I want what I want, when I want, how I want it, and I want it NOW!

Little Miss Maryam has a hard time understanding that sometimes, she can't always get what she wants. For example, she wants to play with the toilet brush. I move gently move her away from the nasty germ-laden object, and close the baby gate. Maryam is not happy. She wants the toilet brush more than she's ever wanted anything in her short life. It's crucial that she gets the toilet cleaning tool, and gets it now. Mommy won't let her. And so she screams a horrible scream, scrunches up her face, and turns red.

This picture was taken when she really wanted my cup of ice water. I let her drink from it. I even let her stick her not so clean hands in it to get the ice out and play with it. But I am a mean mommy and would not let her grab the cup and dump it on herself (although I did consider this).

Life is sometimes hard for babies before they are verbal. It is just as hard on mommies and daddies, big brothers, and possibly the neighbors who have to listen to the ruckus they cause.

On a happier note, Maryam made it through a church service without screaming or crying. We sat on the side in the back, and I allowed her to stand in the pew and sit on the floor rather than on my lap the whole time.

On a not-so-happy note (at least for Jim), Maryam has woke up at 5:20 AM today. Yesterday it was 5:30 AM. The day before, 5:40 AM. Jim is very tired. Jim is getting very cranky. Maryam needs to get her internal clock reset.

Today we're planning on going to set off rockets. This will be Maryam's first rocket-shooting adventure. Right now, she and daddy are napping. Naps are good for babies and their tired, cranky daddies.

A day at COSI

COSI is our local science museum. It has a wonderful room called Kids' Space that is perfect for babies and toddlers. We try to go at least once a week. Maryam always has so much fun there. Grandma and Grandpa get us a membership as our family Christmas gift, and it is well used.

The weather has been hot lately - in the 90's. I'm ready for cooler fall weather to come. Maryam doesn't fit in to most of her warm weather clothes, but we have lots of cute things for the colder weather.

We're starting to think about her birthday plans - she'll be one year old in a month! She still nurses and eats like a champ. She can stand up without holding on to something for a few seconds. She sometimes waves bye bye, but isn't consistent with any words yet. I'm still waiting for the day when she looks at me and says "ma ma". Everything is still "da da da".

Chickens and tractors and hay rides, oh my!

Today we went to the Stratford Farm Harvest Fair. It was so much fun! Stratford is a working farm that has a lot of environmental programing. They also have chickens. One day I will have chickens, too, but that's for another post.

We looked at chickens, saw a puppet show, listened to live dulcimer music, rode in a hay wagon pulled by horses, and Maryam played with my hat. It was a beautiful day, and I hope that this can become an annual event for us.

11 months old!

Yesterday Maryam turned 11 months old. She can climb the stairs with Mommy or Daddy behind her, but can't get down them yet. She claps her hands when she's excited, or when someone else claps their hands. She is quite determined about what she likes or doesn't like. For example, I tried to get her to hold the bear for our monthly bear picture. She didn't want it, and kept throwing it over her head. She doesn't use words yet, but when she's being carried and wants down, she'll throw her body towards the ground, or whatever it is she wants to get to. It was unnerving the first time she did it, but now I'm aware and keep a much tighter grip on her.

She is the most wonderful little girl in the world to me. Oh, and she slept for almost 5 hours IN A ROW last night when we had friends over to play games!

She's getting into everything these days

Maryam has been getting into lots of things lately - she's so fun to watch. Today she crawled toward her toy bin on the shelves, stood up, and dumped the contents on the floor. She is a slow and deliberate crawler, but very determined to reach her goals.

A grumpy wakeup

This is my child when she wakes up from a nap.

Maryam is not a morning person. She takes after mommy in this regard. After she's woken up from a nap, it can take her a good 30 minutes to be her normal cheery self. And she normally is a very smiley, cheerful babe. But not when she wakes up. I've met some kids who wake up smiling and happy after a restful sleep. Maryam wakes up grumpy, dazed, confused, and somewhat clingy. Now at least I can tell Jim it's genetic when I ask him not to talk to me, look at me, or touch me for the first 30 minutes of my day.

A new baby!

This is Greta. She is the daughter of Chris and Emily, friends of ours from church. I'm watching her three days a week. Greta is three months younger than Maryam, and about half of her size. She is a sweet, smiley, happy little girl, and I'm lucky to be able to take care of her. She and Maryam get along very well, but as you'll see in the pictures below, there is a lot of toy-snatching that goes on. But if you put them across the room from each other, they'll both crawl towards each other.Maryam and Greta are each happily playing with their own toys at first. Maryam looks up, and sees that Greta has something that she doesn't. Actually, it wouldn't even matter if Maryam had the exact same thing that Greta did, because she would want it anyway.
While Greta is distracted by a spoon, Maryam smiles and reaches out her hand to get Greta's cup.
Maryam has stolen Greta's cup, and is happy. Poor Greta is not so happy. And although it may look like it, Maryam does not hit Greta with the cup. In the end, both babies are playing with different toys.

The End!

Trucks

Maryam loves her Tonka Trucks! We keep some on the back deck for her to play with. The boys used to play with these a lot at our old house, but they've grown out of them for the most part.

Ducks

Jim had this idea - he wanted to make a pull toy that was a mama duck with her babies following her. Of course, it would be made out of wood that wasn't treated with chemicals. This is it. Jim designed it so that the ducks wobble as you pull them.

They're made of unfinished pine wood, although if he makes more they'll probably be made from another stronger wood.























Maryam thinks it's absolutely wonderful! She giggles as Jim pulls them around her in a circle. She can't walk yet so she can't pull it.





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Maryam and her daddy with the ducks. I'm quite amazed at how well they turned out, and hope Jim does more.

Nursing gymnastics

Maryam doesn't sit still anymore, not even for nursing. It's gotten to be crazy, how she'll twist her body in weird contortions and still eat.

Maryam is still supposed to be getting most of her nutrition through breast milk, and she still does like to nurse. But I'm telling you, it's a bit awkward when she won't lie still. Even at night, she'll nurse a bit, than try to crawl and nurse at the same time. It doesn't work that way!

She's so proud of herself, and happy. Jim and I often ask ourselves what we did to deserve such a happy, wonderful baby. Oh, just a side note. I measured her thighs today, and they've shrunk from a huge 14 inches to 11 inches. My skinny baby! Ok, so not skinny perhaps. But not as chunky!