I've seen a lot of Genevieve's blood over the last few days and I am pretty sure it is a sign of things to come. The night before last she fell and busted her lip. Once we stopped the bleeding she fell again. This time she busted her lip again as well as reopened a gash on her chin that she got before we left for GA. (Yes, we are in GA again.) Genevieve is pretty good about just getting up again when she falls unless she's really tired or there is a lot of blood involved. Maybe seeing all this blood early on will get her used to it so she'll have an easier time in her future career as a surgeon. Or, she will be traumatized for life and have to live in a bubble/padded cell.
In other news, Genevieve made it through her weekend away from her parents just fine. She gave her Grandmother a good workout, but I think they all had a good time. Genevieve's parents both enjoyed the time away and missed her terribly. C'est La Vie.
I will post more pictures when I am back in NY. I have an adorable one of her sleeping on the plane. It's one of those scenes that is sweet enough to make you seriously consider having more kids.
Genevieve has no table manners in fact she eats like a twelfth century warlord. She eats with gusto. So much so that when she drinks rivulets pour out the corners of her mouth. Food covers her face and hands (and sometimes the floor and walls). She pounds on her tray demanding more food or drink.
She'll sometimes demand fealty by putting her hand out to be kissed. Even though it is encrusted with food I'll often give it a little peck.
As her loyal vassal she'll reward me for obedience with food from her tray. She'll grab a fistful of food and hold it out to me with an expectant look in her eye. As I take a bit of food from her fingers she cackles with glee. Sometimes she is playful and at the last second will snatch the food out of my reach and stuff it into her own mouth. This causes her to spasm with joy.
Of course when dinner is over it is time to clean her off. She may want to eat like a warlord but we don't let her walk around in her filth. Post dinner clean-up has become a four stage process.
Wet paper towels - We wipe her face, hands and tray. With some of the more messy meals more than one towel is required.
Remove large food particles - We pick the large food particles out of her hair, off her clothes and her seat.
Hose her down - We turn on the faucet and let her wash her hands while we wash her face. She thinks she's just playing with the sink but we know better.
Mop the floor - pick up any stray food particles that mysteriously made their way to the floor. We need a dog.
Of course this clean up doesn't always get everything. While changing her for bed, I've found food from dinner in her diaper. She is wearing a diaper, a onesie (sealed at the waist), pants, a shirt and a bib. How food is getting in there is anybody's guess.
Here is a photo of Genevieve Khan contemplating our fate:
I know we haven't been posting very much lately, but it is definitely not because there is nothing going on. Genevieve is now walking pretty well, although she still prefers to crawl when she feels the need for speed. She has a new tooth (a molar). She still says "NO!" a lot, but has now mixed in a few meows for flavor. She likes to climb things and is determined to bring down my baker's rack along with everything on it.
We will be spending our first weekend away from Genevieve this coming weekend. I think I am much more upset about it than she is. It's funny how taking a break from the kids sounds so much better in theory than in practice. I'm not sure what I'm more worried about - will she cry incessantly and have abandonment issues for the rest of her life, or will she be absolutely fine and not miss us at all?
In other Genevieve news, we are working on ways to get her to stop throwing food onto the floor. She will take a large handful of food, hold it over the edge of her highchair, and then look you straight in the eye and say "Uh-oh!" as she drops the food to the floor. A book suggested that we stop the meal immediately when she does this so she will learn that if she wants to eat, she must behave. This works great, except for the fact that if Genevieve just wants to get out of her highchair she will throw food on the floor. She will also attempt (well, not attempt so much as actually do) to throw food on the floor when you're not looking, and then pretend that she didn't do it. I see this as foreshadowing of the years to come. Better sign up for that "How to Spank Your Kids without Going to Jail" class now.
