Tag Archives: Aliya

trips

As If We Had Planned It

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We knew we wanted to get out of town last Saturday, but somehow, by the time we mobilized, it was almost 1 p.m. For normal people, that’s not exactly late, but for a family of five with small children and a baby, that’s getting into dangerous territory when you’re just starting out at 1 p.m. Again, we—I—really needed to get out of Fresno, so we buckled the kids in and headed out. We had to turn back twice for things we forgot, and get gas, so it didn’t really seem like we were supposed to be doing this. We did it anyway.

Our plan was simple: drive to Oakhurst. I don’t really know why, exactly, but it was in the mountains, not too far, and it wasn’t Fresno. When we got there we drove by the house Sarah was born in and apparently it was way crappier than she remembers. I thought the house was fine, but the run-down, dilapidated, meth-hut next to it didn’t exactly add to the charm. We didn’t know what else to do, so we kept driving up the mountain, towards Yosemite.

I’m not sure either of us had an idea of what we’d do when we got up there, but as we started to see the patches of snow increase bit by bit, it became clear: SNOW TIME! The kids were so excited and so were we. Forest. Snow. A frozen pond. Just what we needed. We made it to the park entrance and it was about 3 p.m., but I wasn’t about to pay $20 just for a couple hours in the park, so we headed back down the road a few hundred yards to a nice turn out where there was enough space to get the experience.

It was cold. Of course. Which would have been fine had we planned a trip to the snow. So we began to rummage through our car for extra clothes. Luckily, we hardly ever empty out the car so there were quite a few kiddo clothes littered about. Also, I had procrastinated for a while on dropping off a couple bags of old clothes to Goodwill, so there were a few extra papa shirts to use as extra layers for the kids. AND we hadn’t emptied the car completely out from Christmas even, so there was one box lid that was just big enough for a makeshift sled. We were set.

Obviously, the kids loved it. Yes, the slipping around business was a little scary at first, and Maia was definitely a little too cold and very tentative about maneuvering in the snow, but we all still had fun. Sarah tested out a hill for a sled run and almost sailed into the river. Then we took turns sledding down a short portion of that with each kid. Keana, always the mischief maker, really wanted to throw snowballs, but we convinced her we weren’t quite equipped for a full on snowball war. Eventually our box-top-sled fell to pieces and the kids’ lips turned blue, so we had to call it. But the fun didn’t stop then. As we sat in the car, waiting for Aliya to finish nursing, Maia and Keana went about pretending to wash the windows, gazing out the sunroof, and just play-playing as only kids can. What an amazing gift to make the inside of a car an entirely new world to explore and exploit in the name of fun. I gazed out into the snowy wood and felt more content than I had in weeks.

On the way back down the hill we had a couple meltdowns brought on by lack of food and being tired, and our dinner at Todd’s wasn’t exactly awesome, but that didn’t really matter. We had an adventure. We didn’t plan it and it wasn’t perfect, but we got out as a family and experienced something special. It was Aliya’s first trip to the snow and it was a great Saturday.

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development

Booshki

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Yup, another nickname is taking hold for Aliya: Booshki. 1.5 years old. Crazy. Funny. Strong. Talented. Smart. Sweet. And it doesn’t need to be said, but I’m going to anyway: just cute as hell. We still call her Bo-Bíj and Keana likes to call her Li-Li, but Booshki has been one of my personal favorites lately. It really seems to capture her cuteness and sweetness, but has that edginess that is really starting to come out in her too.

The Girl is a climbing machine. She’s going to be our little rock climber if any of them are. This morning she had one leg up on a dining room table chair—which had been too high for her to climb not that long ago—and a tiny vice-grip on the very narrow edge of the table. There was some huffing and puffing and grunting, but she made it up. This wasn’t the first time, but it was a really good example of her strength and shear will. Then of course, she proceeded to try and climb up on the table, which she can easily do too. Luckily her sense of heights and caution have kicked in too, but she still is clumsy enough that she’s fallen off the couch and definitely has to be supervised. I mean, shouldn’t we all when we’re climbing on the table?

Along with climbing has come her thirst for speed (which isn’t exactly new either). Maybe it’s a push to keep up with her two bigger sisters, maybe it’s for the joy of it, or whatever, Aliya is ready to run. It’s the cutest thing to watch her get her motor going with her short, chubby legs moving as quick as they can as she swings her arms side to side, slightly bent at the elbow. This is all accompanied by a huge grin and an occasional squeal of delight. Just tonight in the kitchen, post-bath with her Elmo towel as a cape, she was copying Sarah as she said, “Ready. Set. GO!” and would take off racing to the edge of the tile, then return to position to do it all again. Aliya loves to chase too. You just have to give her a certain look and she peels off in the opposite direction, sometimes spinning too fast and tipping over. She actually corners pretty well, almost losing control, but somehow sticking it just as you prepare to cringe and look away. She’s fast and she’s pretty tough.

Speaking of tough, Aliya is working on her scowl. It’s hilarious. She squints her eyes a little, furrows her brow, and looks you dead in the eye. She doesn’t back down either; she holds the intensity. Also, when she’s wronged somehow, like a sister takes a toy from her, she stands there, still, head slightly down towards the ground, panting slightly with either indignation or indignant rage, brow furrowed and a look that means business. After all, she is the third girl in a line of strong little ladies. Aliya’s going to be sweet, but I don’t think she’s going to stand being crossed. It’s really interesting to see this side of her developing and somehow feels like she’s becoming more emotionally complex, even though I know she has been already, we just haven’t seen the spectrum like we are now.

I guess you can’t have complex facial expressions and emotions without a more complex vocabulary and Aliya’s working on that too. She often says things that almost sound exactly like a familiar word or phrase, but she doesn’t incorporate it regularly enough to be considered “learned”. Like I said though, tonight she was clearly saying “Ready. Set. GO!” with just the slightest baby accent. And even though she may not be able to say full sentences or anything, you really can ask her almost anything she’s familiar with, and she’ll give you a yes or no answer. It’s really cool to be able to ask her, “Do you want this?” or “Are you hungry?” or “Are you ready to sleep?” and get the answer without having to put all the other clues together. She of course goes on and on in her own language, practicing, which is always fun to listen to. She even puts in hand gestures like she sees us use to match the tone of her little speeches.

Along with her speech she’s also developing her musical ear and singing. We have several “team” songs that are call and response in nature, and she’s singing right along with Keana and Maia on the responses, often nodding her head to the beat and swaying her shoulders. Aliya loves to dance, just like her sisters, and she will get down when the mood (or music) strikes her. We could watch her all day. Even if she’s strapped into her chair at the dining table, she’ll start swaying and swooping back and forth like Stevie Wonder when she’s feeling the music, sometimes with a hand in the air as if she’s been to a rock concert. Genetic memory?

The last thing I want to share tonight is her fierce independence. Aliya is ready. Period. If she sees it done, she wants to do it. It’s very difficult sometimes because she’s just not quite capable, but she will throw a fit to try. We try and let her have a chance as often as is safe, but it is a real test of patience. Decorating the Christmas tree was pretty crazy. Keana and Maia are able to help out now, Maia maybe a little less, but Aliya was chomping at the bit to put glass bulbs six feet off the ground and was literally trying to climb the tree to get there. Same goes for running at the park, riding bikes, eating, and just about anything else you can think of. We know it’s an important step in development and definitely something we want to support, but with the demands of Keana and Maia on top of a lunging, screaming baby, it can definitely be tough. It’s one of those “good problems” though. It’s good to have a kid who is ready and willing to try new things and has that insatiable drive to learn and grow. She definitely falls more than the other two, even more than Maia did, which I guess is just the natural progression as you have more kids. I don’t think it’s due to our neglect, because after the way her birth went, I feel like we may even been more cautious with her. It’s just not possible to protect her every move like we did with Keana and Maia, and I think that’s probably a good thing.

development

Personalities

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One of the most enjoyable parts of being a parent is seeing your kids’ personalities emerge. Even six years after our first, and two more later, witnessing our little people turn into, well, little people is such a surprise. There are some similarities amongst our girls—like their great senses of humor, their musicality, and their love for dancing—but really they are all quite unique and very much individuals.

A week ago, we went to the Intermountain Nursery for their fall festival. We’ve gone every year since we moved to Fresno, and it’s always a lot of fun to see the local arts and crafts, sample some great food, and hear a variety of live music. And this year what I really noticed, and loved watching, was how each of our girls’ personalities shone in different ways in that setting.

I was mostly on Aliya duty last Sunday and she never stopped. She’s been walking for about three months now and is steady enough and confident enough to head out on her own adventures. In fact, she’ll often give a little scream when you pick her up when she wants to be on her own two feet, so I just let her go. I did run a little interference for her in more dense crowds, but for the most part, she chose her own path and made friends along the way. “Shy” is not really a part of this girl’s personality at the moment. She walked straight up to groups of adults who would be talking, looked each one in the eye, smiled, then moseyed on. I watched stranger after stranger just be immediately charmed by her independent, cute-as-hell smile and felt humbled and proud at the same time. She even walked right up to this older man and put her arms out, requesting to be picked up. He asked if it was okay and I said it was fine. I knew Aliya’s sense of who is safe and knows what they’re doing was good enough to trust, and I asked him about his kids. They were grown now and he told me the saddest day of his life with them so far, was the day he couldn’t pick them up any more. I could tell that having a minute with Aliya was pretty special for him and Aliya was right at home, even in this stranger’s arms. When she was ready she leaned over, he set her down, and away we went. We did that for hours, literally.

Now Maia on the other hand, she’s a little more reserved in social settings. She sat in the stroller much of the time, and only ventured out for short periods. She got out to say hi and be with Cousin Olivia at first, then was out for little bit to dance in Grandma Jennie’s arms, but then went back into her little chariot, content with observing things from in there. When one of their friends showed up later, she of course got out and wanted to be in among the little tribe of kids, but in general, it seemed Maia needed some space between her and the crowd and had no problem asking for it, which I thought was great. I want her to be comfortable even if it’s a little anti-social. When she’s ready, she makes her presence known. In fact, it was really interesting watching how much other people were drawn to her, even though she really wanted nothing to do with them. Maybe it’s because she’s stand-offish, or maybe it’s because she’s so petite and cute, I don’t know. But if you think you’re going to make Maia you’re friend, you will be set straight. Maia really likes things on her terms.

That leaves Little Miss Thang, Keana. She and Aliya seem similar personality-wise, because I remember Keana, even as a baby, charming the crowds and being open to just about anyone. Still, they are different. Aliya has a little bit more edge in her outgoingness, whereas Keana is still our little happy-go-lucky. People everywhere have described her simply as “a light”, and that pretty much sums it up. There could not be a more loving little girl. It doesn’t matter how old you are, younger or way older, if you’re ready to play, Keana will be right there with you. She also loves to dance and she didn’t let her slight nervousness stop her last Sunday. There really weren’t many people dancing, and really no other kids, but Keana was right up front, busting out all her moves. It was really cute watching her assimilate some of the moves of the older people around her. She danced as long as music was playing. She admitted to me later, “Papa, I was a little scared to dance. But I just like dancing so much I just did it anyway.” I have much to learn from Keana.

That’s really what it is: noticing, appreciating, supporting, and learning from these kids as they grow into who they’re going to be. Watching Keana, Maia, and Aliya is a constant reminder to me that I’m still growing too and that who I am is exactly who I am supposed to be. When I remember this, it helps me with them. It is such a gift and such a joy to be a part of this.

development

So Much Fun

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Aliya is so much fun. I mean, not much else is expected in Team Hokama, but really, we have a blast with her. It hasn’t just been go-go-go since she started walking July 1, it’s been a blossoming of her little personality and her amazing sense of humor too.

She loves to dance. Yes, the girl has the dancin’ gene. It’s that adorable, kind of stiff, knees slightly bent, bouncing baby dance, and she’ll often put both arms in the air and bounce them too. One of the newest things she’s been doing too, mostly while sitting at the table in her highchair, is this cute little swaying motion to ballads or classical music, showing off her lyrical sense. Aliya also has this other new move where she’ll squat down, bend at the waist, shake her arm side to side, all while displaying the hammiest, squinty grin you’ve ever seen. The other day she walked right into the kitchen where Iana was, bent down, boogied down, and walked away. Perfect timing and Iana just had to laugh out loud. What a show off.

She’s a perpetual, earthly satellite. She orbits round and round the house, picking things up, checking in on her people, dropping things off, and on and on and on. Occasionally she’ll even work up to almost a trot, especially when her sisters chase her or she’s captured some treasure from them and tries to make a “run” for it. Her balance is still a little nerve-wracking, but mostly, she’s quite stable.

Aliya is a water girl. She loves to be in the spray of the hose, and often orbits around the yard, transporting water from one location to another in whatever tiny vessel she can find. Often she dumps half of it down her front while scooping and doesn’t flinch—she just rolls on. And when she takes a bath, and she thinks you’re going to pour the water over her head, she puckers her lips and begins taking quick breaths to prepare. She doesn’t really mind the water pouring down her face, though she does seem a bit surprised at first, but she never fusses. I wonder if this will last? Keana was like this too I think, tolerating water on the face, but Maia, oh no.

Aliya just loves to connect with people. She’ll wave at you, hello or goodbye, and if she doesn’t smile at first, she keeps her eyes in contact with yours until she’s got her assessment. She’s cuddly and she’s so solid and squishy at the same time, it is the best to give her a little squeeze or just hold her. She’s also recently started flirting by turning her head so her chin touches her shoulder, tilting slightly down, and giving the sweetest smile you’ve ever seen.

As far as language goes, Aliya has been trying out different syllables and sounds, still saying “mama” and “papa” and “bye-bye”, and enjoys call and response, especially in the car when she can’t see you. She’ll call out “maaaa-maaaa” and we call back “aliiii-yaaaa” or “baaaa-beeee”. So sweet.

There are just so many things that she’s adjusting to and figuring out, making day-to-day things so much easier (not that they were ever really that hard with her). Everything from getting dressed to getting in her car seat to communicating what she wants to eat. I was really impressed tonight when I was taking her jumper suit thing off for bath, and she stepped out of it, one foot at a time, like a real pro. She still does several big nods “yes” when she wants something or is doing something she likes to do, and shakes her hands in refusal in front of her when she’s done with something or doesn’t want it. She’s been squealing more and more with joy and disappointment (usually when here sisters steal something from her), and she’s definitely been showing that she’s not going to let her place in the line-up go unnoticed.

birthdays

I cannot believe…

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…that I didn’t write a blog post about Aliya’s first birthday in June! #@$%!!! I just realized this today. I took lots of photos, you should check those out, but how did I drop the ball on not putting up a blog post?

I do have excuses, good ones too. First of all, I was celebrating her special day with her and reflecting the night before and all that day, what a blessing and miracle it is that she’s with us and she’s doing well. I spent most of those two days writing the first part of her birth story with intention of posting it here. Well, writing, then crying, then breathing, then writing, then crying, really. I can’t decide if I want to wait till I finish the whole thing to post it here (after all, it is a novel), or if I’ll post Part I now and the rest later? I’ll ruminate on that and confer with the Mrs., but I just felt compelled to “officially” put something down here, in this space, to at least recognize that I failed to post a blog post on Aliya’s special day, so that years from now, I have proof that it wasn’t totally forgotten, I did remember (albeit really f-in late). But no, we could never forget our little miracle child, and not having a blog post on that special first birthday certainly doesn’t diminish her importance in our lives.

Now, go check out the birthday pics and enjoy Little Miss Aliya in all her birthday glory, sucking the marrow out of rib bones and feasting on cheesecake.

development

Aliya Walks!

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I’m just going to say it now: I’m a bad PR papa. Aliya’s been walking a month (well, almost a month, July 1 was the day actually) and you’re just now finding out about it. Sure, maybe you’ve been here and seen it or “heard” me say it online or over the phone, but if not, you’re getting the news a month late. Okay, go ahead and have your angry moment or cry or whatever…

…feel better? Now, how about some celebration! WoOhOo! She did it. She’s a walker. Aliya has joined the ranks of the bipeds. You’ll see in the video below she started out tentative and small as all little humans do, and now she’s moving around pretty good. She has a little shuffle she does that definitely gets her around the house, and she’s even navigating bumps in the road quite well. She also loves to carry things with her. Today as she cruised around she had a book in one hand, a toy in the other, and a measuring cup in her mouth, held by the handle—quite the multi-tasker.

Anyway, without further ado, the early moments, caught on flash card:

development

The Bo-Bíj

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She’s almost one. She’s amazing. She’s a stink-bug. She squeals with pure joy when you return from the outside world. She’s the only silent crier I’ve ever met. She’s not just a leaner but a real cuddler. She’s the sweetest. I’ve said that about all my girls, but really, she’s the sweetest. For reals.

Aliya’s at that stage where she wants to know about everything. She makes a break for that open drawer or that thing you dropped that she’s never gotten to have. If she doesn’t get it, she rarely gets upset…maybe for a second, but there’s so much to learn and explore she just moves on. Aliya gets so excited sometimes, that she has bursts of super-speed in her stink-bug crawling form. Butt up in the air, hands and feet on the ground, she navigates her world. When she’s tired or gets going too fast, she falls flat on her face, literally. It’s heart-breaking. We jump and our insides twist up and I want to just follow her around everywhere she goes to catch her, but I know I can’t. Even as our third child, it’s like she’s our first.

Just a little time with Aliya is like a sip from the fountain of rejuvenation (if there was such a thing). She reminds you what it’s like to be excited in what your body can do. With each tentative stand, she shows how vulnerable we are, but at the same time how capable we are. She squeals when she has somewhere to get to fast. You can lie on the floor and she’ll just crawl all over you, sometimes almost diving over the edge of you to get to the other side. Yes, she’s a diver, a lunger, she goes for it.

Aliya loves sounds. She clicks with her mouth to make a beat to music or just for fun. When she loves a piece of music, she puts both arms up, dancing. When the music’s live, she claps for the performer, no matter what the performance sounds like, because to her, it’s like all sound is some kind of music. Aliya loves call and response. You can say, “Aliiiyaaaaa” and she responds “Babaaaaa”. You can say, “Obawabawaba” and she puts the back of her hand to her mouth and responds, “Obawabawaba”. She is so much fun.

Of course she’s not all about the fun and games. When she’s a little bit upset she has a silent cry. She scrunches her eyes, opens her mouth really wide as if she’s going to belt one out, but it’s completely silent. She follows that up with a pouty lower lip and a scrunched up nose. She can cry out loud of course, but she saves that for when she’s just had a face-plant or she’s been put in her crib for a nap that she doesn’t think she’s ready for.

What can I say? Aliya is just a kid. I mean, she’s just like lots of kids, but actually, she’s not just like lots of kids. She’s our kid. She’s our last child, our third daughter, our baby-baby. She’s the one who made it through some scary odds. She’s the best of both of us with the added benefit of being able to learn from two older sisters. She’s the reminder that we’re all human but we’re all unique. There is no one like any of us in the world, and there is certainly no other girl like Aliya.

development

Summer Approaches

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Summer is on it’s way. Another school year is coming to a close, and even just saying it like that is funny, because we haven’t been participating in the whole school thing for long. But when I see new parents I realize that the six years we have under our belts at this point is a substantial amount of “street cred”.

The stuff Keana is doing, and has done this year, is amazing. All this year we’ve worried that she’s being pushed too hard, from the longer-than-average school day, to the level of work, to the amount of homework she’s had. But now that we’re at the end, it’s clear this school has been the perfect fit for Keana. Even now, two weeks before the end of the year, she wakes up every day with an excited, eager look and says, “Is there school today papa?!!” She loves her teacher, she loves her friends (which is practically the entire class), she loves the extra social activities (i.e. field trips, carnivals, fund-raisers, etc.), and she loves her new-found powers of knowledge. She tries to read everything around her and it’s really cool seeing her be able to navigate things in this world, through reading, at such an early age. And I have to say, personally, it brings me great joy to see her tear through double-digit addition/subtraction. I realize this accelerated learning isn’t for everyone, and it doesn’t guarantee life-long happiness, but right now, it seems like just the right thing for Keana.

Maia has been changing every day and continues to prove she won’t get lost in the middle child slot. Our little tiny is definitely getting bigger, and her understanding of how the world works and where her place is grows every day too. She does not love school…yet. She wakes up every day and asks, “Do I have school today?” and when we say no, she screams, “Yesssss!” She loves to play at home and I think she loves being the only older sister when Keana’s at school. She also truly misses Keana when she’s at school as they continue to have a really great relationship, being each other’s favorite playmates. Maia will be going back to preschool in the fall, so I think as she gets older she’ll get more into it. In many ways she’s our toughest little baby, and in others she’s our most sensitive. She may not be any more complex emotionally than the other two, but knowing where her thresholds are and what their triggers are definitely takes some deft maneuvering.

Today I decided to go in order. So now, last, but certainly not least, is Aliya. I don’t know if it’s because she’s our last baby or what, but there isn’t a moment that doesn’t go by without one of us thinking how cute or amazing or smart she is. In this past week she’s started standing up on her own, and her fearless exploration has been nerve-racking. She loves to crawl on her hands and feet, not her knees, and while she’s discovered this is a much faster way to get around, it also has caused many-a-face-plant. Of course, she doesn’t let this slow her down. She forges on and can’t be stopped. This is another girl who wants what she wants, and I think that’s good, because being the youngest of two other powerhouse sisters, she definitely will be holding her own. For instance, she doesn’t’ like to just try and stand. She usually is holding onto a couple objects, and as she stands she likes to bang them together or wave her arms wildly with excitement. She’s also started shaking her head “no” when she knows she’s not supposed to do something or if she’s actually saying no. Why is that so damn cute? Oh yeah, and she claps to signal she’s all done eating. There’s a baby sign language move that’s similar, but she just likes clapping. Aliya will be a year old in just three weeks, and as I’ve been remembering what we all went through to get to this point, I can’t help but be thankful and feel blessed.

So what are we doing this summer? Who knows? I do know we need to go camping and get out into the woods. A few trips to the beach will definitely be necessary. Sarah was also researching music festivals that are kid friendly, so that should be fun too. I’m also already anticipating the, “I’m boooored papa, take us somewhere.”; not sure anticipating that will make it any easier, but at least I know it’s coming, which should help, right?

development, education

Progress

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It’s not a very glamorous word, but it seems like such an important one. Progress. We can’t really help it, actually. And the kids, man, they are beyond it if that’s possible. I almost feel like my humble writings, even combined with all the photos and video, barely do their amazing lives justice. Not to mention their vast and rapid development. It overwhelms me really, but then I remember that even the most basic of accounts speaks volumes years down the road, and we can already see this at this early stage of the game.

Keana is simply a delight. From the instant she wakes up until she falls quickly asleep, she is essentially a ray of light. She has definitely been trying out her defiance, coupled with sneers and powerful growling expressions, but we know it’s natural and it rarely lasts. She’ll ignore what we say until we force the issue but it’s actually really good to see her healthy questioning and the strength that’s behind it. I think it will serve her well later in life. She’s also excelling in school and gets along with everybody, even the kids in other classes. I’m still surprised when other teachers and parents know her and greet her on the way to school. Keana is definitely our social butterfly.

Tonight was special too. She was chosen by all the kindergarten teachers to present a piece of what she’s learned in school. There were three kindergarteners and three first graders. Here’s what she read from her animal journal:

We’ve worried a little about how much the kids are expected to learn in kindergarten, but Keana has really done well with it and seems to really enjoy the power that comes with reading and writing.

The epitome of progress though is Aliya. She has the unfair advantage of being baby, but she changes every day. After she began sitting up, it wasn’t long until she started to crawl, and she first crawled just a week ago. Sure, it’s still mostly a scoot crawl, but it’s surprising how far she can get in just a short amount of time. We’ve really had to watch out for all those older kid tiny toys, as well as anything else a baby shouldn’t be ingesting.

Aliya is very curious about everything and loves taking the magnet off the fridge and putting them back on, as well as banging things together to make sound. She may be our little percussionist. She’s always been a thump-a-foot, and a game we like playing recently is when I’m changing her diaper, I pretty to defend myself as she kicks wildly at my arms and face; kind of like a faux-karate match. Laughs and squeals and loves it, and so do I. She continues to be quite flirty with everyone really, waving hello and goodbye, and her super-smile is irresistible. I also love how she squeals really high when she’s excited to see someone she knows.

As for food, Aliya is eating much of what we eat with the exception of cheese, cow milk products, bread and that sort of thing. She loves turkey, peas, zucchini, gnawing on chicken bones, and these puff cereal things made for little babies. I like to line little bites up in a row on her tray and she just mows right through it.

We also started Aliya sleeping on her own, in her own room, about two weeks ago. She fusses for 5-10 minutes and then sleeps through the night. It is really amazing having our evenings to ourselves again. Sure she was adorable to hold while she slept peacefully, but it was time. She’s still not used to napping yet, fussing for 5-10 minutes and falling asleep, but not sleeping for more than an hour and is noticeably tired throughout he day. So that’s still being worked out. This is the earliest we’ve started the sleep training though, so we’re in slightly uncharted territory.

Finally The Maij…our fierce little Maia. She is hilarious. She is adorable. She is quick as a whip. And she is mad as hell sometimes. Her will will not bend or brake, and though it’s quite challenging now, I know it will be a strength someday. It seems she’s been having a hard time eating lately. We think she may be too tired at the end of the day to focus on it, or maybe she’s just going through some developmental thing that affects her intake. She’s growing fast and we’re trying not to make issues out of it, but it certainly has been challenging. And of course, bedtime and sleeping has been a challenge too, just as it was with Keana when she was three. We ditched the bunk beds and are having Keana and Maia sleep in the queen together. So far, they are able to go to sleep together most of the time, but Maia often pitches a fit in the middle of the night and Keana comes to sleep with me and Maia falls back asleep with Sarah. We would let her cry it out, but she’s so damn loud and persistent, that she keeps everyone awake. So we’re feeling our way through this one at the moment.

And that’s just a snapshot but I’m operating from the perspective that something, anything, is better than nothing.

development

Aliya Update

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To say “so much” has happened with Aliya since I last wrote about her specifically, is beyond an understatement. For that, Aliya, I apologize. I’m just thankful we have the photos and video to show what’s been happening. But let me write it down here too for posterity’s sake.

At the beginning of February Aliya really started varying her sounds when she talked, but now at nine months, she says mama, papa, bye, more, and hi, and a whole slew of new sounds that aren’t quite words yet. Yesterday we were running errands together in the car and it was fun to talk to her and have little nonsensical conversations just like I did with Keana and Maia as babies. Two weeks ago she also started waving regularly when people arrived or left. Of course, she continues to be quite smily and huggy too.

In the second week of February Aliya started sitting up on her own with minimal tipping over, and not long after that could be left confidently knowing she was okay. She often leans all the way over to reach things, folding in half, and can then push herself back up. When she moves to her stomach she’s been able to do push ups and has gotten up on her hands and knees and rocked back and forth, so crawling is on its way; no idea when, but she’s definitely practicing.

She of course has been interested in objects and playing with toys, but it really feels like in the last week her desire to play with things has increased and often motivates her to scoot, backwards for the time being, to try and get new things. Aliya still loves to play with her sisters and is quick to crack up at any sort of little game anyone plays with her.

Her appetite is voracious and her favorite thing at the moment is goat yogurt, vanilla. Her little fangs have poked through and her two front teeth are visible below the gum. “Mmm, mmm” is a constant with her when she sees food on the way or wants to try something. Aliya eats much of what we eat, but her primary meal is still mama’s milk. She has really been loving water too and just this weekend started drinking out of a regular bottle with a twist top. She even had a little fun and tried sprinkling it on Maia’s seat while we were riding in the car today as well, which, of course, Maia did not tolerate in the least.

Aliya is just super fun now and changing daily as most babies seem to do that first year. Even as our third child, we’re still amazed by her blossoming vocabulary and ability to articulate what she wants or likes. Even though her development reminds of us Maia and Keana moments, Aliya is very much her own little person with a whole new range of unique moments of her own. Unique and similar, Keana, Maia, and Aliya get along so well together, and the fact that they often do best when all playing in the same room definitely brings Sarah and I much joy and peace.