Fourth of July weekend

We weren't very patriotic, but we did spend it with some of our favorite people: Our friends the Hitchcocks in Englishtown, N.J., and my sister and her family in Rye, N.Y. Despite Greta's aforeblogged miserable night in Rye, we had a great time. The "sprayground" in Colts Neck, N.J., with Greta & Joelle was a highlight, as was the "adult" time we enjoyed with Sara & Peter after the kids were in bed Sunday night. Here are my two favorite photos from the weekend. A full link to a 75-photo slideshow is coming shortly.

Worst night ever!

I wrote the above headline in my head at Midnight. Carey continued to perfect it until about 2 a.m. Young Miss Greta, after a perfectly normal day with cousins Max & Esme, went to bed in the usual way. Dinner, bath, bottle, bed.... zzzzzzz by 7:30 p.m. A wonderful meal of Girard ribeye avec haricot verts, two glasses of a red Pinot for everyone but moi, and cookies & cream ice cream to polish it off. PLUS ... Alex Rodriguez hit a GRAND SLAM to help the Yankees beat the Mets 16-7. It was all shaping up to be a near perfect evening.

Fast forward to 10 p.m. Pick a verb: Whining, moaning, screaming... add an adjective: inconsolable, interminable, desperate. Our first solution was to bring her downstairs so as not to wake the whole house, which meant we were all leaving the comfort of the air conditioning. But thanks to a small turbine fan propped up on a chair, the living room cooled down soon enough. If only Greta cooled as quickly. She was definitely teething and the chief symptom that presented itself was EXTREME WAKEFULNESS. By 10:45, she was wide awake and wondering why all the lights were off. She did laps around the downstairs, reexamined all the toys she had discovered during the day and chatted like Fran Drescher on ritalin. Bah-bah-bah-bah! Da-da-da-da! Fast forward to 12:15 a.m.: We made the parental decision that one of us should sleep, at least a little. So up I went, tail between my legs, to rest in air conditioned splendor. Carey stayed behind, taking the drastic step of removing Greta's backpack from the car, strapping it on, and taking Greta on an expedition of the downstairs. The magic worked about 30 minutes later, and Carey thought Greta was sound asleep. So up the stairs she trudged, Greta in arm. Creak goes the door, pop goes a floorboard, and out snaps Greta's head like a jack-in-the-box! "Hey, I know that guy! That's Da-da-da-da!" she said, pointing at me with a devilish grin. So back DOWNstairs Mommy & Greta go, for an evening of impromptu play until 1:45. At 4 a.m. I woke up and came down to check on them. Both were asleep, as soon was I. We all slept together cross-wise on the pullout couch until 5:15 a.m., at which time selfish me went back upstairs to cool off. We all woke up at 7, and I ordered Carey to go upstairs and skip the breakfast shift. Greta had a great meal of bagels, blueberries and pears... and Mommy slept until 9:30. Greta went down for a nap at 9:15 and is still asleep 75 minutes later. As I told Sara, the great thing about babies is that no matter how difficult or uncooperative they may seem, we always wake up hopeful that today will be perfect.

Oh, Sara implores me to point out that Max & Esme slept about 12 hours, nary a peep.

"Daddy brain"

Carey often uses the expression "Mommy brain" to explain why she can't remember something simple and fundamental anymore, like my favorite condiment. (It's mustard.) Stuff has been pushed out of her cerebral cortex to make room for things like, "Greta likes it when you put a bowl on your head," or "Greta always gets a snack like a biter biscuit after a good meal."

I, of course, think my wife has simply lost it.

Until today.

At 1 p.m. I got up from my desk at work to go to the bathroom. Obviously, earlier in the day I had already gotten dressed, dropped Greta off at daycare, drove to work, etc. I walk through the newsroom, down the hall, and push open the bathroom door. It's a reflex of mine to look down at the floor as I enter bathrooms, not sure why. Fear of puddles, maybe. Anyway, this is what I see:


Daddy brain, it's a scientific fact.

Playing with the "cuh... cuh... cuh..."

Greta can't quite say "cat" yet, but she certainly understands that his purpose in life is to comfort and entertain. We've posted previous photos of the comforting, when Greta buries her face in his fur. Now that she's up and walking, she's discovered that Jinx is also a very reliable playmate. Just shake the string and watch him dance!

Speaking of dancing, for those of you with enough patience to let it load and QuickTime installed on your computers, here's a video of Carey chasing Greta around the house yesterday. (They spent the day together because Gen. George C. Patton's daycare facility was once again powerless. Ironic, huh?)

Air Merrills

OK, let's embrace the web's interactivity. How much do the shoes in this photo cost? No fair looking them up online, but here are the vitals: Size 3 1/2, made by a Danish fetishist named Ecco, bought at a she-she shoe store in Alexandria called Ollie's, where the clerk SCANNED Greta's foot with something that looked very much like a copy machine. First person to post a comment within $5 of the purchase price gets an autographed photo of Greta. Bonus points if you can guess how many PAIRS of similar shoes Carey bought for her daughter.

It's a Mathews thing

For as long as I can remember, no banana was ever tossed away in the Mathews' household. When they got too brown for peel-and-eat satisfaction, they were mushed up and mixed in batter for either banana bread or banana cake. That great tradition was passed on to Greta this morning, as she and I made our first loaf of banana bread. She really enjoyed stirring the ingredients, and especially liked the warm banana bread with her lunch.

Chew on this

It's 9:48 p.m. on Thursday. Miss Greta is in the adjacent room getting her gums massaged. We pray she's cutting 10 teeth at once to catch up with all her peers. Here's Mommy massaging her gums, which she's been doing for about 35 minutes now. When she stops, Greta wails.

Unexpected Time Together

Greta's daycare had no electricity this morning (apparently from the storm last night), so the center closed! Fortunately, I have a very understanding employer and no pressing deadlines, so Greta and I have enjoyed the day together. She even got extra time with Daddy, who used the opportunity to work from home a little longer this morning.

We ran errands late in the morning (Greta loves to shop!) and then returned home for lunch. Before her nap, she spent a good chunk of time playing with her crayons. She is getting quite good at scribbling, and seems to enjoy their non-toxic wax taste. I think her Grandpa Merrill will be very pleased!

The Weekend in Pictures

As promised, here is a link to view the slideshow of our weekend. As always, the days passed too quickly. But really, every day is Father's Day around here. She is truly Daddy's Little Girl.

Fleeting weekend

Well, for once, my sister has gotten the blogging better of me. Perhaps because she's in England this week, she posted a couple times over the weekend -- with photos! Click here to get the latest on my niece and nephew Max & Esme.

We took scores of photos this weekend, of course, but were too busy to edit and/or upload them. So I'll paint a visual picture first, then link out to a slideshow later today.

Saturday started with a relaxing breakfast at our NEW favorite bagel shop, Brooklyn Bagel in Clarendon. It's a longer drive, but the bagels are New York-authentic and boiled in-house. Greta really enjoyed her blueberry and there's a lot more activity there, so she was amused watching everyone from the kitchen staff to the patrons.

After breakfast, Carey and Greta gave me my early Father's Day present: 2 hours to go on a bike ride. I did a leisurely 20 miles from Clarendon, across Key Bridge, the length of Pennsylvania Ave. past the White House to the Capitol, then a loop around Haines Point and home via the 14th Street bridge.

Saturday afternoon the gifts just kept coming, as Carey and Greta hooked up with Allison and Jay while the Dads watched Team USA tie Italy in the World Cup on Gardner's Hi-Definition TV.

Sunday the whole family trucked out to Olney, Md., to watch my final soccer game. Unfortunately, the other team didn't have enough players for a full team, so we scrimmaged. Still, 'twas nice to run around the field in near-100 degree heat. Sunday afternoon was spent lounging by the pool, again with Gardner, Allison & Jay. Greta took a late nap, but impressed Gardner with her two-syllable pronunciation of "bottle." She also seems to have lost her fear of solo walking this weekend. Sunday evening she toddled all over the downstairs, enough to make us put up the baby gates.

That's your "Weekend at the Merrills." Pictures in 7 hours or so.

Yummmm!!!!

Greta likes Italian food, especially spaghetti and meatballs. She honestly doesn't play with her food very much, but she finds the noodles and sauce irresistible, apparently. Like face paint on College Game Day.

Who needs sleep?

"Who needs sleep? Well, you're never gonna get it! Who needs sleep? Tell me, what's that for? Who needs sleep? Well, you're never gonna get it! There's a guy who's been awake since the Second World War." -- Barenaked Ladies

Those were the lyrics running through my head all night as Greta endured long stretches of wakefulness. She was wide awake from 10:30 p.m. until about 12:30 a.m. She wanted to walk, play with her blocks, get her tummy tickled, everything she likes during the day, pretty much. Here's the demon child slithering across the floor while cackling with laughter:


I'll admit Carey did most of the comforting... singing to her, bouncing her, every trick in the book. But at 6 a.m. Care had to start getting ready for work, so it was my turn. Apparently Carey's efforts to tire her out worked, but I was the one who got to enjoy the fruit of her labors:

Almost crawling...

After months of slinking through the jungle on her belly and forearms, Greta now has enough upper body strength to push up on all fours and actually go somewhere. She likes to tackle stairs and she's learned, as you can see, to pull herself from our small patio into the kitchen.

She's back at daycare today, still with a nagging cough, but she got lots of rest yesterday and is hopefully on the mend.

Visual learning

Like all babies, Greta learns by watching. Recently, she learned the concept of "underneath," as in, "the ball is under the dresser." Now that she understands that, she can be tricked into looking under things if Mommy or Daddy pretends there is something worth finding. To wit:

Less than a minute later Greta crawled over to see for herself:


We're home sick together today, she and me. Both have a nagging cough and a head cold.

Super Saturday

Nothing special, just a wonderful day together. It was a beautiful, breezy day. Greta woke up at 7 am, and we were showered and out the door for breakfast at 8. We went to our favorite bagel place and Greta got to see her little friend, Maddie (who breakfasts there with her Dad every weekend). I think they recognized each other! Then we headed home, stopping at a garage sale where Greta scored a set of puzzle blocks for a buck. After watching part of the World Cup with daddy, Greta napped for nearly two hours (falling asleep with Mommy, then waking up only to fall asleep again on Daddy).

Once Greta was truly awake, we headed to the Bethesda NICU Family Reunion Picnic. It was nice to see two of the families who weathered similiar storms last May. Their little boys were pretty flirty toward Greta, but she seemed more interested in the bunny and bubble-blowing machine. After hotdogs and burgers, Greta had her first creme-filled cookie (which she split with Mommy). As you can see, she loved it!

Surprisingly, she didn't get too hyped from the sugar: she crashed mere minutes after we hit the road. So we decided to detour on the way home and checked out a Subaru dealer's offerings. Greta really seemed to like Forrester. Mommy did, too. Once we got home, we headed to the playground, where our fun in the sandbox was cut short by a very stinky diaper.

Thank goodness Daddy could zip Greta home in the burley tow for a quick change! Pre-dinner play involved sidewalk chalk with neighbors Katherine (4) and Jack (2). Bath came right after dinner because of the big mess Greta made.

Then it was time to check out the view from the windowsill (we removed the futon frame and put the futon along the other wall). Greta likes looking out over the parking lot and watching the trains pass by. After a hefty 8 oz bottle, she went to sleep, and has only had a few minor coughing jags since. Fingers crossed for sweet dreams for everyone!

Aunt Sara visits

Greta blew chunks the night she arrived, so Aunt Sara didn't get any quality time Wed. night. But since Greta fell asleep on her playmat before dinner Thursday...
Aunt Sara was able to at least hang out with her for an hour or so after she woke up, since bedtime was delayed by 90 minutes. My sister thinks my child looks like me and is "squirmy." She was impressed by her walking agility and her precise pronounciation of the word "mommy" during dinner. We both agree it would be nice to live closer so the cousins could grow up like we did with Ryan & Karin. Someday soon, perhaps.

Sundry items

Greta's home from daycare today with a touch of stomach something-or-other. Vomited all her dinner last night and her 6 oz. of milk before dawn. But she seems otherwise OK and so far has kept down her cereal and banana from breakfast.

Anyway, our apologies for the 4-day lag in posting ... Blogger.com was out of commission for a couple days and we were lazy the other two. Here's a slideshow from last Sunday's walk through the park. And here's a dierct link to a snazzy video of Greta the Toddler.

Pretty in pink

Greta's first sentence, albeit verbless, was "Mama, ball." She said it a few days ago -- it sounded more like "Ma, bah," but since it was accompanied by Greta handing Mommy a ball, we put two and two together. Anyway, she loves balls ... all shapes, colors and sizes. This pink one is her biggest and it's a joy in or out of the pool.

Click this link for a slide show of G and her ball Saturday at a park near our house.

Shhhhhh!!!

The baby genius' latest trick is to place her pointer finger over her lips when she hears the "shhhh" sound. Which she hears quite often, by the way.

A New Day, A New Trick

As you know, yesterday Greta decided to walk. Not simply take steps, but rather take off!

Tonight, she surprised me at bedtime. I put her in the crib, played peek-a-boo with her blanket, and then turn to leave. I heard her crib rattle, and when I turned around, this is what I saw:


She was so pleased with herself! Within seconds she realized she could not only shake the crib, but also bounce on the mattress. Her grin got even bigger:

Then she noticed that the railing was the perfect height for her toothless mouth. And ta da! She discovered a new teether.

I can hardly wait for my standing, wailing, crib-shaking, teething daughter to show daddy her new trick at 3 am!

And She's Off!

Just like that, with her golf club in one hand and a ball in the other, Greta officially became a toddler. She toddled all the way from her play mat in the living room to the kitchen. No in-between cruising along the furniture for her: yesterday she was holding our fingers, today she literally took off. Good thing we bought safety gates last weekend! Click here to see a short video of her second excursion (mommy didn't have time to grab the camera to capture the first jaunt). For her second stunt, she took off carrying just the golf club. For her final trick of the night: She walked with nothing in her hands. Go, Greta, go!

Daddy's little girl

A couple shots from our Memorial Day bike ride/picnic. These are the types of images that make me want to do anything but go to work.

Photos, photos, photos

As promised, here's a link to the slideshow of our weekend with Ryan & Chris. We did so much we almost reached the magic 100-photo mark! What did we EVER do before digital photography? I know, Dad, we took slides. :-)

What a weekend!

Aunt Chris and cousin Ryan arrived Friday afternoon and we haven't stopped running since! In no particular order we toured the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum, we christened the Old Town Greens community swimming pool, we rode our bikes 5 miles roundtrip to Starbucks, we checked out the Natural History Museum, we posed for pictures in front of all the monuments Ryan is learning about in school (FDR, Congress, Washington), and we paid a visit to the International Spy Museum.

I'll link to a never-ending slide show at some point on Monday, but for now, here's by far the best shot of the baby for whom this blog is named.

Dev cycle

In my 50% Microsoft world, that refers to the process that creates buggy software that isn't fixed until three years after its RTW (release to the world).

But when it comes to babies, development means crawling, stacking, feeding, walking, all that good stuff.

This is a roundabout way to say that Greta passed her developmental assessment today. Three ladies came to the house and watched her do things like scribble with a crayon, pick up Cheerios, clap, put balls in a bucket and take them out, etc. She was in an excellent mood and seemed to enjoy the attention. Carey can post about the specific results, but the bottom line is she's on track for her age, both adjusted and biological. So we were happy this morning. For 30 minutes, at least.

Then the doctor called and said her one-year blood tests showed mild anemia. Hermatocrit of 29% that should be in the 33-38% range. A liquid multi-vitamin with iron is the first step. Her breast milk was supplemented with iron until about six months and her formula is supposed to contain some, but apparently it's not enough.

And so we enter the weekend with a fortified baby. Aunt Chris and cousin Ryan are visiting. We'll post lots of pictures.

Little duffer

When I came home from work last night, Carey had a confession to make: She had bought Greta another toy. It was an impulse buy, she said. She was at CVS trying to decide between anti-perspirant or deodorant (or both!), when it caught her eye. I imagine it made her think of summer nights at the putt putt course, perhaps a few of our dates at the Watertown links back in the day. I can see the synapses in her brain firing -- maybe she could recapture a little of that youthful glow by sharing something vaguely similar with her beloved daughter. Maybe, if she starts golfing RIGHT NOW, Greta will make the world forget Michelle Wie when she turns 14. Carey went on to tell me that Greta loved the toy last night, whacking the dimpled white plastic ball all over the place. So of course I wanted to get a few holes in with Greta before leaving for work this morning. After we fed the cat and ate a wagon wheel, I grabbed her by the hand and asked her to show me the monstrous foam thing that clutters my kitchen floor. Later, she said, as she chewed on the tail of a mouse made of string. So we had breakfast; yogurt and "nanas." With her belly full, I thought maybe she'd be up for a quick par 3. Not right now, she insisted, running her sticky banana fingers through her hair. So I pushed play on American Idol, mostly to watch Prince sing at the end again. Greta read a book. Something about cats who won't eat bananas. 10 minutes passed. 15. Then, it happened. Greta wanted to walk. And she wanted to walk back towards the kitchen. So away we go, book in one hand, the other five tiny fingers held in mine. When we get to the linoleum, she stops and surveys the landscape. Cat food and water bowl elevated on top of the freezer. Blue bowl filled with outdated toys near the sliding screen door. Convertible rocking chair near the pantry. And look! Over there! Six feet of foam matting shaped to look like sand traps and shrubs and a clown with a hole in its mouth! Hey, where's my three iron? I can lay up easy on this set up. It's just a short pitch to the green! And that's when she grabbed the flag from the first hole and her red plastic club, plopped down on the kitchen floor, and examined both items with a look that assuredly says, "what's all this for?"

Silly girl!

Greta has taken quite a liking to laundry day at the Merrill household. She is particularly fond of her colorful laundry basket. She and Daddy play a fun game of "Where, oh where, oh where is Greta?" with Greta "hiding" under her basket, then breaking into giggles when he "finds" her. Silly girl! Actually, silly Daddy, too!

Wonderful Weekend

What a weekend! Greta rocked out at a kiddie concert with buddy Jay at Jammin' Java on Saturday, enjoyed her first bike trailer ride with Mommy & Daddy along the Mount Vernon trail, met Aunt Kathy for an early Sunday breakfast then chased the kitties around her new condo (with four cats there was no slowing down!), and met up with Dudley and Jen for the Greek Festival in Washington, D.C.

The weather was perfect and so was Greta's behavior. At the Robbie Schaefer show on Saturday, she bounced to the music, clapped her hands, and "ooh-ooh-ohh'd" to the melodies. Among her other weekend "firsts": "uh-oh" whenever anybody drops something, "nana" to identify the fruit that monkeys love so much, and a pretty consistent pull-up into a standing position on legs or soft furniture.

Here's a slide show of the weekend.

Charging Hard Into The Weekend

Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of what Greta looked like when I picked her up from Mama Dhillon's house today. I have never seen her so dirty!!! She played HARD today! Mama D said they could not walk her around the yard fast enough. She wanted to go-go-go!

Her favorite game involves chasing balls around the yard, which she kicks, clutches and carries. It was a damp day here, and her fleece pants and jacket picked up all kinds of dirt and sand from the various balls she went after (there are about eight of various sizes). The other kids love playing this game with her: she kicks the ball, they chase it down, and bring it back to Greta; watching her reminded me of a queen overseeing her court. It was very funny.

Mama Dhillon promised that Greta should sleep well tonight from all the fresh air and exercise. Since she started reaching for her blanket when we went upstairs for her bath at 7pm, she must be very tired. Fingers crossed that she has nothing but sweet dreams until the morning.

Portrait of the Artist as an Old Man and His Granddaughter as a Baby

Jerry Merrill, grandfather of three, has been spending most of his free time lately painting pictures of his granddaughters. He finished one of my niece Esme Jane Girard last week and here is his depiction of Greta Corleen Merrill. I think he did a great job capturing his affection for the girls and I like the delicate shadings of Greta's face and clothes. The upper lip biteover is a little exaggerated, but it is one of her signature facial expressions and it's nice to have it preserved in something other than a photo. All in all, he has a remarkable talent and I'm proud to be his son.

Back to the routine

Well, at least in the sense that I'm dropping Greta off at daycare again in the morning. Baby girl did her best to switch up the routine today ... rising at 5 a.m. with Mommy, then crashing again at 7:30 after Mommy left for work! We'll let her sleep an hour before running her down. She starts baby boot camp at Ft. Myers on May 30. Carey signed all the papers yesterday. Current provider Maria, who works with Mama Dhillon, cried when she heard the news. This is the same Maria who bought Greta a birthday party dress and a gift; two things she's never done for any of the other children. Carey is going to make an effort to bring by Greta for a visit at least once a month after work, which is very Carey and very considerate of her. Speaking of my beautiful wife and child, here's another Mother's Day shot. Perhaps not as flattering as the first, but Greta's expression is pretty priceless. She is most definitely Mommy's baby girl.

Well, well, well (for the most part)

Today was Greta's One Year Well Baby Checkup. She weighed in at 19 lbs 2 0z, measured 29.75 inches long, and her head circumference was 44.5 centimeters. Her pediatrician was pleased with the percentiles when she charted them:
Length = 75th percentile
Weight = between 10th and 25th percentile
Head Circumference = between 25th and 50th percentile

Overall, you almost forget she was a preemie! But the good doctor referred us for a developmental assessment of Greta's gross motor skills, since Greta just started to sit up by herself about two weeks ago, won't pull her body to a standing position, won't get into a tripod, and won't crawl on her hands and knees. She was going to refer us to a neurologist as well (merely as a precaution), but then decided to wait and see how things go with the assessment. We'll revisit the matter at Greta's 15 month checkup.

Then it was off for blood work. Greta was a trooper when it took the nurse 20 minutes to find a vein for a CBC, and a very brave little girl when it took almost 5 minutes to draw 1/4 cc of blood. I felt like the meanest mommy in the world as I held her in a bear hug while she whimpered and her tears ran down my arms. She just did not want to bleed! Just when the nurse was going to try and stick her again, she leaked out a smidgen of blood, and they called it good.

Next up: the immunization clinic for four shots. She took them like a champ. By that point, however, we were both exhausted. We'd been at the hospital for two hours! But since you have to wait at least 15 minutes before you can leave post immunization, we walked upstairs to the NICU to give them a "then and now" photo collage/thank you note. They love to see how the babies have grown!


After our mandatory wait period, I drove Greta to Mama Dhillon's and arrived at work around 1230. And tomorrow morning I am out of the office to take care of the Child Development Center paperwork. Did Rob post that we are finally off the wait list?! It will be heartbreaking to leave Mama D's, but the thought of having two extra hours a day with Greta made the decision so easy. More on that in a later blog.

Making Daddy Proud

As you all know, Rob is a die-hard Yankees fan. And of course, Greta is following suit. Our good friends and former New Jersey neighbors, the Hitchcock family, ensured Greta was outfitted for last season, and have done the same for this year. Thanks for the fantastic birthday presents, Bri, Melissa & Joelle! Can you believe how she has grown?!

Mommy's Day

This photo says it all on this second Mother's day: A doting Mom, an enamored child, and new dangly earrings from Daddy for both of them to enjoy.

Daddy's home!

I don't know how Willy Loman did it. I didn't see Greta after dropping her off at daycare Tuesday morning until Friday night after work and it felt like an eternity. During the workday I was fine, and in limbo at this nation's various airports I was OK, but at certain points in the day... like 6 a.m. & 7 p.m. ET regardless of time zone, I was wide awake and missing my baby girl. What I missed: Her smile, her points, her mono-syllabic grunts and snorts, her smell... her very Greta-ness.

Here' a photo Carey took of our first embrace Friday night after work. It's nice to be home.

A New Skill

Greta was very proud of herself tonight when she realized she could pull on the end of the Q-tip and the cotton puff would come off. Guess I'll have to find another way for her to "help" me while I empty and rinse out the tub.

We both miss Daddy tonight, and look forward to his return from Washington tomorrow. She needs some eskimo kisses, and I could use a hug. Hurry home, Daddy!

Spotting Sasha

As most readers of this blog know, we often say we only have one pet, Jinx, although we actually have two cats. Rob and I can go days without seeing Sasha, a furry feral cat I adopted my last year of law school, and weeks (if not months) will pass before I am able to corner her to provide basic grooming. She is literally a gray ghost in our home, and has only been spotted by a handful of our friends.

I tell you this as a prelude to Sasha's recent encounter with Greta. Greta has caught glimses of Sasha over the last year, though I think Sasha was often moving so fast that Greta did not know what she was seeing, if she actually thought she saw anything at all. Until last night.

After dinner and our evening playtime, I carried Greta upstairs to get her ready for the 4 B's (bath/bottle/books/bed). When we got to the doorway of her bedroom, Greta became VERY animated in my arms, waving her hands up and down, saying "ka-ka-ka-ka." I looked down, and there was Sasha, frozen in mid-dash in front of the dresser, hair standing up on her back. When we stepped into the room, Sasha jumped up on the futon, and again froze. "Ka-ka-ka-ka!" cried Greta, and she pointed at the very still Sasha. We took one step forward, and Sasha jumped over the back of the futon onto the windowsill, her head peeking over the top of the blankets at Greta, who was now bouncing in my arms, so excited to see a cat! We moved to the futon and peered over the back, and Sasha, who had jumped to the floor, looked up at us. I was amazed that this antisocial cat was playing this game...normally she dashes past your feet the minute you step toward her. Instead, she trotted down the back of the futon frame and paused at the arm rest by Greta's basket of blankets. I leaned Greta over the edge, within inches of Sasha's back, before Sasha finally darted from the room. Greta whirled around in my arms, and clearly wanted to follow her. I told her playtime with Sasha was over, and that I wasn't sure it would ever happen again.

And there wasn't a repeat tonight. Although Sasha did look pretty cozy hanging out on the windowsill next to Greta's play area just now, I don't think they will actually be playing together any time soon...if ever. Particularly since she didn't emerge downstairs until Greta was tucked in for the night. And then zoomed out of the living room as soon as I took this picture.

Greta's second first birthday party

The daycare bash was just a dress rehearsal. Greta celebrated on Saturday with friends. Click for a link to 39 photos of the festivities, because you just can't get enough.

Greta in her new chariot

Constant blog readers will recall I've used that headline before. But this time I'm not talking about car seats... I'm talking about CARS! That's right, Mommy & Daddy bought their one-year-old daughter a used automobile for her birthday. It needs a paint job, but it's got a nifty horn, four-on-the-floor, and tricked-out blue rims. The speedometer is pegged at about 30 mph and there's a yellow ignition key that makes a heck of a racket. Like all good VW bugs, the trunk is in the front, and the engine (adult feet) are in the back.

Greta's Birthday

What a crazy day! From 7:37 am until 8:29 pm (an hour past her normal bedtime!), we had a marvelous time. It was not nearly as stressful a day as her arrival one year ago, although hosting a party for a dozen children and their parents had its share of anxiety. Mama Dhillon said it was a wonderful party, and since she is speaking based on her 20+ years of daycare experience, Rob and I are both rather pleased. You only have a first birthday once, and this was pretty memorable. For us, at least!

P.S. Click the time span above for a link to her birthday photo gallery.

A Mommy Moment

Happy Birthday, baby girl. I told Daddy today that I had never before in my life been so aware of one year, of each month, of each moment. How is it that before you entered my life so many days, and even minutes, passed by without reflection?

A mere 365 days ago you resembled a little red lobster, a mere 4 lbs 3 oz. To see you today, with eyes twinkling, grabbing a handful of spaghetti and meatballs and shoving it into your gummy, grinning mouth, I sat amazed at your magnificent self, and at our incredible journey. And I thought of how exciting the coming days and months and years are going to be. But I want them to come slowly, please, because each second is so precious, so cherished. I love you, Greta, my sweet baby girl. xoxo

In appreciation of Greta Corleen Merrill

You are the reason I rise in the morning.
Your toothless smile can make me forget about everything else in my world.
Eskimo kisses on the belly are better, even, than a Yankees win vs. the Red Sox (regular season)
If you ever really say, "Pop," in my presence, I will probably cry.
The smell of your hair after a bath puts me in a very good mood.
I'm sorry we made you wear that Indian crown at your first birthday party.
My mother asked me soon after your birth if I ever thought I was capable of loving this much. I did not, but I do.
I asked my father if the anxiety I feel every time you cry ever goes away. He asked how old I was, then said it hasn't abated in 34 years.
I love you, my pumpkin, my boog', my dearest daughter.
Happy first birthday.

Whose toys?

As documented many times in this space before, Greta & Jinx are the best of friends. She's taken to burying her face in his fur as a sign of affection, and he has started to nuzzle her back rather than simply tolerate her.

Last night their love-fest continued long after Greta was in la-la land. She had emptied out one of her canvas play bins earlier in the day, obviously, as you can see, preparing a bed for her feline friend.

Greta Loo-Who

Today Mama Dhillon gave Greta her first "pony tail." Actually, it was more like a mouse tail. But since an actual rubber band was involved, it counts. And she made it even more beautiful by sliding in azeleas.

New trick

No more pens and markers for Greta. She's learned how to remove the caps!

She had a great night, slept from 8pm-7am.

Health matters

Forgive the lack of photos, but figured it was worth giving you the doctor's update. No fluid in her ears and they can't find anything wrong with her mouth. So, the pediatrician's fall-back option for the inexplicable: "Well, it must have been something viral." She slept better last night, waking up just once, drinking 4 oz., and falling back asleep quickly. Drank another 5 oz. this morning, so we're hoping her liquid appetite has returned. We'll send her to daycare today and hope the fever doesn't return.

May Day

Greta decided to get her monthly daycare absence out of the way by missing the first day of the month. From the looks of things, she'll miss the second day, too, since she has a doctor's appointment first thing in the morning. Grandma Merrill thinks it is an ear infection based on Greta's fever and aversion to drinking from her bottle. We are also fairly certain she is cutting teeth, since she turned into a drool machine! Poor baby. I wish I could make her feel better! She scored another balloon, which helped pass the time today. And she got to gnaw on a bagel, zwieback toast, and a vanilla biscuit. I just couldn't resist giving her whatever I thought would soothe her. As icky as it is to have a sick baby, it is also quite sweet to have her curl up in your arms and fall asleep against your neck. It occurs to me she won't really be a baby much longer.

Early birthday present

Dudley & Jen can't make Greta's bash next Saturday, so we met them for lunch on Sunday. Greta scored a lovely dress that will make everyone who sees her wearing it comment on her adorability.

When we got home from the late lunch, our daughter started acting strangely. She had a fever most of the day, and it topped out at 103.9 late Sun. afternoon. Tylenol and Motrin brought it down. But she seems to have some sort of pain in her mouth. Her fist or finger is constantly in there, and when she's awake, she whimpers about it. We tried Orajel with not much success and she likes her chilled teething toys for about 10 minutes. We pray she's cutting teeth, but we can't feel anything with our fingers. We also pray that if she's cutting a tooth, every future tooth isn't like this one! She never really settled all night long, waking up every 90 minutes or so. Carey's staying home with her most of the day, so she can post later with an update.