Sara Bela photos, Christmas to New Years, 2011

Here is a photo album of Sara Bela photos I took with my Hannukah present from my parents, a new Canon Rebel camera! She is now four months old, and so amazing -- she now eagerly grabs and feels things she is interested in, smiles at me across the room when I walk in, and is full of energy, interest, and opinions! She's not shy to make her opinions heard -- like Mother like daughter. Click below to see the album!

Sara Bela photos, Christmas to New Years, 2011

Solstice park!

You are grabbing and singing and rolling over almost, my darling Bela.  Documents of a warm day in the park the day after solstice on a quilt made for you by Rachel.

Love to you as you approach four months!

Good night duck

You rolled over once today and there times yesterday.  You must be tired.  Sleep well, best friend (baby category).

Delicious tomato stem

Mmm!

Learning

You have learned to smile, to coo at things you like (trees, housemates), and almost to hold your head up and roll.  You are peaceful and beautiful and sometimes clear and willful.  Thank you for being our little girl, Sara Bela.

Daylight Savings Time

All parents of wee ones in the parts of the world that observe Daylight Savings Time are now noting that their children get up an hour earlier. Hoo boy. So we got up at about 5.30 this morning, SB, and got you dressed in a pretty cute grey outfit. I'm enjoying putting you in many colorful layers -- a traditional West Philly way to ward off the cold. We went downstairs and I chatted with you as I made coffee and oatmeal, then we turned on the radio. NPR and the jazz station didn't please and I didn't feel like exploring the desert of FM radio, so we put on Erykah Badu's 2nd album New Amerykah Part 2. You loved it and we danced to the grooves. I think I'll play you some Invincible next if you are into R and B or hip hop. I know these are good morning dances.

Your dad is still sleeping! But soon he will awake and we'll enjoy our Sunday together. I love you very much kittenduck.

New hat

Here is Sara Bela on her morning walk wearing the hat Dave Arney knit for her.  I went back to work yesterday, but I'm working part time for this month -- fun times!

Happy Halloween!

It's a bad economy small baby... So we've dressed you for Halloween as... the bear market!  It's... funny?  We'll explain when you're older.

At the end of October

Sara Bela, you were born two months ago! You have changed so much, but your alertness and sweetness only continue to grow. This morning we got up around 7ish, a,nd despite a bout of projectile vomiting (!) we were able to get out of bed and get you changed and dressed without waking up your dad. He was up late picking our housemate Shy and his partner Smoot up from the airport, so I was glad he could sleep.

We then had a fantastic morning with you smiling and laughing a lot at patterns -- like the contrast of the letters and the red rectangular border on the Altoids boxes that are lying around the living room, the shadows behind me when I was dancing to jazz music in front of you, and the black and white pictures in a couple of your favorite books.

Then you slept in your carrier after getting tired, and I made cheesy gluten free biscuits for our returning housemates and for Josh, who can't eat wheat-flour bread. (Here's hoping you don't have the same allergy!)

You listened to a lot of music this morning -- jazz radio, The Ex's Turn (a favorite CD in this house), and a little NPR news (I'm addicted, sorry lady!).

Now I'm typing this up while you hang out with your dad. Sounds like you are waking up -- I'll see you in a minute!

Love,

your mama Hannah

Napping on my chest

The days of you napping on my chest are limited and precious.  You curled your warm head under my chin.  So grateful!

Sara Bela likes patterns and can track them!

We were so delighted by how much Sara Bela likes her new mobile -- and to see her seeing and tracking patterns!  See the last 30 seconds especially for eye tracking extravaganza.

laughing action shots!

you're getting kind of laughing-ready, little!

Glowy baby

You are very long -- and you glow in the right light. You are very beautiful, and often very attentive and calm to the world around you. We should all learn from you, small Sara Bela!

I gave you a bath last night with your fancy calendula shampoo -- Josh was ready with your duck towel to wrap you up so you wouldn't get too cold after. I sat with you in the tub and let you nurse as we scrubbed your hands and head and all your parts.

We sang: "Ohhhh ducklet, oh duck, oh ducky ducky duck duck duck," over and over. It's more like a chant, actually.

Then you were glowy and lovely.

Cadet Bela's obsession

Sara Bela at eight weeks!

Sara Bela is now eight weeks old!  I can barely believe it.  It's been a whirlwind adventure of wonderment and cuteness.  She's doing wonderfully and I'm amazed every day at how much she's become her own person and the simple but amazing things she can do.

Right now, she's lying on her back in the new play mat/gym contraption that her (great!) Aunt Leslie gave her while we visited family up in Toronto.  We were shocked to see how much she absolutely *loves* this psychedelic contraption full of eyes and colors and a mirror.  She often shows off two of her new skills when on her back: showing her excitement by waving her hands and legs, and smiling!  Oh yes, she can smile -- and her social smile is incredibly effective at making adults swoon.

Sara Bela Smiling in Her Entertainment Center

One slightly bizarre aspect of her love of this playmat is her obsession with the portrait of the three people you can see in the lower right hand of the image.  She can stare at this portrait for a very long time, and will come back to it again and again.  I'm not sure why ... but one theory is that she loves rectangles.  She's always loved staring at windows, to such a degree that we often talk about her dear personified window comrade "friend window".

Smiiiile

In other developmental news, Sara Bela is getting way better at sticking her hand in her mouth.  Here is some documentary evidence with her Safta Susie:

We've been up to many adventures since our last blog posts, but the two biggest have been our time at Occupy Philly and our trip to Toronto.  Before our week long trip to Toronto, the highlight of many of our days was travelling down to Occupy Philly at City Hall.  During one amazing night, we participated in Kol Nidre (the beginning of the Yom Kippur holiday) at the protest -- I have a deep sense memory of Hannah breastfeeding while standing during the prayers, the sounds of the occupation and a helicopter in the mix.  It was an absolutely beautiful and powerful spiritual experience for us.  A big theme of the service was Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel's famous quote: "When I marched at Selma, my feet were praying."  After Kol Nidre, we walked over to watch the Phillies game which we had worked to make sure would be projected at Occupy Philly.  (The city was not involved, despite rumors to the contrary.)  That was also amazing, despite the tragic resolution of the game.  We've been inspired by all of the energy and optimism from old and new activists in Philly.  Hurrah!

Some Occupy Philly photos:

Baby Revolutionary Fashion

Kol Nidre at Occupy Philly: you can see us in the middle (I am wearing Sara Bela)

Baby Bloc at Occupy Philly family area

Sara Bela & Marco (w/ Hannah and Alicia)

Sara Bela is bored by General Assembly

We just came back from a trip to Toronto.  The drive up was difficult, as Sara Bela became very unhappy every 45 minutes or so and we would stop and hold and feed her.  We thought about giving up on the idea of driving!  But a helpful worker at a rest stop restaurant helped me adjust our car seat to fit her less tightly and she was much happier.  Hannah was a champ and sat beside her and kept her happy and fed ... and by the drive home we had smooth sailing and Cadet Bela was happy.

Our time in Toronto was wonderful!  Sara Bela got to meet her great grandparents, Joyce and Sam, who were absolutely in love with her (of course!):

Sam meets his great granddaughter

Joyce couldn't get enough

as well as her great aunts and uncles and cousins:

Linda was bouncing up and down like a cartoon

Jonathan and a stunned looked Sara Bela

Ben was so sweet with her

Leslie smooches Bela

Here are some bonus photos from the last few days!

Benny snuggles Sara Bela at Clark Park

Bathtime!

Bela has Houdini-like mastery of breaking free of her swaddle

Peoplehood

Sara Bela had a great time today at peoplehood.   She loves being outside, all the noise and music, and her Rachie and Eileen!

Lifting your head is hard!

Sara Bela exhausted after a long day of organizing