I finally got loaded up some videos I've been talking about. This week I'll be posting three of Ren playing at a playground about a mile and a half from our house. This was on a super-beautiful summer day in mid-April when the three of us walked over.
I'll spread these out across the week. Here's the first.
Continuing the theme from yesterday, here's the front yard. This next video really gives insight into the baby world. If you watch Ren's face, you can sort of see what it's like when absolutely everything is interesting.
And the return trip.
Hello everyone. Last weekend (while I was at the grocery) Hiroko took Ren out to the yard to play,a nd took some videos as well. A couple fo these are pretty good.
This first one is in the backyard. Observant viewers will notice that we bought some patio furniture. Also, Ren is learning to "talk" all the time. Also, you can see Hiroko's shadow.
In this next one, Ren notices the neighbor dog. Not so much to see here.
Finally, more of Ren playing freely in the back yard. You can really see her motor skills and sense of autonomy.
Tomorrow or so, front yard.
Ren learned to walk. Lots of mini-films from around that time. Here we go.
Here's the very first walking video, in which Ren also demonstrates her toybox-emptying skills:
We thought a few steps were a big deal back then...now she walks everywhere. Anywhere, here's a few seconds later. Ren sure wants the camera:
Within a few days, as you can see in the following, she's learned to walk and use a cell phone at the same time. This will come on handy in High School:
And here's Ren stumbling about like a drunken sailor, and attacking mommy:
Finally, just a quick movie I did of Ren playing with a plastic top, which I found funny:
It's obviously, like, a month late. Hiroko bought a pair of bunny ears around Easter. I would have thought this would just psych a baby out, but Ren loved these, on either us or her. Here are some pictures of her wearing them in this set.
It seemed like longer, but I just looked it up.
Ending and including yesterday, our family has just been sick for 28 days straight. In the heart of a very cold winter, and at a time when I had to work anyway.
All of us got sick multiple times, except for myself...I was well throughout, until I came down with a hellish 12-day chest infection. Now except for a final little sniffle, it's all over.
I know in perspective to the hardship of the world, etc., that it's no big deal. But having a sick kid, especially when one is sick at the same time, just sucks. It's been some of the hardest weeks I've had in years.
Summer is coming. We are all well again.
Monday about 5:30 we were all lying about on the floor of the living room, surrounded by pillows and blankets. Ren was standing on her own, looking at me. Suddenly, she started taking steps forward. I called Hiroko's attention, and we watched as Ren walked a couple feet toward my waiting arms. I thought it was cool the three of us could share this first moment. Even Ren appeared astonished. She repeated the trick one time with prompting, and tried again but couldn't seem to get it afterward. I'm sure it won't be much time now.
Yesterday was Ren's first day in day care. Hiroko has a new full-time night shift job, so there are some times when neither of us is available to care for Ren. Ren will be in day care twice a week.
She hasn't had any significant time under others' care, and we were mutually worried about it. But her first day went smoothly according to her caretakers, and I witnessed a couple hours there. Now between the play, socializing, and detachment from us, we are optimistic that day care will be a positive experience for her.
