For my Dad

These pics are for my Dad. When we were shopping for her birthday present at Toys R Us I knew as soon as I saw this we had to have it. She carries it around the house, not really knowing how to fix anything yet but we'll see what Grandpa can teach her this summer in the garage.

Field Day

Today was out track and field day, so of course Gemma came to take in the excitement. She was very good all day even though she woke up two hours earlier than usual, and let people take her for walks and play with her. She was even in a race; a 4 year old and under race ;) I had to lead her the whole way and she got last but, come on now, she's only 1. Everyone was watching her and cheering and she got a huge applause at the end...It was all so silly and ridiculous I could hardly move at the end I was laughing so hard. Photos courtesy of an 8th grade student.




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Ga ga ga

Today was lots of g sounds. When I read other blogs of the funny things their kids say it is so hard to believe that one day all this nonsense chattering will give way to whole words and sentences. Babies are amazing! She did say a real word today, one that others have heard I and had not yet: xie xie. (sh-eh sh-eh) which is Chinese for thank you. Chris and our babysitter are convinced she speaks Chinese sometimes. Me? How would I know, I speak hardly a lick myself.

Here she is with said babysitter, a super person who has blessed our family so much. She volunteers to come twice a week in the afternoons and gave up another job so we could pay her to come a third day. She is so great with Gemma and the extra time is really help Chris with his studies and church work.

The Great Shoe Rescue

The fun of travelling with babies!

After dinner out last Thursday Gemma and walked to the bus stop to wait for our ride home. She was in the stroller, but I had the snuggli on to put her in for the bus ride so I could collapse the stroller. Well, that was plan but as soon as we got to the stop the bus arrived. Taiwan busses are very efficient; they won't even stop unless you are standing up waving your arms. Often they hardly come to a complete stop, you have to practically jump in. So you can imagine what this is like with all the baby gear. Well, I yanked her out of the stroller, had her half in the snuggli, noticed her left shoe was on the stroller seat, By this time the bus was pulling away, so I just grabbed the stroller un-collapsed, hoping the shoe would make it and tried to leap on the bus: stroller in one hand, half Gemma in the other and diaper bag. Well, as soon as we got our balance on the bus I realized the shoe had not made it with us. Doh. And then it was one of those super long stretches wthout a stop; the bus just kept going and going. Finally at a red light I motioned to the driver to let me off. The people standing with me had caught my drama and one of them explained that I wanted off. So I jumped out with all my gear again, put Gemma in the stroller and hoofed it back to the original stop (like four blocks back already). Praise the Lord, the shoe was still there, sitting by the curb. Pheww! These were her new good shoes, her adidas ones, from Baba, so I needed it back. Then we settled down to wait for the next bus and made it home uneventfully after that.

Apartment living

It is 9:40 and Gemma is still in bed :D. BUT there is construction going on above us, and I don't know what they are doing but it is heavy and loud. It is shaking the floor so badly that this monkey she has zips around the floor when it touched keeps going off, singing its little circus song. Do I try to go in and turn it off, or will that wake her up more than the monkey? Apartment living...

Party Time

We went to a wonderful 1st birthday party on Saturday for our friend Atticus. It was really fun to have all the other kids her age there because she mostly plays with the bigger kids at school. Gemma loved the toys and food (everything was super yummy) and helping with the presents. (Which is funny because at her birthday, she didn't open many presents either; her older friends did most of the work and checked them out for her first). I stole the pictures from Heather's blog; our digital camera is having battery issues.

On another note, she always rides her cars backwards too. ??? Hers is especially funny because it has all these buttons and a piano on the 'dashboard' and so she sits on it backwards and bounces on the piano with her butt.

Haircut photos

Before...


After!

Tickle Tickle

Gemma said 'tickle tickle' last night! Ok, it was more of a 'tick-a tick-a' but it was accompanied by the tickiling motion up on my sternum. (That's where we tickle her, she's so giggly). Iwas holding her and she sort of rubs/squeeze and says ticka ticka and of course I act it all up and giggle and laugh and she was so pleased.

Another new thing is that she will bring stuff. You can give her something (like a Valentine's Day rose) and say, Go give this to daddy, and she will! Chris says he can even get her to pickup certain thins and bring them; like pick up the dolly, or the book and bring it and she will.

First Haircut

Chris and I have been talking about getting Gemma's haircut for about 2 months now. It is very sweet and a bit curly at the ends, but also stringy and scruffy. Honestly, she looked like a street urchin from Oliver, grinning but hair in her face and hanging over her ears. But anyway, our babysitter came over and said wow, her hair is long and Chris had the great idea to send them on a mission to get haircut. So they did! Unfortunatley no pictures or little lock of hair, but we'll take some tomorrow and save a clip fom the next haircut. She looks very sweet, still long at the back but the bangs are nicely trimmed and around her ears as well. Much less orphan-y.

Funny story; we were out shopping with friends after school and in the pharmacy, Gemma let out this huge fart. It was so loud and long, and well, adult sounding. We all giggled and looked around sheepishly, not wanting people to think it was us.

New Shoes

The cutest faces are made by Gemma. She puckers her lips, makes excited 0 shapes with her mouth, looks disdainfully, indignant, silly, and of course happy. She is constantly cracking people up.

She went to sleep on her own with the babysitter (Adrienne) last night, since I went to the airport to help Chris with his luggage. Her bedtime routine has become pretty consistent lately (another post) and I think that helped.

Funniest moment today; her new shoes. She wore her first hard soled runners today and when we put them on, well, we should of had a camera. At first she was just frozen, (like Anna, Baba's dog). The she was wiggling her butt and moving up and down, I think trying to see how to move her feet that were so firmly placed on the floor. Then the first tentative steps. Think moonlanding without the bouncing. Very heavy, one foot in front of the other with long pauses between each step. Then she got into them and got around pretty well. At one point she realized that it was her who was making the stomping sound and she pounded extra loud for a few minutes, enjoying her own thump thump thumping.

She is glad to see Daddy, of course, and intrigued by the cast/crutches. She keeps trying to touch them.

Tomorrow is her first whole day with Daddy in 10 days! Go daddy go!

Day 8

Gemma and I are on day 8 of bachelorhood, and doing alright. I have to admit, I woke up this morning less than perky but she was really really good, and we had a nice day. She behaves in the day and sleeps through the night; what else can I ask for?

Everyday seems to bring new skills. Today I especially noticed how good her fine motor skills are getting. We've been playing with stickers lately, and usually I hand her one and she tries to stick it to the page, but its hard to get it the right way, or then she tries to push it down and it just gets stuck to her. (It doesn't help that they are those mall sized dot stickers) Today she got it! It was so precious. And last bath day, you know she was hauling around the huge shampoo and conditioner bottle? Well, she also had a brief pause to remove a hair from her skin. She just carefully pinched it between thumb and forefinger and got it. Tonight at a BBQ she was moving dominos all around. Take some dominos, put them in the cupboard, close the door. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. :)

First Big Girl bath

Gemma sat by herself in the big person bathtub today. Ok, if you've seen our bathtub you know its not a big person tub at all, really, but anyway, you now what I mean. We were bathing together, then I let some of the water out and she was so cute, sitting and playing, standing up and grabbing the big shampoo bottles. We get our shampoo and conditioner form Costco so the bottles are almost as big as she is, and she just had to pick it up, turn around, drop it. PIck it up again, put it on the edge. She dropped it over the side once on the floor, and was immensely satisfied with herself. Who knows what is going through their heads!

Since Chris is with the camera there are no pictures (plus, I would have had to leave her unattended to go get the camera, which is of course a no no) so here is an old picture of baby Gemma with Daddy in the tub taken one year ago. She looks so different!

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40 minutes

It takes me 40 minutes to get ready to leave the house with Gemma.

By the time I get everything ready and am actually out of the house I am so frantic and agitated I don't even feel like seeing people.

Where are the mitts? Toques? Sweater? Shoes, Why is there only one shoe? Where is the other one? Where is the sippy cup with the good lid? It's dirty; must wash it. Refresh cheerio container. Food. Blanket. My wallet, cell phone, keys... Put the hat on. She takes it off. Put on shoes. Where are my shoes? Put them on. Uggg!!! I hate it!!! And I try to go easy on myself, leave plenty of time, not pressure myself to be on time, but I still feel so frazzled.

Anyway, enough about me, more about Gemma! Well, she loved web chatting with Daddy this morning.

And, uh... hmm. Once again, it is too late and my brain is mushy. Must sleep, I'll try to blog in the morning.

Gemma Pollock

Art by Gemma. I left her bowl of unfinished broccoli chicken too close to the edge of the table and she got it. Enjoy the art process that ensued.