It's been a busy few weeks since Hadarya became 9 months old and we've done so many new things. The best was the beach. We packed ourselves up early Sunday morning and drove to Coronado and met friends before 9 AM. We schlepped a sleeping baby in a car seat miles in the sand to reach our destination, a cooler of drinks and food, a beach bag filled to the brim, and went back to the car for the chairs and umbrellas. It was so worth it!
Hadarya LOVED the beach. She had so much fun we can't wait to go back again. When she woke up she looked around and smiled the biggest smile ever. We plopped her on the ground on a towel and gave her toy. She played for a few minutes and then scooted herself to a spot where she could mush the sand. SO, off she moved to be right in the thick of things. She found the sand fun, the seaweed not so tasty, and laughed at the things her friends Davia and Aidin did. She could have cared less that there was grainy sand all over her leg and body.
We then scooped up the kids and went to the water. She was thrilled to be sitting in a big bathtub! She splashed and patted the water. She tolerated the pull of the wave on her standing feet and the sensation of the sand moving. She would have stayed all day! We even dipped her in the water to wash off the sand and that made her laugh.
We bundled her up and dried her off with a towel and she sat content on our laps. It was clearly exhausting doing all that playing and we were not surprised when she fell right asleep in the car!
Jul 31, 2007
Jul 23, 2007
On the go Weekend Fun
One busy weekend that left me ready for a day off to recover! BUT so much fun.
Yiftach was the "rabbi" at Tifereth Israel this weekend as the regular was in Israel. So we went to services both Friday night and Saturday morning. Hadarya loves services. She loves the Hebrew. She loves the Torah. She loves being in the environment. It certainly helps that she flashes her cutie patootie smile at anyone and everyone too.
After services, we came home and spent a wonderful late afternoon shabbat with Doda Shlomit, Savta, and cousin Jonah. Eating a yummy lunch in which Hadarya tried Savta's carrot and chicken from the soup. They were a big hit! She loved them. Well, she loves any food and so far has not refused anything as evidenced by her lovely belly!
We then spent some time in the pool in which Hadarya loves to go under and "swim" on her belly. There are lots of photos at the flickr site.
On Sunday we were treated to a marvelous visit with Cousin Janis and Jim from Arizona. Hadarya dressed in her Phoenix Suns outfit from them with tennis shoes and looked quite the cheerleader! We went out for lunch, took a couple of nice walks, played, and got some new toys. Hadarya is now the owner of a delightful set of pots and pans that sing the ABC's and talk to you about what color pan is in the pot and which one is out. She completely loves this toy; especially the noise it makes when she bangs them together! She also has a "walker" that becomes a scooter and she is fascinated by the movement it does when she pushes on it. She is quite adept at walking with holding on to our hands and it's only going to be a short time when she walks with this.
What a fantastic time and great to see so much family!
Yiftach was the "rabbi" at Tifereth Israel this weekend as the regular was in Israel. So we went to services both Friday night and Saturday morning. Hadarya loves services. She loves the Hebrew. She loves the Torah. She loves being in the environment. It certainly helps that she flashes her cutie patootie smile at anyone and everyone too.
After services, we came home and spent a wonderful late afternoon shabbat with Doda Shlomit, Savta, and cousin Jonah. Eating a yummy lunch in which Hadarya tried Savta's carrot and chicken from the soup. They were a big hit! She loved them. Well, she loves any food and so far has not refused anything as evidenced by her lovely belly!
We then spent some time in the pool in which Hadarya loves to go under and "swim" on her belly. There are lots of photos at the flickr site.
On Sunday we were treated to a marvelous visit with Cousin Janis and Jim from Arizona. Hadarya dressed in her Phoenix Suns outfit from them with tennis shoes and looked quite the cheerleader! We went out for lunch, took a couple of nice walks, played, and got some new toys. Hadarya is now the owner of a delightful set of pots and pans that sing the ABC's and talk to you about what color pan is in the pot and which one is out. She completely loves this toy; especially the noise it makes when she bangs them together! She also has a "walker" that becomes a scooter and she is fascinated by the movement it does when she pushes on it. She is quite adept at walking with holding on to our hands and it's only going to be a short time when she walks with this.
What a fantastic time and great to see so much family!
Jul 11, 2007
9 months old
It's unbelievable that Hadarya is 9 months old! How did that happen? I cannot wrap my mind around how time seems to go so quickly. She gets more and more beautiful every day and her personality is extremely delightful.
At 9 months old my daughter has many accomplishments:
1. She broke her first tooth two weeks ago (and boy is it sharp!) Note to self: DO NOT stick your finger inside for a chomp.
2. She does this adorable head tilt to say hello and I love you and in general to get your attention. She knows it will get her huge smiles and laughs.
3. She became a rolly polly last night, doing multiple rolls over and over again and back. She must have entertained herself for 20 minutes rolling around with no specific purpose in mind.
4. She can walk holding onto our hands.
5. She sometimes attempts to pull herself up but is not proficient at that yet. (Thank goodness...we'd really have to move the mattress in her bed down!)
6. She loves loves loves music.
7. Her Leap Frog table is a source of delight and joy for extended periods.
8. She is fascinated with anything that has eyes in it. She stares into the eyes and gets frustrated when they don't respond! Her favorite is a frog that has flashcards attached. She also loves her puppy push toy that she rolls all over the place.
9. She holds her own bottle...well, when she wants to.
10. She holds her arms up to be held or picked up, with the cutest look that no one can resist.
Hadarya Tali you are a joy and delight in our lives!
At 9 months old my daughter has many accomplishments:
1. She broke her first tooth two weeks ago (and boy is it sharp!) Note to self: DO NOT stick your finger inside for a chomp.
2. She does this adorable head tilt to say hello and I love you and in general to get your attention. She knows it will get her huge smiles and laughs.
3. She became a rolly polly last night, doing multiple rolls over and over again and back. She must have entertained herself for 20 minutes rolling around with no specific purpose in mind.
4. She can walk holding onto our hands.
5. She sometimes attempts to pull herself up but is not proficient at that yet. (Thank goodness...we'd really have to move the mattress in her bed down!)
6. She loves loves loves music.
7. Her Leap Frog table is a source of delight and joy for extended periods.
8. She is fascinated with anything that has eyes in it. She stares into the eyes and gets frustrated when they don't respond! Her favorite is a frog that has flashcards attached. She also loves her puppy push toy that she rolls all over the place.
9. She holds her own bottle...well, when she wants to.
10. She holds her arms up to be held or picked up, with the cutest look that no one can resist.
Hadarya Tali you are a joy and delight in our lives!
Jul 9, 2007
Good Luck Charm
I know I go on and on about my good natured, happy, smiley daughter. No apologies. We are blessed with this angel in our lives and she is all about changing the lives of those she meets.
Last night we went to cousin Michael's baseball all-star game. It was right in Santee and close to the house so that made it easy Hadarya fell asleep at 7:04 in her crib with her lovey and pacifier. We scooped her up at 7:20 and put her in the car and headed out. She stayed zonked out in the stroller through two innings and loud cheering.
Then she woke up. She opened her big brown eyes and tried to figure out where she was. I held her and she twirled her head around at the noise and shook a little with the cold air. But she wasn't crying and she wasn't upset. Just figuring it all out.
Michael came up to bat and his team was behind. We called to him to notice Hadarya and his eyes lit up the night. He wandered over to the fence to say hello to her and she reached through the wire to touch him and smiled. She had not smiled since waking up!
Michael went on to hit a double and steal third base. His team was powered up and began hitting and scoring...winning the game and advancing to the next level.
The power of touch and a smile. Boy did she make Michael's night!
Then he got up there and smacked the heck out of that ball for a double and went on to steal thrid.
Last night we went to cousin Michael's baseball all-star game. It was right in Santee and close to the house so that made it easy Hadarya fell asleep at 7:04 in her crib with her lovey and pacifier. We scooped her up at 7:20 and put her in the car and headed out. She stayed zonked out in the stroller through two innings and loud cheering.
Then she woke up. She opened her big brown eyes and tried to figure out where she was. I held her and she twirled her head around at the noise and shook a little with the cold air. But she wasn't crying and she wasn't upset. Just figuring it all out.
Michael came up to bat and his team was behind. We called to him to notice Hadarya and his eyes lit up the night. He wandered over to the fence to say hello to her and she reached through the wire to touch him and smiled. She had not smiled since waking up!
Michael went on to hit a double and steal third base. His team was powered up and began hitting and scoring...winning the game and advancing to the next level.
The power of touch and a smile. Boy did she make Michael's night!
Then he got up there and smacked the heck out of that ball for a double and went on to steal thrid.
Jul 5, 2007
The Unbearbale Cuteness of Our Daughter
My favorite photos of Hadarya taken last weekend on our trip to Los Angeles, Palo Alto, and Foster City, CA visiting Nana and Saba, Igor, Sivan, and Eytan, and Aunt Judy and Uncle Ron.
Nana and Saba:
This is Hadarya's way of saying Hello! I Love you! (she will do this in response to your greeting or if she is seeking your attention because she thinks she is being ignored and she knows no one can resist a side head tilt!)
Igor, Eytan, Yiftach, and Hadarya:
Aunt Judy and Uncle Ron:
Nana and Saba:
This is Hadarya's way of saying Hello! I Love you! (she will do this in response to your greeting or if she is seeking your attention because she thinks she is being ignored and she knows no one can resist a side head tilt!)
Igor, Eytan, Yiftach, and Hadarya:
Aunt Judy and Uncle Ron:
A Picture Speaks a Thousand Words
So, all I'll say is WOW. My husband is an amazing photographer and I am so in love with my daughter, I cannot say enough about it. Enjoy!
Jul 4, 2007
No Planning Made for a FANTASTIC Day!
Happy 4th of July...which meant something totally different this year for many different reasons. #1 -- we have a baby. #2 -- the holiday was on a Wednesday; hence no long weekend to get away. #3 -- most of our close friends were out of town or had other plans. So we just never made plans. We just got busy with our regular lives and being out of town last weekend. LIFE just got in our way of making a big deal out of the 4th and quite frankly our disgust with politics, government, and treatment of those defending our country just didn't have us in the traditional July 4th party mood.
BUT never fear, because our unplanned day was remarkable, thanks to Lisa and Animal Crackers, and flexible Grandparents.
We had a picnic in the park with our play group for adoptive parents and kids who meet every week on Wednesday mornings, but I can never go because I work. Lisa had the fortuitous idea to still get together and include the hubbies! Dinosaur Park was filled with our 10 families and their kids. Good food, great company, and lots of laughs started our day off well beyond anything we could have tried to plan. AND our little Miss???? She slept through most of it! But when she awoke, she had a blast.
We then had lunch with Savta and walked around the beach at Coronado and took in the sun, the sea, and the masses of people. The day was beautiful and warm and Hadarya snoozed again! We had a wonderful time just hanging out. Savta had a new toy for Hadarya to play with... the classic Fischer Price toy where you push, pull, turn a knob and an animal pops up. You push it down and start all over again. H figured it out pretty quickly and loved sitting on Savta's balcony with the gorgeous flowers trying to make it work.
We ended our day with dinner with Grandma and Grandpa at our house and a bath in our new ducky tub. Hadarya showed off her standing legs at her Leap Frog table, pulled the buttons to make music for them, and showered Grandma with head tilts. (Her lovely way of saying hello, I Love you!) She went to bed at 7 and we enjoyed a nice adult dinner and conversation with my parents. No fireworks for us this year, but it didn't matter. We could see them in the eyes of our daughter all day long and our parents when they played with her. Who needs the loud ones that go boom?
BUT never fear, because our unplanned day was remarkable, thanks to Lisa and Animal Crackers, and flexible Grandparents.
We had a picnic in the park with our play group for adoptive parents and kids who meet every week on Wednesday mornings, but I can never go because I work. Lisa had the fortuitous idea to still get together and include the hubbies! Dinosaur Park was filled with our 10 families and their kids. Good food, great company, and lots of laughs started our day off well beyond anything we could have tried to plan. AND our little Miss???? She slept through most of it! But when she awoke, she had a blast.
We then had lunch with Savta and walked around the beach at Coronado and took in the sun, the sea, and the masses of people. The day was beautiful and warm and Hadarya snoozed again! We had a wonderful time just hanging out. Savta had a new toy for Hadarya to play with... the classic Fischer Price toy where you push, pull, turn a knob and an animal pops up. You push it down and start all over again. H figured it out pretty quickly and loved sitting on Savta's balcony with the gorgeous flowers trying to make it work.
We ended our day with dinner with Grandma and Grandpa at our house and a bath in our new ducky tub. Hadarya showed off her standing legs at her Leap Frog table, pulled the buttons to make music for them, and showered Grandma with head tilts. (Her lovely way of saying hello, I Love you!) She went to bed at 7 and we enjoyed a nice adult dinner and conversation with my parents. No fireworks for us this year, but it didn't matter. We could see them in the eyes of our daughter all day long and our parents when they played with her. Who needs the loud ones that go boom?
Jul 2, 2007
First Day ~ at SDSU. . .
Well, not really college yet, but if she keeps learning so fast, she'll be ready in no time at all!
Hadarya started daycare at the Children's Center at SDSU today. She is going M-W-F from 8 AM - Noon for the month of July. Then she'll go until 4 PM when I return to work in August. Grandma plays with her Tuesday and Thursday.
I started summer school the same day and was so busy as the site lead (acting Principal) that I did not have time to worry about my daughter. Which would have been wasted energy anyway!
Hadarya was amazing. Yiftach took her at 8 AM and stayed with her playing for about 20 minutes and said good-bye. She hardly noticed. According to Miss Alissa, she ate breakfast with gusto sitting at the table on a chair and then got a little whiny about 9. (She got up at 6 AM, so naptime was just around the corner!).
Sure enough, into the nap room, onto her cot with her lovey and pacifier, and she rolled over and slept for two hours! She woke up without a fuss and was so intrigued by her surroundings she didn't want a bottle.
Yiftach went over about 11:45 and I arrived at 12:02 and she was happy as could be, busy as could be, and having a ton of fun.
Most of the other kids were napping so there were only about 4 awake at this time. Lots of one on one attention, which is lovely. She was ready for other people and stimulation and she is going to have so much fun.
The quality in this program is bar none and worth every penny we are going to spend for her care. She has access to toys that are different, books that are different, and a huge outside play area where the kids spend time every day. The best part is the care given to her by the loving teachers who are all child development majors and who know so much about kids.
So far so good...we can't wait for her friend Davia to come back from vacation and be there to play with!
Hadarya started daycare at the Children's Center at SDSU today. She is going M-W-F from 8 AM - Noon for the month of July. Then she'll go until 4 PM when I return to work in August. Grandma plays with her Tuesday and Thursday.
I started summer school the same day and was so busy as the site lead (acting Principal) that I did not have time to worry about my daughter. Which would have been wasted energy anyway!
Hadarya was amazing. Yiftach took her at 8 AM and stayed with her playing for about 20 minutes and said good-bye. She hardly noticed. According to Miss Alissa, she ate breakfast with gusto sitting at the table on a chair and then got a little whiny about 9. (She got up at 6 AM, so naptime was just around the corner!).
Sure enough, into the nap room, onto her cot with her lovey and pacifier, and she rolled over and slept for two hours! She woke up without a fuss and was so intrigued by her surroundings she didn't want a bottle.
Yiftach went over about 11:45 and I arrived at 12:02 and she was happy as could be, busy as could be, and having a ton of fun.
Most of the other kids were napping so there were only about 4 awake at this time. Lots of one on one attention, which is lovely. She was ready for other people and stimulation and she is going to have so much fun.
The quality in this program is bar none and worth every penny we are going to spend for her care. She has access to toys that are different, books that are different, and a huge outside play area where the kids spend time every day. The best part is the care given to her by the loving teachers who are all child development majors and who know so much about kids.
So far so good...we can't wait for her friend Davia to come back from vacation and be there to play with!
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