Elation

January 13 - LASIK for me!!!!!! Yay!!!! I am so incredibly excited. The doctor was really nice, and was happy to know that my mother-in-law was one of the people he used to enjoy working with when he did surgery in Ft. Dodge. So that was cool too. I am so happy and relieved tonight, and a little blind still from the dilation.

Travis made chili this Sunday, and I don't know when I've ever seen Emily eat more!! It was amazing. She is really good with her signs for "eat" and "more" now, and she kept asking for more chili, bread, mandarin oranges, and animal crackers. When I took her bib off, I could see her HUGE tummy, and it looked like it was going to burst. (Pictures on picasa, of course) I thought she might have a tummy ache but she was really happy and went to bed at a normal time. The next morning, I set her down in the kitchen and she walked right up to the refrigerator signing "eat," and she ate a ton for breakfast, too. Crazy girl! And apparently chili is really a good trainer food for using a spoon, cuz she was getting pretty good at it.

I have to play cribbage with Travis now because he bought a new board online and we have to break it in. :)

My little Emily Post

Emily is working on another skill - eating with a fork! She has done it a couple times the past few weeks, including one day over Thanksgiving, but tonight she was really able to confidently use her fork to scoop up chopped-up spaghetti. And she didn't really think anything of it! She likes to use her right hand with the fork and her left to eat just stuffing it in, and of course she still prefers stuffing it in when she's super hungry. But she enjoys keeping her right hand clean (and I use that word loosely), or seems to anyway. It's pretty amazing to see.

We had a hard weekend. We drove up to my grandmother's 90th birthday celebration in Holstein, which was a really nice affair and I'm glad we went. But schedule-wise, nothing worked for Emily. I kind of knew going into things that no matter what I did, I was going to make the wrong decisions for her. We stayed last night in Barnum, and her sleep schedule was so messed up that she was awake until about 8:45. I always love having grandparents around to see how lousy I am at comforting my daughter in a strange place. I was up all night on the can because I finally got some variation of the trots that's been floating around my extended family. That left me unable to eat anything, and I have a headache tonight probably because I'm dehydrated. Today, she wouldn't sleep in the car on the way home, so her nap went too late for her to get to bed on time - even though she was REALLY tired. She finally crashed at about 9:15. Just awesome. We've actually got quite a bit going on this week, so it's just stellar that we're starting out on such a positive base. *sigh*

I am really glad I went to the party, because it meant a lot to Grandma that we were there, and Grandpa recognized Emily (pretty good for someone who is 94 and whose mental acuity is sadly decreasing), and enjoyed watching her toddle around. We were at the nursing home where Grandpa is and the assisted living where Grandma is, and everybody who encountered Emily enjoyed watching her. She did a lot of practicing her spins in the big open spaces of the nursing home, and in her little dress it was absolutely adorable. So, it's nice that she brought some joy to those people's weekend.

My initial appointment for LASIK is next Tuesday - FINALLY. I hate my glasses so much that I don't know what I'll do if they say I'm not a candidate. After I cry, of course.

Emily update

I was going to write about the insane weekend we just experienced, but it seems like Emily has been changing and growing every day so I think I'll tell you about some of those things instead. Or, first, anyway.

Emily has learned how to talk on the phone. She loves listening to either of her grandmas on the phone, although she doesn't have anything to say back. After this weekend, she is even more crazy about her grandmas, and the feeling is certainly mutual! She picked up a little electronic game that I had originally had out for her cousins to play with, and she was carrying it around on her shoulder yakking, and I'm certain she was imitating me on the phone. She had done a little of it with her uncle Pat's actual cell phone, and apparently any small electronic-looking thing is a phone to yak into. It was pretty cute, although I did feel a little bit mocked. She also laughed at me tonight while I was trying to get her feet into her little footie pajamas. She kept getting the one out as soon as I'd get the other in, and I was getting frustrated, which was just hilarious to her! I can't get her to laugh out loud like that any other time, although Travis can.

Emily flaps her arms in front of her when she's excited about butterflies (happens more often than you'd imagine, actually, with books about caterpillars and such), and she can sign for "more" now. She has the cutest little thing she does if you ask her for a "hug hug hug" - she puts her hands on her chest and wiggles her shoulders back and forth. It goes nicely with her pirate dancing. :) She's particularly fond of one of her pairs of pants, although she'll take any of her clothes and play with them - PJ's, onesies, socks, whatever. Travis didn't think I was funny when I suggested that she might become a "materials" engineer. I guess because it's not really that funny. :p

She also had her first experience in the snow (pictures on her picasa site), with the help of her cousins showing her what fun snow can be. I've got two snowmen in my front yard, although one seems more like just a big spear. It was a beautiful snowfall, but it made for rough travels for my parents and sister's family, and for my grandparents who were trying to get back to Ames after dropping visitors off at the airport. They stayed with us last night, unexpectedtly, and it was a lovely visit. A nice way to wind down after a crazy 4-day weekend.

I am thoroughly impressed with how much work it was to make dinner for everyone on Saturday night, and I didn't even do it all myself. I made mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and rolls, and somehow I was absolutely exhausted at the end of the day. Did I do anything else? I can't remember. Jenny did the pies and corn, and mom did the turkey and gravy. How on earth did women use to spend all day in the kitchen making meals for big farm families? Without running water in the house? Insane. But my fridge is full of leftovers, so that's a nice side-effect. And I had a really great time with my mom and my sister, right up until everybody started throwing up. Nothing like a stomach/flu bug to really bring everybody down. :( I feel so bad for my 3 nieces, who all took turns throwing up in their car, and especially bad for my sister who not only had to clean it all up, but also weather her own stomach ailment. Travis was sick all day today, too, and for the whole morning he could only sit and whimper. I hope Emily and I don't get this!!!!!!!

The Holiday Season

This is the week that begins the holiday blur. Thanksgiving plans have been fruitbasket-upset in the past week, and we are spending 2+ days in Barnum instead of going to Michigan now. My sister's family is making the trek to Iowa again (Sorry it always seems to come down to you guys doing the driving :( ), and we're having Johannsen Thanksgiving at my house on Saturday. It should be a very fun few days, with lots of family and free time to socialize and enjoy each other.

And then, it's on to Christmas! I always have mixed emotions about Christmas, because although it is a fun holiday, I dread all the hullabaloo that goes along with it. I prefer things to be simple, and there's a lot of details that go along with Christmas. But, the anticipation does make December go quickly, which is nice because it's a miserable time of year anyway. And, I think it will be really fun to start being Santa.

Emily has a case of the boogers today, and took an early morning nap. Last week she was thinking she didn't need any morning nap at all, but she is apparently not a cold-turkey kind of girl! I don't mind at all - this weekend she slept in my arms each morning. Now that I am watching her tear around on two feet, I will gladly take any chance to sit and snuggle my baby!

Walking and singing!

So, I guess technically, Emily is walking now. There's a video of her at her picasa site, if you'd like to see her Frankenstein imitation. She still prefers crawling if she's sitting down and wants to go somewhere, or if she wants to go somewhere far away, but if she's standing she'll start off walking, at least until she falls. :) Each day, she gets a little further, and is a little better at regaining her balance. I guess the kids at daycare are really excited whenever they see her take a few steps - so excited that they frequently knock her over. I guess that's good practice too, right?

This weekend was the last home ISU football game (thank god that's over!). This season has solidified my impression that I really do not care to tailgate anymore. It's not that I don't want to hang out with my friends, but that I want to do so in a setting that isn't centered around a bunch wasted of 20-year-olds - or wannabe 20-year-olds - and a football team that continues to break my heart. I guess I grew up. Isn't that sad??

Emily has a favorite song now. We have a singalong book for Baby Beluga (Raffi), and she likes it so much that she actually requests it! She learned how to say "baby," because we like looking at all the birth announcements on our refrigerator, so I'm not sure if she understands why there's a bunch of whales and other aquatic life in the book when we're singing about baby beluga. But, this weekend she requested a book, and started saying "baby" and a few other things in the same rhythm of the song, and when I started singing the song she sang along!! It was the sweetest thing!! I know it sounds like I'm being one of "those moms" and I'm probably projecting my interpretations as her true desires, but she really did sing along with me. Now, I'll warn you that if you don't know the song, you could look it up on YouTube and see a nice little video of belugas swimming along with the song, but then it will be stuck in your head for weeks and weeks. So, spare yourself the insanity that I am living in right now and DON'T learn the song unless you have to. It's like the song that has no end - it just keeps circling over and over and over. But Emily likes it, so as soon as it's out of my head, she wants to hear it again. I guess, I'll do anything for her, even drive myself insane with a catchy little tune!! :)

Already???

In case you didn't know by now, it's Christmas season. How do I know? Is it the red bows and wreaths and velvet red dresses in Kohl's? No. Is it the Christmas music I heard playing at the jewelry store that cleaned my ring? No. Is it the freaking cold wind and rain coming down? No. All that can be dismissed as just jumping the gun a bit. Nono, I know it's Christmas because I saw my first commercial for engagement rings tonight. *sigh*

A weight off our nation's shoulders!

So, I hope all of you enjoyed Tuesday night as much as I did! Doesn't it seem like there's a new spirit in the air? I mean, for a while there, I was SO nervous, and every time I'd hear the news in the car or on TV I would just get a tiny twinge in my stomach that it might all go horribly wrong. But it hasn't! I'm so happy! I may be imagining things, but it feels like there's a different tone to the news now, and everybody is ready to see big things happen. I really think they will! Yay!!!!!!!

I was quite surprised to feel just how cold it was today. I have forgotten just how cold 30-degree temperatures are. I shouldn't be surprised, considering winter lasted clear until May last year, but it's still a rude awakening nonetheless. I need to get Emily a winter coat, because I don't think she's quite big enough for the one I found super-on-sale a few weeks ago. But she will be next year! She's so darned cute with a hood up, framing her face. OK, she's cute regardless. :)

We are really starting to get in a groove with this whole part-time work thing. Emily still takes a little morning snooze, but I'm okay if I want to take her somewhere and we skip over it. She's really mastering some of her toys, so we'll have to get some new things for her soon to keep her interested. It's fun to see her work on her puzzle. It's six pieces, cut apart with wavy lines, that fit onto a little board. Of course she doesn't get any of them in the right place, but she does put them face up all in the center of the board. And then she picks one up and turns it around and places it carefully in a different spot. And over and over and over again. She works so hard at it, and she's so focused! It's so neat to watch her learn.

p.s.

I forgot to mention one of the highlights of the Halloween party. Since we were also celebrating the election and the fact that it's FINALLY almost here, we were very much in the democratic spirit. When it came time to choose the best costumes, we turned our selection process into a caucus. It was hilarious, especially considering how many very large, bulky, cardboard costumes there were! Like I said, I have some pretty interesting friends. :)

Punked

We have the most insane friends here in Des Moines. Although, the more I think about it, any of my friends from around the country would have eagerly jumped at participating in the surprise last night: "I Got Burgled '08", the theme for the Halloween party this year.

http://picasaweb.google.com/sullyjava/IGotBurgled08

That's right, everybody chose an item that was stolen from us, and came to the party dressed as it. There are a few more that I don't have pictures for just yet, but they will be posted when I get my hands on them. I can't believe how clever the costumes were!!! Incredible. I totally did not see this coming.

So, as you might have guessed, the party was a ton of fun, as once again Johannsens hosted the social event of the season. Emily had a good time being a Tiger one last time, and she seems to have successfully switched to the time change (thought I might be speaking too soon). She took her morning nap early enough today that we went to church, and she was just an angel throughout. At first she just cuddled with me and sucked her thumb, but then she got comfortable and started looked at books, smiling at strangers, and was really quiet except for a few very happy shrieks. I mean, come on, who really minds a few happy baby sounds here and there? About halfway through, she made the sign for "milk," and I got out her sippy cup and she was very happy to see it. I am so thrilled to be able to communicate with her, and for her to communicate with me!

And, I think in a few days time, we may be done with crawling altogether. Again, I may be speaking too soon, but she was working on taking a few steps last night, and she's gotten more confident today. I figure that some day this week, I'll drop off a crawler at Amanda's and pick up a walker!!

Emily's turn to say something

I had thought that my opportunity to sign with Emily had probably passed, but I thought I'd try a couple of things anyway. I was getting tired of all the pointing and "Uhh! Uhh! Uhh!", and knowing that there's probably another year or two of that in store for me, I figured I'd give it a shot. All day yesterday, when Emily and I were eating, I'd make the sign for "milk" before I gave her her cup to drink, and when she pointed at it, I'd do it more. This morning, I saw her practicing moving her fingers in the sign, and I said 'Yes! Milk!" and I shoved the glass in her mouth. :) Tonight at dinner, she pointed at the glass, and I saw her little fingers go into a fist, and she looked up at me and smiled. I think we may be onto something!! This could be pretty cool, if I can stay constant and a step ahead of her!!

When I dropped Emily off at daycare today, her sitter gave me a about 6 or so pictures from their Halloween party last Friday. There were 10 kids there, all 4 years old or younger! Emily is the youngest, but yet in the picture of all of them in their costumes together, she doesn't stand out as younger. She used to be Baby Emily in a sea of kids, but now she's right in there with all of them. It's crazy what she has done in one year! And yes, I am still madly in love with her. She's just the most amazing little thing. When I go into her room after she's waking up from a nap or in the morning, she crawls over to her corner of the crib where her books are sitting, and she points and smiles and jumps. It's fun to see her find things she likes and get excited about them. What a little PERSON she is!

Yakity Yak

I have had a most fantastically busy week. Yesterday was particularly fun, because I socialized ALLL day :) Emily and I went and visited a friend of mine from college who was in town for a short time, and had a little playdate with her 18-month-old son. He was giving the terrible two's a trial run, so I don't think he had that much fun, but it was sure fun to catch up and chat about his little sibling on the way, and life as a part-time-working mom. J - come to town anytime! :D

Then I went to work, and I had one of those days where I got to talk to lots of co-workers, and technically they were mostly work-related conversations but it was fun to have a chatty day. Some days, I don't talk to anybody at all, so it was pretty fun. I've got some fun coworkers.

When I got home, my parents showed up at my house, and I made dinner for them and Emily. Then, I was off to girls' night, and I talked and laughed until after 10:00. It was fantastic, just to have a whole conversation and sit and laugh, knowing my daughter was safe and sleeping, and I could have a little bit of wine and not have to suffer the consequences in the morning. It was really, really great. I SO needed that! Travis had been really supportive in me finding time to have social time with my girlfriends, and he was genuinely disappointed when we put it together that he'd be out of town all week. It was great that my parents came down and helped me out. It's a long drive to babysit for one night, but they had so much fun with Emily that they said it was worth it. That, and they got a lot done in Des Moines and Ames when they weren't with me and Emily.

So, yes, Trav has been gone all week, leaving for work on Monday and heading to Moline with his coworkers until Friday after work. it's a little lonely without him, but I actually feel like I have company with Emily around. She's a good little buddy :) Her favorite thing now is pointing at things she's interested in: the butterfly print hanging on the wall, her red wagon, her milk, her tractor. It's so fun that she can communicate with me now! Especially since she doesn't know the word NO yet... and i am not looking forward to that day. She isn't walking yet, either, and I'm fine with that too because I can see that it's not for lack of balance (she stands really well on her own) or coordination (she walks all over the place if she's pushing a cart). And she's a lot easier to keep up with on all fours instead of two!

On my own, at last!!

Emily is done nursing!!!!

I've gotta admit, I'm sad for a few reasons, and excited for a few others. I'm sad because it means she's not really a baby anymore, and as soon as she gets up and starts walking and running around,she'll officially be a toddler and that's really scary to me to see how fast it all goes! I'm sad because it means I can no longer gorge myself at every meal, although I was getting kind of tired of that and my appetite has seemed to have re-regulated itself anyway. Most of all, I'm sad because I used to nurse her back to sleep sometime between 5 and 6 AM and she'd sleep until 7, but now when she wakes up because she's hungry, she doesn't go back to sleep - and neither do I!! We have both been pretty cranky the last few days, but we're getting through it. Last night, Emily had a bedtime snack of crackers right before she hit the hay, and that helped her sleep past 6, so we'll figure this out. We're getting there!

Most of all - I'm relieved to have some energy back! You would not believe how much Emily can eat, and it's crazy to think that not very long ago I had to process a good portion of those calories for her. Ooof. I think I'd feel more energetic if I hadn't been up at 5:20 the past few days, but I'm hoping I can get in a groove and maybe start exercising before Emily gets up in the morning - if we can get her to sleep long enough!

I am also going to call the eye clinic tomorrow to schedule my lasik. :) I do feel selfish about being so agressive in weaning Emily, but she seems fine with everything, and I just want to be able to see! My contacts just do not work anymore, and my glasses are scratched and bent and really not that attractive. So, having this done will be good for my self-esteem and hopefully take care of some headaches, and enable me to wear sunglasses whenever I need to. I can't wait!!

The Birthday

I'm tired tonight, so I'll quickly recap the events of The Birthday. What a fantastic weekend!!

I had a hard time being at work on Friday. I didn't have much on my plate to do anyway, and I knew that Ms. Amanda had planned a little birthday celebration for Emily, like she does for all her kids. When I dropped Emily off, there was a big printed balloon for Emily, and the kids all ran to her shouting "It's your birthday!! You're ONE!!" They had cupcakes, and they all made cards for her, one of which read "Emily, you are my best best best best friend. Love, Emma." They had glitter and drawings all over them. It was awesome. Have I mentioned before how happy I am with Emily's daycare? :) That night, Travis and I noted when the clock said 5:50 and Emily officially reached one year. All weekend, it was fun to think about what we were doing exactly one year ago.

Saturday was the family party, and we had a small crowd of enthusiastic celebrants. My parents, Travis's parents, my grandparents and my aunt and uncle all came down for lunch, and Travis's brother came later, too. Everybody was impressed by Emily's appetite. :) We opened presents, and Emily quickly caught on that behind all that pretty paper would be something fun for her! She got lots of fun books and toys, and a little red wagon. Then we had cake, and we discovered that Travis had somehow backed into the cake while taking pictures of the occasion, so my perfect creation was a bit marred!!! I wouldn't've cared at all if I had actually taken a picture of the cake when it was perfect! Rats.

And, that was pretty much all. It wasn't really much of a party, but everybody had a really good time, especially Emily! My grandmother commented that she didn't think she'd ever seen a baby enjoy her first birthday as much as Emily did. My guests told me stories about parents who sent out formal invitations with RSVP's and provided a catered meal for 100 people at their kid's first birthday, and even hired a sitter to watch the birthday girl during the event!! Another horror story - the birthday boy didn't get to open any of his presents because his mom opened them for him during his nap. I guess throwing a first birthday party is just like the rest of parenting - as long as I put Emily first, everything else will fall into place.

Oh - and tonight Emily learned something new! I was feeding her crackers for her snack, and she'd eat a couple herself and then I'd give her one, and then I'd eat one myself, then give her one... and then she picked one up and held it out for me to eat!! It was so sweet. Then at dinner, she offered up a little handful of spaghetti for Travis to eat. What an amazing little girl I have. :)

Another of my dorky analogies

I have been sitting and watching Emily play this morning, and not even trying to get anything else done. I figure, when I'm at work this afternoon, I would love to be able to see her playing, so while I have the chance, I'm going to relax and enjoy it. These days will go too fast!!

So, while I was sitting, I was thinking about how women want to have it all, and there's this debate between SAHMs and working moms about who really has it best. And so, this little thought popped into my head, that maybe it's not that I can have it all, but that I can have what I want. Being an educated woman in the 21st century is like sitting at a gourmet restaurant with a pocket full of cash (and a fantastic metabolism). I can have absolutely anything on the menu, and the only limitation is that at some point I'll be too full to eat. I could have a little of everything, or a lot of a few things, but the choice is up to me.

I kind of liked that, so I thought I'd share. :)

A busy October!

So, there's a lot going on in October!!

Emily's birthday is next Friday, and I am in disbelief that it could have been a whole year since I was waddling around the neighborhood, miserable. In a way it has gone really fast, but at the same time it seems like eons ago that I was still battling my old idiot boss at Des Moines Works. It still feels good to be away from there, though!

I am getting more and more anxious to schedule my lasik surgery, because Emily is down to one nursing a day now! She is a fantastic eater. It's hilarious to see her chow through an enormous pile of food as if it would disappear if she stopped for a second. I think she's getting more teeth, based on the excessive drooling, fussiness, and pawing at her own head, but I am looking forward to her having more teeth so I can worry a little less about choking. Emily's favorite is still yogurt, though, because I give her the store-mixed sweetened kind now (too lazy!) She has a little dance that she does when she sees that distinctively shaped container. Speaking of dancing, we've titled her dancing style "Pirate Dancing," because any time she hears a beat she'll take one arm and swing it in front of her as if she had a mug of ale. So cute!

We went to visit my sister's family last weekend, and Emily had a GREAT time! Her cousins are such fun girls to play with, and she survived her first major car trip like a real trooper. Michigan is beautiful this time of year, too, and with the beautiful weather we were able to go out and do lots of fun things.

Yesterday we went to the ISU football game, which turned out to be less than fun for Emily, and of course next weekend is the birthday. I think it'll be just some family that helps her celebrate on Saturday. I've got a cake pan from the library, and high hopes to make something super cute for her. I guess, even if it's not cute, we know she LOVES cake so she'll be happy regardless.

The weekend after that is another football game at Iowa State, so while I think Emily and I are through with trying to attend games, we might make a show at the tailgate if the stars align. The following weekend is homecoming at ISU, and then it's Halloween! These events all promise to yield tremendously cute pictures, so keep checking the picasa site for more smiles and laughs!

End of the Innocence

I have a fantastic life, and I know it. My daughter is amazing, my husband and I continue to be more and more in love with each other, our house is lovely and despite the financial hullabaloo lately we seem to be getting along just fine. Our jobs are fine, our family is healthy and happy and we have lots of wonderful friends. But lately it seems like bad news has been trickling in thsi past week, and I feel I should be more appreciative of what I have, somehow.

There have been several people in the past week who have unexpectedly died, and while none of them were particularly close to us, they were close enough for us to feel real sadness for their loved ones. And last night, there was more sad news (which I won't disclose) that left us again feeling sorrowful but helpless. It's an awkward feeling, to live in our happy sunshiney bubble, oblivious to all sad things, and then to see the worst in the world come scarily close. It's been weird. Possibly the weirdest thing is that while I have true sympathy for those who are more directly affected by all these events, it is really quite easy for me to go about my normal day. Emily laughs and smiles and it brings so much joy to me that I can easily forget my previous empathy. It makes me feel like a fraud, almost, even though I really think I am being genuinely empathetic. I'm just not very good at putting myself in someone else's shoes, especially when they are very sad shoes and I've got happier things to think about. I think I feel guilty about that, but I'm not sure if it's healthy to spend time feeling guilty about not being sad enough on someone else's behalf!

So, it's been odd. I know that sad things are a part of life, too, and I guess this is why we give thanks when times are good.

Spider!

OK, so we have found the HUGEST spiders outside our house this fall! I have a couple pictures of this second one. The first one built its web on our front porch, between the waist-high railing and the eavespout, and the second built its web between the ground and the first branch of a small tree in our yard. I don't know what they were intending to catch - cicadas? ground squirrels? tree squirrels? - but they're enormous!!

Each spider was probably the size of a buckeye, and very 3D instead of flat and leggy. We found them when they were building their webs, and it was fascinating to watch them because they were actually very fast! I will admit to some remorse for killing them, but deep-down they totally creeped me out so they had to go. Travis did the honors with some raid spray that says it kills spiders... and I hope it actually does. The thought has crossed my mind that the first spider survived the initial assault and then moved to the backyard.

Here are a few pictures:

Yeah, that looks like such a pleasant scene, I know. But the little bright fleck at the bottom of the pine tree is actually the spider! and the web went from the ground to that tree branch, which is probably 6 feet off the ground, and then back over to the base of the tree! Crazy!

Too bad the Cyclones choked today. Travis blames play-calling, but I wasn't paying enough attention to the details of the game to be able to concur. It didn't feel like a McCarney loss, though, so I guess some different ISU-fan agony is nicer than the same old.

My beautiful daughter

Emily is SO pretty these days. I just can't get over how gorgeous she is. It's funny, because when she's around other people that she doesn't know well, she sucks her thumb and clings to me, and just observes, and then she seems kind of plain and quiet and that there's not much to her. So, it's hard to show her off. But when it's just us at home, or once she gets comfortable in new surroundings with new people, she just sparkles. She smiles and laughs and "converses," and she's so much fun! It's fun to see her little personality emerging as she grows.

I saw a friend's newborn baby today, and I am just amazed at how tiny he was! I can't believe Emily was ever that size - she seemed HUGE today in comparison. When I got there, he was awake and alert and fun to interact with, so it was an especially fun visit. Emily was hardly interested in him at all, but she got so excited at the dog that came to the door to greet us that she actually pooped herself. Hooray for diapers, I guess. Emily loves dogs! She giggles and shrieks whenever she sees one, and doesn't seem to be afraid at all, even when the sniff her or lick her toes. She also loves making silly faces (see pictures), and bathtime, and walking behind her little walker/cart. Now that she's spending more time upright - pulling up on things - I am amazed at how very tall she is!

Emily has now attended her first ISU football game. She was in the stands for a little less than one quarter, plus the pregame show. She especially enjoyed the ISUCF"V"MB pregame, with all the clapping and singing and colors and excitement. Once the football started, she just wanted to wiggle because there was nothing for her to do or see anymore. So, we left, and I put her to sleep at my grandparents house. We had a nice visit with them, and Travis had a good time at the game. It's sure more fun when they win, you know.

just because i have time

I don't have much to report. We're still buying things that we've already bought once, and trying to get the best deal since we're generally just taking the payout for insurance and rebuying things ourselves. At this point, it's just an annoyance.

Iowa State won last night! I didn't go to the game, but Travis had a good time. The tailgating was not so fun for me because I didn't realize how un-kid-friendly it would be, and it was hot and loud and hard to socialize. Hopefully next week will be better.

Emily tried to stand on her own today. She likes to stand up next to me when I'm sitting on the floor, and i'll hold her while she stands and hugs me. Well, today I let go, and she stood for a second, and thought that was pretty cool! She can cruise around furniture now, but still thinks crawling is a pretty nice way to get from place to place, and she doesn't have much interest in walking if I am holding her up by her hands. No biggie - she'll get to it when she gets to it. She likes to laugh if she hears laughter, even if she's not sure what's funny she'll laugh along with us! We heard cuckooburras (sp?) on the radio, and they really do sound like they're laughing, so she giggled along in the backseat, too. What a fun girl.

And a beauty, too! I finally updated her pictures, so, enjoy! Have a great weekend, everyone.

Robble robble robble!!!

Looks like our burglar buddies ran out of groceries and made another hit:

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080820/NEWS/80820011

ups and downs

I was supposed to have my initial eye appointment today for lasik surgery, but when they called last week for the appointment reminder, I asked them if there was any considerations because I'm nursing. They said, "OH! you can't have this done at all if you're nursing. You'll have to be done for 3 months before you can even have the initial appointment." I am super bummed. I won't know if I"m a good candidate until after I have the initial appointment, and I don't know if my desire to have more kids makes me not a good candidate. I want to set the funds aside for 2009 in my HSA, but, i don't want that much money sitting in there if it turns out I can't do it in 2009. And I don't want this to dictate how old Emily's little sibling ends up being, cuz that's not the way I want my family planning to go. So, I'm pretty bummed. I guess, it's even more incentive to get her weaned. Down to 4x a day now, so, we're getting there.

Our new door was installed today! Yay! It needs painting, but it's at least secure, and the post that had been holding the door shut is now gone. Travis bought a whole bunch of tools to be replaced, and we are starting to find out how much we can spend to replace lost items. I am still frustrated at how many times each day I go to use something that I don't own anymore.

We had a fun and crazy weekend! My dad's retirement party was Saturday afternoon, and we could not have asked for a better day or nicer company. Everything worked out perfectly and everyone had a great time - most of all, Dad. He was so pleased. It was a great reason to get everybody together. Emily got to go swimming again, this time outdoors and with her cousins. She had SO much fun that she was unable to sleep, which was probably the low point for me! :) Then we spent some time together in Rockford, and we had a really fun time there too. I sure hope Emily grows up to like her family as much as I like mine!

Emily the chowhound

Emily has finally started to figure out how eating works. Her palette is currently limited to bananas, yogurt, cheerios, sweet potato baby food, applesauce (sometimes), bread (she's a fan of the whole-wheat stuff! good deal!), and one bite of whatever else we happen to sneak in there while she’s not expecting it. I was trying to give her some green bean / carrot mixture that I had pureed up, and honestly there was virtually no taste to it. But she still made the face and stuck her tongue out. Maybe we have to work on liking new textures now?

And as a result of this newfound ability to eat, she’s also nursing less and less. The other day, she nursed only four times the whole day! Most days it’s 5 times, which is pretty doable for the time being. It’s nice to see it winding down, because I am a bit weary of fueling my own self. Okay, who am I kidding, it was fun to be able to eat like a teenager again. The other downside is that Emily STINKS now, though I guess that’s a little bit nice because it’s not usually a surprise when I open up her diaper now.

Sure wish I could take some pictures of her – she’s just so beautiful. There are a couple things I wish I could get a video of, like how she turns around in circles while sitting by poking her legs out and around, or when she uses her little fingers on her lips to make a blub-blub sound. She can pull herself up to standing pretty easily now, which is something she couldn’t do at all two weeks ago, and she’s now working on being able to get back down without falling.

As far as recovering from our break-in goes, we’re now moving at the pace of the insurance company. They have already cut us a check for replacing the kitchen floor, and it’s looking promising that we’ll get new drawers & cabinets. But they haven’t figured out getting us money for our camera or laptop, which seems like it would be simpler. I hadn’t planned on a kitchen remodeling project right now!! It was on the list of stuff to do to the house, but pretty far down the list, after things like finishing the porch, getting the carpet out of the dining room, and putting carpet in the master bedroom. And, I’m sure Travis will want to do all the work himself instead of paying someone to do it, just so we can make the most of the insurance payouts, which mean it’ll take forever just like the porch has. I guess it’s still a silver lining, though. I just want to move forward instead of trying to catch up…

Lemonade

When life gives you lemons...

Here are some good things that will or may happen and would not have if our house had not been broken into:

• My sock drawer is organized for the first time since we moved here. I also got rid of a lot of pairs I don't wear, and a few other things. hooray.
• I cleaned my freezer. Never would've happened unless someone had cleaned out its contents "for" me.
• My work laptop used to take at least 20 minutes to log me in at work. It was so annoying! I have high hopes that my new laptop will be a bit faster.
• I got a new garbage can. This may be shortlived, but it does not yet smell like poopy diapers and rotting chicken.
• They stole my contacts. I decided that was my sign that I should have lasik done. I called today and made an appointment for an initial consultation in August. How awesome would that be?!?!
• We might get new cabinet doors out of this, since the silverware drawer is missing. There's a slim chance that they might not be able to match a new drawer exactly to the old ones, so we could get new cabinet doors for the whole kitchen that would match. It'd be awesome, but I'm doubtful that'll happen.
• Another one that might be wishful thinking: computer and camera upgrade. If insurance pays us the cost of what it would take to buy exactly what we had, we probably won't get much. But if they give us what it would take to buy comparable quality items new today, we'll probably get a little bit nicer things. We'll see.
• Those of you who have visited us here know that our front door is not the most welcoming, as the screen snaps shut onto your ankles before you can get all the way through it. But, since they destroyed the doorframe upon entry, we get a new door! I am excited to have a new, pretty door with a screen door that does not attack my visitors.
• I will admit - Travis and I did have a good time buying things at Target without any regard for price, coupons, sales, or need. If we had it before, we needed to buy it, so we did. Kind of neat.

I think Emily may be feeling the stress of this. I haven't done a very good job keeping her away from my emotions of it, and two of the past three nights, she's been up for a couple hours in the night, unable to relax. I have low tolerance for all the thrashing, pinching, and squirming, so the troubles compound. I told her very sternly tonight to LET GO of the spoon that I was trying to give her her favorite food with, and I made her cry. :( It's so hard to relax and go with the flow of an infant when everything is turned a bit on edge. But, we're fine, really, so I have to just keep breathing deep, and know that I've got tomorrow to fix what I've goofed up today. Emily is like the sea - no memory - so she wakes up joyous and beautiful no matter how tearful the evening or midnight. And, she had a good day back at daycare today after almost 2 weeks away, so that was a relief.

They also took my rolling pin. WTF??

A very strange week

Hi

A lot has happened since I last blogged, and I'll admit I'm in a bit of a daze, still, wondering if it's really real.

My sister's family stayed with me from Friday night until Monday afternoon. Saturday after noon, the Ragbrai bus came to my house to pick up the members of Team Petting Zoo who live in Des Moines, and take them to the starting point in western Iowa. However, the hydraulic brakeline sprung a leak, and they spent 5 hours in front of my house fixing it. It was nice to be a part of the Ragbrai atmosphere, but a little weird to have 25 people drinking on my lawn on a Saturday afternoon. The bus was successfully repaired, though, and the team has had a good time this week. I am unofficially declaring this year to be "Disaster Ragbrai," since something really rotten has happened nearly every day of the week. One guy got a severe citation for dribbling a bit of beer on the ground near a police officer's shoe while demonstrating his "open container" was an empty container. There was, of course, the brake line problem, and a host who wouldn't let anybody into his house, even to use the bathroom (some host!!!). There was a bit of family drama in Ames - not much, but I didn't handle even that well because Emily got very sick (102 fever and too congested to eat :( ) and I was dealing with her wanting nothing but to cry and doze in my arms (and only my arms!). I did get to bike all day Tuesday, and except for being greeted by a very sick little girl, I had a good time! Emily was feeling better by morning, so I biked half of the next day, but the wind was so strong I decided it wasn't fun anymore and quit then. I'm glad I did, because the wind was awful for the rest of the day, and I'm told I made a very smart decision. I went back to Barnum that evening, Wednesday night, because Nancy was with me. I thought about meeting Tim so Nancy could go home with him and then Emily and I could go home, but I'm very glad I didn't. Nancy took Emily to a doctor in Fort Dodge because her fever roared back that night (throughout all of this, I was getting about 5 non-consecutive hours of sleep each night), and it was nice to let her take necessary action and trust her on it. I'm also glad because when I did get home Thursday, I discovered that our house had been broken into.

Yes, I'm not kidding - somebody kicked in the front door, breaking the frame around the deadbolt, and made off with our most expensive items. They found the keys to our Saturn and used it as a transport vehicle, and it wasn't recovered until today. They made off with our new stereo, subwoofer, and speakers, among many other things. There is quite a list of odd things they took, such as the ironing board and iron, the blender, the coffeemaker AND the coffee, the entire silverware drawer itself, numerous items from the fridge (half a container of OJ?) and all of my stockpile of frozen Fareway meat. They took my pearl pendant necklaces, but not my pearl necklace from my wedding. They took my class ring :( :(, but Travis was not attached to his class ring and is content that it's gone. They didn't do much damage to the house, just took a lot of things, so that's "nice". Possibly the strangest take was our brand new washer and dryer!!! How glad I am that I didn't leave my wedding ring here while I biked, and that our bikes were with us. They didn't take Travis's computer downstairs, though it looks like they intended to since it was unplugged. Our upstairs laptop is gone (as are both of our John Deere laptops!), so I am writing this on a borrowed friend's laptop. They also got our digital camera, which I didn't take on Ragbrai because I didn't want it to get lost - oops. I am only missing about 3 weeks of Emily's pictures, though, because I had just copied everything from Emily's lifetime onto my mom's computer. Plus, a lot are on our picasa site, too, so it's okay.

Really, in all of this, I am okay, we are all okay. There are only a few things that can't be replaced, but a lot more things that they could have taken that are priceless to us but apparently worthless to others. All of my grandma's antique china that she gave to me is here, untouched. Nearly everything else can be repurchased.

The neighbors said they saw the Saturn in our driveway on Wednesday, but not on Thursday morning, so I am so glad I stayed with Tim and Nancy that night. I am left with the same feeling I had after my work accident two years ago - I wish it could've been a lot better, but I am so incredibly grateful that it wasn't any worse. It was also another opportunity to see how amazing my friends and family are. Nancy made the same 90-minute drive that I had just made the instant I told her what had happened. Two of my friends who were not on Ragbrai came over with dinner and their laptop and digital camera. They documented all the damage and repaired my front door so I could sleep here safely last night. (it is SO barricaded!! :) ) Tim drove all the way to Iowa City to pick up Travis so he could get started with me in getting things back to normal. We are so lucky to have such wonderful people in our lives. I am lucky that the bad things that happen in my life are so minor that I am left only a little sad, yet a million times more grateful for what I have.

So, I'm going to go call my mommy now. I hope all of you have had a far less interesting week!!

Hide and Seek

Emily is quite attached to me these days. She likes to have me within eyesight, preferably not moving away from her. She will eat a little from Travis or her grandma if I'm not in the room, but once she sees me, it's game over. It can get a little clingly, but she's an awfully nice little buddy to have around. When she's playing on the floor, she'll crawl over to me and put her little hands on me, just to smile at me and say hi. It's pretty cool. :) But there's been times that I've had to hide from her to avoid the tearful howls when I leave for something so selfish as a quick bathroom break.

Her 9-month checkup was today. She's still 95th percentile for height and head size, but now only 75th for weight - getting to be quite slim!! She's Travis's daughter - so who's surprised?? It was nice to talk to our doctor about her eating habits, or rather, lack thereof, and realize we can be a little more relaxed about it. I don't know why I continue to obsess about it, except that it's frustrating to try to feed her and be greeted with tightly clamped lips and a constant whine. I guess she'll eat when she's ready. My latest theory is that formula-fed babies are much better about taking solid foods because formula is so terrible tasting that they're happy to consume anything that isn't horrendously awful.

Anyway, it was also nice to see that she's growing and developing just like she should. It was a nice reassurance, because I've had a tough last couple of days. Our wireless internet connection has been SO crappy lately, and I can't even call Mediacom to tell them how terrible their service is because their customer service wait times are at least half an hour - and who has time for that?? It means that a lot of the time I'm home with Emily, I'm pretty isolated, and this week I really wanted that connection to the outside world when I was so frustrated with her not napping (or napping at weird times) and not eating, and being so incredibly whiney when I turned to go into another room and then having to carry her wherever I go. It's exhausting. Then I was battling "terrible mother" feelings when I dropped her off at daycare on Wednesday and explained that she was really crabby and I didn't know why. When I picked her up, Amanda told me she had noticed some really painful daiper rash. Poor Emily - I had been annoyed, but she was really actually hurting!! :( I know I'm not a terrible mother, just a rookie mother, but I still felt awful. Today was much better all around, though, and I think I've finally kicked my string of frustrating days (I hope!)

I can't believe Ragbrai is almost upon us! We've been throwing around tentative plans for so long that it'll be interesting to see things fall into place. I had really hoped that Emily would be not nursing so frequently at this point so I could go longer without being near her or a breastpump, but I might end up taking my pump on my bike with me. I would imagine I'd be the only rider out there with that kind of pump on her bike!! Even though it'll be a complicated and stressful couple of days, I plan on getting some good fun in, too. I've gotta say it will be a relief, though, to not have to schedule our evenings around one of us trying to get a bike ride in. Honestly, I am so impressed at how little energy I have for biking. It's not that my leg muscles are tired or sore, but I just don't have anything to give to getting up that next hill. So, we'll see if I am able to do a full day.

Happy 4th

I'm almost to the end of my 6-day weekend. I had yesterday off, and I took Wednesday as vacation and went up to my parents place in Rockford. Emily and I were there for 2 days, and I got to go on a bike ride with my dad - my longest of the year at 28 miles! I forget how peaceful it is up there. I know I live in nice neighborhood (except for the 4th of July when it sounds like we're in a war zone), but compared to my parents' house it's the middle of the city. It's good for the soul - like my own little spa retreat! - especially since I had no agenda except for the bike ride. Emily had a good time too. I thought it'd be a good opportunity for her to see how a cow says "moo," but apparently my dad's cows don't moo, they only stare stupidly.

And, Travis's parents came to visit us yesterday and today. What is Emily going to do tomorrow when she doesn't have grandparents around?? :) She's quite the character now. The only thing we can count on her wanting to eat is sweet potatoes - anything else depends on her mood, her hunger level, and who is offering it (better chances with anybody but me!). Her crawl has a little lilt to it, more like she prances than crawls. I watched her wipe out today, though; she just didn't get her hand down where she wanted it, and instead she bonked her head on the floor and rolled, legs in the air, and just stayed there while she realized how much it hurt and the tears started to flow. Except for the crying part, it was pretty funny to see! She LOVES music, though. Today, while playing with her grandparents, I could tell she was getting a little overstimulated, so I put on some piano music, and she just stared out the window while half-heartedly chewing on a toy. I think it was a nice little rest for her, and fun to see her mind go so far away while listening to music. In between songs, she'd snap-to and interact with people until the music started up again.

So, Trav and I are having a quiet evening. I guess we're boring old parents now, but it's hard to want to go somewhere to be social with an 8:00 curfew. It's beautiful outside, and there aren't as many neighbors shooting off fireworks yet tonight, so all in all I can't complain.

Crawling!

I had my scar revision yesterday, so I have a nice little wound on my collarbone. I did it because I was tired of seeing it in the mirror every day, a little reminder of that terrifying experience. I am going to be very careful as it heals this time so hopefully it doesn't stretch out as much. They did the procedure under local anesthetic, so just like you'd get at the dentist office or to have a mole removed, except he dug deep enough that he used internal stitches, too. The worst was when they were cauterizing, cuz I could smell my own skin roasting. And when he sinched up the stitches I could totally feel the pressure and tugging even if it wasn't painful. Really unpleasant, but they couldn't give me any sedative because I'm nursing. But I'm glad I did it. Once this heals, I'll finally be past that stupid accident, even if I do have a lot more scars in places that aren't so noticeable.

Emily is officially on the move now. She crawled from one room to another at daycare on Friday, which was a distance record for her. Apparently she drew applause from all the kids! It's incredible to see her go - and adorable, too. I can't even describe, it's a little teetery and uncertain, but also kind of spirited; maybe she thinks her new trick is pretty awesome and she's just happy to try it out again? who knows. I've been seeing this coming for a couple months, of course, but now I really have to buckle down and pick things up off the floor. That was the plan for the weekend, but it's half over already and we haven't done anything on it.

We've had a pretty nice weekend so far - I love summer! Even though Emily was up at 5:30 this morning, I got to sleep from 6 - 8 because Travis got up with her, and put her down for her first nap at 7. Then he went biking, and when he got home, I went for a run - first time I've done that since February 07! Then we played with Emily for a while, and after she napped we went downtown to the Des Moines Arts Festival. We didn't get anything, but it was fun to take Emily out for a walk, and to look at some beautiful art and talk about what we like or don't. Then we went to my friend's wedding reception (she got married last winter in Prague!), and I came home and put Emily to bed. I doubt Travis will be out that late because he was up so early this morning, so we should have a nice day tomorrow too.

:) I am just crazy about Emily. She is so expressive, and curious, and charming. When I'm rocking her (which sometimes is for very long expanses of time, such as last night), I look at her and wonder what I would ever do without her. Is she really mine to keep? How did I get so lucky?? The other day I put some music on, a little lively piano piece, and she and I danced to it. She had so much fun, she was squealing and laughing, and her little mouth was open the whole time in a huge smile. I think "glee" is the only word for it, just pure and relaxed, complete joy. I love it :)

100th posting!

Wow, I've been a busy blogger!

The weekend has taken its toll on Emily - she has no idea when to nap anymore. She was awake essentially all morning, and finally crashed at 2:00 this afternoon. I assume she'll be asleep for a while, but she's never napped for more than 2 hours at home before so we'll see.

Emily has discovered how much fun splashing in water is. It's made her bathtime so much fun for both of us, which is good because she's such a tremendously messy eater that she needs a dunking nearly every night. Last night she came home from daycare with her hair spiked because she'd "eaten" some watermelon. I have no idea how to get more food into her. Last night she sucked down a huge peach slice, and I found myself afraid that she'd choke on it but it slithered right down, much to her surprise! I still can't put anything in her mouth - she pushes everything away - so I'm just giving her things she can put in her mouth herself.

The other frustration is her sleep "schedule." In addition to her lack of napping, she's been waking up at about 5:00 to eat every day, which is disappointing since she used to sleep through. I think now that she's more mobile she needs more calories, and I'd rather she get them from solid food but, oh well. And I use the word mobile quite loosely, because she hasn't really gone very far but she did get her legs going yesterday. It's creepy to see her go, actually. For the most part, she just wiggles her way around the room. I told Travis that she's like a knight chesspiece - two lunges forward, then backward a bit and off to the side to sit up straight. She really gets around pretty well with that pattern, actually.

OK, I'd better make the most of the remainder of her nap. How on earth do people work from home with small children?!?!

Our weekend up north

As glad as we were when we moved to Iowa, we re-learned this weekend why it was hard to leave Minneapolis. We had such a good time up north - and we didn't even get to see everybody who made it so fun when we lived there! We were traveling on Emily's schedule, and she's a real trooper but it was kinda tricky to make sure she spent most of her car-time asleep. We stayed at a hotel in a 2-bedroom suite, across the hall from friends of ours with two little girls, so Saturday night we put kids in bed, set up the monitors, and relaxed and socialized. It was great - we ate dinner so early that by the time we'd socialized afterwards and had a couple drinks, I was in bed by 10:45! Travis thought my quote the next morning was hilarious/pathetic: "I'm feeling pretty good today, but I probably wouldn't be if I had finished that second beer." Yeah, it's been a while since I was a party animal.

We also took Emily swimming for the first time! She LOVED it. There was an indoor pool at the hotel, which was nice that we didn't have to worry about the sun (beautiful weather this weekend, too, btw). It was so much fun! She's got so much baby fat on her that she's really buoyant, which was so bizarre but a nice break for my arms. It only took about half an hour for her to be completely worn out, so she had a nice long nap in the afternoon to prepare her for an exciting evening out. It was an unexpected highlight for the weekend.

So, friends, thanks for a great time, and I hope to see those of you I missed very soon!

Random stuff

The strangest thing happened to us the other night. I was having a bit of trouble settling down to go to sleep (Travis was out), but at about 11:00 I heard somebody try to open our front door!! It was crazy, I heard it twice, and then I woke Travis up and he heard it a third time!! The knob on the door wasn't locked but the deadbolt was, and we heard the door give until the deadbolt stopped it. I was so insanely freaked out. But, I think it was somebody who had the wrong house, because there was a bunch of teenagers at the next house who were playing basketball in the yard and whoever this was probably went to the wrong door. But, maybe not. I was so freaked. I am absolutely paranoid about throwing the deadbolt on the front door now!

Emily was a real charmer at the grocery store today. I know everyone loves babies, but she really draws in the interaction and has a great time with it. At home, while I put groceries away, she sat on the floor of the kitchen and smacked herself on the head with a wooden spoon. For some reason, she always grabs the very end of it to maximize the moment of the spoon as she smacks herself. But still Big Smiles, so, whatever!

Travis and Emily and I are headed to Minneapolis this coming weekend!! There are babies to meet and friends to see and good times to be had (and gas money to be spent, ugh), though we have yet to set a definite itinerary. Such as - do we travel late Friday night so Emily sleeps longer in the car, or do we travel Saturday morning so it's not so crazy Friday and we are only away from home one night? I'm really asking, since many of my readers are the people I intend to see! What say you, friends?

And, if I haven't done it before, here is a rant in how stupid women's clothing is. I tried to buy some new shirts this weekend, since I am now too chesty for much of my pre-maternity wardrobe, and I think my biggest mistake was shopping with Travis (Emily was at daycare while we both took a vacation day. and wasted it shopping!!!). See, he decided he needed more short-sleeved work shirts, so he found the brand he likes, picked out a few colors he liked and the size he needed, and oh my they're 15% off too, so he's all set. I, on the other hand, couldn't even find the department that carries clothes for someone my age. I am too old to shop at Vanity or Maurices, and too young for Younkers (apparently), so where do I go to get professional, not-churchy, not school-teachery, nice-looking things? things to wear with jeans to a restaurant downtown? pants of any kind that don't gap and show my underwear? I can't believe it's this hard. I have a cute figure (at least I thought a small waist was desirable), I'm a nice size, and I'm the age everybody says they want to be, so why is it so hard to find decent clothing?!?! It's so not fair, because Travis has an eye for what looks right in clothing, and I don't - and yet, all he has to do is pick colors and sizes, and I'm faced with dealing with the absolute fuster cluck that is women's fashion. The next time any of you see me, you'll understand why I look poorly put together - I'll probably be wearing something of mine from college and/or something handed down from my sister (which may actually be something I gave her and she gave back to me).

...I don't even know where to begin to pack for this weekend!

Ahhh, summer!

Travis, Emily and I are all fighting a weird cold. It involves eye boogers, a sore throat, some coughing, mild fever, and a headache. Well, I guess I can't say if Emily has a headache or not, but considering she's been inconsolably cranky at times, I'm assuming she does. And it's too bad, because it's finally time for summer fun! We were going to go camping and canoeing this weekend, but it's just too stressful with a sick infant (and sick parents!). Next weekend is our trip to Minnesota, so hopefully by then we are well and ready to have a good time!

Emily is getting darned close to crawling. Last weekend, we were taunting her with the remote, because it's her favorite forbidden thing, and putting it just out of reach to motivate her to get going. She's plenty motivated now, and getting better at going from sitting to crawling position. If you hold her knees underneath her, she rocks back and forth, though she can't quite get to that position herself. She loves it, though; that, and when you move her hands and knees so she actually goes forward. It's so fun to see her delighted. That's definitely my favorite part of parenting - seeing her excited and happy.

I'm going to be using a lot of vacation in the next year. As a full-time employee with 7 years of service, I get 17 days, so you'd expect that I'd get 8.5 as a part-time, right? Well, it's given out based on what I worked last year, which was nearly all fulltime, so I get 14 days! That's over 5 weeks of part-time work! So, I'm taking Monday afternoon off and still sending Emily to Amanda's because we're paying for that anyway, and this way I can have some time to get real stuff done around the house. It's an awesome situation. Emily really has a good time at Amanda's - whenever I pick her up she's smiley and happy and always looking to see what the big kids are doing, and I couldn't give her that at home so that makes me feel really good.

We think we got nearly 5" of rain Thursday night. there was a huge line of storms that came through, and apparently the tornado sirens went off but I didn't wake up to hear them. The weather we've had this year is insane! We've lost one tree branch but other than that have been very lucky to have only the "usual" amount of water in our basement (so stupid). I don't know when we'll fix that - probably when we run completely out of room down there to store things!

Baptism

Emily's baptism was Sunday, and there are pictures of her in her pretty dress posted at the picasa website. She was beautiful and calm and quiet, and the congregation laughed when she moved the minister's hand off her head during the blessing. I guess the humor was that she looked up at his hand first, then slowly reached up and moved it off her head. Her grandmother was in tears, because she looked so much like her dad when he was baptised. It was a really nice moment for all of us together.

Then we came back to the house and partied all weekend long!! There were about 15 of us here for lunch - my parents, trav's parents, mommo and poppo, jenny's family, kerri, mark, and pat. It was crazy, but lots of fun. Emily received some very thoughtful and special gifts for her baptism, and it was a wonderful weekend. I have spent all week recovering, though, both myself and the house, but it was well worth it and I'm glad everything worked out the way it did.

Monday, I got out on my bike for the first time, which actually went pretty well. I've got a long ways to go before I've got the strength to do a full day of Ragbrai, but I wouldn't say it's much worse than other years, actually. I'm thinking I'll pick out Tuesday mornings to go biking, because Amanda said she has an opening to watch Emily while I go out. Now, to pick out a suitable route from her house, which I think should be fairly easy since it's so far on the west side of town.

And, yesterday was Travis's birthday, so I made him dinner and he had a Guinness. Then we went to bed by 10:00. Man, we're old!!

Happy Birthdays

Last Wednesday was my birthday, and next Wednesday is Travis's birthday, so we went on a date tonight. We left Emily with friends who have a 21-month old that thinks "Emmie" is pretty fun, so she had a good time too. She's at the stage that unless she has a need where she specifically needs me (hungry, mostly), she's fine as long as there's stuff going on. It was nice to reconnect with Travis and remember how fun it was to be carefree DINKs (dual income no kids). It was nice to have a classy, delicious, relaxing dinner, and have a chance to think uninterrupted, larger-scale.

I am surprised how much I like working part-time. Even though I wasn't crazy about working with warranty data and I don't know that much about my new job, I kind of like still having the responsibility of a job. There are some real rewards, although I wonder if my self-confidence is so low that I'll do anything to hear someone say I did something well. But, I did hear that at my mid-year review, and it felt good, so I guess I'll take it. I also wonder if I'm a sucker for hard work. In high school and college, I had such an insane schedule and I was so busy, but I didn't really need to. Am I really that much of a masochist that I'm overscheduling myself again, just because I can?? Just in case, I am being careful to put Emily's wellbeing first, and when the benefits of her being at daycare no longer outweigh the disadvantages, I'll quit. Maybe it just feels good to work when I know how easy it would be to quit. Like the herd of cows that is always trampling fences to get out, but if there's corn in the trough you could leave the gate open. A nice little farmy analogy for all of you Iowans-turned-cityslickers out there.

Anyway, that's the latest on me and my work situation. All that agonizing, and it's turning out fine!

As for the latest in Emily - she is starting to "hop." She bounces up and down while sitting, and actually scoots herself forward a fraction of an inch at a time. It's surprising to look back at her and have her not be exactly where I left her! She especially likes to bounce while sitting on my bed, which, although queen-size, is not big enough to contain her reach. She's starting to pull herself up to see things, but the same thing trips her up here that keeps her from getting her legs under her to crawl: her feet end up facing each other and get pinned there!! I hope she figures out how to untangle them, just for the sake of her own frustration. I'm perfectly happy to have her not be mobile yet, but I'm very happy that she's starting to figure out how eating works. She really likes sweet potatoes, and cereal and green beans are all right too. Still working on all the other new tastes for her, but she'll get it. I tried Cheerios the other day, and she liked to nibble on the singular O that I'd hold up to her two tiny teeth. It was pretty cute. :) Most of all, she smiles and laughs all the time now. She's so joyful! I just love it!

Happy Mother's Day

In anticipation of my first Mother’s Day, I’m going to give you a few things I love about being Emily’s mom. I don’t think any flowers or chocolate or breakfast in bed could top these things:

· I love how Emily fits in my arms. The curve of her head matches the shape of my hand, and she’s just the right size to snuggle in my arms or against my chest. It sounds weird to say, but she and I just fit!
· I love that she flaps her arms and smiles at me when I walk in the room, whether I’ve been gone for 2 seconds or the whole day. Someday, she’ll be able to run over and hug me, but I love that she can already express that emotion to me without mobility.
· I love the smell of her head, and fussing with her wispy, beautiful hair.
· I love watching her be comforted in the arms of her dad, whether it’s after her immunization shots or when I just don’t have the strength to hold her any more.
· I love when she naps for more than an hour!!
· I love watching her experience something new. Today, she and I sat on a quilt in the shade of the maple tree in our backyard, and she just looked around, watching the blossoms fall, listening to birds (and I-80), and feeling the grass around her. The outside world is really a new place to her, and it’s so cool to see her discover it.
· I love nursing Emily, and I’ll be really sorry when she outgrows it (I suppose the more teeth she gets, the more I’ll be ready to let it go!). I feel so good that I can give her exactly what her little body needs, and that she is so comforted by it at the same time. It also makes me feel like she’s still my little baby, even though she’s looking more and more like a little girl every day.
· I love when she “kisses” my cheek, and I can see her bright, beautiful, clear blue eyes looking right at me. Then I get to wipe the slime off my face, and see her smiling at me. And pull the hairs out of her hands that she's ripped from my head (hey, sometimes she gets hold of my ear, and that's even more painful!)

There are so many special children in my life, and I know that I really do love them. But, Emily is just the best. It’s a whole new level, just for her!

My spring cold

I remember last year at this time that I had a cold, and I couldn't take any medicines. I remember being miserable on my birthday, and that was the day I met my horrible horrible ex-boss, and I didn't shake his hand because I had just sneezed in it. The things I regret... Anyway, I've got a cold again this year, so it may be somewhat allergy-related but there was definitely some fever and chest congestion too. I've discovered that it really does help to "rinse" sinuses with saltwater solution. Travis thinks it's horrifying, but it really does feel good - not so much the process, but the end results. You're supposed to use a neti pot (also called a nose bedet, I think), but I don't have one. I tried just using a small glass, but that didn't work and I didn't want to actually snort water up there. So... I got out the turkey baster. That's right, I've got a giant syringe that I use to get water up my nose. Then I snort it out into the sink, and *ahhhhh* I'm a new woman. I can't get the water to actually go in one nostril and out the other (there are clips of this on youtube if you want to be grossed out), so I don't know if I'm just way congested or I've got screwy sinuses - or perhaps it's that I'm using a turkey baster!! (Did you think I was joking?? I wasn't! :) )

Anyway, Emily and Travis are getting over their colds, too. They didn't get hit as hard as I did, which is nice for them. Emily had a hard time getting back on a sleep schedule after visiting both grandparents' houses this past week, which is part of the reason I got hit so hard, but I think she's back on track. I guess I'll get to bed now, too, to try and kill off the remainder of my sniffles.

Deep thought

I remember when I was an early teenager, and learning how to put on make-up, I wondered at what point women wear makeup to look younger instead of to look older. Answer: age 27. Just like I suspected, I only realized it after it passed!! Rats.

memories

For some reason, today, I got to thinking about my accident from nearly 2 years ago. I have lots of scars, and sometimes when I look at them I get scared all over again. I don't really remember the pain from that day, except for the deep ache in my shoulder where the piece of glass was lodged. But I do remember the fear, and it's funny how it can come back to me at any time if I let my mind wander that direction. It doesn't take much - even looking at the mirror and seeing the scar from the relatively shallow cut right across my neck is scary to me. How easily that could have been where the glass cut deeper, and if so, I probably wouldn't have survived.

After the accident, the Medical group at work asked me to write down what happened so they could include that as part of the accident report. The only thing I didn't include was that I was trying to get this all done as fast as I could because I had to pee, and I was going to stop on my way out to the shop floor. :) Anyway, I reread it today, hoping that maybe the further I get from it and the more I know I'm safe now, maybe it won't scare me so much. Since I have this blog forum, I'm copying it in for you all to read. When I look at Emily and think about the what a wonderful little family we are, I am certain that she is the reason that glass hit my shoulder instead of my neck. What a shame to deny this wonderful little being of her existence on account of my own stupidity.

July 19, 2006:
"My original plan for the afternoon was to use ethanol to clean off the hardness testers out in Dept.38 and 39, hoping to improve their hardness results. I wanted a full bottle of ethanol in the little spray bottle, so I refilled it from the glass jug under the hood cabinet. This was almost empty so I went to the flammables cabinet and started to fill it, when I realized I had grabbed the acetone instead by accident. I immediately took this into the hood and dumped it down the drain, flushed with lots of water. Then I left the ethanol jug on the counter, upsidedown over a paper towel, to dry, thinking it might be a bad idea to add ethanol to a wet jar.

"Then I saw that the etch jar was almost empty too, and I thought as long as I had my acid gloves on and was working with pouring ethanol, I would fill it up too. But, the ethanol jug was still drying and I thought I’d do the acid first and the ethanol second so I’d only have to get it out once, for the acid and for the ethanol at the same time. (This is the first time I should’ve realized to do the ethanol first for safety).

"Each jug holds 2.5 L. The acid jug is a 10% nitric acid with 90% ethanol. I estimated that I should make 2L of solution because there was a little (an inch or so) still left in the jug. This would mean 200 mL of acid and 1800 mL of ethanol. I took the nitric acid from the acids cabinet in the outer lab into the hood, and measured out 200mL and put it in the 10% jug. I did all this under the hood, thinking it would be safer to pour acid in there, but this is the second point where I should’ve realized that the ethanol should go in first. Then I put the lid on the 10% jug and the nitric acid, and went out in to the outer lab. I put the nitric acid jug away in the acids cabinet, and took the other jug over to the flammables cabinet, where the ethanol is.

"I knew that 10% nitol reacts with ethanol at that concentration, because if a small plastic spray bottle is filled fairly full and tightly screwed shut, the pressure inside will build up (especially if shaken) and it’ll spew out the nozzle. This is yet another reason for me to know not to put large amounts of acid with small amounts of ethanol, but I wasn’t really thinking about the small amount already in the jar. The funnel I used was also the same funnel I had used to pour the acetone, so I had rinsed it off really good after that mishap. I hadn’t dried it, though, and I noticed the acid reacted a bit with the water. This could’ve sped up the reaction in the bottle, but it should’ve been another reason for me to leave the bottle under the hood.

"When I brought the nitol bottle over to the flammables cabinet, I set it up on the filing cabinet, and noticed it was starting to react inside – starting to turn a chemical yellow color, about like the 10% solution does. Thinking it needed venting (like described above), I unscrewed the cap a little. I really thought that would allow some of the venting to escape, but I hadn’t really realized just how much acid I had put in the jar. Then I turned back down to the large canister of ethanol on the floor. I was about 4 feet away for this. I heard the jar hissing a bit, and I looked up and the chemical yellow was turning a rusty brown color with ominous yellow swirls coming up. I looked at it for a second, and actually got pretty scared as the hissing increased and I wondered if I had time to take the cap off. I started thinking it might release a lot of gas from that reaction and would that be dangerous?? I started to reach out with my left hand and took maybe a step towards it, but by then it really was sounding scary, so I started to turn away to my right. All this happened in about 5 seconds, probably. When the jar exploded, I had my left hand extended forward, my face turned down to my right, and my right arm up to start to shield my face. I had my safety glasses and metatarsals on, but not my earplugs or my lab coat.

(This was taken after the cabinet was moved. The brown stains are from the acid.)

"The actual explosion sounded like a huge potato gun, a big, deep bang. I didn’t even think about the glass, just was worried that there was acid on me. I have worked with dilute nitric before and been not concerned to get in on me if I washed it off right away, so that was my plan. I went to rinse off my hands and face in the sink under the hood, and I noticed that there were holes in my shirt, at which point I was afraid that the acid was eating through my shirt, and I had to use the shower. I really hated to because I knew it meant that this was really bad, but that’s what it’s for, so I’d better. I noticed a cut on my left ring finger and immediately pulled off my rings on both hands in case it swelled up. Then I was really not wanting to stand in the shower because my finger was bleeding but I figured a little blood on the floor was worth preventing acid burns. I washed off mostly my left side, and then noticed a lot of blood coming off my right side too, where my wrist had a deep cut on it. That’s when I called Kathy. I didn’t know how to stop the shower so I went back to the hood to try to keep the blood a little contained, but I couldn’t because I kept finding more cuts. That’s where Kathy and the medical team found me."

See? it's pretty scary. After they took me to Medical, one of the nurses at the plant that was doing first aid said "Ohhh, I can see collarbone!" which was when I really started to wig out and cry. Up until then, I was just confused, and dazed. But from that point on, I was crying and so very, very scared. Then, the ambulance got lost on the way to the hospital because it couldn't get over I-235 because of the construction, which was frustrating because - remember - I still had to pee!! Then they gave me IV fluids because of the blood loss, too, at which point I tried to realize some humor of the situation so I could stop being so scared. But, it was just awful. I am so glad I had a wonderful boss like Kathy to call, and that my husband and brother and sister-in-law were so fast in getting to the hospital to be with me. And really, it had a happy ending, for what could have happened. I know all this, and I keep hoping that having that perspective and getting some distance (both time and location) from the event would help. But it's still very vivid to me.

6-month checkup

Emily had her 6-month appointment with the doctor yesterday. She smiled at the nurses and doctor, and really thought that the ear-scope was a toy that she should get to play with. She was such a trooper after the shots - she screamed, of course, but she calmed right down in the arms of her dad, just like last time. She weighs just under 18 lbs now (80th percentile) and is 28" tall (95+ percentile). I am particularly glad she's not keeping on the 95th curve for weight, because I'm not that strong!! I sure hope she learns to walk before she's too heavy for me to carry her, or her world will certainly shrink. :) It's funny, though, how perspectives change. I remember when Emily was first born, my arms would just ache at the end of the day, and I wondered how I'd ever keep up with her weight gain. But I held a friend's newborn baby (who is no small fry at nearly 10 lbs!!) and I was so surprised how light he seemed. How far I've come in six months!

Emily is an excellent sitter now, and I no longer have to keep the boppy around her when she's playing on the floor. She tipped over backwards yesterday, and I came quickly to see if she was all right, but no worries! Even though she hit her head on the (carpeted) floor, she seemed most surprised that things had changed so quickly from vertical to horizontal. I guess it's good that she learns what falling is all about, and that she wasn't hurt at all by it. If she's as graceful as her mother, it'll be a lesson worth learning! I fully intend to spend some time in the next week doing some childproofing, cuz she'll take off crawling here in no time. Once she's strong enough to keep her butt up when she's on her tummy, my carefree days with an immobile child are over!

And in case you're wondering - green bean baby food looks about the same coming out as it does going in. I guess my days of relatively innocent diaper changes are over, too.

I'm going to talk with another manager today about an opportunity for a new position. I hope I like what the job might be, because I think they really need somebody and it'd be a convenient move for all involved. We'll see, I guess.

Green beans

I decided to take a break tonight from pumping milk for Emily's rice cereal, and instead I gave her her first taste of green beans. A few months ago, I read a study about babies eating peaches vs. green beans that said that a nasty face after her first taste of beans should not deter me from giving them to her again, and that the more she tastes it, the more she'll like it.

Each container of green beans has a single serving, though the info from my doctor about feeding solid foods said to start with just 1/4 that container. That's about the equivalent off a heaping tablespoon. That's all! There was so little that it took 7 seconds in the microwave to get it heated too hot - we had to wait while it cooled to a safe temperature. The entire container has 25 calories in it, so we're talking about trying to feed her 6 calories.

So the first few bites I don't think I even got anything in her mouth, because she'd just look down and keep her lips together. Then I got her to laugh and smile at me, and I grabbed my opportunity to throw a "big" spoonful in there. Oh, the face she made... I swear to you, she actually gagged! I found myself thinking, "I hope she doesn't throw up! What do I do if she throws up??" I guess that's reassurance that she probably swallowed that bite, but the rest of it, well:

Isn't that just the cutest bog monster you've ever seen??? And how did she manage to get 1 tablespoon of slime so well-distributed?? She made the gag-face several times (and granted, they're not the best tasting beans ever but they're pretty much on-par with canned green beans), but I think I'll try again tomorrow. My girl WILL eat vegetables!! Even if it's just green beans.

Check out her picasa website (link top-right) for shots from her 6-month photo session. There are some good ones, but I didn't pay for the CD of high-resolution pictures this time. I'm learning to be thrifty - even while forgetting my coupons at home (*sigh*).

Cousins, a wedding, and real food!

Emily has had a very big week!!

This Friday, my sister and her 3 girls came to my house to watch Emily while I went to work. Emily had so much fun that she hardly slept the entire day - after all, she had to keep up with those big kids! That evening, we went to a wedding rehearsal and dinner, so she had lots and lots of stimulation that day. Saturday morning she was really sleepy, only awake for an hour or so, up until we had to leave for the wedding. Travis was an usher and I played my violin for the ceremony, so we asked my parents (who were also at the wedding) to watch Emily. She was a very good girl through the service, and everyone around thought she was really bright-eyed and cute. I am just amazed and proud that she was so pleasant through all the lack of sleep and change in schedule and venue. And she LOVES her cousins. It's so fun to see her that excited! But after all the activity we are all very tired. The wedding was a great celebration of two close friends who are totally perfect for each other, so we'd been looking forward to this weekend for a long time. The groom choked up during the vows which was a first that I had seen but totally expected by those of us who know him well! They're so in love that it'd make me sick if I didn't adore them both so much! :) It was a really fun but exhausting past couple of days.

We also decided that since Thursday was Emily's official half-birthday, we should start feeding her solid foods. I had bought a box of rice cereal, as recommended, and so I mixed that with breastmilk the way I was supposed to. It's pretty funny that they call it solid foods, cuz I think it ends up being ricey-flavored milk - very runny. I've posted a few pictures, which are cute, but she wasn't that excited about it. She liked chewing on the spoon, and most of it dribbled out her mouth but I think she swallowed a fair amount of it. Tomorrow we'll see if she thinks it's any more interesting, or at least a familiar experience.

A breastfeeding story

This might be a long story, if I'm not careful, but I'll do my best to make it brief (and funny).

I had an appointment this morning to have my scars looked at again, both the one on my collarbone and on my left hand. they're from separate incidents at work (one quite dramatic and one very stupid), but since they're both covered under worker's comp, I figured I might as well have them medically minimized since I wouldn't have to pay for it. I had some laser treatments done on my collarbone scar more than a year ago, and they always took forever cuz they're always running behind and the gals running the front desk are so stupid. Same story today, I had to wait a FULL HOUR before I saw anybody, and it would've been more but I kept talking to the people at the front desk to keep Emily entertained. Finally I said something to them about how I didn't know how much longer I could keep her happy, and if they were going to make me wait until after lunch for a 10:30 appointment I'd come back another day with that scheduling in mind. Somehow, that got me in the door. Well, Emily was getting hungry by then, and I tried to tide her over with her thumb, but she really wanted to eat, and she was relaxed and comfortable enough that she actually would. I figured since I was in the appointment room, and there were boob job diagrams all over the walls, that it wouldn't be a big deal to feed her there. I should've tried feeding her an hour earlier because as soon as I hooked her up, the doctor came in to see me. Here's the best part: He then proceeds to comment how it's "interesting" that it's common in Europe to see women breastfeeding "in public" but not in the US. I said to him, well, I was alone in this room and there are pictures of boobs on all the walls so I didn't figure it was a big deal! I think he was trying to make small talk while Emily finished her meal, but I really just wanted him to just look at my scars so I could leave. I think he'll be able to make the one on my collarbone look not as wide, which will be nice. So as he's leaving, Emily is happily making faces at the nurse, and he says he likes it when people bring their kids, but most people don't. I wanted to say "Maybe it's because they can't entertain them for an hour by looking at advertisements for Botox in the waiting room!!" But that time I held my tongue, accepted the compliments of how cute Emily is, and left. *sigh* what a waste of a morning.

The hangout

So I've found where SAHM's and part-timers like me hang out during the day: Target! I was there this morning with Emily, and I fit right in with all the other shoppers. It makes sense, of course, that those are the people that have the opportunity to shop on a Thursday morning. Plus, kids are easier to take out in public in the morning, and there's not so many other people out at that time, too. It was weird, though, seeing everybody with a shopping cart and kids piled in, on, and around them. Reminded me of those pictures you see of people in 3rd world countries on public transportation.

I have been trying to do some physical activity every day for the past few weeks, whether it's a few minutes on my bike downstairs or a walk outside with Emily. But this week I'm hitting a big fat zero. I have so much to do!! I'm going up to my parents house this weekend, and next weekend my sister's family will be at my house. There's lots to get ready for the infamous Johannsen stuff-exchange that Travis thinks is so bizarre - my mom and sister and I tend to have lots of things that the others might or do need. But anyway, my fitness aspirations have plateaued. My motivation is gone, cuz I really do look just fine for now, and aside from the huge boobs I'm pretty much back to my pre-pregnancy size, just squishier in general. And if I we're considering having another kid in a year or so, well, what's the point? Can anybody offer me some inspiration?

It's the dreariest day today. It's been raining since about 10:30 today, and now it's thundering and hailing? freezing rain? soemthing more substantial in size is falling from the sky, anyway. I've got all the lights on in the house that we normally have on during the evening - it's so weird. On the plus side, it sure was easy to convince Emily to take a nap in her dark room with the soothing rain on the roof!

Cookies

Is there anything better in the world than sitting down with a magazine, a few Girl Scout cookies and a glass of cold milk, knowing my little one has 30 minutes of nap left, the essential laundry is done and the dishwasher is finishing the last of the kitchen mess for you? I think there is, if your magazine isn't "Cookie" magazine. The cover always has some thin, gorgeous supermodel-mom, the advertisements have serious-faced and overdressed children in odd settings, and the whole thing is full of ideas of how to spend MORE money on your kid than you thought you needed to. For example, there's a page in this month's issue about how you can spend $300/night at a lodge near San Francisco that's supposedly kid-friendly. You can also spend $240 on a bag to organize the ton of crap you'd need to take with you when flying with a kid. Even the finger puppets ($40, kidonyc.com) and magnetic figures ($14, galison.com) are listed so you don't embarrass yourself by completing only part of their suggested ensemble. Yeesh. I'm all excited about goign to a garage sale next weekend; I am NOT spending $149 on jeans for my kid! I would never spend that on myself, and I won't be outgrowing them in a matter of months!! I think my year's subscription came free with the Boppy pillow I got - I definitely won't be resubscribing.

April is going to be a crazy month for the Sullivan family. I feel terrible that I'll be passing Emily around to family members and friends while my daycare provider recovers from ACL surgery, but hopefully she's young enough that it won't be that traumatic. I'm taking the rest of my vacation during this time, too, so I'm hoping that will asuage my guilt. In addition to the daycare complications, my sister's family is visiting, I'm playing in a wedding, and Travis goes to San Francisco for work during the last week. At my job, I'll need to be looking for a new position during so I'm ready to move on when Molly comes back from maternity leave and takes back her position. At home, Emily will have her first half-birthday, and we'll begin the adventure of solid foods. This month could just fly by!

I AM SO GLAD IT'S FINALLY SPRING!!!

Teeth!

Emily got her first teeth this morning! She was up several times last night, acting as though she wanted to be sleeping but something was hurting her. (I am so spoiled with her sleeping through the night - it was torture to get up several times) This morning, on the way to church, I looked at her gums and there were two little white dots on her bottom jaw. No wonder she's been so incredibly drooly lately!

She's such a character. She's starting to learn which toys she prefers over others, and there are some that she's tired of already. She's interested in whatever I have in my hand at the time - a glass, a remote, an apple. We're not supposed to start solids until 6 months, at which point it'll be a nice slurry of rice cereal and breastmilk, but she's been gnawing on apples as I eat them, and she really enjoys it. I doubt she actually consumes much, but she sure enjoys the taste of it! (pictures are posted at her picasa site). I'm really amazed at the attention span she has. My afternoon apple snack will entertain her for a good 15 minutes, and a new toy might keep her occupied at least that long. And now she'll examine things with her fingers and eyes, not just her mouth. And did I mention she's gorgeous?? :)

I think we've decided on a church to go to. It's a Methodist church in the vicinity of Drake University, so similar in demographic to the church we liked at ISU. It's really very liberal - there are pamphlets for renewable energy such as wind energy in the lobby, and one of the bulletin inserts today was an invitation to a screening of a film about reconciling homosexuality with Biblical scripture. The fellowship seems welcoming without being so... intimidating somehow. I think we'll probably get Emily baptized this spring, yet. We've gotten our first nudge from grandparents to do so, so... yeah.

My daycare provider tore her ACL, and will be going in for surgery in just under 2 weeks. She'll be on crutches for up to 8 weeks afterwards, so I've gotta find other daycare for most of that time. Fortunately, between grandmas and other family, friends, and vacation days, I think I can get it covered. I'm more worried that Emily will have to learn to be comfortable at Amanda's all over again, so I think I'll spend some time over there on my days off. I figure Amanda can use a hand anyway, and it'd probably be fun for me too. It's weird to think what Emily will probably learn to do in those 8 weeks. She's growing up so fast!!

Double standard

Last night, for some reason, I had trouble getting to sleep. The night before I had had all kinds of terrible dreams, and then we watched "V for Vendetta" which is not that great of a movie and has all kinds of things in it that my mind saved up to turn into horrible thoughts later. So, even though I was up until after 12:30, I had to be up at 6 with Emily when she woke up hungry. Fortunately she snoozed from 6:30 til 7, so I had a little more shut-eye but I've been so spoiled that today was a bit rough. Anyway, tonight we went to a party at a friend's house, and when Emily got tired I came home and put her to bed while Travis stayed to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. Even though his staying up late is his choice and he's having fun with friends while mine was an episode of my stupid brain attacking itself, it'll still be me getting up at 6 tomorrow. Not that I could sleep much past then, anyway, cuz my boobs get so full that the pain wakes me up. Oh well.

Emily has found her toes!! Talk about CUTE! When we lay her down or recline her in a chair she reaches for her feet, although she'd generally prefer to be sitting upright. She can pretty much sit on her own now, and she's able to pick up toys off the floor once she's dropped them. She seems to think she's mobile, and is surprised when she lunges in a direction and then gets stuck there. Amanda said she nearly rolled over on Friday, kinda scaring herself, I guess!! She tries to imitate what we do - if we're buzzing on her feet or her tummy she'll put her lips together and buzz, if I babble at her she babbles back, and if I sing to her she kind of sings back (different than the babbling, a very soft, consonant-free song). I am just crazy about Emily. Even for a girl who's not so giggly, she's really really happy and I just would do anything to see her smile at me. She's the most amazing thing!!