Annabel is getting so big! She looks a lot less like a baby and a lot more like a little girl.

I swear she's had a growth spurt sometime in the last week or two. She's huge. I substituted in the infant nursery at church on Sunday, and it was a shock to handle a 3-month-old and a 9-month-old. When I'd go to pick them up, I'd gather my strength the way I do to lift Annabel, and it was like picking up a sack of feathers when I was expecting flour or rice.

She likes throwing balls and is starting to master her giant baby legos. I'm not so worried about her not talking as I was, though I do wish she'd start so I could have some idea what's going on behind those Knowing Looks she's so good at. But it's clear she's super-observant and is just biding her time. Plus, I'm starting to get the distinct sense that she's a kinesthetic and/or spatial thinker, though where she got that from our DNA I have no idea--there are days when I have more bruises from not paying enough attention to my surroundings and therefore tripping over or walking into things than she does from just being a toddler!

Random Roald Dahl Fact: (which I read tonight to Emmett and feel compelled to share with Susan) He did not start speaking until he was three, and then spoke in complete sentences.

Random Roald Dahl Fact: (which I read tonight to Emmett and feel compelled to share with Susan) He did not start speaking until he was three, and then spoke in complete sentences.

One of my Grandfather's brothers did this. They thought he was retarded and then at the county fair he said, "that's a LOT of cows." After that he spoke normally.

She likes throwing balls and is starting to master her giant baby legos. I'm not so worried about her not talking as I was, though I do wish she'd start so I could have some idea what's going on behind those Knowing Looks she's so good at.

Susan, as a thought, she had a very slight tongue tie when she was born, right? If it wasn't clipped, she may just be holding out until her tongue ability catches up with her thoughts.

Susan, as a thought, she had a very slight tongue tie when she was born, right? If it wasn't clipped, she may just be holding out until her tongue ability catches up with her thoughts.

Yep, which was probably one of the several contributing factors to our breastfeeding issues. It hasn't been clipped, and the pede seems to think it's resolving well on its own--I asked about it at her 12-month visit, at which Annabel was babbling merrily away, and Dr. Bratt said her use of multiple consonant sounds meant her range of motion was good enough for speech. That said, I have wondered if that's an issue, especially since if the way Annabel learned to crawl and walk are any indication, she's the type who waits until she has it all worked out, then just does it, rather than proceed through lots of intermediate stages.

Good luck with teh boundaries, Teppy! That sounds tough, but like it definitely needs to be done.

Amy, that sounds like a really cool job!!

Palm Springs. 120 degrees. No, that's not a typo. 120 degrees today. Freakin' INSANE.

However, I have a nice bed with lovely bedlinens, becuase it was supercheap at this hotel, due to it being TOO HOT TO FUCKING BE HERE.

And I have chocolate mousse cake. HMPH.

And she'll use a word with clear sense that she knows what it means, then drop it for days. She'll wave and say bye-bye (really more like ba-ba) to DH as he leaves for work on one day, then won't do it again no matter how you prompt her for another 10 days or so. Yesterday she was saying MAH! in clear imitation of our MWAH! when we kissed her; today not a hint of it.

I am redefining pathetic. I'm practicing leaving Mal with the babysitter today. I've got the whole day to myself - a chance to go shopping, go hang out in Keramikos or the Plaka, see a movie, something. So what am I doing? Hanging out here.

In my defense, it's air conditioned.

And this way, you can play with us, Raquel!

Indeed.

It's 104 outside. Which isn't Palm Springs, but drastically reduces my desire to wander around a lot.

A lot of the bookstores here are featuring Harry Potter, but it's the British version. So far I've only seen the first three in Greek.