March (Travel) Madness: Kenya

For Millie's 2nd birthday we were actually in Nairobi.  Earlier in the week, Roger joined a few of my Peace Corps buddies and one of his Peace Corps buddies to go climb Mt. Kenya - the highest peak in Kenya and the second highest in Africa at 16,000 ft.  You can see his pictures here.

Rather than be on our own in Arusha for her birthday, she and I drove up to Nairobi on Saturday to meet up with Roger and our friends when they descended on Sunday (Millie's actual birthday).  We arrived Saturday afternoon and passed the time visiting Nairobi's various commercial paradises - shopping malls!  One in particular, Westgate, has an AWESOME kids playing area with slides, bouncy castle and a ball pool so Millie really enjoyed herself in there.  We spent an hour there which bought me about 2 hours worth of pushing her around the mall (specifically, in a store called Nakumatt, our closest Target-alternative) in a shopping cart before the protests began.

After lunch and a nap, we headed to the American Embassy compound where we bought $50 worth of U.S. treats like Cheetos, Goldfish, Life Cereal and black beans (yes, they count as a treat because you can't find them anywhere in Arusha or Nairobi).  Many of these things, Millie was trying for the first time, like Honey Nut Cheerios (which she refers to as 'bumble bee' b/c the little bee on front) and Fig Newtons (which she calls 'yummy yummy sana' - 'sana' means 'very' in Swahili).  After blowing all our cash in the commissary, we went swimming in a heated pool which was really fun (yes, even though we're in Africa AND on the equator, Nairobi is about a mile high so even in the dead of summer ['member reversed seasons], the pools are usually too cold to swim in).

By the time we were done swimming, Roger was en route to the house we were staying at, so we rushed back to welcome him and the other smelly boys down from the mountain.  And of course no birthday is complete without cake which our hostess was so generous to provide.  Now, when you ask Millie how old she is, she says three.  But this is technically correct because in her world, the sequence of numbers is 'one, three, two!'

For the Grandparents - It's Millie Time

Well, it's been quite a while since I've opened the fountains of maternal effusiveness to update you on little Miss Millie.  Ironic, you might think, since this blog at one point was ONLY about her.  So let us begin.

Millie is developing at a rate of speed so fast it's hard to keep up.  We are at that stage where we have to definitely watch what we say because within a minute it will becoming out of her mouth as well.  Case in point - last night, after having a girls night out (Roger away for work), we returned home in the dark and the full moon had just risen so it was illuminating the otherwise pitch black streets (curious point - Arusha has street lights, they're just never on).  Millie was mesmerized by the moon and kept craning her neck to keep it in her sights.  When we got home, she kept staring at it, even while I was chatting with the guard and asking him how to say 'moon' in Kiswahili.  Interestingly, the word for 'moon' is the same word for 'month' which I remarked on to the guard.  Millie was still staring at the moon, but she managed to hear me say 'month' and then she kept repeating it throughout her bath!

In addition to mimicking words, she loves to mimic actions.  The nerdy experts call this symbolic play.  She does it quite frequently with lotion and soap, trying to rub it in to her arms and legs.  She just started doing it with deodorant as well (cleanliness is a virtue!).  But then yesterday, as she was eating oatmeal (on her own, mind you!) a little bit spilled on the chair.  She requested a napkin (by name) and proceeded to clean it up!  While this may be emblematic of her developmental acumen, it's probably speaks more to her mom's type-A tendencies when it comes to meal time, sadly.  But I think you get the point.

Millie's favorite activity is probably stickers, followed closely by singing and looking at books.  Oh my, the singing.  She has a rotating play list of favorites and at the moment its 'Wheels on the Bus', 'Pop a Little Pancake' and 'Zoom, zoom....'

The weather here has been funny lately.  The cold stuck around much longer than last year, then we had about 10 days of blisteringly hot weather and now we're back to moderate and comfortable temps.  During the hot week, we went to the pool about four days in a row and it's been really fun seeing her enjoy it at this age.  When we go, she says 'pool, yeah!' and is really confident in the water.  She particularly enjoys drinking it while trying to blow bubbles.  One thing about Millie is that she is a brave and confident little girl.  She will choke at least 10 times in the water (or while drinking water from a non-sippy cup) and isn't really deterred.  She even finds it humorous.  Seems kind of disturbing to laugh about it, but she is quite hearty. 

Mille has learned about five animal sounds - lion, cat, dog, horse and sheep.  Next weekend is Halloween and feels like we should take advantage of her talents (roaring) and attributes (massive mane of hair) by making her a lion.  I have the brillant idea of teasing her hair to make it into a lion mane, but methinks that could be more painful for us afterwards.  Thankfully, Roger is in charge of bath time, so its sounding like a better idea even as I write this.  What do you all think?

Artist in the Making

Don't know if I have ever mentioned the play groups we go to in town, but our favorite is at the International School Moshi Arusha Campus.  It's about as far away from our house as you can get without being in a lion's den, but it's one of the most fun and well worth the drive.

[Tangent: To be sure, it's doesn't really fall into the we-took-our-newborn-to-Africa-look-how-bad-ass-we-are category.  It's an international school after all and so it's modeled after schools back in America and Western Europe (take a wild guess what kind of people attend!).  It's an amazing resource to have in town to be able to expose Millie to the developmental toys and activities associated with this type of educational system.  Naturally, she could learn her numbers by counting monkeys, but as an expat you can't help but crave familiarity and this fills that itch.]

One of the great things they have are quality paints and easels that unleash the creativity of little kids and leave their messes at school!  Behold, Millie's first artistic creation:

Her next creation!

Here are some pictures of ISM playgroup from my friends blog.  She is an awesome photographer, friend, mom, doctor of philosophy, cook and all-around partner-in-crime and she's going home.  Boo!

Girls Day Out

Over the weekend, Roger and our friend Tim cashed in on their Father's Day present which was a weekend of camping and hiking in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.  Tim is 1/3 of the family of Kiyah, Tim & Eleanor our very good friends here from North Carolina.  Tim is doing his dissertation research nearby with the Massai and in conservation areas (Kiyah is actually already Dr. Kiyah!) and Eleanor is a mere 3 days younger than Millie.  So we girls are a tight bunch!   We grabbed our bathing suits and some Roasted Pumpkin Salad and headed out to Maji Moto (hot spring), about 30 miles from Arusha.

I had been there before, but only as a passenger, so it was a miracle that we were able to find it as we traveled the last 10 miles on a dirt track with only dust and dried corn stalks to guide our way (we didn't even have a GPS, take that you outdoorsy boys!).  But what a sight it is to see

 

when the past 30 min have been nothing but bleak dusty plains

There was another family there when we arrived, but they left soon after and we had the whole shaddy oasis to ourselves.  It was grand!

Mama, time to go swimming!

Milestone - a ponytail!

What an exciting morning, we pulled Millie's hair into a messy pony tail!  Time for Roger to start taking Braiding 101!

Ay yay yay!  Looks like a little girl, not a baby!

Millie is talking up a storm.  It's a combination of English and Swahili words.  Swahili is very easy on the tongue, so instead of trying to pronounce "child" it's much easier to just say "toto" (it's technically, mtoto, but hey, she's only 18 months!).  This picture is Millie saying 'toto, toto, toto...' over and over again having just witnessed herself on the back of the big black thing that's always jammed in her face (the camera, people!).

Yes, only 8am and her shirt is already stained

Alright, now this one just because I am THAT mom

And p.s. did you notice how I wrote captions and uploaded more than one picture in this post??  Impressive, don't you think?  Turns out I was using an old version of the blog editor.... learned that from my class!

Stttrrrreeeeeetchhhhhhhh!

Ah, well that was a nice long hibernation! So what did I miss? A trip to America? A new business for Becky? A new bicycle for Roger? Like a bazillion new teeth for Millie? Whoa, I need to get caught up! Where do I begin? How about with this.....

We are now back from 3 - 4 glorious weeks in the good U.S. of A. Our batteries are recharged, we have some new threads and our equilibrium is totally skewed from driving on the right side of the road. If we didn't get to see you, we're very sorry! It was a whirlwind trip covering manymany miles with just enough time in between to sneak in a few gallons of ice cream and a visit or 100 to Target. We even brought a little of Africa to DC with us... a mere 3 days after we arrived, there was a massive power outage (due to an equally massive thunderstorm) that lasted for 24 hours at Chez Nana's, but much longer at other people's houses. Plus, everything got very peaceful and quite and we felt very disoriented without hearing any generators humming outside out windows. That's just how hard core our life is here in Arusha, ample square footage and UN-provided generator.

I have lost count of how many teeth are in the danger zone that is Millie's mouth. A few too many close calls and I finally learned my lesson and don't stick my finger in there any more. Rest assured, there are plenty and they are plenty sharp. Along with teeth come plenty of words! Ball, no, bottle, dog, no, balloon, car, no, bye-bye, walk, milk, apple, no, nose and loads of things in Swahili as well. She is even advancing from one syllable words and starting to put words together, like "gwak?" which is code for 'Go for a walk?' Moreover, her comprehension is very good and communication between parent and child is becoming easier!

All this independence in the talking department is giving her the confidence to test her independence in other ways as well. She likes to see just how high she can climb on a chair before we stop her and see how many bounces on the sofa it takes before she bounces off. Not to mention she is keen to the secret that green specks in her food = vegetable and has learned to turn her nose up at them.

Millie loves songs. In fact, a few came in quite handy on the flight back from America. The Itsy Bitsy Spider worked wonders on settling her down while the hours trickled by. When possible, we go to a music play group on Friday's and Millie really loves it. Most songs are quite dynamic and interactive but she just gets the hang of it right as the song is ending. Except last week she had built up so much excitement from all the songs that by the time we were singing Old MacDonald she jumped into the middle of the circle and was stomping her foot up and down and flapping her hands makin' her Biloxi, Mississippi relatives real proud!

I'm Number One!

Or more like "I'm Number One (and one week)!!" Yeah, so a little late on the posting. We have had a flurry out power/internet outages in the past week. It's weird, the electricity is generated through hydroelectric power so when there is little rain, they ration the power. However, when there is too much rain, it destabilizes the system and the power and internet go out anyway. Geez, what is this place, Africa or something?

But who cares about power outages when there is a TODDLER running around! Yes, we have arrived at that magic moment when we can add twelve months of parenting to our CV and show the battle scars to prove it. Millie has been enjoying the freedom that comes with getting around on two feet. And Mama and Daddy have been enjoying their freedom to use the word 'No.' The big 'No's' are for pulling on the lever that dispenses water and for pulling the hair of other children. We are trying to find some bald babies for her to play with.

Millie has started drinking small amounts of cow's milk before her morning nap and despite the Luria history of milk sensitivity, it seems to be going quite well. We'll continue to progress slowly with it. She seems well on her way to developing her father's adoration for peanut butter (using the SIX teeth she now has) and Mama enjoys sneaking bites from Millie's mac n' cheese (since Mama would NEVER make something like that for herself ;)). We have been visiting the pool a lot and playing in the paddle pool at home which Millie absolutely LOVES! It has really improved her temperament during bath time and when we pour water to rinse her hair, she doesn't put up quite the fight as before.

Millie has developed quite the cadre of friends in town ranging in age from 9 months to 3 years old! She has EVEN reached quite the status for a 1 year and is getting invited to play groups for 3 year olds! Unfortunately, Millie has to send her proxy (Mama) to those play groups since she is otherwise occupied with napping. But Millie's self-righteousness doesn't end with just being invited to hang out with the seniors, it also extends well into the realm of global warming because she has started wearing cloth diapers 50% of the time. While she CLAIMS it's because she wants to leave the world a cleaner place then she found it, we think it's because she wants a Land Cruiser for her Sweet 16.

Coming up for Millie this month and beyond is her first time away from Mama. Want to take bets on who it will be harder on - Millie, Mama or Daddy?? I'll give you a hint, it probably won't be Millie. Mama is going to Nairobi for a few days to reminisce about what was like for time to be one's own. Then a couple weeks after, the whole family is finally going to Zanzibar for Easter!! Yeah, white sands! Crystal blue water! Snorkeling! Sand castles! And Dirty David Bathtubs (sorry, long standing Luria family tradition - not even Roger knows about them!).

On the right, check out some new pictures of the last twelve months and her big birthday bash!

For the Grandparents - It's Millie Time

And so the countdown to Numero Uno begins. We are less than 30 days away from the last time I ate decent Thai food which ultimately led to our first meeting with Miss Millie! The build-up to this milestone has been quick and adventurous. The main event of month eleven has Millie showing off her walking skills to everyone! Usually she would be like "see what I can do?" and then after a few steps get down on all fours and crawl her way to her destination since that was faster. But in the last few days, she has been opting for the walking and doing just fine. Thankfully, she has learned to bend at the waist when she falls back and put her hands out when she falls forward. Plus, she is getting all kinds of balance its almost like we can put her on a treadmill until it's time for a nap! And in honor of completing eleven months of life, she got two more teeth bringing the grand total up to 4.

Her attention span seems to be increasing as there is less hoping from one toy to another. She is more interested in hearing the story in each book rather than grabbing at the book and throwing it on the ground. There is more recognition of things and people and a fascination with other humans under 3 ft tall. Lucky for us, a new family with an 8 month old boy moved in upstairs so she has a play mate at almost any time of day. And we've been going to play groups more frequently as well. Millie is usually happy to just sit and watch, but lately she's been taking part (read: pulling other kids hair). And we have also ventured on to a trampoline which Mama and Millie BOTH enjoy!

Her palette is finally expanding slightly and we're managing quesadillas, chicken, mac and cheese and pumpkin pancakes quite well. Daddy cooks oatmeal for the whole family every morning so we are eating breakfast together as well. But you never know what she will be in the mood for, and sometimes all your hard work ends up squished between her fingers and artfully smeared in the hair. She is not using a spoon yet on her own (is she supposed to be?) mostly because Mama is just loathing the clean-up after every meal. Any suggestions for moving towards this milestone would be greatly appreciated!

Sometimes it feels like the changes are happening so quickly I can't keep up. Whenever I notice something, I wish I could jot it down so as to relay to all of you loyal readers. But a walking baby is rarely to be left alone! You might have been thinking lately, where are all the pictures?? Well, consider it a paradox if you will, but Millie is such a ham for the camera that it is hard to snap pictures of her a) candidly and b) without her grabbing for it. But I leave you with a few pictures that we were able to slip in. Hope you enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday

Bed Head

For the Grandparents - It's Millie Time

Today Millie is ten months old. And the theme from this point forward (for many years?) is on the move. She is no longer content to explore and experience the world from the comfort of a car seat/baby backpack/Mama's arms - she wants to touch and taste for herself. And now she has the skills to do so - crawling, cruising and even walking! Check out a video we posted on the right to see her in action. She also has a voice and hand gestures that she loves to use, particularly waving, which she does at the mere hint of a familiar face. You should see us as we set off for our walks around the neighborhood - it's as if a hometown hero has returned and is parading through the streets and all her fans are waving at her. Except the street is dirt, the car is a vintage Graco stroller and her fans are the security guards from the surrounding houses!

Most notably, she has uttered the two most important and precious syllables known to babykind - ma ma. And as the generous soul that she is, she's even thrown a few 'dada's' out there at choice moments during the day (when Roger returns from work). It seems like such a critical time to be constantly talking to her and pointing things out. In fact, during our daily walks I have initiated a rigorous training regime for turning her into a prizewinning U.S. state and world capital ninja (just like her mama). Instead of a pageant mom I'll be a geography bee mom!

If you asked Millie what the highlight of Month 10 was, I don't know if she'll say the trip to Nairobi, the visit from Santa or the new year celebrated on safari, but she had quite a full month. We seem to have skipped the dry season and the long rains (as opposed to the short rains of Sept - Nov) have arrived. The day alternates between sunny and torrential downpour making it very difficult to plan a day much less leave the house, so we're going to have to start getting creative! But there are plenty of electric sockets, unlocked cabinets and breakable photo equipment around to keep us busy, I imagine. Looking forward to some more teeth, more solo steps, play dates and new foods in month 11.

p.s. sorry for the delay in this post. with the rains have come inconsistent internet service. just coming off a three day internet deprivation, can you imagine?!

For the Grandparents - It's Millie Time

Today Millie is 9 months (and a day) old! She is growing upwards and outwards everyday. Twelve month old pajamas that were too long just one month ago fit her just right now. And she is staying well nourished in order to fuel her extremely active lifestyle. We have mentioned before that we thought she would walk before she could crawl and we're nearly there! Just four days ago Millie took her very first solo steps while chasing after a balloon!! It was so unexpected that I nearly hyperventilated in disbelief. Unfortunately Daddy wasn't their to view it but I do have two other credible witness to corroborate my claim, especially since she hasn't had a repeat performance since. But she is working on it for sure. Another equally exciting milestone is that Millie is getting two teeth in thus facilitating her enjoyment of things like cheerios, turkey and bread.

In the past month Millie has upgraded the way she rolls. She now sports a new stroller (known as a push chair in these parts) and she sits quite regally in a new car seat - very exciting changes! Plus in only a few days, we'll all be rolling in a brand new (but actually, used) car (just waiting for it to arrive on the ship!). Coming up this month Millie (and her parents) will make a visit to Nairobi to get a (likely overwhelming) dose of the big city and restock our supplies. Also Santa will surely make the trek south of the equator to visit us (did you know we actually have a chimney/fireplace at our house?), as long as Millie is a good girl and doesn't pull down the Christmas tree before he gets here.