Stand And Deliver 2: Stand And Deliver Strikes Back

I was wrapping up work this afternoon when The Wife brought the kid down to my basement lair and said she had just stood up with no help at all -- no mommy's hand helping her, no pulling up by grabbing the coffee table. Just free-standing free standing.

Of course, she didn't do that once they got down here. All this happened, though:



My favorite part? Oh, that's easy -- the hands-in-the-air joy. And yes, there was a little drumming at the end. You're welcome!

Of course, once the camcorder was safely put away NJ did exactly what I was hoping she'd do while the 'recording' light was on -- she stood up without using mommy or anything else. You'll just have to trust me on that.

Stop me if you've heard this before, but: It's about time I finished up that baby-proofing.

Super Solo Redux

The Wife leaves for a road trip in a couple of days, the first of three in the next five weeks. My loyal readers know that I've aced past Super Solo assignments with trumpets wailing and colors flying and everything short of Padma Lakshmi smiling warmly and murmuring, "Congratulations, you are the Top Dad." This go-around should be just as smooth, hopefully, but it'll be a little different because of some new factors:

The Sick
NJ is winding up her first prolonged illness. Her day care cold is mostly gone, except for what sounds like a brutal cough that crops up from time to time. One of those times is around 2.30 a.m., after she's been laying horizontal for a long time. Hopefully we won't hear that number on our baby monitor in the wee hours this morning, and by Wednesday -- when The Wife hits the road -- it should all be over. (Including the diarrhea. Please, sweet little baby Jesus, let that include the diarrhea.)

The Day Care
I've yet to drop NJ off at day care. It's no big thing, obviously, but there is something of a routine that I'll need to know. What if, for example, I walk into the play area with my shoes still on? Heaven forefend! Or I fail to sign in in the morning, or out in the afternoon when I take her away? (OK, that one is important.) There's also all the stuff I need to take in with us -- the diapers, the blanket, the packed lunch. Yeah, that packed lunch: I'll have to pay attention tomorrow evening when The Wife puts it together. All I really know now is that when I load the dishwasher, there are about 47 tiny bowls, lids and other Tupperware-like objects.

The Job
There's an office reasonably close to NJ's day care I can go to after dropping her off (since I'll be more than halfway there anyway). And: going to an office means incentive to shower, something all work-at-homers need.

The Standing
Nothing to do with The Wife leaving town, but I thought I'd bury the lead because it's my blog and there are no editors clamoring for a rewrite. NJ's interest in and ability to stand has increased ten-fold since starting day care. She stands up from her knees or from her butt with ease, hangs on to the coffee table or sofa edge with one hand while waving a toy (or just waving) the other. She also has walked a few steps while holding on to said sofa edge or coffee table. I guess I'd better get on that babyproofing stat.

Stand And Deliver

NJ pulled herself up onto her fat little feet this afternoon. She's been toying with the idea of standing on her own for more than a week now, reaching up and pulling herself to her knees, then up to one knee and one foot, Al-Jolson-sings-'Mammy' style. Today, a week before she turns one year old, she made all the way up -- then held on for dear life to the wicker firewood box. She stood there for several minutes, soaking up admiration from me and The Wife, before plopping backward onto her butt.

No photos, so you'll have to make do with this one from two weeks ago as a simulation. Just imagine a fireplace where the dog is, that she's in the living room instead of the basement, that she's wearing a different outfit, and that she did on her own, instead of having me prop her up as I did in this pic. Otherwise, it was exactly like this:

Can't a dog get a dang nap up in here?

Going Mobile

A package of baby-proofing gear -- cabinet locks, a stairway gate, soft corner protectors and shade cord wind-ups -- is due to arrive today from our favorite online purveyor of baby goods and sundries. And just in time, too: Yesterday marked NJ's first serious foray into the world of movement.

I put her down on her tummy at her toy corner here in the office, turned to read a couple of e-mails, then turned back to see her far away from where I'd left her. Then Willie the Lab joined us and NJ backward-crawled over to see him. She kept at it, making something of a Figure Four on the carpet until her feet were pressed up against a toy keyboard, which was pressed against the wall, which meant the end of backward crawling. When The Wife got home later on, NJ was in no mood to replicate her feat, but she obliged for her mother this morning. Again, getting to Willie the Lab was a key motivator.

Separately, yesterday also marked the first time NJ pulled herself up onto her knees during tummy time. Once she puts the knee thing together with the desire to get to the dog, all bets are off.

Today it's been more of the same, with some holding-the-edge-of-the-couch standing for good measure.