and in baby news...

No news per se, but I couldn't let this go without a few new pictures...one in my favorite "Rat City Rollergirls" onesie. A real city baby we have here.

the little big red book

In non-baby news - yes, there is such a thing! - a piece of my writing is in this anthology that's getting great press and even hit (the extended version) of the NYTimes bestseller list one week. MY LITTLE RED BOOK is a collection of essays from women of all walks of life on getting their first period compiled by a very precocious teenager. All the proceeds go to women's charities worldwide; so not only will this book be a welcome gift to some coming-of-age girl you might know, but it really will make a difference on a grander scale. It's not just a book, it's a movement!

mamamamamamamamama

Unintentional, but I'll take it: Kaia says "mama" among other random syllables! She's smiling, laughing, sitting up (almost), attempting to crawl, playing the drums, growing a little more headfuzz and two pounds in two weeks... We're finally getting the sense that she likes us. And we're finally updating with a few new videos to prove it.

christmas kaia

I can't remember where I heard the line lately, "You're unique. Just like everybody." I think it must be impossible to say something original about baby-rearing; actually I find it hard to find adequate words these days at all. So this isn't new experience, but it sure is new to me! Kaia is real getting cozy on this earth, sleeping more (and happier for it, as are we), bathing in kitchen sinks across the country over Christmas, hanging with uncle Santas and stuffed snowmen. 2008 comes to its quiet close (home on the couch), and despite all the hardships everyone's experiencing, dare we say it was the best year of our lives.

Since Halloween (see Kaia's disturbing Raggedy zombie parents below), we've been here & there exploring the world with our mouth and hands. Kaia's finally taking interest in her toys. She's always a fan of going outside, no matter if it's raining or freezing. She loves the baby read/sing-a-long at the library. Naps on the couch with Poe are becoming a thing of the past as we've been introducing her to the crib and the struggle to achieve the elusive Sleep Through The Night; Dear Santa, that'd be the best Christmas present of all.

happy halloween!

heart-shaped

Since Kaia's 1-month birthday, we have achieved true smiling (definitely not just gas, though she has plenty of that). The red birthmark on her lip has become decidedly heart-shaped. This may be gone, says the good doctor, by the time she's 2, which will make it harder to identify her in a line-up of bald bandit babies. We've all fallen under the spell of the pacifier. We are only now able to give her full baths since her belly-button was so long in healing - I like to think she didn't want to lose this vestige of prenatal mommy-attachment. Final countdown of daddy going back to work. We're getting in all the housebound robe-wearing that we can.