October 31, 2008

Dear Candidates,

Please stop calling me.

I do not need you, or your wife, to call me every.single.day. and tell me that I can vote early.

I am informed and aware and I'll get to it.

Also, please stop acting like school children on the playground.

You know, the ones who wait for their "free" time to pick on one another and call each other names?

It isn't attractive and it makes me wish there was another candidate who acted like, oh I dunno, a grownup.

These are serious times we live in and you pointing fingers and blaming one another and acting basically like you're stuck in your tweens does not give me confidence.

Another thing: please study up on debate procedures. One of you will be running again in four years, I assume, and if I have to sit through another 15 minutes (that is as long as I could take it) of you not answering questions and not following the format and not telling me what you are going to do as president, then my head may implode.

And I have an infant. Who has not (thus far) made any part of me implode. The fact that you have come closer to achieving this than she is, well, sad.

So get it together; you're supposed to lead.

October 30, 2008

Five Months

Señorita Clementina,


Today you are five months old.

It has been a long month full of new experiences and changes, both the exciting kind and the unwelcome variety. Perhaps your largest accomplishment this month, and one that took you all month to achieve, is that of getting your feet into your mouth. You began by reaching for them:


Then by golly you got them:


Finally you managed to get your legs to stop working against your arms and you got those toes into your mouth:


Mmmm - toes. Such flexibility you demonstrate! I am amazed as neither your father nor I are gifted with flexibility of any sort; we cannot even manage to touch our toes, much less put them anywhere near our face. You are not the only one who enjoys your toes; Cooper-chew-lones quite enjoys licking your tootsies whenever he gets the chance. You are the only one of us he licks, aside from a quick one to say hey. He licks your feet with such fervor, as if to say "Finally! I'm touching the baby!"

We have been getting out and about as much as possible this month. We went to the Houston zoo, to the Scarecrow Festival in Chappell Hill, and then we went to Virginia to celebrate your Geat Ganny's 80th birthday with all of our family.

You flew for the first time this month, and I must say that you are a champeen traveler. There was essentially no fussing on the plane ride up to Virginia and only a little bit on the way home. By that point you were tired of traveling for the day. I don't blame you one bit; I was tired of it too.

We do need to talk about the way your body reacted to life after the plane however. It appears that flying throws you off quite a bit. You went from sleeping through the night a good eight to ten hours pre-plane to sleeping an average of 3 hours at a time post-plane. Things were especially bad at Guga's house in Virginia. You refused to sleep unless in my arms the first night, and things only gradually got better for the following two nights. Then, when we returned to Houston, you decided that your new "schedule" was fine and dandy in your baby opinion and so I am back to not sleeping. Thank you so very much.

Your new night-time behavior is due to a combination of things, since the first waking is for food, but the others are just 'cause. Two nights ago it was because it was freezing in the house and a few nights, like last night, it was because you felt the need to practice your gymnastics at 1:30 am. Excellent.

Apparently you are learning to roll over to your right side. You woke up in the middle of the night and practiced rolling to the left a while ago, so why wouldn't you take advantage of the same for your right side? It worked well for you then, so why not now?

You also have a love of sleeping on your tummy and when you can't get all the way over because you run into the side of your crib, you half-way wake up and complain about it. Right this very minute you are on your play mat beside me in the office. You played for a while and then got sleepy, so you fell asleep on your back, but then silently rolled over to your tummy and you are snoozing away...half on and half off the mat.

Back to the trip home, boy was it a whirlwind of people and noises and New! Things! Everywhere! You met so many new people and were bombarded with love by your cousins. One of them loved you so much that you now have her cold. Awesome!

Our family gets together once a year and we eat (Imagine that. You will soon learn that my side of the family tends to plan most things around food.) and then have a hoe-down of sorts. We have banjos, guitars, lots of singers, and a family songbook. You were so exhausted from your travels and all of the new things that this was your participation:


That is your Aunt holding you; she couldn't stand it that you were so snugly with her all night. Yup; she hated it so much that she held you like that for what seemed like forever. A baby fix indeed.

Well, hello! Your head just popped up; you are awake! Ooohhh...where am I? Lookee here; things to play with!


Speaking of playing, you have been getting a little use out of your exersaucer this month. At the beginning of October, you could barely even hold yourself up at all in the seat. Mostly, you just sucked on the seat itself. Now, however, you can hold yourself up pretty good and you even manage to move to and push the buttons on the toys to make them play music. I am fairly certain that you will come to love this toy in the months to come.


Another thing you love to do it to stand up. Oh, it is one of your favorite activities. You will grunt while we hold you and then we will help you stand and then you let out a squawk because: success!


This weekend we spent our time at home and you practiced sitting in your new seat. You enjoy this position and are almost always in a quiet-alert learning state when in it. In the morning on Sunday we listened to Pop-Pop on the computer and you sat in your seat:


Then later in the evening, we gutted and carved the pumpkin. You had no idea what was going on and this photo marks the one split second that you even looked at one of us working on the pumpkin. As usual, your hands were on the menu and you were busy with them:



Aside from the hands and feet which are constantly on the menu, you have now begun to search for other things to place in your mouth. Right now your searching is limited to your tongue. You have yet to figure out that your hands would be the best tool for finding things, but I am sure that will change soon.

Due to your runny nose, I have been wiping your nose/face frequently the past two weeks. When I do this, and also when you are getting a bath, you stick your tongue out of your mouth as far as it will go in the direction of the washcloth. The first time I put it in your mouth so you could see what it was, you let out a squeal. Oh how exciting to accomplish what you are attempting. The cold accompanied with the constant slobber you wipe all over your face has caused your cheeks to become chapped. They also have a rash on them. Good times.

For future reference, when you are a teenager and are oh so upset with me because I am So Unfair and So Uncool, I will remind you that your life is like this because I had to use the aspirator to rid your nose of copious amounts of mucous when you were almost five months old. That's right, it is All My Fault.

To say you do not like this particular activity is such the understatement.

Not that I blame you.

One thing you most definitely enjoy is being outside. It has become very fall-like here in Houston in the past week or so. I have to put layers on you in order to take our daily walk. This green outfit has come in handy:


This past Saturday we had lovely weather so we spent some time in the backyard with he dog. We grilled our dinner and your Dad spent some time talking to you about the trees.


I can't wait to take you to the lake nearby to feed the ducks. There are only about one hundred of them and boy do they come a runnin' when bread is to be had. We'll be sure to leave Cooper at home so that they'll actually get near you without a ton of fussing.

Pretty soon you'll be reaching for the dog all on your own. We shall see how that goes over; I suspect that he shall steer clear of you most of the time because holy! smokes! it! moves! You are already reaching out with one hand to grab toys and people, so it is only a matter of time before you grab him.

I think the only other thing of note this month is that your hair is finally growing. It isn't enough to see in photos yet, but your itty bitty peach fuzz is gone and very fine hairs are getting longer by the day. It makes me a little sad because I miss the peach fuzz head that I was accustomed to snuggling with at night when you fell asleep. It makes me happy because it means you are growing and healthy...and also that maybe you won't be bald at two years old like your mama was.

I imagine that most of your life will be like this. Accomplishments and changes will be at once sad and exciting for a multitude of reasons. I am also fairly certain that my feelings regarding your growth will surprise me more often than not. At least I know that one feeling won't be a surprise and that is that I love you very much.


Love,
Mom

October 28, 2008

Dear Fall-Like Weather,

You make me so...

Very happy.

I'm so glad you...

Came into my life.

October 23, 2008

Geat Ganny

Courtesy of Thing Two, my Granny has a new name. It is Geat Ganny. That's right, no R people. Get with the program.

Little Miss Itty Bitty finally got to meet her Geat Ganny this past weekend. Maybe I should switch that since LMIB had no clue she even had a Geat Ganny until then. GG was so exceptionally excited to get her hands on LMIB, though.

We traveled Thursday, via plane and car, to Virginia. Then I was up all night long as apparently traveling changed LMIB's clock and made it all wonky. Excellent indeed.

Friday we were at the house in the morning along with my brother's family. It was wonderful to spend time together. LMIB had never been around children who were that excited to see her or who could get that close to her, though, so she did not know what to think!

After spending her morning in very close proximity to Thing One


and Thing Two


she was a little worn out. We went up to see Geat Ganny so that they could spend some quality time together one-on-one. The initial meeting can be summed up by this photo:


LMIB is about to pass out and Geat Ganny is just a talking.

After sitting with her in a dazed state for a while, LMIB got very tired and just fell right to sleep in GG's arms. GG didn't like that one bit, no she did not. She also did not tell everyone we met as we were leaving that it had happened, no siree.

Once LMIB was recharged, things got more interesting. For example, she actually noticed GG:



Then they had some fun:












We always enjoy visiting with Granny, and she with us, but this time I have a feeling we both enjoyed ourselves a little more than usual. One thing is for certain: LMIB loves her GG!

October 22, 2008

Zzzz

Last night, for the first time since we traveled to Virginia last Thursday morning, Little Miss Itty Bitty slept all night without waking.

Can I get a hallelujah?

I am fairly certain that at around 11:30 pm or so she acted like she was going to wake, as I distinctly remember thinking something along the lines of you have got to be kidding me, but apparently she managed to get herself back to sleep since I didn't get up.

I bet you are wondering why I am up now.

No, it is not because I am all rested and just don't know what to do with myself and all of this sleep. If it were up to me I'd be in bed right up until she decides to wake up this morning.

However.

I speak some Spanish; my husband does not.

I was gently woken at 5 am...is any waking gentle at that hour in my situation? Not so much...to call a credit card company in lovely España.

It was great fun using my old skills at that hour. Especially since my brain ceases to function most of the time now that I've had a baby.

Babies: they make you stupid.

We are fairly confident that we are going to get what we need, so I guess that is something.

Of course now I am UP with an exclamation point.

Figures.

October 15, 2008

Straight From Our Neighborhood Newsletter:

page 14
-----------------------------------------------------

What's in a Street Name?

At times, questions arise about our [Neighborhood Name] street names. Therefore, occasionally the street names will be defined. In this issue, one name from each section is explained. More to follow in upcoming issues!

Section 1 - Ensemble - a group of musicians, actors, or dancers who perform together.

Section 2 - Rolling Rock - a beer.

Section 3 - Crescendo - Music - a gradual increase in loudness in a piece of music.

Section 4 - Sinfonia - a symphony - In the 17th and 18th centuries an orchestral piece used as an Introduction, interlude, or postlude in an opera, oratorio, cantata, or suit.
-----------------------------------------------------

Aside from the explanations of those musical terms and more specifically the particular words used to define them (Um...loudness, really? As in "Hey, could you please turn up the loudness on the T.V.?" How about the word volume? I think most people, children included, have heard of that word), I find the Rolling Rock definition to be lacking and funny all at the same time.

That's it. Just a beer.

It should also be noted that Rocket Man and I live in Section 2.

Indeed.

October 14, 2008

Swimming

While in Horseshoe Bay, Texas during Hurricane Ike, Little Miss Itty Bitty went swimming for the first time. Here she is in her lovely 2T (the smallest I could find at the last minute) Ariel swimsuit. I am sure the IEs will love it.


She is really not sure what in the world we are doing at this point. I'm pointing the flashing black thing her way and she has no idea what she is in for.


To say that being in the water relaxed her is a huge understatement. She got soooo sleepy and limp in the water; it must have been nice to have the gravity lifted. She would look like she was going to sleep, but she never did.


A successful introduction; we can't wait for next year!

12 of 12 October

I attempted to have a 12 of 12 that is not all photos of a certain baby. I tried, I really did. I did not succeed, mostly because I forgot to take photos in the afternoon and evening. Oops. Anyway, thanks to Chad for the brazilliant idea. All photos were taken in Houston, Texas. Here you go; my 12 of 12 for October:


8:22 am; I woke up this morning to this ensemble. Rootin' Tootin' Cowgirl was up, happy, freshly diapered and changed into her clothes for the day. Thank you, Rocket Man!


8:25 am; On the weekends we go for walks in the morning. While we were getting ready, making coffee, and changing clothes, we placed RTC in her bouncy seat. She loves to talk and talk in the morning after she is fed.


8:26 am; Cooper had a haircut on Thursday. We let the groomer give him a real 'do instead of just shaving him for the heat. She had not done a Lakeland Terrier before and she went off of a description, not a photo. I think he looks pretty good considering those circumstances. He agrees.


8:27 am; Remember how I said she likes to talk? Well, new on the List Of Things I Can Do is this. It is her mouth-trumpet; she imitates her Dad after he plays his.


12:24 pm; Ahhh, Okami. I heart Okami.


12:27 pm; Mmmm - goldfish. Pretty soon I'll be carrying containers of these with me everywhere I go. Unfortunately for RTC, she'll have to share. We'll call that a learning experience, yes?


12:41 pm; Look at me! I can stand!


12:41 pm; Ooohhhh - I see my ceiling fan! I heart ceiling fans.


12:42 pm; Daddy is so funny.


12:42 pm; Cooper: I'm not looking at the baby. Squeaky football? What squeaky football? Not looking, not looking, not looking...


12:43 pm; RTC: I've already been petting that noisy animal today, do I have to stand here and look at him too? No way, people! I shall look....over there!


3:08 pm; RTC spends her free time shoving her hands and any toys she can get a hold of into her mouth and grabbing her feet. She desperately wants to put her feet in her mouth as well, but she is not quite there yet. Boy does she work at it though.

So that is my day...sort of. I forgot to take photos the rest of the day, partly because RTC was a little tired and fussy from 2pm onward. Also, whenever I did get a break from her I may have played Okami. Perhaps.

Anyway, head over to Chad's to check out what everyone else did today!!

October 5, 2008

A day to celebrate!

Happy birthday to you!


Happy birthday to you!


We hope you have a wonderful day!


Happy birthday to you!


We love you!

October 3, 2008

Oy

Rootin' Tootin' Cowgirl decided that yesterday was a good day to mix things up a bit.

By mix things up, I mean wake up at 3:30am and then be rather fussy all the stinkin' day long.

Okay, so it really wasn't all day.

It was rather stinkin' though, since I remained in my pajamas all day.

Yup.

Showers are overrated.

Not really, but managing to get one with in infant is a feat indeed.

I think it is the first time I've done that since she arrived in May, so I consider that an accomplishment.

I wouldn't have been able to do so if not for the visitors who helped out along the way.

Thanks to Rocket Man (of course) and Guga, Papa Jim, Kass, Grammie, Pop Pop, R-Shelly, Jenky, Rissa-Roo and Uncle Brrrnnnnnt.

I made that last one up just now. Hope it is okay.

It made me laugh anyway.

OH SO TRUE it is.

Anyway, the reason she was up so much and so fussy and apparently hungry all day is because of this:


Oh, yes. RTC got up at 3:30am to eat, and then decided that it was the perfect time to practice this. She started out with only the right hand and foot, but during the day she worked very hard and became fairly consistent with being able to grab both feet with both hands at the same time.

In fact, this morning she awoke at 5:30 (after waking to eat at 1:30am and 4:00am to eat...growing much?) and began practicing it in her bed. She soon wanted an audience and a better place to work on her moves - the floor - so it was up and at 'em for me as well.

No worries - I have showered and am in real people clothes to boot.

Impressed, aren't you?