Day 120: Driving Miss Daisy

These two are so cute. Even when they're nearly strangling each other, you can still feel the love. 

Day 119: Bubbles

It was an absolutely beautiful day today, so when we got home we finished up the gardening project started over the weekend. 

Introduce Sivan to bubbles. She seemed more perplexed than truly interested. 

I am not amused. 

Day 118: Cooperation

For some reason I have this compulsion to capture these two cuties in a picture. It always seems to go awry right after I've spotted them sitting nicely together. I grab the phone and things start to go haywire. 

Michal, clearly conditioned by yours truly to pose and smile and ham it up for her adoring public, was game and even attempted to wrangle Sivan into submission. Unfortunately/fortunately, Sivan is getting bigger and stronger and no longer easily submits to Michal's whims. 

I promise this is not Michal trying to smother her little sister. This is Sivan's curious escape tactic. 

In the end, it was clear. If you want something done, you're going to have to selfie it up. 

Day 117: Watching

Just hanging out, watching her big sister in a swim lesson. So often I wonder what is going on in her brain. I wonder what swimming looks like to her. 

Day 115: Smothered and Covered

Today we headed to the University of Maryland to take in Maryland Day. The weather was less than lovely - chilly with a slight threat of rain - so luckily it wasn't completely swarmed this year. We got there towards the end of the day, so we mostly walked around, took in a few music acts, and watched Michal pose all over campus.

But of course, she had to show Sivan the love. Which usually means get on top of her in the stroller. At least this time she actually APPEARS to be loving towards her baby sister.  And Sivan seems to like it. 

Day 116: Hazel Eyed Girl?

Josh caught this cool photo of Sivan's eyes. While I know they could still change yet, they've been like this for a few months. In some lights grey, in others blue-green with a golden brown center. In the sun, as they are here, they are a golden green.

I was then able to catch this photo in different light, where you can see more of the blue-green color:

I guess this is what you call hazel? Fascinating to see her eyes constantly changing. 

Day 114: Language Skills

Sivan and I had to go to work for a couple of hours this morning, just to finish up a few projects for the weekend. I have a few toys available for her in my office, but today they just didn't seem to hold her interest. I ended up pulling out a set of large foam Hebrew letters, thinking the colors and shapes might be interesting to her. Maybe they'd even capture her attention for two to three minutes!

She has a "samech" and a "nun sofit" - the first and last letters in her name. The shapes were perfect for her little hands. 

And apparently for her mouth as well. I forgot how she would love to chew on that foam. Oh well. On to the next toy. 

Day 113: Sleeping Beauty

I'm happy this doesn't happen too often, but I sat down to do some work after the kids' bedtimes tonight and realized I didn't take a picture of Sivan.  It is definitely the most difficult part of a 365 project - it takes perseverence to remember to take a picture every single day.  When I first did this, four years ago, I didn't realize how hard it would be.  I figured I took pictures all the time, so it'd be a cinch.

Well, tonight was one of the first nights when I realized I'd completely forgotten to take a picture.  So here you go... sleeping Sivan.

She's such a great sleeper.  We are so lucky that she likes her sleep.  I wish I could sleep as well as this kid does!

Day 112: Caped Crusader

Last night was a bath night, which has become increasingly perilous as Sivan has decided it is completely acceptable to stand or crawl in the bathtub.  She did not check with me, as I would have disabused her of this notion.  As soon as everyone was clean, out of the tub and into towels we went.

Sivan takes any opportunity to use any object at hand to help her stand up.  This stool is way too short to really help her in her aims, but that does not stop this one.

So happy, she doesn't care at all that she's sort of squatting instead of standing.  Cheesy girl.

Day 111: Morning Views

Sometimes Sivan gets up before me, sometimes she's a sleepy head and I have to coax her awake.  I do love, though, when I come in and find this adorable, smiling face.

Just such a happy baby.  

Sometimes she'll start to dance - bouncing up and down - I managed to catch a picture that wasn't too blurry from her movement, with her wide, gleeful smile.  Such a love.

Day 110: Making it Work

I was still in New York with the teens, so Josh was on his own with the girls. He had quite the commute back out to Maryland, so I wasn't surprised to see that they had dinner out at Red Robin, one of Michal's favorites. 

Not long after this picture, SIvan got really mad at Josh. Apparently he had the audacity to suggest she stop eating strawberries and have some broccoli. She was not amused. I guess we don't have another Broccoli Monster on our hands. 

Day 109: Sassy Thing

Look what Daddy taught the littlest one. I leave to take a group of tenth graders to NYC and miss out on all this fun. Hopefully she won't decide she's over it before I get to experience this kid sticky out her tongue. So cute. 

Day 108: Rita's!

It's officially spring and we've had a brief run of really beautiful days. To celebrate we headed over to Rita's for some gelati and custard.  Michal insisted on her usual - chocolate custard with mini M&Ms - and this was Sivan's first time.

Loons

Trying some wild black cherry ice. Don't worry - she loved it. 

All gone. Sad, pensive baby. 

Day 107: Foot

There is something so wonderful about this picture. We were cuddling before a nap today and she reached out with her foot and placed it against the post of the crib. I snapped a quick picture. 

Her feet are amazing. You don't often consider all that a foot does, but she is learning. They're fun to grab while I'm trying to change her diaper. Sometimes fun to out in her mouth. They help her scoot around as she crawls, and they are becoming instrumental in her standing. And soon they will help her walk. 

And they're adorable. So perfectly chubby and lovely. 

Day 106: Rice Goon

We had kabobs and rice for dinner. Can you tell?  Sivan kept yelling at me until I put more food on her tray. 

She really loves rice. In a serious way. 

No, she didn't fall asleep. This kid was literally hoovering the rice off of her tray. She couldn't get it into her mouth efficiently enough with her hands so she decided to try a different method. 

She's a goon. 

Day 105: Smiles

These two. All the smiles. 

Day 104: Selfie Fail

With tuesday being my late night, I experiences a momentary panic when dropping Sivan off at Marisol's and realizing I hadn't taken a picture of her yet - sort of necesdary with this whole 365 day project deal. So I pulled out my phone (thank goodness I hadn't left it in the car!), and snapped a few. 

Unfortunately Sivan wanted to take the camera from me and not make it so easy. 

She's quick!

Not so focused - she gets enough of a grip I can't do anything with it!

I flipped the picture around so she could see herself. Finally something half decent. Troublemaker, this one. 

Day 103: Playing Outside

It was a beautiful day outside, so it was an easy decision when we got home and saw friends playing outside. The big kids got out some balls and Sivan hung out to see what was going on.

At do I do with this thing?

Silly big sister. 

She is so popular with the other kids - they love playing with her. 

Day 102: Eleven Months Old!

Today we celebrated our friends' son's first birthday.  It drove home just how quickly this year has flown by.  We are precisely one month away from Sivan's first birthday - guess we should get started on party planning!

As usual, staged photos proved to be difficult today.  Sivan had little interest in sitting still, looking at the camera/phone, and smiling.  Surprising!  I got a few cute photos in, and then Michal insisted in joining her sister for the photo.  Of course things went along swimmingly after that.

Smiling - just not at me.

She almost looks like she is smiling here, but believe me, for all that Sivan adores her big sister, she is NOT pleased.

The best part about growing and getting bigger?  Sivan can start to exert her own will.  Michal hasn't quite grasped this evolving reality just yet.

Trying to escape.

Free at last!  And refusing to look at me.  Photo shoot done.

Day 101: FroYo

Today was a particularly beautiful day, so we headed down to the zoo to spend some time with friends.  We stayed for a few hours before heading home, stopping first for frozen yogurt with Cousin Louise.

Michal is a huge frozen yogurt fan, but Sivan is still deciding whether or not she likes it.  As you can see here:

I think she reacts primarily to the temperature of the substance - I don't think she objects to the taste (we get the original "tart"flavor).  She did enjoy the blackberries, strawberries, and lychee fruit we used to top our yogurt.

And yeah... this is pretty much par for the course.  These two together are hilarious.  And adorable.

Day 100: A Hundred... Cheerios?

What?!? You've reached day 100 of this silly little blog?  I'm shocked!

Just kidding! I knew you'd do it!

Just being silly, of course. If there is anything I learned from doing Michal's 365 day blog, I can certainly make it all 365 days. 

Today Michal went to work with Josh, so Sivan and I hung out at home. We did a few errands to Costco and Target, but for most part, day 100 was pretty normal/boring. 

At one point, it was time for a little snack. We'd been lounging in the living room, and while the highchair was only a few feet away, I was feeling lazy and figured why bother with chairs and sitting upright. So I grabbed one of our handy IKEA plates, threw on some Cheerios (we don't make Sivan keep strict Passover), and settled in to hang out. 

The highchair might have been a less messy choice. 

It's a good thing I vacuumed recently and, thanks to the Myth Busters, I don't stress too much over the five second rule. 

Day 99: Squawker

Sivan has really discovered her voice lately. And by discover, I mean she screams, screeches, and squawks. There are times she hits such a volume and pitch that it leaves my ears ringing. I'm not entirely sure the reason for this - attention? discovery? exploration? Either way, it's both adorable and horrific, all at the same time. 

And I probably don't help matters, but sometimes she lets out a short, I'm-gonna-surprise-you burst, and I feign surprise and shock. She giggles at this, as I am obviously quite the comedic actress. 

Oh well. This too shall pass. I hope. 

Day 98: Climbing

This is what Michal and I found when we got to day care to pick up Sivan. Apparently SOMEBODY was enjoying herself today trying to climb the slide like all the big kids. She will be eleven months on Sunday. Where is the time going? Such a big girl. 

Day 97: Standing!

This glorious kiddo has been pulling herself to stand on pretty much anything she can get her hands on for a few weeks now. She's still working on figuring out how to sit down, but I'm hoping she figures hat out quickly. Especially for those times she ends up standing in her crib, stuck.

Just the best. 

Day 96: Smiles and Stairs

Such a smiley girl  

We hung out at home today. Nothing too crazy, although Sivan decided to figure out how to climb steps. So that'll be fun once she realizes she can scale the stairs. It is pretty awesome watching her grow and develop and every so often there is another remind of the similarities and differences between Michal and Sivan.