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October 31, 2003

Face Paint

Estella is telling you she got her face painted at the company Halloween party.

Posted by clappstar at 12:15 AM | Comments (0)

October 29, 2003

Hot Rod Baby

I remember riding hot wheels tricycles. Up and down the driveway in Kentucky. I rode it so much that I wore a hole in the front wheel. Here is a car that would be just about Estella's size.

Using the camera to capture macro images is fun. Check out the little one's toy dog.

This photo was taken during evening commute from the corner of 5th and James.

The image captured eight seconds of traffic and lights. The building in the back is the new Seattle City Hall.
Below is a stylized, blurred image of the street lights looking up 5th Avenue.

Posted by clappstar at 12:03 AM | Comments (2)

October 24, 2003

Pumpkin Picker

Estella picked out a pumpkin tonight after a trip to the park where in the twilight she bounced on a bouncy toy. We briskly walked through cool, damp evening air to catch the last half hour of light at the park. Estella rode in the stroller and pointed which way she wanted me to turn. She walked around the big toy and took a turn on the slide. Mostly she watched other kids racing around. Reluctantly she endured me putting her back in the stroller for the ride to get a pumpkin. She had fun looking for a pumpkin. I mistakenly told her to kiss a pumpkin for a cute photo op, so soon she was going around kissing all the pumpkins. Silly.
Once we were done there, we walked home in the dark. The pumpkin was riding in her stroller, So I held her which is tough because we had to walk twelve blocks and she is getting heavy. It made it so much better when she discovered that by facing back over my shoulder and giving me a squeeze as I carried her kept us both warmer. She settled in to my shoulder and we sang a few songs. She keeps the tune with her little "lala" baby singing.
When we got home, we briefly played, had a drink and she took a bath. That has been a traditional nightly event for her. She is a very clean baby. After bath she really likes getting into the fuzzy, warm coverall pajamas. Once she is in her pajamas, she is set for story time. We read a new book I got her at the Frye Art Museum gift shop called Bus Stop (she can say the word bus real good). As we finished she was yawning and rubbing her eyes. I turned off the light and she snuggled for a minute as we sat rocking on her rocking chair. With muted sounds of content and the sigh of finally getting to relax, she pushed herself up on her hands, looked at me and pointed to her crib. I asked if she wanted to get in her bed and she almost laughed. I layed her down and she wiggled into a comfortable spot and five minutes later I checked back on a sleeping beauty.

Posted by clappstar at 12:08 AM | Comments (1)

October 22, 2003

Walk Daddy

Someone wants to go for a walk.

Posted by clappstar at 12:06 AM | Comments (0)

October 13, 2003

Zoo Rain

If you want free range on the entire zoo with very few other humans to impede your view of the animals, visit on a rainy day. How about a rainy weekend day? Well Estella and I did just that, got there right when things were opening on Saturday. We played at the park a bit before hand and then walked right through the front gates, courtesy of our membership card. The first exhibit was the new, restless jaguar. You can see above tehat the exhibit is impressive. You can literally be the thickness of the glass away from the great cat.
After that we went to the gorilla exhibit which Estella liked until the gorillas started wrestling around with each other. She screamed at that. She has a deep set aversion to people wrestling which includes hugging, kissing and tickling. If Robyn and I give each other a playful hug Estella freaks out. Silly little one.
She and I went shopping tonight and we played the I say something you repeat it game. She is getting quite good at that. She can say taco, bus, cheese, cool and many other short words like those. Good job baby! Oh and she can walk really fast.

Posted by clappstar at 09:28 PM | Comments (5)

October 10, 2003

Boyfriend Visits

One of Estella's boy friends came over for a visit today. They played near each other. At this age they don't seem to play with each other as much. Later they had a bath together, we read stories and then they cried and had tantrums together - well, maybe that was just Estella. She gets cranky around her bedtime, which is 7:30.
On a side note, tonight after reading four books Estella was to go to bed. I turned out the light to rock Estella for a moment, she laid her head down and snuggled in to me. I asked her if she wanted to get into her crib and she made a slow motion lunge that way. After putting her down in the crib, she restlessly turned back and forth and then pushed her rear up into the air to stand up. She waddled over to the crib edge and I quietly said, "Estella you are so tired. Why don't you lie down and go to sleep?" So she laid herself back down and went to sleep!

Posted by clappstar at 01:38 AM

October 09, 2003

Little Sleeper

Remember when she was this small? Indeed this has become a baby weblog. Or rather an infant weblog. Soon it will be referred to as a child's weblog.
Right now it is a crazy dada weblog.

Posted by clappstar at 08:31 PM | Comments (1)

October 06, 2003

Who She Thinks

Here's mama and baby meeting me at Greenlake after work on a chilly fall afternoon.
I don't know who she thinks she is. Doesn't she realize I am her father?!!? Today at the toy store and Fred Meyer she was very adamant about what she wanted. She fought me holding her everytime she saw something she liked. She wanted to rip open the toy packages to get at the toys and grunted and whined when I pulled her away. She wanted to sit on the bicycles?! And play on a skateboard. And carry around a backpack. And play in a cabinet in the furniture section. And roll all over the floor clutching a nerf soccer ball. She did not let me look at shoes in peace, nor did she have patience for browsing the garden department.
She had fun with her aunt and grandma and grandpa on both sides this weekend.
Who does she think she is to wake up at 6am and expect to play and laugh and cry and eat and give hugs? Who I ask!

Posted by clappstar at 11:31 PM | Comments (3)