Sharon & Doug & Ainslie

Big Dad turned 70!  Doug, Anslie, and I were fortunate to make a trip to Ann Arbor to surprise him on the Big Day.   Ainslie loves her Nana and Big Dad.  They play with her in the sprinkler, they do the Hokey Pokey, they let her ride her bicycle in the driveway, play frisbe and kick the ball, they have endless patience.  Nana and Big Dad are perfect Grandparents in everyway.  I know that they will have a wonderful influence on Ainslie that will last her whole life.  Just as my Grandparents did.

Check this out for more Ainslie and Big Dad.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mn4n4HHTpBs

Today Ainslie and I had some good father daughter time. Unfortunately this was because Sharon had to go into work, but that aside getting some one on one time was good thing. She’s learning things so fast right now and I think I notice it more when it’s just the two of us.

Doug and I enjoyed the Easter Weekend with Ainslie and celebrated with an Easter Parade and an Egg Hunt in Sausalito.    Ainslie got her own stroller this week for her “babies” and enjoyed walking along in the parade with her basket in tow.  It was a lot to coordinate, but she insisted on doing it all herself. 

Enjoy the pictures! 

Life feels so busy and the weeks are passing so fast.  While I am excited and amazed at how Ainslie has progressed, there is certainly a part of me that wants to keep her a little baby forever.   Everyone always says that at this age children are sponges.  Well, it’s true.  This week I  was hanging out with Ainslie in the kitchen trying to get her to try something new for dinner.   With a bit of self-satisfaction, she folded her arms across her chest and gave me a big sigh in the way that you do when you are arguing a point or frustrated at something.  All of the sudden I realized she was mimicking me!   I quickly uncrossed my arms and tried to overcompensate for the negative body language I was sending her way.  Thanks for the reminder Ains!

 Finally more pictures from January and February.  Enjoy! 

We decided to rent a house at Stinson Beach for Christmas and were fortunate to have Doug’s parents and my brother out for a few days.  The weather was perfect for long walks on the beach and even grabbing some oysters and beer overlooking Tomales Bay.    

Ainslie loved all the attention of course and was on center stage most of the time.  She had to take shifts opening up all her presents.  And although Ainslie was too young to really get Christmas, she enjoyed tearing paper and taking ornaments off the tree.    She had a big time with Nana, Grandad and Uncle Peter.

I posted lots of Christmas pictures and some other pictures taken Thanksgiving at Santa Cruz and early December with the Turners at Sea Ranch.  Guess the beach has been a general theme for trips the last couple of months.  Enjoy!

Ainslie has been saying “Da dee” (Daddy) quite clearly these days.  In general this unbelievably cool.  This little person points to me and correctly identifies me after I’ve been away at work.  She also does it when I’ve been in another room for 5 minutes.  I think both are about the same level of homecoming from her perspective.  This is fine because I feel just as good every time she says it, so the more often the better.

In the interest of full disclosure, I have noticed that the word “Da dee” sometimes gets applied to Sharon, or a toy, or the window.  One could take the position that this indicates that Ainslie has not completely associated this word with me.  I choose instead to take the position that she is just practicing for next time I come in the room.

We celebrated Halloween early with a trip to the Bay Area Discovery Museum’s Goblin Jamboree. Check out the photos!

Ainslie celebrated her first birthday earlier this month.

I’m watching Ainslie get older, reveal her own little personality and start asserting her own independence. This, of course, makes me want to find a way toview her progression from a frame of reference that I’m comfortable with: me.

So is my daughter a chip of the ol’ block (whatever that means)? Let’s consider the facts:

Similarities:

1. Good Sleeper - Sure there is the occasional protest at bed time, but all things considered the girl can clock some ZZZ’s. I do think I could still take her in a “who can sleep through a louder midnight noise” contest.
2. Good Eater - specifically, good eater of stuff that does not typically show up when you deal-a-meal. Not happy with that potato? Perhaps it would be more appealing if you melted some cheese on it. I know Ainslie and I both think so.
3. Laughs easily- while she has yet to develop her Dad’s “courtesy laugh”, the girl finds giggles around every corner. You just dropped something and picked it up? Hilarious.
4. Likes Music - I’m basing this on some gestures that we interpret as “dancing” (not unlike her Dad at a wedding), and the fact that she tries to sing along to hard rock hits like “twinkle twinkle little star”. I do maintain that she is especially fond of the new Ben Harper album, but there is a good chance I’m making that up.

Differences

1. Likes books - I wish I liked books, and periodically I make a nice run at liking them enough to read a few in a row. But at this point it’s clear that Ainslie likes them more than I do. In the interest of full disclosure, I’m not yet sure if she likes them mostly for reading, throwing, or chewing on.
2. Not so easy going - All things being equal, I’m pretty laid back. My daughter, not so much. Perhaps there is an obstacle standing between both of us and a toy we are interested in, while other toys are within easy reach. One of us is likely call an audible and grab the more accessible toy while the other is more likely to use any tactic required (including but not limited to crying) to reach her initial objective.

So by that scoring, she is more mini me than mini not-me. We’ll see how things develop.

Little late this month.  Ainslie is a few days from reaching the 1 year mark.  Just a short update on her progress and the month.  I guess the highlights included Doug’s birthday and a trip to Birmingham to see my family over Labor Day Weekend.  Ainslie and I made the trip there by ourselves ( I wouldn’t recommend it) and Doug met us there the next day.   It was great to see my family and especially see some of Ainslie’s cousins lovingly play with her.  She had a blast with them.  Somehow younger kids know best how to entertain an infant/toddler.  They can be naturally silly where adults are usually at least somewhat inhibited.  Unfortuanately on Saturday, Ainslie starting projectile vomiting.  It didn’t slow her down that much, but  I can’t say the same for EVERYONE else that was sick by the end of the weekend.   Thank goodness everyone was a pretty good sports about it. 

Ainslie has learned a little Spanish from our Nanny, Carmen.  I haven’t actually heard her say any words (Carmen said that she knows a few), but Doug and I were testing her Spanish vocabulary a few nights ago.   When we said “mas”, she signed for more.  When we said Adios she blew us a kiss!  Doug and I were a little surprised.  I guess she could be trying to say Spanish words too for all I know.  My Spanish vocabulary is pretty limited to counting to 10, asking for the bathroom or a beer, and saying hello.

Ainslie got 2 more teeth this month.  She’s not walking yet but can take a few steps when she wants to.  And, she continues to have this contagious laugh that makes Doug and me so happy.  Ainslie is always laughing.  She brings such joy to our day and makes us smile even if we don’t feel particularly happy.  Can’t imagine life without her and wonder more every day how we are so lucky to have such a happy child,

I just posted some pictures from last month and a few from my trip to Guatemala where I visited my dear friend, Kristen.  Enjoy!