Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Valentine's baptism

Slane turns 11 months old today! I have loved getting to know her and watching her become a person. She is a great kid!

Last Sunday, our niece Ella was baptized. It was my idea to have her baptized on Valentine's Day (not cocky about that at all). What a great day to show her she is loved so much and welcomed by a larger family. While we were there I was thinking about Slane's baptism.

I love the part about baptism that asks the church to support and take care of the child too. I think our church has certainly taken that to heart. They are always quick to jump in and hold her during choir, or play with her in the nursery, or watch her for a morning or afternoon when we are in a bind. They love her and love taking care of her. They admire her and ask what new thing she is doing or saying. They chuckle when she gets chatty during the silent prayer, and they pick up her toys and return them. They let her play with their moustaches, and love to hold her on their laps. They are patient when Slane is climbing the steps onto the stage or trying to eat the prayer cards.

A couple of Sundays ago one of the grandmas in our church took her for the end of choir rehearsal. Slane proceeded to fall asleep on Grandma Janet, and slept there the entire church service. It was so sweet to watch our little girl cuddle on someone else, and so nice for us to really enjoy a whole service together.

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

pyschological study

All of the babies born at our hospital are invited to participate in a study that a professor in the psychology department at the college is conducting. They track eye movements to study infants scanning and memory of human faces. So, Q had finally called to get our appointment set up, and it was yesterday.

Fortunately, yesterday we got out of school early due to snow, so I was home with Slane when he called with 10 minutes notice that she needed to be on campus for her study. She had not napped yet, and was in the middle of eating dried fruit and cheerios. Rather than drive the whole block that it was to get there, I loaded Slane up in the jogging stroller and bundled us up and headed out to campus.

So, first, imagine trying to get through snow drifts with a stroller. Then imagine the looks you get as you try to cross the street, and then go on campus. We got several second looks. I'm sure people thought I was crazy. Maybe I am.

The study was interesting. I had to hold Slane and wear dark glasses so she couldn't reference my eyes or face. She got to look at faces. We both got to listen to annoying music, like Teletubbies and Elmo. She wore a headband with some connection to a camera that taped the whole thing. She did really well, and was quiet and made it through the entire 15 minute study.

We got presents for our participation. Slane got a certificate and she got to choose a toy (3 of the 4 we already had, now we know where they came from), so we got a new sippy cup. I got a Wal-Mart gift card for my effort.

So, at that point, an hour had passed and there was a lot more snow. In my 10 minutes of preparation to head out into the snow, I had remembered that I had CDs and scores that were about a month overdue, so I grabbed those, which meant a stop in the library.

So, imagine those looks from passersby, and then imagine that in a college library with a baby. Up to this point I had only taken her to Burling during the summer.

Errands finished, we made the final drive for home. The wind had picked up, and it was cold. Slane was understandably fussy as I chose to avoid the sidewalk and take to the middle of the street. I got to our door after some clever maneuvering of the stroller up the steps, and got us inside, and cheered.Then I started to get Slane out of the stroller and noticed that she was asleep.

Our daughter fell asleep in the middle of a snowstorm in her stroller. And slept until 11, took a bottle, and slept until morning.