Ale meets her new cousin, Kazik! Her Uncle Robert has the new daddy daze going on...
Grandpa and our Santita...
the whole family... Team Ducut Cousins: Heaven, Kazik, Ariel, Mona Lisa, Justin, Alejandra Santa's three oompa-lumpian cherubs finish up the last toy for delivery....
Baby Jesus couldn't make the Nativity in Lilliput so Alejandra was sent instead...
We visited my sister, Emily, and family in St. Paul just before Christmas... timing it perfectly to taste the coolest climes of the season... one morning it was -8 ˚F. Ale inherited her cousins' eggplant snow suit and, suitably bundled, got her first romps in the snow with Moira, Fiona, and Maeve...
snuggly warm inside
We "warmed up" with a few zooms down the front lawn and a little snow surfing in the backyard...
We finished off this day with a handful of snowsled flights down the local hill that gifted Ale with two silver-dollar red cheek circles.
Ale is walking! She took her first steps in late November but was content to continue cruising until mid-December when she finally discovered the interstitial dimension... The next video clips document her transition...
She first appropriated random objects as her walking assistants... here she demonstrates the utility of the laundry basket...
This was the night we "discovered" that Ale was ready to put together a few steps into a rapid prance towards us...
Here she puts all these elements together: sideways assisted walking, forward assisted walking, unassisted steps and the classic look of her "Night of the Living Dead" Zombie walk...
Big Mama and Ale enjoy story time...Ale particularly enjoys the books with lift-up flaps, which she has a tendency to rip off. This becomes a bit of a problem when this"hands-on" reading style is applied to library books.
My dad and I take Ale out for a jaunt in the jog stroller. This has been one of the fantastic break-throughs of the past month, allowing me to get my exercise and Ale to usually doze off and get a nap as we saunter through the tree-lined avenues around Menlo Park.
My parents visited us in early November in our Menlo Park pad...here we pose in front of the Hausa cloth. At this stage Ale was cruising all over the place and getting ready for the launch towards walking...
Ale has entered the cruising zone now and loves this more than crawling. She can pull to a standing position and move quickly around furniture and walls...
Ale started crawling for real about two weeks ago. At first her feet got awkwardly caught under her, making her look like a wounded dog hobbling across the floor. But now she's more proficient.
For the past several months, I have been steaming and blendering Ale's foods. This particular concoction is sweet potato, black beans, green beans, and chicken. She especially loves yams/sweet potato/squash/pumpkin. She readily gobbles this down, finishing two 4oz. servings a day, pre-aliquoted into little tupperwares, frozen, and thawed daily.
Ale had her 9 month check-up last Tuesday: 20 lbs 6 oz (77%) and 27.5 in. (50%). We have a squirmy bag of rice on our hands!
Also, last night she stood by herself unassisted for ~5 seconds! We've never seen this before. She may bypass crawling completely at this point and move directly to walking.
Ale's been standing and holding onto objects for several weeks. Within the last day or two she started cruising...moving laterally while holding on. She cruised two laps around her pack-and-play this morning!
The obligatory just-about-to-jump-in-the-bath-showing-off-my-many-chunky-cheeks shot that parents find endearing and kid finds mortifying later...sorry, Ale, this one's just too cute...
On Sept. 6 we celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary with an overnight backpacking trip to Point Reyes and stroll along the Coast Trail to Wildcat Camp, a route full of mind-boggling beauty, suave meandering trails, lush coastal lakes, and blissful breezes...
With our technique polished from our outing to Yosemite in August, we stroll along the magnificent Coast Trail with jaw-dropping ocean views at every bend.
Our little munchkin decides it's time for a few winks and takes a snooze...
Nearing camp, we pause at a viewpoint to enjoy the incredible view after a 5 mile stroll along the Coast Trail.
contemplating the expansive "lugar sin límites" of the rugged California coastline from her shoulder-top perch above big mama...I can see for miles and miles...
Ale face-painted with oceanic alpenglow...with the reflection of the sunset and her parents' love sparkling in her eyes...
We had a spectacular coastal campsite just above the beach with ocean view. Ale managed to sneak a nice bottle of merlot into our pack that we enjoyed under the lunar-lit and star-sprinkled nighttime sky. I see someone peeping out at me...let's take a closer look...
Lounging ladies...
little blue riding hood at sunset...
the Song of the Open Road picks up a new companion...
"Traveler, you must set out at dawn and wipe your feet upon the dog-nose wetness of the earth..." Wole Soyinka
Ale falls asleep on my shoulder as we check out Alamere falls that drop right down onto the beach and run into ocean...
sweaty smiles in mom's bandana as we rest in the shade near Bass Lake on the hike out...
Ale takes her first micro-dip into the ocean...wiggling her toes in the cool waters of the Pacific.
Our little gal expresses her enthusiasm for the outdoors during a beachfront stroll...doing her best seagull impersonation...
Ale takes her little red corvette for one last spin before saying goodbye to her first home at EV. We moved over Labor Day weekend into a flat in Menlo Park a few miles away...
Ale shocked us when she decided to go blond for a few minutes...amazing how fast her hair can grow!
Ale has been soooo close to starting to crawl for several weeks. Here she demonstrates what happens when the torso moves forward but the legs don't follow...
Ale and Big Mama enjoy some cuddle time on the grass.
Enjoying our last few days in Escondido Village before moving...
Ale meets her new cousin, Kazik! Her Uncle Robert has the new daddy daze going on...
Grandpa and our Santita...
the whole family...
Team Ducut Cousins: Heaven, Kazik, Ariel, Mona Lisa, Justin, Alejandra 
Santa's three oompa-lumpian cherubs finish up the last toy for delivery....
Baby Jesus couldn't make the Nativity in Lilliput so Alejandra was sent instead...
Ale cuddles with refresh bear as she and Big Daddy catch a few winks...
Our little red-cheeks Santita sits with us next to the Ducut Christmas tree...
snuggly warm inside
We "warmed up" with a few zooms down the front lawn and a little snow surfing in the backyard...
We finished off this day with a handful of snowsled flights down the local hill that gifted Ale with two silver-dollar red cheek circles.
Ale meters her vertical progress against the sonorous altitudes of Big Mama's djembe... looks like someone better get a bigger drum!
A little evening strum-fest learning folksy love songs with Big Mama...
Binh and Diem serenade Ale with a little Friday night improv... which quickly morphed into a jam session with Big Mama and Ninong Jonny...
Over Thanksgiving we met up with Whelma and Jean and their daughters Sabrina and Sabine, who together taught Ale about the ways of princessorship...
Ale shows off her tousled hair look, which usually arrives after a bout of the arm-flapping, lip razzing, smear-my-food-all-over-my-head routine...
My dad and I take Ale out for a jaunt in the jog stroller. This has been one of the fantastic break-throughs of the past month, allowing me to get my exercise and Ale to usually doze off and get a nap as we saunter through the tree-lined avenues around Menlo Park. 
My parents visited us in early November in our Menlo Park pad...here we pose in front of the Hausa cloth. At this stage Ale was cruising all over the place and getting ready for the launch towards walking...
Big Mama and little critter....
Ale and Big Daddy show off their costumes before heading out to party!
The boob has milk...
The boob has milk...not...
Yaaaay!! The boob has milk...
Ninong Jonny, just married, demonstrates for Ale the proper position and technique for squeezing out...........razzberries!
Hey, what's this? It's smooth and shiny and plays Tom Paxton tunes...
For the past several months, I have been steaming and blendering Ale's foods. This particular concoction is sweet potato, black beans, green beans, and chicken. She especially loves yams/sweet potato/squash/pumpkin. She readily gobbles this down, finishing two 4oz. servings a day, pre-aliquoted into little tupperwares, frozen, and thawed daily.
Ale's been standing and holding onto objects for several weeks. Within the last day or two she started cruising...moving laterally while holding on. She cruised two laps around her pack-and-play this morning!
The obligatory just-about-to-jump-in-the-bath-showing-off-my-many-chunky-cheeks shot that parents find endearing and kid finds mortifying later...sorry, Ale, this one's just too cute...
Ale lounges peacefully in her new Elmo chair, storytelling as usual......when all of a sudden....
Elmo decides to hit the eject button on poor Ale (Bye Bye OOOOO!)...nasty Elmo!
With our technique polished from our outing to Yosemite in August, we stroll along the magnificent Coast Trail with jaw-dropping ocean views at every bend.
Our little munchkin decides it's time for a few winks and takes a snooze...
Nearing camp, we pause at a viewpoint to enjoy the incredible view after a 5 mile stroll along the Coast Trail.
contemplating the expansive "lugar sin límites" of the rugged California coastline from her shoulder-top perch above big mama...I can see for miles and miles...
Ale face-painted with oceanic alpenglow...with the reflection of the sunset and her parents' love sparkling in her eyes...
We had a spectacular coastal campsite just above the beach with ocean view. Ale managed to sneak a nice bottle of merlot into our pack that we enjoyed under the lunar-lit and star-sprinkled nighttime sky. I see someone peeping out at me...let's take a closer look...
Lounging ladies...
little blue riding hood at sunset...
the Song of the Open Road picks up a new companion...
Ale falls asleep on my shoulder as we check out Alamere falls that drop right down onto the beach and run into ocean...
sweaty smiles in mom's bandana as we rest in the shade near Bass Lake on the hike out...
Lounging in the living room of our new space, while Ale's new Cedar friends watch over her protectively with Ent-inspired vigilance.
Ale takes her little red corvette for one last spin before saying goodbye to her first home at EV. We moved over Labor Day weekend into a flat in Menlo Park a few miles away...
Ale shocked us when she decided to go blond for a few minutes...amazing how fast her hair can grow!
Ale has been soooo close to starting to crawl for several weeks. Here she demonstrates what happens when the torso moves forward but the legs don't follow...
Ale and Big Mama enjoy some cuddle time on the grass.
Enjoying our last few days in Escondido Village before moving...
