Stuck

Makayla likes to sit, in or on everything… it’s takes great precision to pick a good spot, turn around, shuffle backwards and stick out her butt and slowly squat to finally sit down.
Upon a successful sitting – she yells, claps and kicks her feet in celebratory bliss.

However, yesterday's latest attempt left her stuck (like Winnie-the-Pooh when he goes to visit Rabbit).

Jay and I did what any good parents would do - promptly took photos of her stuck and laughed our asses off for several minutes as she tried to remove herself from the box (I almost peed myself) ...

I'm # 1!!

Mak took her first 4-5 steps today! It was commercial-esque in that she "ran" into my arms and we laughed. Seriously... it happened... I have witnesses.
It's amazing to Jay & I how fast time goes by - even faster, it seems when we are both working full-time. We cherish our time with her especially as her personality comes alive. Here's some highlights as she eats, crawls, swings and stumbles into her 2nd year on earth...


Let's get one thing straight dogs. I, Makayla Cahill, own you. You are my pals and should do what I want you to do when I want you to do it. So if I force a toy on you - take it, but give it right back - it's called sharing. If I lay on you - don't move or I will have to get up off the floor yell and crawl after you. You can't hide - I will find you and hug you till you want no other human interaction and are begging to be let outside (which makes me sad and I holler after you to come back "dah-dah")...



We spend time in the living room and kitchen, playing and sometimes get the camera out and take self-portraits - right now I spend a lot of time practicing balance and walking w/ my Brio cart. I am learning and understand spanish, just as much as the english.


We went for a family hike on my b-day - it started out fine. We were the few only people up at 8am on a Sunday so peaceful, quiet...
Well until I started crying - it's tough to be stuck in a back pack that long!So time for the good stuff - a party & chocolate cake (Mommy made it special for me)!!
I wasn't sure about all the commotion, and cried during the opening of the presents... but when that birthday candle was lit and the singing began... I loved every minute of it.

So close...

Mak is really close to walking. She has gotten pretty good at pushing her Brio cart around the room with out any help. And lately, her sleep routine changed as she dictates that she no longer needs that extra little nap in the morning after eating. So, Jay and I spend mornings balancing our time getting ready for work while trying to keep her safe as she crawls/climbs/scoots into and onto everything...

9 Months Old

Multi-tasking has never had more meaning...

Thankfully Makayla is not a picky eater - her favorite (shown right) is oatmeal w/ raisins. She stopped wanting us to spoon-feed her about a month or so ago and has preferred to do everything herself - including eating. Additionally, crawling has made Makayla (and us) all the more active - her curiosity and "no-fear" approach to exploring the world keeps us on our toes each day. We just recently (yes...just recently...give me a break) bought & installed gates, electric socket covers. A kitchen drawer full of stuff has also been provided in which to amuse a little one while doing my own multi-tasking in the kitchen/dining/living room or upstairs.

Swimming is Mak's sport of choice...she LOVES the water.
In one of our adventure's to the pool I decided we would try out the kiddie-slide .... together... her on my lap. Little did I know I would not be able to stop, sliding as only a good slide would allow you (fast & no-friction) which plummeted us both butts first - but heads under - into the water. She was unalarmed and seemed unsurprised by the event...while I was still catching my breath.

Her actions, communications, expressions seem to get more "person-like" every day. I so treasure this time...and am enjoying every day (hour) I am able to spend time w/ her.
Jay and I are in a flurry of our own daily, weekly multi-tasking and somehow seem to still be able to manage to keep the things that are important to us in some sort of balance (work, friends, house, dogs, family, ourselves, soccer/basketball). It's not that I didn't know going in this would be challenging at times - but the reality of it all is more then I could ever have imagined. Multi-tasking has a positive connotation attached to it...usually. But lately I can't help but feel I am missing out on the full-awareness of any one thing.

Ok so its been a while... we know. Time seems to move at lightning speed these days w/ Jay and I back at work. Weekends are even more precious and "Me time" is something one holds dear... for all of us. Here's a recap of the past 2 months:

Christmas came and went so quickly this year. The spirit was dampened (pun intended) by the most awful flu bug Makayla brought home from daycare. Jay and I spent a day before X-mas Eve in bed w/ help from Lita & Lito. Christmas Eve day & night it was our turn to play nurse to Makayla. It was next to impossible to get her to keep fluids down - but finally Jay held her down and I dispensed Pedialite via a dropper down her throat. She kicked, screamed and spat... yet, several outfits later (Jay and I too) her fever went down and her spirits rose in time for Christmas Day. Jay and I were exhausted but felt triumphant that we made it through one of the many small battles to come. However, her reign of sickness and despair did not end there - as we attended Christmas festivities w/ all the usual family members... who exactly 12 hours later were struck w/ the "plague of Makayla". (Merry Christmas, Everyone).

On a happier note, Makayla's first Christmas entailed grabbing bows/ribbons, trying to eat wrapping paper and sitting in quiet awe at Opa's train around the silver christmas tree.

The new year has been filled w/ new surprises, triumphs and changes. Makayla is eating all kinds of food and loving almost (not the fish, OJ & sweet potatoes blend just yet) everything I make for her. Yes.... you read right - and I truly love it. Making and experimenting w/ all the tastes and textures of foods w/ her is so much fun. She is independent in everything - but especially likes to feed herself. Pieces of banana, blueberries, grapes etc. are some of her favorites. Mak and I just recently decided it would be good to feed the local birds (all the snow and all) so we put out 2 bird feeders outside the big main dining room window. After just a couple days of bird-gossip, we have quite a menagarie of birds to watch during meal times.
Just recently Makayla began to emulate the action of waving (she sticks our her hand and moves her fingers together, up and down). However, when you wave back she looks at you as though you are crazy, funny or both - so we don't have the communication and meaning nailed down quite yet. She also started CRAWLING yesterday! She had been rocking back and forth on hands and knees for a couple weeks - and then all of sudden (after daycare told me she was moving around everywhere - and yes...I felt a sad little sting that I didn't get to see it FIRST) she was off...
With each of these milestones it's bitter-sweet...
Sweet in that she is growing, learning and becoming her own person. Bitter in that the flip side of that very same coin is the stark realization that one milestone means the end of the stage or phase that preceded it.

Close call

Recently, we spent the weekend at the cabin in Hocking Hills. On a typical sunny, but cold afternoon we took the dogs and Mak P for a walk. All of us love these walks and the cold weather makes the warm cabin even better to come back to...
On our way back, however, Arnold made a quick decision to cross the street when a truck (who had stopped for us) began to move forward. The moments after that have thankfully become not as easy to recall... Arnold's front rt leg (and what I assumed at the time to be chest/head) had been hit/ran over. In a panic, I took off on foot - running - w/ Makayla in the stroller back to the cabin...pulling Ramona along w/ me (she was concerned for and wanted to be w/ her brother). I was so out of breath by the time we got there I could hardly stand... meanwhile Jay had gotten Arnold back to the cabin (calmly and via a truck) and into our car and was heading to the nearest animal hospital...
After finally getting to the only open animal hospital just north of Columbus I joined him and we waited to hear the results of Arnold's x-rays. Both of us were beside ourselves - and thinking the worst... But when the doctor came in - she showed us the x-rays and he had only a broken toe to show for it. They placed a splint on his leg and sent us home w/ several meds...

In the next few days, Jay did most of the carrying of Arnold - in and out side, up and down stairs - we catered and spoiled Arnold knowing he must be in pain and would not be mobile for a while. Then at one point Jay thought to offer Arnold a treat - some motivation to try and make it on 3 legs and get outside on his own. No sooner did Jay mention the word and the sound of the treat jar clanked - was Arnold up, and HOPPING on 3 legs into the other room. We laughed so hard w/ relief ... our buddy Arnold was going to be just fine.

Turning 6 months old

Makayla is starting some solid foods - bananas, avocados, sweet potatoes and rice cereal. She likes the real food better then the rice cereal, and I have to admit I don't blame her - not much taste to it...
Her hand-eye coordination is so fun to watch - she now very carefully moves her right wrist up and down in a very calculated manner in order to get one of her favorite rattles to make noise. She also is sitting up w/ out our help. She loves when mommy (or Lita) sing (or dance) and cracks up laughing when daddy throws her up in the air. Now when reading books she is an active participant - by talking in low grunts or grabbing the book and trying to eat it.

Make a Smilebox greeting

Cahill family sent along this e-greeting to Courtney's mom for her birthday on November 9th!

BOO!

Well OK, a pea-pod costume isn't that scary... but i sure am cute in my very first Halloween costume. We made it to 5 houses for trick-o-treating but then it was obvious to the neighbors that Mommy & Daddy were the ones that were "treating" themselves to the candy... so we headed back to our house and passed out candy instead.

4 months old

MakP is gaining coordination - moving arms and legs when she tells them to vs. just flailing them up and down when struck by emotion (anger, happiness)... She talks a lot, and her face is serious when attempting to communicate to us - she makes long drawn out (yet controlled) AHHHHH's at a variety of different pitches in order to get her point across. As of our dr. appt on Monday - she is 15lbs and 26'' long.

Coping w/ the unexpected...

Last week, hurricane Ike rolled through Columbus before it slowly died to the Northeast of Ohio. We experienced 80-90mile/hr winds - which hindered my soccer game at 1pm only a little but left cooking on the grill only a few hours later a much more difficult endeavor. Needless to say we lost power on Sunday evening - and would not have it restored until Friday afternoon. We stuck it out for a couple days & nights (me having to use the breast pump in the car!) - but after losing hot water had to find an alternative. Makayla's daycare also was w/out power until Thursday morning. Thankfully we had family to lean on and the week was only mildly disrupted - Mak P stayed at Lita's house (grandma Cecilia) and we spent nights w/ Aunt Kristy and Uncle Andy. We are extremely grateful - and looking back enjoyed the change of pace...
This week, nature took a different course - unexpectedly taking my grandmother Dorothy from this great planet. I am struck cold w/ guilt, remorse and great sadness all of sudden - and most especially in the midst of the monotony of my work day. I should have called more, written more, visited more - did she know how important she was to me - and how sad I am that Mak P won't get to know her? I can only hope... that those things which she instilled in me: Scrabble has rules ("no you can not look up a word before playing"), putting together jigsaw puzzles has rules (border pieces together first), LIFE has rules... I have fond memories of camping and spending summers w/ Grandma & Grandpa. I carry many of the qualities and pasttimes they held true - strongheaded, driven, kind, honest and a great love for animals, the outdoors and traveling...
I miss my childhood... I miss them...
Nature tears through your life leaving a path (physical or emotional) along the way. As I get older and now have a child of my own, I am left feeling utterly more vulnerable and protective, yet more appreciative for every day I have with the family & friends in my life...

Back to work

Mom & Dad started back to work recently. It's been an adjustment from the lazy days the 3 of us were able to spend together for a wonderful 12 weeks this summer. Everyone in the family is adjusting well - Mak is spending 3days/wk w/ abuelita Cecilia and 2days/wk at daycare near Mom's work. Jay is working at JP Morgan Chase again - although hours our long, he enjoys doing what he knows and is good at. Courtney has taken on a new role at work, but is glad to be back and is striving to keep her work day to no more then 8hrs (not an easy task!).
Mak is really enjoying her time w/ abuelita Cecilia and playing w/ same-age friends at daycare. She can now hold her head up, and will stand w/ our help. She is extremely curious, attentive and talks to us very often. She LOVES Arnold (our eldest dog) - she goes into fits of laughter when she sees him beg us for attention. She has a strong personality which is beginning to slowly come to light - she knows what she wants, when she wants it and will tell us w/ out hesitation. However, she (just like her daddy) does not complain for no reason - she is pointed in her demands and (just like her mommy) is direct about what she wants....
We are in BIG trouble...