Look Mum - no hands!

  

I'm walking...

  

HG took a few independent steps today. A few times she took two steps in a row from a free standing start, and once she took three steps from a free standing start. As they say a journey of thousand miles begins with a single step...

As you can see HG continues to hone her reading skills, she has now progressed from children's books to regular newspapers. Good thing she is starting to talk.

She spends far more time with her books than any of her toys, continually taking them of her shelf and flipping through them, often asking to be read to as well, though she can spend long periods of time by herself "studying" her books.

OK, we don't think she can actually read the words, but she does usually seem to know which way up to hold her book or newspaper, and when today Ima said to her jokingly "read your book" or "read your newspaper" she seemed to know what to do.

She still seems to be pretty effecient at tearing up newspapers as well though.

Words, words, words

Let's talk about words.

HG has been mimicking sounds and repeating words for a month or two now, but only in direct response to something she hears. She has imitated animal sounds - she loves the elephant - and she has copied words such as "duck", "tongue", "apple". And she clearly understands a good range of vocabulary, which she reacts to correctly. But she hasn't been using words of her own initiative. Until now.

Her first word, we can now report, is "Ima". On Thursday, as she was being changed, she looked her mother in the eye and said it. Since then, she's said it several times, always when it would be an appropriate thing to say, such as when she came home to Ima after going to shul with Abba. "Ima" was followed quickly by "Abba" (though less often). She sometimes says that when her mother is on the phone during the day.

Yesterday, she expanded her vocabulary with another key word: "up". We've used "up" for a long time, to mean anything from lifting her up to her standing up to taking her "up" out of her high chair. So when she was done eating yesterday, she distinctly said "up". And she's used it in other contexts since.

Today's new word - one she has often loved to mimic - was "duck". Her rubber ducks are some of her favorite toys, and today as she was playing with one she repeated, "duck-duck-duck-duck".

It's magical to watch her suddenly start using words, and we're looking forward to many more, God willing.

Head, shoulders, knees and toes
Speaking of vocabulary, she's been learning more of her body parts lately. She has known "nose" for a long time, especially when it comes to grabbing someone else's. Usually when asked where her nose is, she will grab Ima's instead. Though when asked "where's Abba's nose" she goes for his glasses.

But now she will point to several parts of her body when asked: her head, her "pipik" (belly), her toes, her tongue, sometimes her knees. She confuses some of the parts of the face (chin, cheek, ear), but she's working on them.

Turn, turn, turn
Her latest new game is spinning the leather armchair. Ima was sitting in the chair in the center of the room, with the footrest up. HG stood up with her hands on the footrest, and started walking, turning the chair in circles. Round and round she went, with an excited smile. Then she shifted to push against the body of the chair, much closer to the axle and requiring much more power. After a bit of getting used to it, she was revolving again.

In other news, she's learned how to go down slides by herself. She can't climb up them, but when placed on top she'll put her hands on the rails, edge herself forward and geronimo! Someone needs to be on hand to make sure she doesn't slip on the way down, but she's pretty stable. And loves it!

Many faces of HG...

  

Our little bookworm

  

Visiting relatives

To round out a very exciting week, HG met some more relatives this week who were visiting from abroad. She warmed to them very quickly - she isn't always easy to impress but clearly took to their fun games, songs and the amusing faces they made for her - plus she discovered that these were cousins in whose arms it's fun to take 40 winks. They were very taken with her and she picked up on their cheery enthusiasism, enjoying having so many new people to play with.

Thursday afternoon everyone went to Tel Aviv beach. HG was not in the mood for a car ride, and started crying, so everyone started singing to her. This worked briefly, but HG was soon upset again, stuck in her car seat without much of a view. Cell phones were produced and this did the trick - the fun selection of musical ring tones distracted her for most of the drive, along with singing, humming and drumming from all those in the car. She only got upset when she tried to eat the cell phone and Ima moved it out of her reach.

HG was fascinated by the water (did she recall the sea from Eilat?). She was already feeling a little drowsy and nestled into her Ima's shoulder, transfixed by the water, occasionally giving little glances and smiles in the direction of her new relatives. She fell asleep on Ima, waking up just as she was being put back into the car for the return journey. She calmed down as the car drove through Tel Aviv, the streets were narrow and well lit so that even in her backwards facing car seat she could see buildings, trees, lights and signs, keeping her occupied until at some point on the highway there wasn't much to look at again - cue more cell phone melodies, singing and drumming.

Friday brought an outing to the nearby Neot Kedumim nature reserve. HG fell asleep in the car, and spent most of the visit sleeping on her Ima and visiting relatives, waking to find herself once again somewhere new. She enjoyed watching the son of the family draw water from a pond using an Archimedes screw, sloshing it into a trough full of tadpoles. A marsh harrier (bird of prey) caught her attention, as did songbirds flitting amongst the trees.

She ate well Friday night, enjoying the crowd around the table, playing under the table, going from person to person. She was reluctant to go to bed but when finally it was time for pajamas and Ima took her to nurse in the bedroom, she fell asleep quickly with a cute little sleep smile, tired and happy from her busy day at the end of a most busy week.

She rested a lot on Shabbat, nursing a great deal all the way into early Sunday morning. She seems to be on another growth spurt. After one more long nurse she dozed off again at 9am, waking only around 1pm Sunday, happy, bouncing and fully of playful energy. As she entered the living room/dining room she looked around, apparently wondering if there was another new friend waiting to play with her...

Yom Ha'atzma'ut

HG celebrated her first Yom Ha'atzma'ut in style - festive davening, nice dinner, fireworks, concert, barbecue, tiyul up north - the works. Well, OK, so she wasn't awake for all of it, but Abba and Ima pretty much managed to cram in all the traditional Independence Day pursuits.

Walking home from shul HG was curious to see the new little baby Ima's friend was cradling in her arms, the very same baby who was only 2 days old at HG's first seder. In fact HG seemed a little more interested in the baby than in the throngs making their way down the hill to the festivities in the park.


Ima and Abba only stopped briefly though, as they were rushing home to have a special little family dinner before heading out into the hurly burly of Modi'in's Yom Ha'atzma'at extravaganza. Heading up the road to go home HG and parents were caught unaware by the first lot of fireworks - apparently this year the municipality decided to do some early for the little kids.

Though HG's home isn't too far from the firework display, it was far enough, or rather there were enough apartment buildings between her and them, that the noise and full display were a little muted. She seemed a little stunned at first by the noise, and bewildered but curious about the sudden bright flares in the sky. Aside from Modi'in's fireworks there were the distant bangs from neighbourings towns too. She pretty much took it in her stride.

After a hasty but tasty dinner (including HG's first taste of brie - she loved it), everyone went back to the park to see the main firework event. She was a bit overawed by the huge crowds, bright lights and music her head constantly swiveling to take it all in. Then suddenly the fireworks started and took her totally by surprise, at first she was just a little agitated, then clearly scared by her first encounter with fireworks at such close quarters.

Perching on Abba's shoulder she cowered and reached for Ima. Once safely tightly ensconced in Ima's arms she relaxed a bit and began to enjoy the show, snuggling onto Ima's shoulder and angling her head for a better view. Once it was over she kept checking the sky for more flashing lights in the sky...


HG seemed to finally be getting tired after the fireworks, so Abba and Ima decided to take her for a drive to see if she would fall asleep - which she did in the space of about five minutes, a little less than it took to drive to a neighbouring suburn for their annual old style kumsitz sing along.

The tent was so crowded that folks were sitting outside along the hillside, so Ima and Abba did the same, setting out a blanket in a clearing, close enough to join in the songs, but with enough space for HG to keep schluffing in her car seat. Slept through the whole thing, just as well as it went on into the wee hours of the morning.


On the day itself the family went to a rooftop barbecue party, an annual reunion for Abba's college friends in Israel. HG was asleep upon arrival and was a little stunned to wake in a room full of people and children of all ages whom she had last met as a three week old at her simhat bat!
She soon became curious about the new place, new people, different toys and popcorn someone had spilled on the floor - keeping Ima busy chasing after her.

She had her first taste of steak and a little of Ima's hamburger, and had to be kept away from the watermelon which so far is one of the few things that gives her tummy trouble in large quantities.


In the afternoon Abba and Ima as is their custom drove up to Mt Gilboa for a little Independence Day nature walk. HG was again dozed off in the car, waking a couple of hours later to find herself out in the Gilboa countryside. She seemed very excited to arrive somewhere so different, laughing and smiling as she looked around with interest at the colourful landscape and bright late spring wildflowers - her first up close look at wild irises and hollyhocks.

High up on the Giloba towards sunset she looked out at the view over the valley, her caught apparently by the glinting fish ponds below, and by the wind-tattered Israeli flag flapping furiously in the evening breeze.Upon returning to the car she seemed to notice for the first time that it too had a flag, and she spent the drive down craning her head in the failing light to watch it waving elusively over her window


The busy day ended with dinner at a nearby diner where she crawled around and explored, then wolfed down carrots and peas. Such vast quantities peas didn't agree with her but she loved them at the time, as she hasn't eaten them very often. HG, a little gourmand, savoured the chance to try a relatively new food - a little too enthusiastically as it turned out.

Eilat

HG went on her first Eilat vacation this week. The company Abba works for treated all employees and their families to a long weekend at the Red Sea resort.

HG has for the most part been having a much easier time in the car of late. She dozed off within 20 minutes of leaving the flat, after babbling happily to herself and playing with her soft butterfly toy, lulling herself to sleep. She slept until about the half way point, when Abba needed to stop for a break in the desert town of Mitzpe Ramon. She joined Ima and Abba for a quick falafel, salad and hummus break, tasting a little of everything.


She was calm for a while when the drive resumed, then became agitated towards the last leg of the Ramon Crater. She started crying, working herself up into hysteria, only calming down it seemed as the car went through a stretch of road with steep cliffs on either side. Driving along in the middle of the desert there wasn't reall - anywhere convenient to stop until a junction next to a wide swathe of open ground. As soon as the car stopped and Abba took her out of her carseat she calmed down and smiled. It seemed as though she was upset at not being able to see Abba or much of the scenery. She calmed down at the more enclosed stretches of road because at least then she could see the cliffs and rocks - in the back facing car seat she is still just too short to look out of the window easily unless there is an interesting view close by.

She very much enjoyed her break in the middle of nowhere. She looked around, taking in the desert, the mountains and rocks, grinning and "chatting" to her parents, playing with some large pebbles.


Exploring the hotel

Arriving at the hotel HG though tired was excited to see somewhere new. Her head was on a swivel taking in all the sights, especially the fountains and waterfalls. She was keen to explore the new room, carpets are something she doesn't get to see very often and she examined the new texture with all her senses.

The balcony made her a little nervous, enclosed as it was in perspex. On the one hand this made it very safe for her, with a high, solid railing, she could crawl around in safety. On the other hand, to her it looked as though there was nothing between her and a five storey drop and she kept close the solid looking walls, avoiding the side with the perspex.

She loved the views, the sea, the dramatic mountains of Eilat and Edom, stark desert, lush foliage and for that matter, the assorted corridors, glass lifts and lounges of the hotel.

HG spent a great deal of time playing and exploring the hotel itself. She particularly enjoyed the covered terrace with its bright colourful rugs and sturdy furniture - perfect for "cruising" and practicing her hands free standing. You will note in the picture that she is now standing just fine without holding on - well, when the spirit moves her that is. Sometimes she just liked to stand and hold a toy while watching the view of the people going by, other times she just seemed too distracted to practise her stands, and just wanted to hold on and stare so that she could focus her attention better on other things.

She also had fun with the porch swings, nursing a couple of times while Ima held her on her lap and swung, or just sitting next to Abba as he swung, watching the sea, the palms waving in the wind and the birds flitting amongst them. Then HG would get a sudden burst of energy, climb down (she has become a dangerously adept climber), crawl up a few stairs back to the main patio and start crawling under the tables again, or walking along the sofa.

On Shabbat morning she spent most of her time there and in the adjacent indoor lounge, walking from sofa to table to chair to wall and gradually working her way across the room, until she got fed up and reverted to a rapid "sprint" crawl to make her way over to the glass walls which she enjoyed walking along, exploring this very solid, yet invisible wall, ideal for all sorts of games, like pressing her hand against it while Abba held his on the other side.

Another morning she watched curiously as the Thai gardeners planted flowers in the borders and a waitress set out menus on the tables.

Beach party

On Friday morning, Rosh Hodesh, the company laid on a beach party for the vacationing employees and their families. There were many activities, mostly for older kids, also music, drumming, and of course the beach. It was HG's first time on the beach and in the sea (she had been as a babe in arms) and she enjoyed a little wading in the water, looking down all the while to study the pebbly shore line.




Stairs

HG loves stairs and was thrilled to find several on which to practice in the hotel, including a very high, carpeted flight going from one of the dining rooms to the lobby. The steps were quite deep and low, perfect for her to climb on, and she proudly mastered the whole lot in one go, reaching the top, unsure how to get back down but keen to climb up again!

She also climbed the less baby friendly spiral staircase. Ima and Abba kept taking her away from it, but in the end she was so determined that Abba let her try, crawling up alongside her to make sure she didn't slip. She mastered this trickier staircase too, clapping proudly as she reached the top stair as if to say "I did it!"


A gregarious little girl

While exploring the lounges, terraces, lawn and dining areas, HG made friends wherever she went.

When she noticed people and especially children and babies who interested to her she went over to them and "introduced" herself, crawling up to people and pulling on their skirts or trouser legs to stand herself up, scurrying over to armchairs and sofas and pulling herself up on the arm with a cheery "Ai!" and a big smile - usually much to the surprise of the occupants who didn't expect a small baby to be popping up alongside them and saying hello!

In particular at breakfast when the dining room was more crowded and families were seated close together, she would crawl or walk along the banquet to see who was sitting nearby and approach those she liked the look of, also sometimes tried to take food or other items from other nearby tables - though Ima and Abba did their best to catch her before she could...

In the hotel dining room and restaurants she charmed the waiters and waitresses, and the odd maitre d'. Several asked to hold her, others entertained her.

Fine dining

She went out with Abba and Ima to nice restaurants and hotel dining room - ate well, tried new things, mostly fed herself, sometimes tried to play with plate

HG tasted much of what Ima and Abba ate, including the first summer fruits, such as peaches and watermelon (she needs to go easy on the latter, she loved it a little too much), duck, goose, mild Thai coconut curry, artichoke, Tzfatit cheese and pesto flavoured soft cheese, to name a few of the new foods she tasted and liked.

She mostly behaved very well, including at two more elegant, grown up sorts of restaurants, the kind which in Europe or the US might not admit babies, let alone provide a high chair.

Fun in the water and birdwatching


HG has recently begun to keenly notice all birds, eyes trained skyward when she hears chirping or other bird sounds. Ima spotted a local rarity, brown booby, at close quarters, HG watched closely as the bird made several low, spectacular passes and dived for fish. She enjoyed watching the gulls and terns soaring and swooping over the water, studying them with a serious and sometimes excited expression on her face.

Ima and Abba soon noticed that HG is honing her birdwatching skills. Upon arriving at the hotel, Ima and HG were standing outside waiting for Abba, when a common songbird whizzed by, singing as it flew. HG turned to the sound, looking for the bird. She may have been mimicking Ima at first, but it soon became clear that she associates a variety of bird sounds - song, chirps, caws and whistles, with birds, and looks towards the sky and trees when she hears bird calls.

This was especially apparent when she went to the kiddie pool with Abba. Even with all the noise and distraction of the pool she noticed the crows, bulbulbs, parakeets, sparrows, doves and Tristram's starlings in the trees and on the railings nearby, tracking their movements until they were out of sight.

She didn't really go swimming, rather she went walking in the water, holding on to Abba or the side of the pool and practicing her walking. She also worked on her splashing technique, though seemed a little overwhelmed when some bigger kids got into the pool and started splashing around noisily.

About town

HG enjoyed being walked around town, browsing shops and just taking in the sights of this very different place. In particular she enjoyed the children's clothing store near the promenade which had a charming wooden rocking horse for the amusement of its pint sized customers - just the right size for HG. Yes, in the picture she is looking a little serious, but that's because the saleswoman had just turned her attention to her and was making coochy coochy coo sounds - HG was looking at her as though she was nuts. HG had a good time on the horse which Abba helped her to rock and obligingly made some horsy sounds too, much to HG's delight.