Did you get the memo?

Management didn't give a lot of advanced notice, but yesterday was Wear Your Momma's P.J. Top Around Your Neck Day. On WYMPTAYN Day, one must always have a P.J. top, preferably pilfered from the clean laundry, slung over one's shoulders. One should put it on, as best as one is able, as soon as one gets up, before even changing out of one's own sleeping garb.


One should put it back on, as best as one is able, after one is in one's first outfit of the day.



One should put it on again once one has gotten lunch all over one's first outfit of the day and required a change. Don't let activities, like helping one's momma wrap presents, get in one's way of wearing the P.J. top.

One can also make phone calls while wearing one's pilfered P.J. top.

It really makes for the most entertaining day. Management will try to give more notice of the next WYMPTAYN Day so everyone can participate.

Frances, The Helper

One of Frances's newest skills is emptying the dishwasher with me almost every morning. She's trying to master removing plates and pots, but she really excels at removing silverware. Frances used to remove a piece of silverware and then drop it on the floor - not terribly helpful - but now she hands the forks and spoons to me, one at a time. We don't win any awards for speed, but we get the job done.


Next skill to conquer: differentiating between dirty and clean silverware. It would be so cool if the dirty stuff stayed in the dishwasher.

Coolest Advent Calendar

Frances's Auntie Beka sent us the Coolest Advent Calendar ever, at least if you ask Frances's opinion. It's based on Eric Carle's book Dream Snow, and it's a Pop-Up, so very exciting for little hands.


It has doors that reveal tree ornaments and presents, then the presents go into gift boxes that open under the tree.



Mark got to see it in action for the first time on December 11th. Every night up until then he'd been at school working. He's almost done, though. Just a few more days!



Thank you, Beka. Such a good auntie you are!

Thank you again, Auntie Mim

Last year, our Auntie Mim knit a purple hat for Frances. It was a little big, due to some last minute design additions, but that just means we get to use it again this year. It fits and Frances leaves it on sometimes even when her hands aren't hindered by mittens.

Thank you, Mim. We love it.

Thirteen Months of Toddler Frances

For Frances's thirteen month birthday, she and I went for a little jog around a nearby pond. It's possible I got more out of the experience than she did, since she was in the stroller the whole time, but I like to think we both enjoyed ourselves. It was a bit nippy that day, so first we got all bundled up.



Then we got Frances into the stroller and headed off around the pond.

Two miles later, Frances was completely asleep in her stroller, which is a minor miracle these days.

I was very proud of us.

Alright, Thirteen Month Fun Facts

• Firsts: The walking is the most exciting first, obviously. She still mostly walks only to get from one familiar face to another, but she's branching out slowly. She's really keen on going from sitting to standing without using any props. She's only managed it a couple times, but she's very determined.
• Favorite Foods: My baby likes beans - black beans, kidney beans, cannellini. I think she gets it from the Uptons. She also devoured a slice of Starbucks Gingerbread Loaf by the fistful yesterday, leaving only crumbs behind for her momma.
• Frequent Comment: "She's so serious!" I get this a lot from strangers who try to get Frances to smile when we're out shopping. They are met with polite but stone-faced silence. It makes me a little sad, really, but it may just be Frances's version of stranger anxiety. At least strangers don't make her cry. And she smiles and chatters plenty when she's around more familiar folk. She talks up a storm and nods emphatically when she hears a recording of herself.
• Favorite Activity: She loves, loves, loves climbing up on our bed. It gives Mark and me little heart attacks when she heads for the edge, but so far she's done a good job - not to say a perfect job - negotiating a safety zone. We lost some Parenting Points one very sad day, but Frances survived. Frances also likes looking at catalogues while she's eating - a love of simultaneous eating and reading, she gets that from her mother!
• One word to describe Frances this month: Trooper, with a capital T. All the books tell me that she's going to start asserting her independence soon, but for right now, Frances is so good about putting up with our demands. We can ask her to skip naps, stay up hours past her bed time, run to the grocery store at dinner time, you name it, and she just keeps going. She really impresses me.
  
  
  

Unofficial Benchmark

Some developmental benchmarks are official, the type pediatricians care about, like the first time a baby rolls over or sits up. Then there are the unofficial benchmarks that mommies live with everyday, like the first time a baby crawls into an open and unguarded dishwasher or holds a phone up to her ear. Frances reached one of the unofficial benchmarks the other day when she destroyed a roll of toilet paper.

Totally pleased with herself.

I had left Frances to fend for herself while I took a shower. I thought I had moved the roll of toilet paper out of her reach, but the periscope arm prevailed. Good job, Frances!

Bjorn in the frozen tundra

Frances and I wanted to quickly walk Daddy to work before settling in for our dinner. For short trips, I usually just carry Frances in the Bjorn. Bjorn + cold weather gear =

Mom can't see anything.

Or, it could be the inevitable result of a 5' 4" woman having a child with a 6' 6" man and then trying to carry that child around. Either way, the Bjorn's days are numbered.

Frances takes Gloucester; Parents shiver

Mark needed a little study break, so we headed up to Gloucester, MA, which is pronounced "Glos-ter" or "Glaw-stah," depending on how native you are.


It may look familiar from the movie "The Perfect Storm." I have an aunt and uncle who used to live here. They now live in Florida, which says a lot about Gloucester. To summarize: cold fishermen.



The cold didn't stop Frances, though. She just kept right on walking, with some help from her dad.

We got a couple nice photos, despite the cold and a little person who would rather walk than hold still any day of the week.

This photo turned out smaller than I'd hoped, but Mark is giving Frances a little kiss. I like this photo.

And then we high-tailed it back to our cozy apartment.

I'm walkin', yes indeed!

On Saturday, November 20th, Frances took some honest-to-God steps to get from me to her Daddy. We were so incredibly impressed, you'd never know she's been working up to this maneuver for months. We celebrated on Sunday by running over to IHOP before Mark had to go to work. Frances mostly munched on crayons and Veggie Booty, but it was still a satisfactory celebratory experience.





We finished up the morning with a trip to a Farmers' Market. These people are fanatical about their Farmers' Markets up here. We like the hot apple cider and cider doughnuts that are sold at Farmers' Markets, so we aren't complaining.


It was too cold to let Frances out of her stroller to practice her walking skills, but Frances didn't seem to mind. She knows a good, cozy ride when she sees it, smart girl that she is.

New walking, IHOP, hot apple cider and cider doughnuts - not a bad weekend.

And then the circus came to town

And by "circus," I mean Beka.

My friend Beka was in town for one of her Professional Savers of the World conferences and needed a place to stay because Professional Savers of the World don't tend to work for places that can pay for hotel rooms. Fine by us, it just meant more time together.

We had to try on some of the goodies Beka has bestowed on us, like this pink tutu she gave Frances before Frances was even born.


I thought it looked particularly good with Frances's overalls.

Then Beka found Frances's tutu from Tara's wedding and needed to try it on, any way she could. Add a flower headband for Frances, and you get...


Frances wasn't nearly as amused as we were.

The finished product:

Sorry, kiddo. Haverford College assigned me to her and she's probably with us for life. Enjoy the ride.

Happy Birthday to You, Frances

Frances is one! Such a big girl. For all the family and friends who couldn't join us, here's a little review of the day. Frances's Mimi, Mark and I did our best to make the apartment festive and Frances seemed appreciative.

She couldn't wait to get her hands on these new objects that had been hanging around the apartment but kept strategically out of reach.

"What is this and when can I touch/mouth it?" Frances wondered.

We unwrapped/mouthed the presents.

We carefully blew out the candles.

And then Frances mouthed the candle.

We tried for a decent picture of the three of us, but since two of the three of us don't enjoy getting our picture taken and the third of the three of us doesn't enjoy holding still, at least when there's nothing to mouth, this is the best we got.

And then it was everybody's nap time. It was a wonderful day. I would have loved to have all our friends and family here, but I'm looking forward to showing off our big One Year Old in the year to come. Prepare to be (or at least act) amazed!

O.k., Twelve Month Fun Facts

• Firsts: Frances waves frequently now and several times has waved and said something like "buh," so we may have her first word ("bye," that is). I couldn't convince myself it was anything but chance the first time, but it has happened several times now.
• Favorite Food: Veggie Booty. Don't ask, if you don't know. I blame my hippie sister Jocelyn and all her health food ways.
• Frequent comment: "She'll be walking any day now." See last month's fun facts for my response to this comment, although on Monday, Nov. 15, Frances took three steps on her own! I was so proud; Frances had no idea what the hubbub was about.
• Favorite activity: She likes to look at books. She loves to crawl as fast as she can from one end of the tub to the other during her bath. This is giving me gray hairs as it often involves collisions with the tub walls and swallowing water. I love when she and Sophia, her friend who is about ten hours older than Frances, try to use each other as standing props - it works out remarkably well and is still highly entertaining for the mothers.
• Stats: She was a champ at her One Year Old healthy baby check-up, even through the four shots. She is 30 3/4 inches tall (95%) and 20 lb.s 10.9 oz (50%), so long and lean as always. Mark and I have a bet about when she'll be taller than I am. I say it will happen by the time she's nine years old; Mark says ten.
  

We love this kiddo, and can't wait to see what she thinks of next!

Bananas

I've been making efforts to get more fruit into Frances's diet. Frances is cooperating, in her own way.


She loves chewing on the banana peel. She actually fished a banana out of a bag while we were driving the other day and was happily chewing on the peel, unbeknownst to me.

What sharp teeth you have, kiddo!

Halloween, Shmalloween

Frances had four dress-up opportunities this Halloween, but going to the events just wasn't in the cards for us. Frances slept through three of the opportunities. We tried to get to the fourth event, but Frances had other plans. She just wanted out of the stroller so she could "walk," which is fine but not conducive to actually getting to the event. After trying to change her mind for a bit, we gave up and decided to enjoy whatever we were doing. "Whatever we were doing" turned out to be playing and "walking" in the T station.

This picture only appears to be upside down. Frances was actually hanging upside down when it was taken. Here, she's strolling through the Harvard Square station, totally pleased with herself.


And we finished up the day in Harvard Yard. Good planning, Frances!

This is for you, Auntie Tara

Last year for Halloween, I was in Brooklyn with my friend Tara. We saw a huge costume parade with hundreds of little kiddos all dressed up. Tara thought they were adorable; I rolled my eyes. I believe I suggested Tara be in charge of Frances's costumes. But this year, as Halloween rolled around, I got the urge to participate. Luckily, I had this tutu from Tara's wedding just waiting to be re-purposed. With a little more scrounging around, we have...

Frances Elliott Upton, The Flower

(humor me)

The whole costume stayed in tact for the three seconds it took Frances to take off her hat and start chewing on the bee antenna.

On Halloween evening, we wanted to get some pictures of Frances outside in her costume, but it had gotten chilly so we had to forgo the full effect. Still, isn't Harvard Yard pretty in the fall?

Jack-o-lantern, Round 2, Part 2

We did actually get around to carving our second pumpkin before Halloween. It may have been the day before Halloween, but still.

Frances was just as unsure of this whole process this time as the first time, but her parents had fun.



We wanted it to look like Frances. Big round eyes, a button nose, and an ever-so-slight gap between her top front teeth. How'd we do?

Much more satisfying experience this time around, at least for the parents.

We Love Cambridge

And why do we love Cambridge? Because it has playgrounds that come complete with walking toys, perfect for Bubby Frances. It was chilly yesterday, but we had a little time to fill before dinner so we wandered over to a relatively new playground for us. The other time we'd been to this playground, Frances was too little to use the toys. This time, they were perfect. We started with this bike, which didn't make too much sense to Frances.

Then we found this walker. Frances wasn't exactly tearing up the place, but she got herself around independently. Her parents just stood back in awe.

Next up, walking?!

p.s. No need to comment on the picture quality, Mimi. These were taken with our phone. We didn't think to bring the camera to the playground; we had no idea it would be such a momentous occasion.