Getty Orange Alert

As I was taking a nice portrait of Tim & Matilda at the Getty today I inadvertently caught some crazed person's dive into the fountain. It turned out to be quite the action shot with Tim's mouth hanging open in shock, Rachel turning to gawk and the gentleman in green rushing to the rescue. A security guard dragged the swimmer off not long after and we soon noticed a marked increase in the number of guards patrolling the fountain area.




Tim has better pics documenting the incident here.

A Day In the Life

March 27, 2007

Matilda starts her day by listening to several rousing versions of Happy Birthday over the speakerphone. She was very attentive (read appreciative) to each birthday call from all the family and friends.


While it is not uncommon to be caught pant-less on your birthday, Matilda was found in that state much earlier in the day than typical.


For her daily new skill, she mastered the art of climbing off the rocking dog at Tot Time, after being placed their repeatedly by her mother.


She took time to stop and smell the blooming trees with Grammy. This pursed lips face, accompanied by a rapid in and out sucky-sounding breath is Matilda's version of smelling.

Yummy burrito for lunch with Daddy in Tarzana.

A hard nap to re-charge for the evenings' celebrating. She is sprawled out here after falling asleep in the Ergo on a walk. I dumped her on the bed and then joined her for almost 2 hours repose!

Matilda got her favorite food, soup, for her birthday dinner. And a fun round of Peek-a-boo.

The obligatory cake shot. She was too in awe of the candle to even attempt blowing.

This dietitian's daughter had cake four days in a row. Not that anyone would be counting.


And then some delicious soapy bathwater to wash down the chocolate raspberry mousse cake (from our favorite neighborhood bakery).


And finally another round of present opening. She showed her appreciation for this thoughtful wrapping paper with her panty-dog face. We took her presents slow so she could enjoy it and might finally be done now after a full week of nightly presents. That is until we visit the Arizona family who will undoubtedly spoil her more in two weeks.

More Teeth

I thought I should share this good shot of Matilda's top teeth from lunch yesterday. These two broke through earlier this month but are really starting to show now. She has just figured out how to use them and can now take bites of food. Although poor Floppy Bunny has to live in fear now as she likes to gnaw on his ear knots.

Cake Fest

On Saturday when Matilda had the big audience she wasn't having anything to do with eating her cake. She was quite pleased to play with it, but would not taste it or allow us to feed it to her. Monday night, however, was another story. Sarah, Rachel and Gaurav came over for dinner trying to assist us in depleating our massive stockpile of pupusas and beer. We were all quite entertained as Matilda went crazy on Grammy's piece of cake. After eating a fair amount, spreading cake far and wide on the carpet, she then somehow took control of Grammy's fork and started listing off her demands.



Daddy cowers in fear.

One Year Ago Today

Birthday Weekend

Matilda, Grammy & I are recovering from a fun birthday weekend with much lazing around this morning, while Tim is out earning more bacon for us. The birthday party Saturday was huge fun. Thankfully, we even have pupusas and beer left for tonight's dinner so I can be even more sloth-like today. Yesterday we had great fun with the Kilts family in San Diego at the Wild Animal Park and then more birthday celebrating for both Tom & Matilda back at their resort with night swimming and cupcakes.

Soon we will have bedsores from all the couch time today and will get more photographic evidence of the weekend up for your viewing pleasure. But for now, click on over to see great photos from Adam and Kyle of Matilda's party. Thanks guys!

Let Her Eat Cake

There will be more pictures to come but here are a few of the cake destruction in process.



The cake was really flying at one point and Tim ended up in the splash zone.

Helpful Advice

INT BEDROOM

RD Mama stands amidst shoes, empty hangers and a pile of clothes modelling one dress while holding up another. Dear Husband sits nearby, feigning interest in this decision making process.

RD Mama: This flowered dress is o.k, but I know I'll see pictures afterwards and be unhappy about my fat upper arms.

Dear Husband: Soothing, non-committal comment.

RD Mama: And really like this one but the pattern is pretty wild and I think looking back at Matilda's 1st birthday photos in 20 years I'll be horrified by it.

Dear Husband: Go with the flowered one, in twenty years your arms will be fatter and then you'll be like "Wow, look how thin my arms were there"

Almost One Year Later

Hiking around with Matilda in my belly the day we went into labor.


Hiking around with Matilda on my back today.

St. Paddy

Happy St. Patrick's Day


Matilda & her Dad had fun in their green today. I took this shot in an attempt to capture the curly heads in my front seat. Here we were giving Matilda a break from the car seat after many hours of running around. We had a busy day today with errands, birthday prep, taxes, but managed to squeeze in some fun with a quick trip to the zoo where it was Reptile Appreciation Day. I am not sure this guy really appreciated being stuffed for the occasion though.

Snack Time

After swim class today, Matilda and I had a snack in the nearby park while enjoying the summery breeze. She is always desperate to hold the baggie full of snacks and today I finally let her. She was so hungry that she even ate grape slices (fruit is generally deemed inedible and quickly spit back out) and just sat there serving herself cereal pieces.

For a few minutes anyways. Once the raging hunger was satiated, she got all punchy and of course had to start shaking the bag to display her happiness. "Who left these O's everywhere?"

Gratuitous Cuteness

Our jasmine plant is blooming beautifully right now so Matilda and I spent a few minutes communing with nature on the porch today. She was fascinated with feeling the petals and even copied my exaggerated sniffs of the blossom. She is really starting to mimic everything, our cue to stop swearing quite so profusely around the house.

I love the funny little thing she is doing with her chin here. She looks like a completely different kid to me lately, not so baby-ish suddenly.

Dress Code

Green stripes only at lunch please.

Home again, Home again

Jiggety-Jig

Had another smooth flight. Matilda is like the poster child for good babies on the airplane. Which sounds like bragging, but really it is just making me increasingly nervous. With each good flight I am more terrified of the next flight which must certainly be the child-from-hell trip. But that is future-me's problem, right.

We lucked out having all three seats in our row empty and Matilda was perfectly happy to climb around, look out the window, "read" books, eat way too much of the nasty chicken sandwich and flirt with the doting grandma across the way. It's good to be home.

Practice Run

Grandma was nice enough to throw Matilda a dry-run birthday party so she could practice for her big day. Matilda went crazy for the candle and hollered about it for 20 minutes after we blew it out and moved the cake. In the picture below she is pointing over to the cake and unable to focus on the present-opening task at hand. Eventually she did get to the paper ripping and actually did a pretty good job of opening all three presents without too much assistance. Then she got right down to the very serious task of inspecting all the tags and buttons.

Bubble Fun

Today Matilda discovered the joy of a bathtub with jets. Grandma's big, fancy bathtub was great fun with endless splashing and chasing the bath cups as the jets blew them from side to side. We were both quite pruney and cold by the end but a very good time was had.

Vacation Update for Daddy

Today Matilda:

• walked three feet
• slept all night (9 hours straight, possibly a record)
• played with Grandma while Mom got on a treadmill for the first time in a year
• was perplexed by her first trip (awake) through a car wash
• showed Mama a top tooth that is almost through
• played with (ate) her first snowball

Family Heirlooms

So far Matilda seems to be really enjoying the family heirloom blocks at Grandma's house. This block set was made for me by my Grandpa for Christmas when I was one and has been loved by many other kids already. We are planning to bring them home to CA with us so Matilda can work on increasing the variety of dental impressions in each piece.

Off To See Grandma

All packed up and ready to go.

Here's to hoping she looks like this all night tonight on the red eye!

Breakfast Art

Laundry Time Again

11 Months Already?

Climbing over the curb at Barnsdall Park.

Matilda has finally hit 20 pounds and moved out of the featherweight classification so she can start fighting in the lightweight category now. She had her 11 month check-up this morning and is 20lb 3oz, 28 1/4 inches. According to the growth charts she is average in all categories at the 50 percentile. However, we aren't buying that she is average. The pediatrician endeared herself to me even more when she praised Matilda for being so advanced with her words, gross motor skills, and toy interaction.

At eleven months Matilda can: give kisses (don't be scared if they look like bites), climb into the dishwasher, say Mama, Dada, Buhba (for Buster Keaton, of course), ball, pant like a doggie when prompted, say moo for a cow and vroom vroom for a car, fetch many different toys by name, take adorable little bites using her new teeth, take 5-6 steps (only when she really wants something), independently go down the slide backwards on her belly, get down off the bed/couch/dad mountain/etc. I am sure there are other things I am forgetting; she is changing so fast we cannot keep up.

Another first this month was three days in a row with NO PHOTOS of Matilda. Almost unthinkable. Since she is faster there are also more butt shots, or blurry shots as she runs out of frame. Matilda is so busy and fast I have a hard time getting anything done other than playing and enjoying the moment. Speaking of which, I must go make the most of this precious napping time.

Birthday Plans

Here is one online recommendation we won't be doing for Matilda's upcoming festivities:

• "Mark the moment. Dress your baby in an adult-size outfit. She'll swim in it, but you can save the clothes and bring it out for a photo from year to year — and watch how she grows!"

I can just see the 15-year-old Matilda unwillingly putting on an out-of-style ensemble for the annual torture photo. It gives "birthday suit" a whole new meaning.

More Bath Fun

Matilda's new recipe for bath-time fun:

1. Spend 50% of your time fiddling with the water that drips from the faucet while the shower is running: try to pinch it with your fat little thumb and forefinger, squat down very unsteadily (giving your mother a heart attack) to try and lap the drips off with your tongue, hold your hand underneath to catch a pool of water, etc.

2. Spend the remaining 50% of your time ripping the suction cup fish off the wall. Remember, take no pleasure in this job, just do it methodically as if it were your purpose in life. Stay vigilant for Mama; she is always trying to hang those fish back up. In fact, I think I see a blue one now.

Sharing with Tiptoes

Last night Tim & I were playing a lively round of ball with Matilda after dinner. We got a new ball last week that Matilda really loves to chase. At one point my throw went a bit off course, illustrating why I mostly sat the bench on both the softball and baketball teams. Rather than get up to retrieve it I was trying to convince Matilda to crawl across the room and do my dirty work. She wasn't biting so I asked Tiptoes to get the ball. Usually this tactic makes her hustle right over to the desired item, beating the stuffed animal to the punch. She isn't so keen on sharing generally. But this time she looked at the ball and then looked at Tiptoes as if deciding what to do. First she crawled over and got Tiptoes and dragged him halfway to the ball. Hauling the big stuffed pig was a bit much, so (smart girl that she is) she gave up and went and got the little ball and brought it right over to Tiptoes! It was the sweetest thing.