Hiatus

Well, when January rolled around and someone sent me an e-mail wishing me a happy Halloween through the blog was the first indication that I've been remiss in my duty of updating and maintaining the baby blog.

It's been almost 4 months since the last post and Violet is officially a little person with a killer personality. As of this point, she crawls, stands herself up, walks with assistance, and gets into EVERYTHING. Ripping paper into shreds seems to top the list of her favorite past times.

She has developed a very unique behavior set that is slightly reminiscent of my own temperament. She likes to do things on her own, and wants to be held less and less as the days progress. There are moments when I may be trying to get her to say or do things and she'll shoot me a look that I've seen myself make either on camera or in front of the mirror.

Melissa is doing a wonderful job as mom. While Violet is in the early stages of walking, she's been bumping her head a lot. This evening, Violet made me realize who is the primary caregiver in the house as she wailed in pain from her tumble, but also wailed because I wasn't mom. It's strange to feel as though I'm not the one consoling her and spending time with her. I now realize that Violet's perception of me has a lot to do with fun, games, and silliness. It's become part of the bedtime ritual to tickle her and make her giggle while I put her into her PJs.

Violet is making new sounds everyday as well. Melissa told me that V was making new noises including the word "do". As soon as Melissa uttered the word, Violet followed suit with her own voice and said "do". I put my hands to my mouth and got tears in my eyes. Violet babbles quite a bit and she does day "dad" and "daaat" a lot, but this was the first time I heard her mimic and state a new word.

Violet has also taken to waving her hand back and forth for both "goodbye" and "hello". When we take her out shopping, she frequently greets everyone she sees with her hand waving. She is also a big fan of clapping her hands. If Melissa and I are watching a show on television and someone starts clapping, Violet quickly joins the chorus.

There are good days and bad days. The bad days are fraught with extra fussiness and whines. Melissa has adapted and weathered these storms well. However, when Violet's screeching or whining becomes incessant, especially on the weekends when I'm home with her and mom, it's difficult to keep my cool. I'm sure that I'd be able to build the patience that Melissa already has, but it's difficult because I'm at work during the week and only get to spend windows of time with my daughter. I also have to keep in mind that Violet's vocalizations are the only way she knows how to communicate her needs. Melissa and I are trying to break the whining habit, but I have a feeling that the whiny/crying noises she makes are par for the course and will probably continue well into the future.

On to the pics:


1st snowfall at 8 months. We had to throw a snowball at her.


Pre-snowball cuddling with dad (8 months)


Mom and our "little guy" Usually when it's
my turn to dress V, it's got to be black with jeans.
Gender roles and expectations be damned (8 months).



Mid-meltdown Violet complete with salty
tears and real-life snot. Yours at the low
price of telling her "no" sternly (9 months).


Something for the history books. Proof
that she was there witnessing history unfold. (10 months)


Bed head baby ver. 2.0. (10 months)


Santa visited the Conroy's this year. Violet seemed OK
with the guy in red at first, but soon got a little freaked out.
Might have something to do with the anagram of SANTA?


Despite what the picture may suggest, I have not
replaced my hand with a bird creature. Oh.. and Violet really
digs the puppets we found. She lights up when we use them around her.


She loved the horse. We still use it today. It's
just that now she can rock her way forward instead
of remaining stationary.


Now, the world is her oyster. She is into
EVERYTHING and is more inquisitive than ever.
She's also bonking her head and face a couple
times a day... but she's learning.


Despite the childproof corners and the like,
this little alleyway is her main runway of pain.
It's amazing how quickly she's progressed.


Our little explorer. Too bad exploration
is synonymous with prize fighter...