Christmas and after...

You would assume that Cecelia's first vehicle here was a Christmas gift from Santa, but no. Daddy picked it up from the dump! To say she is fond of it would be an understatement. We got 7 inches of snow last night and she has refused to come inside today at all. She just wants to get in and out of her very own car.








Here is our Christmas morning, after Cecelia opened her gift from Granny Rose bearing her dress that she was instructed to wear for the day. Auntie Rachel is opening her stocking, while Uncle John looks on, tummy full of french toast. Cecelia's gift highlight was her own book, "My Second Christmas", which Rachel painted for her, inspired by the photo Erica took in Italy that portrays Cecelia as a successful young author.

And here is mommy and baby at the end of the day...

December diva

This one was taken at Thanksgiving dinner at my parents' house with Aunt Rachel, her diva role model in the family. She is singing "Oh, rest ye merry gentlemen" here. Just kidding. She did have the opportunity to be the bigger baby at the occasion, as our friends brought their baby J.D., 10 months. She stole his toys and tried to hog the piano.
Here is Diva with Dad's work hat. She put it on herself, this was not mom and dad dressing up the baby for photos. Our Christmas tree does not have any decorations on its bottom third, as several ornaments suffered a shattering death at Cecelia's hands before we learned better.

Here is the box which a small item from Target arrived in. Cecelia is treating it as her fort. She really likes the packing materials. Another picture we took of her inside the box made her look like a mafia hit packed in ice, so we left that one off......

November fun

Yesterday we spent nearly the whole day outside, partly in an effort to encourage better and sounder sleeping in Cecelia. It sort of works, but 5 am is still her preferred waking time. The lawn mower is her new favorite toy, and would like the ability to ride it herself around the yard rather than depending on mom and dad who are always eager to get on to the next yard task rather than roam aimlessly around the yard. After the lawn mower, lying on the blue tarp with the leaves and getting dragged into the woods was most fun. No pics of that, though, sorry. I will try to catch it later this week. Plenty of leaves left to drag.

Note to friends and relatives: On top of Cecelia's Christmas gift list: boxes. This one held our bathroom sconces and then became a good place to practice our impressive climbing skills. Her face is covered in chili in this photo. One thing we feel very fortunate about is that Cecelia will eat just about anything we put in front of her. Have not tried liver, however. Or the more exotic green vegetables....like peas. Mom doesn't care for them.

More Italy pics of poor quality

Sorry that these photos are not clearer. I realized that I did not put up any of our castle in Umbertide, which really deserved some blog space. Here are Cecelia and Leo playing 'pretend to water the bushes' together. They made an interesting pair, as she is exactly one half his weight and size. He just approached Cecelia and she fell over backwards. Our castle, Santa Giuliana, has 10 different renovated apartments belonging to people from all over. Our courtyard here had sage and rosemary bushes and a wide view of the valley below. The only downside to all of the lovely stone is that it is hard as rock, and tough on little bodies that tend to fall down quite a bit.

This is the courtyard in front of our very own Chiesa di Santa Cecilia, our CeceRose's namesake. It has a special place in our hearts because Jim and I were engaged there, and we returned to present our Cecelia to the saint herself. It is a lovely church, in Trastevere on the western side of the Tiber River, in case you are ever in Rome.....

Peanut at first real Halloween

Cecelia's Grandma Jane made her the CUTEST COSTUME EVER this year!!! She was a peanut, as you can see from above adorable pictures. Strangers called out, " Let's get a better look at the peanut!" We trick or treated in Housatonic with our friends and their toddler twins. Cecelia was the youngest candy-seeker out there, as far as I could see. We will have to put her in the outfit again for the entertainment value. She didn't mind wearing it at all, except for the hat. Mom and Dad got some candy out of the venture and she got to stay up an hour late.

More Italia

Here are: fussy and squirmy in Perugia with patient Daddy, in front of the 2,500 year old well that we went deep underground and paid the equivalent of $6 to see. Perugia was my favorite town/city we visited. Very young, hip and fun. Good food, too, which is a necessary prerequisite in my mind.

Then..Erica, Sheela and Cecelia, who stood still long enough to take this photo in front of the beautiful cathedral in Orvieto. She LOVED the piazza in front of the church and spent many fond minutes running through, around and up and down it. Then....Cecelia eating her own little gelato cone. She doesn't get to eat sugary foods at home, but who could deny a child on her first trip to Italy, or any trip to Italy, a taste of gelato.

Belated Italia

I was having camera tranferral issues, so our pics from our October Italy trip are 2+ weeks late. But as they say...So here are some cute ones from, a) lounging with Mom and Dad on the grass opposite the 'Bocca Della Verita', which is near the banks of the Tiber River, and at which one must pay and wait on a long line for the priviliege of sticking one's hand in the mouth. Cecelia didn't care if we were in Rome, Timbuktu, Cleveland or Great Barrington, grass is grass and worth playing on. b) Cecelia unimpressed with the Colliseum, one of the 7 wonders of the world, at the age of 13 months....a sad commentary at our jaded youth of today, don't you think? and c) her car seat, (though the photo looks more like it should be accompanied by a bio, like, " Distinguished author Cecelia 'Chickpea' Clary teaches Infant's Literature at the University of Peanuts. She lives in Housatonic with her parents and doggie Alice." ) She spent quite a lot of time in her car seat in our little Renault, but luckily she had Auntie Erica to entertain and feed her on our long jaunts to Urbino, Perugia, Todi, Gubbio, and San Marino (to see what was so special about it to make it a whole separate country. Turns out, not much.) More photos will be forthcoming.

Grandpas

Bath time lately is in the big bathtub, and it is soooo much more fun than the little kiddy one! We like turning on the shower and splashing mom and dad and falling down repeatedly Grandpa David put Cecelia is a gift bag and lifted her up for a kiss. It is reminiscent of anecdote my dad tells of when his mother, Nana, gave a big wet air kiss to me when I was little (or was it Rachel?) and she or I responded, "Yucky, Nana!"

Here is Cecelia's favorite chair, her new rocking chair from Grandpa Jim and Terry. She crawls into it and rocks, then slides out and does it all over again. Slouchy is her preferred position in it.

First birthday

Here are a couple of pics from the little 1st Birthday party we held for Cecelia on Sunday. Granny Rose is cutting the very rich chocolate cake which Cecelia ate pieces of from nearly every guest. She had certainly never had that much sugar, and we reaped the (ahem) benefits after everyone left and we were left with a whirling dervish in the living room. On her actual birthday she was more mellow, especially after getting blood drawn at the hospital to test for lead levels.

So she is now formally entering her 2nd year of life. Incredible! Her extensive vocabulary you will not find in any traditional English dictionary, but it sounds to me like a combination of, maybe, Turkish? and Xhosa, with a little bit of Hebrew and Gaelic thrown in for cultural color.

Walking and talking

Cecelia has been walking, more confidently every day, for about one month now. She now goes up and scoots down stairs backwards, and climbs down out of bed and off of the couch. As for talking, her babbling sounds more and more like real, recognizable English words lately. It could be our imagination that when I say, "I love you, Cecelia", she responds, "Iruvruuuuu", but she is certainly mimicking us. A budding mimic like her Auntie Rachel! This first pic demonstrates her diva side and the second shows off her bottom teeth and impressive pinching strength on poor Lannie.

Vermont

Well, not the usual image of a bucolic lake scene that Vermont usually conjures up, but...This is Cecelia in the little cabin we rented for a couple of nights up in the woods near Stowe, Vermont. It is just after her bath, and she is a little overtired, hyper and trying to squirm away from me. (I had also spiked up her hair for fun.) The little trip to Vermont was our only real getaway of the summer, but we aren't complaining because our Italy trip with my high school friend Charleen, her husband Tim and their toddler Leo, and our local friend Erica Mielke, is coming up very soon! Today is Labor Day, and I recall that last year on this day I was praying to go into 'labor' with Cecelia, but that didn't happen.

Cute new thing that Cecelia does....when Jim pulls into the driveway, I say, "Who's here?" And she gets excited and giggles and toddles towards the door.

We are back!!!!

Here are a couple of pretty up to date pics of CeceRose. The first also features our friends Matilda and Freya. Notice the standing up pose in the second......the standing has now progressed to walking, too!! She is getting more confident with her stumbling every day. Not sure what this bodes for us and our house but we will soon find out!

Also new since my last ancient post, we are pregnant again, and I am due at the beginning of March. I am just now finished with the first trimester and still not feeling 100%, but not as sick each morning as I was, which is very nice. Now is just one getting episode per day, or so, instead of 4 0r 5.

Our summer has flown by, of course. We spent a fair amount of time at Granny Rose and Grampa David's pool, where she grew accustomed to the water and loved crawling about on the splinter-laden deck, but never really warmed up to her red floaty device that doubled as a sombrero for Grampa to make her (and us) laugh. Some of Cecelia's favorite foods.....anything that is edible, as long as it does not come in a baby food jar.

Upcoming highlights:

• First Birthday!! September 12
• First international trip, to Italy, October 3
• First full day wearing shoes!! Maybe tomorrow.
• First haircut......no time soon. We'll let it grow.
  

Sorry folks

Our camera died and I have not figured out yet how to transfer pics from our new camera yet, so, if anyone is still checking in....you will have to bear with me as I paint a picture for you of Cecelia's doings. She has four teeth, two big ones on top and two little on the bottom. Today I was bitten by them for the first time. Hopefully the last. She has been sleeping the last couple of nights in just her diaper, it has been sooo hot. ( She has graduated to the next size diaper now, what a big girl!) She goes to the doctor tomorrow for some more shots and a weigh-in. She is becoming quite an eater, so perhaps now she is further up the baby size scale, from 25 percentile to 30, for instance. She is happy and healthy, and easier to carry, so 25% is also good. We have been playing with Nell and Matilda and Freya lately, swimming at Lake Mansfield, and today we spent the morning at my parents' pool with Liz Goodman and Jack, her barrel-chested weight lifter of a one year old. He and Cecelia shared a romantic can of lemonade while holding hands. And both made a mess of the table and floor at Martin's during lunch. Perfect pair! Oy! It is so hot. Getting little one into her carseat is becoming more difficult as it so sticky and humid in there, and she can now squirm succcessfully down and away from me. Last night we enjoyed a one day late party for my and Ken Schumacher's birthday at the Siegel pool. Cecelia managed to stay up fairly cheerfully until about 8 at which point we had to make a speedy exit.

And still more....

Since by far the best (and only) photos I have of CeceRose are from our trip to NYC 10 days ago, here are some more. Cecelia is SOOOOOOO close to crawling. Every time she gets up on her arms, then her knees, we hold our breath...and then she collapses back on her butt. Soon. I shouldn't be so anxious for crawling to start. As it is, she gets around pretty quickly scooting and rolling. No teeth yet, but her gums are preparing for them, it is clear. Lots of drool and gnawing, usually on whatever is the most non-child friendly substance in reaching distance. Dollie or dog food? Blanket or rock? Garment or grass? It is a good thing that God and evolution made babies so darn cute, otherwise we'd just leave them to their own devices and then where would we be as a species?

More New York pics

I have 165 altogether actually! Lannie had a great camera for the day and made full use of it. We went down on the train (actually bus and two trains) from Wassaic, met Auntie Rachel and John for a chinese lunch midtown, and then enjoyed the gorgeous weather in the park. The little boy is Nathan, also 8 months and 11 pounds more than Cecelia! The only badly focused picture is the only one I took, above, of CeceRose and Lannie.

New York !!!!!

Sorry

Our camera is acting up so no NEW pics, but here is an oldie but goodie for you. CeceRose is about one millimeter away from crawling but still hasn't taken that one remaining step to get on all fours. And I for one am grateful! A few more days respite before my life gets lots more complicated. We head to NYC this weekend to visit with Auntie Rachel and John. Lannie is accompanying us to the big city on the train. Haven't tried that yet, so we'll how it goes. The plane was so smooth.....I am hoping that keeping baby outside for long walks in the warm weather will lead to better sleep, longer sleep, deeper sleep. For all of us. Not working out too well so far. Although my giving up caffeine in my mocha latte has helped a little, I think. Jury is still out. One night she slept 6 hours in a row, the next no more than 3.

Now taking requests

Here is the side view CarHaart pic, per Grandpa David's request. Any others out there? Next time she gets wedged under the radiator I will catch that. And perhaps upload a video of playing peek a boo or giggling.

Mommy and CeceRose went for a strenuous hike yesterday up Flag Rock in Housatonic. It used to be fairly easy for me, but a 16 pound weight on my chest combined with a lower fitness level made for a tough haul. But it was worth it, and Cecelia loved following Alice the dog's rambling up the path and fruitful chases after squirrels. We are finally into a long stretch of mild weather and it is great not to have to bundle her up in her snowsuit anymore.

Our new dustbuster

Cecelia scoots around the house now and invariably gets stuck under the couch, radiator, or bookcase. She also backs up against table legs. She was whining just before I caught this first photo. Such a ham. Crawling can't be far away now!

We visited one of CeceRose's great grandmas yesterday in Pittsfield, where she had fun rolling around on the floor and being charming. (Cecelia, not her nonna.) We had a very nice visit. Will have to bring the camera next time.

She still has a cough but it has not seemed to bother her mood in the least. and lastly, Cecelia has a new cousin as of yesterday at 12:20. Seamus Lyons, Eileen's third son, is the newest addition to the Irish Duffy side of my family. Congrats!

Like Daddy like Daughter

Here is Cecelia (we have started pronouncing her name the Italian way, Che-cheelia) in her Carhaart overalls, just like Daddy's. Granny Rose got them for her for Christmas and she is just filling them out now. We have had non-snowsuit weather the past couple of days, and it is soooooo nice not to have to bundle her up to go out. And summer clothes are so cute. Of course these overalls are about as cute as you can get, although they won't do much to change the general public impression that she is a boy. (It is the lack of hair, I think. You just assume short hair= girl, regardless of whether she is dressed head to toe in pink, brown or blue.) No crawling yet, but she is getting mighty close!! She is starting to rock back and forth on her knees. Scooting backwards is her most efficient way to get around still, although also the most frustrating. She whines as she slides around the living room, past the stairs, into the kitchen, under the radiator.

Rubber Duckie, you're so tasty

The one and only thing on Cece Rose's mind when she gets into the bathtub is getting her gums into that duckie. Where is it, where have they hid it, I know his squeaky self is somewhere nearby. And once she has him in her grasp, there is no time for unwinding after a long day of rolling to and fro and scooting in reverse under the couch or armchair, oh no, it is all about showing Mr. Duckie who is boss. If I can't eat the dishwashing soap, I will eat YOU, Mr. Duckie, teeth or no teeth.

Alice is aloof

Here is evidence of Cecelia's burgeoning interest in Alice the doggie, and Alice's apparent indifference to this interest. Cecelia wants to hold hands (hand and paw), Alice moves the paw away. Cecelia pats Alice's head gently (ok, smacks Alice's head with varying amounts of force) and Alice walks into the safety of the kitchen. But then there are moments of comraderie, when Cecelia is doing her thing, (intently observing and salivating on the remote control, for instance) and Alice, unsolicited, will come up and lick her rice cereal-caked face or will wave her bushy tail back and forth across Cecelia's delighted face. I have not caught those moments on camera yet, but I will!

Brunch and Easter

Here is a pic of Cecelia with Uncle Mike at Grandma Jane's house for brunch a couple of weeks ago. This is her cute new smiley face with one dimple. Her hair is starting grow in on the sides so her mohawk is less pronounced. On the right is Cecelia in her pretty Easter outfit with Grandpa David at his house. Cecelia rolled all the way around their big living room. She is mobile!!!! Read: Move into a house with no stairs! Easter Sunday featured cold, cold weather (no Easter egg hunt) and ham, spring rolls (Granny Rose's twist on Easter dinner), all the trimmings, and.....a passion fruit meringue dessert that I was sorry not to be able to share with Cecelia. Not really. Cecelia and her friend Avery (four months older and a patient toy-sharer) were the only cheerfully dressed churchgoers on Sunday morning. The wintery air doesn't inspire pastel skirts and dresses.