child!

We went to an engagement party for Tama's friend Molly, today (congrats Molly and Mark!). Liora spent most of the three hours there awake and interested in what was happening - the longest we have observed thus far. She still can't quite focus on other people yet, but while Tama was holding her, she craned her neck up high and could not stop looking around. And, Daddy was on hand to gratuitously take pictures.

Sometimes I get a 2-fer photo, like this one. Lovely baby and beautiful mother!

Liora version 1.2

At last. We are having smiles. And giggling. She mimics a little. Wide, bright eyes look around with interest.

We are almost at the six week mark. Her personality has really emerged over the last week. Tama has been reporting this to me when I come home from work, but I was seeing mostly fussy baby (and doing mostly soothing and protested diaper changes). This weekend, I became a believer. Hello baby!!!

I tickled Liora's cheek with a fuzzy toy duck this morning and she gave me a big smile. Wow.

Oh, and she is sleeping better. I am, too. Tama could use a little more. Anyone willing to lend her some sleep? Just email her.

Naked Baby

Liora is really beginning to enjoy sensations on her skin. Tonight's bath was a resounding success. She is responding now to gentle touch and even tickling. Most especially, she is enjoying just being naked. Whether its during a diaper change or floor exercises after a snack, her kicks and wriggles seem more energized when she is sans clothes.

Happy baby, or passing gas?

We are just at the stage where an infant is supposed to begin smiling in response to pleasant stimuli. Almost from day one, Liora has been practicing the smile muscles on her face when she farts and poops - but apparently, it's not a response to the farting or pooping, pleasant or otherwise. Right now, her proud parents and family are quick to ascribe her smiles to their loving provocation. However, I think the jury is still out. Here is a clear smiling gesture Liora made when dozing with Auntie Arie. So, happy baby, or passing gas? You decide.