Sunday morning we split tasks – R took the kids to the Eaton Canyon nature center again to try to see the tadpoles that may have hatched from the frog eggs spied the last time.  Z cleaned the house, did the grocery shopping and shopped for birthday presents.  We all met up at home after a couple of hours.  E and e had a great time at the nature center as per usual.

After a nap for e we went to Avery’s birthday party in Los Feliz.  It was great fun to see all our friends and check out the petting zoo that was there – e loved the tiny pigs and the goat as well as the ducks.  E played soccer with some kids and ran around with his buddies.  It was a fun dinner and easy bedtime for both.

Of course, the day before Dee and Buzz come, Enzo gets sick. Running a fever last night. Up three times. “I can’t sleep. I’m too sweaty.” He’ll stay home from school tomorrow to get some rest.

Emi had a good day at school with Alex, while Enzo and stayed home to work on the house. She apparently was waving and smiling at everyone today.

Zoe were just looking at the old enzomatic blog to compare milestones btwn the kids. They are pretty much exactly the same with words they know, sign language, walking, etc.

Milestones – Emi can sign for milk, more and cookie (they are similar), and yes. She stopped pointing to her ear when I ask her, where’s your nose. She knows hair, hands, foot, toes, leg, belly, belly button, eyes, nose, mouth, arms up, arms down, harriet, betty, mr, enzo, mommy, daddy, airplane, truck, cat/kitten, rabbit, bird, book, Maisy, Batman, outside, walk, socks, shirt, pants, cookie, milk, splash, blankie, thumb your chest like a gorilla, wave your arms like a monkey, kick your legs like a donkey, clap like a seal, and prob many many more.

Holidays are over. Back to work yesterday. Spent the day in a fog. Strange to be away from the offspring. Forgetting my phone added to the feeling of disconnect. Zoe on call last night too.

Kids went to the zoo yesterday with Alex. The gibbons made Emi cry, but they had fun. Need to pick up another annual pass for them.

Enzo woke up at 2AM crying that I moved his Batmobile out of the bed, but was back to sleep in minutes once it back on the pillow next to him. They both woke up late, 6:30AM, and in good moods. Emi sat and ate cereal with me and Enzo for about 30 minutes. Laughing and grinning. Dropping Cheerios for Betty.

Emi has changed so much in the past month. She walks full time now. Today she drank her last bottle of fresh breast milk. Thirteen months with nothing but.

She loves the backpack and the stroller, and even the carseat. She adores her big brother like no other. And he loves her too. Sometimes too much.

At bedtime, she eagerly grabs her blankie and reaches for daddy, waves bye bye to everyone, and points upstairs.

She is so easy and happy. She slays us with her mouth wide open surprised face and her crinkley nosed toothy smile. She smiles and waves at just about everyone who looks her way.

She loves a good cookie. Crunching Blocks are the favorite. Fascinated by things that fly – planes, helicopters, blimps, birds. She spots them first. Shouts and points straight up.

She can sign for cookie and milk and more.

Words she understands….
mommy
daddy
Enzo
Harriet
Betty
mr
Allie
airplane
bird
cookie
milk
blankie
hello
byebye
kitten
maisy
walk
socks
mouth
foot
nose (but not her own)

Emi turned one last week! When she was a little baby, we envisioned her growing up to be a shy, sweet, quiet baby because that’s what she was like as an infant. Those days are gone for sure – she loves to holler at you from across the room in order to get what she wants. Her favorite thing is to get carried around and point at what she wants to look at or pick up or gnaw on. This can be a very exhausting activity but she loves it. She can stand on her own for a long time now, and take 2 or 3 steps at a time. She still prefers crawling, though, and that is because she is a master crawler. We have to watch her like a hawk because she can make it across our living room in just a few seconds. Her other favorite thing to do is to crawl up the stairs. This definitely gets old.

She is still not a big eater, although when she gets in her groove she will eat a lot of whatever is in front of her. She loves fruit – blueberries, watermelon and canteloupe are her favorites. She really despises getting fed with a spoon. When she is done with whatever she is eating, she drops it on the ground for the dogs and leans over the highchair in order to watch them eat.

At bedtime is the only time that mommy can hand her over to daddy without any protest. She sees the blanket and the bottle and knows exactly where she’s going and she calmly says goodnight to mommy with a smile. Tonight, she pointed up the stairs as Ralph was taking her up.

Emi can just about stand by herself now. After pulling herself up on a table or toy bin, she lets go, and for a few seconds stands proudly holding a toy. Then slowly down backwards. Thud. On to her well padded bum.

She knows the family by name now – Mommy, Daddy and Enzo. “Where’s Enzo?!”, and she’ll point him out. After bath we play Where’s Mommy. Emi crawls around on the bed laughing, trying to guess where Zoe is going to pop up next.

It was hot this weekend. 90 in mid-October, so we stayed close to home mostly. Heirloom and Peets for Saturday and Sunday breakfast. A surgical strike to the Long Beach Aquarium late Saturday afternoon to touch sharks and rays (and to get a nap for both of them on the drive down). And a well executed playdate with Elijah and Jack at the San Rafael park. Flying balloons, stomp rockets, pizza, cupcakes.

Enzo sorely needed some play time with some rough and tumble boys. As did we. He was kind of driving us nuts this weekend. Bored, tired, hungry, bickering. He feel asleep in under a minute once we got him upstairs tonight.

Emi is growing up fast. She can crawl, pull herself up, clap, point, and wave hello and goodbye.

Last week was all about Daddy. Zoe was on call, then in Boston, then on call again. Six nights in a row, including a full weekend. Emi couldn’t have been easier.

We did school, Peets, park, Kidspace, naps, baths, meals. Just a magic little bug.

Enzo loves Emi, except when she’s chewing on Batman. Hardest thing about him now, is keeping him off her. He hugs and kisses her until she cries. “I want to see Emi”, he says. He calls her Little.

Emi likes whole bagels, yogurt, canned peaches, ripe plums, watermelon rinds, cookies, tofu, pasta, and havarti cheese.

Zoe and I took Ems to her first day of Pacific Oaks infant toddler yesterday. It’s of course scheduled right during her usual nap time.

She crashed on Zoe about 30 minutes, and then rallied to finish the class. Two hours is a long time for a little bug like her.

The space is amazing, and some interesting parents and toddlers there. Some friends and siblings from Enzos class. Emi is the youngest and smallest. Thankfully she can crawl now.

Enzo had his second day at Peppers. Great day but fell and his his head hard right befoe going home. Nice bruise this morning in the middle of his forehead.

Took Emi out in Enzos old backpack for the first time this morning. She really seemed to enjoy it. Laughing and talking the whole way. And eating yet another arrow root cookie. Next time, we’ll bring the dogs.

Tomorrow is Emi’s first day at Pacific Oaks. We had a meeting tonight and met the teachers. Little Emi will be the youngest and of course the smallest in the class. It will be rough at first but she’s getting pretty good at crawling, so should be ok.

At the meeting tonight, the head of the school led off her opening speech with a quote from Enzo from his first day!

“I don’t go to Pacific Oaks anymore, I go to Peppers Yard!”