Gadget Girl

I find the marketing of baby toys intriguing. There are countless articles that give advice on choosing the right toy for your baby’s specific stage of development. In the beginning, there are toys that develop gross motor skills and hand-eye coordination and stimulate your baby to roll over. Then there are the toys that develop upper body strength and help to enourage crawling. Peek-a-boo toys are suppose to facilitate object permanence and various toys (usually the noisy ones) teach cause-and-effect principles. All good mothers want to encourage their baby’s development so they don’t lag behind their peers, right?

So I have spent countless hours looking in stores and shopping online to find just the right toys for Kariana. My personal favorites are still the old fashion wooden toys. Wooden toys seem more durable than their plastic counterparts and the smoothness of the wood feels nice in my hands. But why is it that Kariana wants to play with everything but her toys?

I have to give credit to my mother for this idea. When Kariana first began to sit up I filled a large Tupperware bowl with kitchen gadgets – plastic bowls, plastic lids, wooden spatulas, wire whisks and the turkey baster – and I keep it in a lower cabinet in the kitchen. Whenever I am in the kitchen and need to get something done, I pull out the large Tupperware bowl with all of Kariana’s kitchen gadgets and let Kariana play with them on the floor. Now that Kariana has learned to open the cabinet door herself, she pulls out her kitchen utensils and bakes on her own!

But what Kariana likes best is electronic gadgets. She dances to the tune of the ring tone whenever I get a call on my cell phone and she knows how to press the numbers to make a call. She loves to catch up on important emails on my BlackBerry. There never seems to be enough remote controls for her to get her hands on. We’ve even put an old remote control in her toy box to play with but somehow she knows the difference. She wants the t.v. remote control and knows to point it at the t.v. and push the buttons. And she loves to bang on the keys of the computer keyboard. I guess all of these gadgets will be second nature to a kid growing up in the technology era!

Kariana has a birthday coming up and Christmas is right around the corner so I've been researching which toys I want to buy for her next. Is she ready for a ride-on toy or maybe even her own miniature kitchen?

Kariana Loves Vacation

Last week we set out for what has become our annual whirlwind vacation to the Northwest. Every summer we try to go to the Northwest to visit with Tobin’s family and enjoy the cooler weather. This summer we were going to Oregon and we had a precious package with us to show off.

It would be Kariana’s first airplane ride and we were a little nervous. Would she cry on the four hour ride and annoy all of the passengers? How well would she nap/sleep in the hotel? How well would she travel in the car?

We flew to Portland, Oregon and met up with Aunt Kari at the airport. Tobin installed the car seat and off we drove to Woodland, Washington so Kariana could meet Great Grandma & Grandpa Wilson. Great Aunt Shari stopped by to see her too!

By the time we got back to our hotel in Portland that evening we were exhausted, but Grandma & Grandpa Carlson had just arrived and were waiting for us at the hotel. Kariana didn’t have time to realize how tired she was from the busy day and meeting all of these new faces until it was time for bed in her Heavenly Crib. Yes, you heard that right. Westin Hotels are known for their Heavenly Beds for adults and they also have Heavenly Cribs for the wee ones. Kariana slept like a baby.

Next we set off to the Oregon Coast for some well-desired rest & relaxation at the beach for a few days. Kariana walked on the beach & played in the sand . . .

. . . she went swimming in the pool . . .

. . . and she found time to fit in some golf.

It quickly became apparent that Kariana loved vacation!! She was having so much fun. This was the scene one morning when Kariana came back from a stroller ride with Grandpa Carlson.

We’re pretty sure all of this vacationing wore her out because she very willingly slept in her pack-n-play by the fire in our hotel room. It felt so cozy to have the doors open and a fire in the fireplace.

We were sad to leave the beach, but we were headed to Triangle Lake for a day. We all know Kariana doesn’t enjoy riding in the car so we timed our trips with her naps. And who doesn’t love driving along Highway 101! At the lake, Kariana met Great Grandma & Grandpa Carlson, Great Uncle David and her cousin Emily Lunoe who had the twins (Lars and Eva – 3 years) and Anna (2 months) with her.

Kariana enjoyed her first boat ride on the lake!

Back in Portland for our last night we squeezed in one more outing with Carrie, Ian (8 years) and James (5 years) Rouse at the Portland Zoo. Whew, once again we fit it all in!

Double Fisting

It was about the time Kariana turned six months old that I realized there was no turning back and we were all addicted to the pacifier. Prior to that time, Kariana would take the pacifier when we gave it to her, but she did not indicate a strong preference for it or so I thought. Much to my surprise (duh!) her preference for the pacifier became apparent as soon as she fine-tuned her motor skills. Now she could pick it up and put it in her mouth all by herself. I quickly realized we had all become dependent on the pacifier!

We don’t leave the house without first asking “who’s got the pacifier?” and we always bring a spare pacifier just in case one gets lost. We keep pacifiers upstairs in her bedroom and bathroom, downstairs in the kitchen and living room, in her diaper bag, in her stroller and in the car. Kariana goes to bed with a pacifier in her mouth and a spare pacifier next to her just in case she accidently tosses one out of the crib during the night. Many mornings I find her awake in her crib with a pacifier in her mouth and a pacifier in her hand. I think we call this double fisting! See pictures below.

We’ve tried switching her to one of the more stylish pacifiers on the market (if there is such a thing), but haven’t been successful. Not a chance. Kariana wants the obnoxious green pacifier sent home with us from the hospital.

I despise the pacifier for many reasons. It’s such a lovely addition to photographs of her. Instead of seeing her beautiful smiling face all I see is the obnoxious green pacifier. I also find myself constantly bending over to pick it up off the floor. On our trip to Oregon last week (which I’ll write about in my next blog) we started out with five pacifiers in our arsenal only to come home with one pacifier left. So what did we do? That night we ran out to Target and replenished our arsenal of pacifiers. Kariana’s pediatrician thinks our goal should be to take the pacifier away from Kariana by her first birthday. I think this goal may be a long shot and I’m not holding my breath, but I will keep you posted.

Road Trip

We took our first official road trip with Kariana at 8 ½ months old. I know you’re probably thinking to yourself we took our baby on a road trip when he/she was much younger than that so why did we wait so long. What can I say? Tobin and I are wimps. However, we were determined to take Kariana to Round Rock to meet her cousins, Ian and James, who were coming to Texas from Portland, Oregon to visit. Kariana was quickly getting too big for her infant car seat so we upgraded to a convertible (toddler) car seat and off we went to Round Rock. It was a quick, overnight trip and Kariana slept a portion of the way to and from Round Rock, but we were able to spend some quality time with family.

Our short trip to Round Rock also gave us the confidence we needed that our trip to the Oregon Coast next week will turn out fine. Kariana will be meeting her Great Grandma & Grandpa Carlson and Great Grandma & Grandpa Wilson who are very excited to see her.

Enjoy the pictures of Ian (8 years), James (5 years) and Kariana (8 ½ months).

Organics Are Best

Kariana’s pediatrician said that “organics are best” and so my obsession with my baby’s food began. Transitioning Kariana to solids was easy because she ate most of the foods I introduced to her, but shopping for her baby foods became my obsession. I searched the baby food aisles and stocked my grocery basket with pure organic baby meals – no added sugar, sodium or preservatives.

I found Earth’s Best, the first complete line of organic foods for infants, at Whole Foods. I found Gerber Organics at Super Target. I was raised on Gerber baby food and turned out okay so Gerber Organics must be even better, right? Next I discovered Sprout Organic Baby Food inspired by Chef Tyler Florence so I headed to Central Market and picked up Chef Florence’s roasted pears, pasta with lentil Bolognese and summer squash with parmesan all in Spout’s “revolutionary, BFP-free, eco-friendly” packaging. Then I found Happy Baby premium organic baby meals in the frozen food section. Happy Baby sells “purer pears” and “sweeter potatoes” proudly sponsored by Dr. Sears. Soon I had a pantry and freezer filled with creative meal solutions and was feeling good about my baby’s refined palette.

Around Kariana’s 9 month birthday she decided she was done with baby food altogether. Now she wants to eat exactly what we are eating at the table. No more pureed baby food for her. So I’ve decided I’m done obsessing and Kariana can eat with us – sugar, sodium and preservatives included! Anything is fine in moderation, right?

Almost a CAT 3 Hurricane

Everyone seems to be saying that this summer has been unusually hot even for Texas. Our air conditioning bill is all the proof I need that it has been hot. The loss of a beautiful tree that shaded the entire southwest side of our house seems to have made matters worse. If you live in Texas you know that any protection from the sun on the southwest side is huge. This particular tree was lost last September during Hurricane Ike.

Hurricane Ike made its landfall over Galveston, Texas as a Category 2 hurricane on September 13, 2008 at 2:10 a.m. CDT. I was 8 months pregnant with Kariana. We are approaching the one year anniversary of Hurricane Ike so I thought it would be an appropriate time to recall the storm.

Like most everyone in Houston we had run from Hurricane Rita in 2005 and like most everyone in Houston we were determined to stay for Ike. One of the most emotionally intense parts of the storm is the preparation and waiting. Everyone’s eyes are glued to the television tracking the path of the storm. Lines are battled at the stores gathering hurricane supplies – food (check) water (check) radio (check) flashlights (check) batteries (check).

Then the real waiting period begins a few hours before the storm. I sensed an eerie feeling in Houston the evening before Hurricane Ike made landfall. The roads and highways were empty except for the convoy of FEMA trucks that were arriving into town. The city was quiet except for the hammering of plywood on windows as people prepared their homes. Our neighbor, Marv Johnson, and Tobin spent the late afternoon boarding up windows and doors on our houses. And then we waited some more.

Late that night the winds started to pick up and the rain began falling. Soon after the wind began howling and the rain began falling sideways. We (including Stripes) "sheltered in place" on a mattress that Tobin wrestled down the stairs into the television room (I'm afraid I wasn't much help at 8 months pregnant). The electricity started to flicker, the transistors popped and then we were left in the dark waiting for the eye of the storm with only the battery operated radio on. The eye passed east of our house so the winds howled and the rain poured all night long. It felt like it would never end.

The storm finally passed as dawn approached. Our neighbors began emerging from their homes to survey the damage. The damage to Galveston and Houston was enormous, but my little Junior Mints and I had survived the storm.

Here are some pictures of the tree we lost in our yard.

Baby High Five

We've been trying to teach Kariana to wave. After giving kisses, waving seems to be the next most common baby trick so why can't our baby get it. We've spent countless moments waving "hello" and waving "bye-bye" to no avail. You can tell she's trying to get it. She lifts up her arm, makes a fist and tries to wiggle her little fingers, but she just can't get the waving part down yet. Maybe this is a lot to ask of a baby her age but nevertheless we keep trying.

Then one day we're swimming in the pool with some new friends from our playgroup and one of our friends asks Kariana for a high five. It was as if all of a sudden Kariana looked at us and said "duh, of course I'll high five!" Next thing we know her arm is stretched out with her palm wide open and we can't get enough high fives. We're doing baby high fives (one arm up) and baby high tens (both arms up) for everyone!

Enjoy our baby high five video.

Is Your Mama a Llama?

You're probably wondering what all of these strange looking creatures are around your room. Along with nicknames, you'll soon learn that stuffed animals are another Carlson quirk.

Let's first go back to your mom's and dad's childhood. Zach (the brown bear) and Paddington (the English bear) have been with your mom and dad for a very long time. I couldn't go anywhere without Zachary Bear when I was a little girl and your dad was pretty attached to Paddington Bear. Zachary Bear's nose has been re-sewn a few times and Paddington's yellow hat has some holes in it, but that's what makes Zach and Paddington so loveable.

Next came George (the boy llama) and Abby (the girl llama) and the obsession with llamas began. George has been washed a few times so his fur is matted but Abby's coat is still fluffy and soft. Aunt Kari has Magpie (another girl llama) and you'll meet Magpie soon. Everywhere we go we look for llamas - real llamas and stuffed llamas. You even have a collection of llama books and have been enjoying reading "Is Your Mama a Llama?" before bed each night. Here are the books in your collection so far and I'm sure we'll be adding to these:

Is Your Mama a Llama? (gift from dad's co-worker)
Llama Llama Red Pajama (gift from dad)
Llama Llama Mad at Mama (gift from Grandma and Grandpa Bergen)
Llamas in Pajamas (gift from Aunt Kari)


On the 4th of July 2009 you met your first real llama!

Go Kariana Go

7 1/2 months & crawling!

I'm not sure I remember what is was like before she crawled.

Super Baby

Your favorite game with dad!

Here Comes Peter Cottontail

I’ve been singing Here Comes Peter Cottontail to you since day one. I’m not entirely sure why I choose Here Comes Peter Cottontail considering you were born on Halloween and Thanksgiving and Christmas were right around the corner. But I continued to sing Here Comes Peter Cottontail right through the winter holidays into Easter 2009. I think if you ask any mother they may tell you they had a song or two they sung. It’s usually a familiar song with a smooth rhythm in hopes that it will console a newborn baby to sleep. My song was Here Comes Peter Cottontail.

Your dad, Aunt Kari and I spoiled you on your first Easter. The Easter Bunny dropped off a few baskets at the house, we attended a wonderful Easter ceremony at the Cathedral and we spent the rest of the day playing at the park and eating Easter dinner.

Baptism

Your baptismal gown (a gift from your Grandma and Grandpa Carlson)

You were baptized at Christ Church Cathedral in Houston, Texas on January 11, 2009. Christ Church Cathedral is the church where I was baptized and where your dad and I were married. We knew Christ Church Cathedral would be where you were baptized.

On the day of your Baptism you were only 2 ½ months old and the youngest candidate at this particular Baptism. Your Grandma and Grandpa Bergen, Grandma and Grandpa Carlson, Great Aunt Miriam and Uncle Jerry, Great Aunt Margaret and Uncle Tom and Aunt Kari all came to Houston to celebrate your Baptism.

We asked Reverend Lucrecia (Luchy) Littlejohn (Canon Pastor) to baptize you. Luchy has always been one of my favorite priests at the Cathedral. Her first day as a priest at the Cathedral was November 16, 2002, the day your dad and I were married. Luchy gave me a blessing in the Bride’s Room before our wedding ceremony and we’ve been friends ever since. Your dad and I were honored when Luchy agreed to baptize you.

I have to admit that your dad and I were a little nervous about the whole weekend. Not because of the Baptism or all of the family members that were coming into town to celebrate with us. We had our family and Luchy and we knew it would be a beautiful ceremony. We were terrified because we were convinced we’d have the only screaming baby in the Cathedral that day. You proved us wrong! Despite being the youngest candidate at the age of only 2 ½ months old you never fussed one bit.