In the Nursery: Gates at Seven Months

Each month I take an "official" portrait of Gates. Each month, the task gets harder. The number of chances to get the killer shot fewer. Fourteen last month. Six this month.
 

 

More of Gates' personality is revealed each day, and we're already getting a hint that she'll be as obstinate and stubborn as I am. I'm waiting for the day she gets sent home from pre-school or grammar school for disagreeing with the teacher.
 

Steve Bowler (@Gameism)'s daughter did poorly on assignment for correctly categorizing activities by gender (activity to support student's comprehension of Allie's Basketball Dream (link to Classroom Guide (PDF)). The teacher assigned the column headings: Boy, Girl, Both, and asked the students to sort activities into columns. @Gameism's daughter sorted most activities under Both, splitting boxes where needed (link to photo). They have a parent/teacher conference tomorrow and will update the Internet as to the thinking behind the gender-biased exercise. This is exactly the type of scenario I'm envisioning in Gates' future. Luckily, we have a little time.
 

What types of things do you worry about?
 

In the meantime, Gates continues to learn and to explore at Grandma and Grandpa's four days a week and with me one day a week. Here are some highlights from my mom's notes:

• October 8th: "Can almost push self up into a sitting position. 3/4ths of the way up!"
• October 10th: "Crawled to where I was petting Velvet to pet her -- flat handed. Pleased with self. (Across living room in front of TV bookcase!)"
• October 11th: "Loves to make music & sing along. Thinks each soft toy should have some music sound in it!"
• October 19th: "Pets Velvet, 1st "To Do"! ... Can't have enough pets with Velvet."
• October 31st: "Helps turn hard board pages. Pats animals & talks & sings to them!"

Gates' greatest accomplishment is SpriteKat's least favorite; vertical is no longer a safe space for SpriteKat. At six months and two weeks, Gates started pulling herself up, trying to get from the floor onto the rocking chair where SpriteKat sleeps. Next week she'll have climbing gyms at our flat and at Grandma and Grandpa's; a safer place to explore.
 

Ciao Bella!

Eden

 

Credits: All layouts designed by and images taken by Eden Hensley Silverstein for The Road to the Good Life.

 

Credits: All layouts designed by and images taken by Eden Hensley Silverstein for The Road to the Good Life. In The Nursery is a monthly series, published on either the second or fourth Monday of each month, depending on whether Gates has a well baby check up or not, that chronicles Gates' growth during her first twenty four months. This series was inspired by Nicole Balch of Making it Lovely's series for her two children: Eleanor and August.