Package arrives & food on the way

A package from Trevor and April arrived last week and Halía and I had fun opening it while Jan filmed. She seems to have quite the talent for getting wrapping paper off.

I had thought I might get a baby sign language book for Christmas but one did not appear. I am now very glad I hadn't already bought one on Amazon, as April and Uncle choose a great one. Not only for the signing, but the singing too... I have no recollection of any words to anything, and the book has a singing and signing section at the back. (I really have to concentrate when I type those two words together, perhaps I should be doing some brain exercises). Halía is now thoroughly enjoying my rendition of Old MacDonald Had a Farm, with signs.

I now know:
milk
bounce
mom
dad
cow
horse
chicken
dog
bird
sheep
pig
sleepy
did I mention milk?

When I was younger I went through a Helen Keller fascination and taught myself the alphabet. I am really surprised that I remembered most of it, and so now can also sign her name, although I can't see when that will ever be useful, but hey, I can do it.

And Halía may be recognizing milk, although I may be pushing the maternal pride there.... and she enjoys watching me make the other signs. They say she could start signing back at 8 months, so we'll see. I think she might already be trying to sign milk (see previous note on maternal pride).

So, yes, I'm very happy with the book!

In other news I might start her on solids this week. I think she is getting hungrier and she is so bloody wiggly and intent on doing many things other than eating that I just don't have the patience to sit with her 15 times a day for 5 mins a go to get some milk down her. Bad I know. But hey, I think she will enjoy the food thing, and I'm sure I'll soon be writing to say that I now get frustrated at how she plays so much with her food and it takes so long to feed her, and it is so much easier breast feeding :) But anyway, will keep you posted on how she likes gnawing on an avocado.

I have slightly lost my confidence on BLW as both moms I spoke to about it here looked at me in horror. "But she doesn't know how to chew. She will choke. She can't eat a stick of steamed carrot, that's dangerous." May I also add that they think our marble tiled stairs with pointy pointy sharp edges are fine and that kids just have to learn. I tried to explain that I'm scared for MYSELF on those stairs and they think I'm being silly. While I totally agree with the teaching a child about stairs, I am also certain at some point, be it 6 or 10 or 42 years old, someone will have an accident and it won't mean a bruise but a broken bone and concussion (this is my best case scenario). But I digress. BLW. I have decided I can't tell anyone else of my plans and they will just have to watch and be amazed when she joins in at a restaurant and I don't have to spoon feed her from a jar. Fingers crossed.

And now, the obligatory photos :) This is her new pair of overalls I got in the sales. I am oddly attracted to pink these days. And even when she wears pink out people still ask if she is a boy... she doesn't have her ears pierced. Which apparently they do at clinics here when they are a couple of days old. Ahh! It was meant to be a forward looking purchase of a size for 9 months but I'm already tugging the legs down. Shorty Spanish people!

Honestly, if only she would smile every once in a while. Unhappy child :)