CCO - Malina Achive Page 7

Malina Renee Olsen - Archived Status and Pictures

Archive Page #7

Updated: September 28, 2001

Archived Status and Pictures of Malina Renee Olsen.

Current Status

October 21, 1998 - Malina is now almost 16 months old.

The 15-month doctor visit went well, although Charlene and Malina were just getting over shared week-long (plus) colds. Other than this cold, which primarily made breathing through her nose difficult for Malina (and interfered with nursing sometimes), she has been perfectly healthy. She has eight teeth now, and in addition to very capable walking and some running, Malina is climbing on things whenever she thinks of it. She understands much of what we say, and has a large repertoire of "signs" for things, a number of specific words or sounds she uses, and is developing more of both each day.

Pictures

Since Malina's been walking, she pursues (literally) her interests... including the camera. So, say she's doing something cute enough to prompt us to grab the camera. She hears the lens whir into place, stops whatever she's doing, and heads for the photographer. Lately, then, it's easiest to take her picture when she's trapped in the high chair. This one's a cute face shot. (That's rice, not dandruff!)

Malina is demonstrating the keyboard mentioned earlier (see the archives pages accessible from the bottom of this page) -- a little more than 4 steps sharp. So no duets with anything else.

During the Wisconsin festival season, Malina got helium balloons on 3 consecutive days. Since the balloons were all regular balloons (intended for air, not helium), they only stayed inflated for one day anyway, so the timing was good.

This was Malina's idea. Big shoes to fill -- maybe at age 13 years instead of 13 months?

Aunt Nancy Wallace (Charlene's sister) visited over Labor Day weekend. Here she and Malina are sharing one of Malina's favorite activities: examining rocks. This is in the parking lot at Marty's Pizza in Delafield, Wisconsin. Nancy's not being stabbed by the guy wire in the background.

Malina, Charlene, and Nancy with Malina's favorite book.

Nancy had come here from Oklahoma City to escape the heat. It didn't work, at least not right away. On one of the hot days, we visited Bradford Beach in Milwaukee. The water was cold, Chris was stung by a bee, and we filled the car up with sand (not on purpose). But we had fun. Malina ran in and out of the water (always holding hands), borrowed other kids' toys, and (as always) examined all available rocks. Charlene and Malina are shown here.

The rocking horse came from a great kid-stuff resale shop here in town. So did the interlocking letter/number foam squares in the background. Many hours of fun.

Again, our captive subject, getting into her meal. This had been a bowl of her favorite food, chopped fresh home-grown tomatoes. More recently she's sampled most all the grownup foods she sees, and has surprised onlookers by liking radishes and shrimp. She gave up baby food from jars ALL AT ONCE, so we'll probably be giving the remaining jars to friends or the food pantry.

Here Malina models a black and grey tie, and black belt, of Dad's, on the runway of our bedroom hall. Tres chic, n'est-ce pas?

Low bridge! This game (bumping her head into parent's legs, so they'll step apart and let her through) doesn't work with (shorter) Mom anymore. Malina's bending over in this picture; she's taller than the dining room table when standing. At 15 month checkup, 31 in, 18-1/2 lb. The metric conversions are left as an exercise for the reader.

One of Malina's very favorite things: sitting on Dad's lap with a book. Many books in a row, if she can get away with it.

Across the doorway to our computer and non-child-proofed-stuff room behind the garage, there's a "soft gate" -- tension-rod frame with cloth and netting stretched between. Malina took to sitting in the slack part of the netting, using it like a sling chair. She experiments with all sorts of chairs, or possible chairs.

In September, we visited Great-grandparents Paik and Uncle Carl Olsen (Chris's brother) in north-central Arkansas. Also visiting the same week were Chris's Uncle Mike Paik from Delafield WI, and Uncle Doug and Aunt Haydee Paik from Palm Bay FL. Malina still isn't too keen on getting picked up by not-her-parents, but she really likes to look at books. The National Geographic was bribe enough for Grandma to hold her awhile.

Something silly in that National Geographic.

A few days later, Great-grandma demonstrates a Mexican doorbell, and shows off several bird sculptures, as Great-grandpa looks on. We didn't get a photo of Malina with the Paiks' dalmatian, Patches, but in several visits over the week Malina finally worked up to petting Patches and offering her a drink from her (Malina's) water bottle. Patches declined.

In Arkansas, we stayed in Chris's mom's and step-dad's (Kathy and Thomas Ramstack) house in Horseshoe Bend. Very nice! Thumbs up from all of us. They also loaned us their nice van for the trip, plenty of room and power to haul the trailer with motorcycle, high chair, etc.

One day's outing for the "girls" (Great-grandma, Aunt Haydee, Charlene and Malina), while the guys were motorcycling, was to artsy-craftsy Hardy, Arkansas. Grandma and Haydee bought pottery in their favorite "pot shop," where Charlene and Malina looked around quick and then waited outside. The proprietors might rather have a bull in their pottery shop than an energetic toddler, huh? Mom bought Malina several wooden train cars (brand "No-Tech Toys"), and Great-grandma and Aunt Haydee bought her this neat oak glider chair. Malina demonstrates swinging the chair at Kathy and Thomas's house.

Picture-taking is a lot harder now that Malina's mobile -- we're so busy chasing her we forget about it. How could we not have a picture of her with Uncle Carl??? Or with any of his animals? Or with the guys and the motorcycles? Darn. Next time ...