Monday, January 31, 2011

Arden at 9 months

Stats at her 9 month doctor's visit:

Weight: 17 pounds 14 ounces (25-50th percentile)
Height: 29 inches (90th percentile or something like that)

What do I say about my sweet Arden? She is just a good-natured little nugget and I can just eat her up. So I love Arden to death but I have to admit there were a couple of weeks when I wondered why Arden had turned into such a challenge. Well, the obvious reason was that she had a cold and couldn't BREATHE, but for a while there I thought she was turning into Ava #2 (aka the worst sleeper ever). I think she is getting back on track now to falling asleep better on her own. Although sometimes she will just cry in her crib in the afternoon and won't take her afternoon nap. It is still tough at night since she wakes up 2-4 times a night. I nurse her back to sleep (I think I am repeating the same mistakes as I did with Ava) and put her back in the crib that is next to me. Sometimes she won't fall asleep and start squawking and she wants to play a little bit. At this point she ends up in my bed and she likes to put her mouth up to my face. Seriously adorable. I have to remind myself that someday she will sleep through the night!

Arden is up to some new tricks. She can do some serious army crawling around, and when she feels like it she can crawl on her knees too. She doesn't do that much around our apartment since we don't have any carpet.

Arden is quite a squawker. Whenever we make a roaring sound, she'll copy us. She can make really loud noises and hold a note for a long time. A friend who has had years of voice training said that Arden could be a singer someday. Arden likes to bop to music as well.

Arden is also known in our household as "The Wrestler." Anytime I try to change her diaper or clothes, she will twist and turn to get away. It is seriously a wrestling match to get her to lay or sit still for a second. It is one "body slam" after the next to get the job done.

Arden has started eating puffs and cheerios, small bits of cheese, and has tried pizza crusts, bread, and avocados.




Arden likes to squint/blink her eyes playfully


She only has two bottom teeth and just a few more strands of hair.


Santa's little helper

I'll never get enough of this girl


Anytime something is on Arden's head she tries to take it off




Arden does this funny thing of putting her four fingers up to her mouth when she is tired. She doesn't put her fingers in her mouth, just up to her lips while she sucks on her bottom lip. My family got such a kick out of this in Arizona.


"How big is Arden? So big!"




Little Eskimo asleep on the floor


Ava and Arden like to look out our big window


Arden can say "dada"


Ava thinks of this jumper as a swing and pushes Arden back and forth...until I catch her. I must say that Arden puts up with Ava's rough housing very well. Ava likes to wrestle her, slap her face somewhat gently, sit on her and steal whatever is in Arden's hands. Ah, sisterly love.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

NYC December Diversions

December in NYC is magical, with lights everywhere and all the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season that NYC has to offer. Unfortunately I didn't make it down to Macy's Santa Land before I headed out to Arizona on December 15. We did, however, experience a few fun things.


We didn't send out Christmas cards, but wow, we actually made Christmas cookies this year (even if it was all from a box at Trader Joe's). Oh, can I just take a second and give the Upper West Side TJ's a shout out? You know I love you!

Santa dropped off her Tinkerbell umbrella at our front door.


Too bad we couldn't get closer but the American Museum of Natural History had a beautiful origami decorated Christmas tree


Santa also dropped off Christopher Pop-in-kins (a little elf that Ava loved to hold), along with a book telling the story about Christopher. He watched Ava to see if she was a good girl and reported to Santa. David and I would hide him every night and Ava was supposed to look for him the next morning. But she constantly forgot about him, especially in Arizona. I loved having Christopher around so I could say "you better be good, or else Santa won't bring you any presents". This trick should be good for a few more years. Yes!

Rockefeller Tree is so massive and gorgeous. Ava is conked out. Arden is in her Eskimo suit in the stroller.



The Holiday Train show at the New York Botanical Gardens. It was so cool to see all these New York buildings, landmarks and bridges built with plant materials with little trains whizzing down the tracks in front.


More pictures of Ava at the New York Botanical Garden refusing to look at the camera

The "Tootle" show at the New York Botanical Garden. Very cute.

Ava with a big wad of cotton candy in her face. The Time Warner Center was all decked out for the holidays.

We didn't want to brave the crowds at the Rockefeller Tree Lighting, so we settled for the next best thing--the Lincoln Center tree lighting


Checking out the Christmas windows at Saks Fifth Avenue

The American Girl store

Ava with Ella and Lilly at the American Girl store. Ava doesn't have a doll yet, but I think she'll get one soon!