You CAN always get what you want!

Day will be 7 months old tomorrow. She sits up all by her big girl self. She hasn't really tried to crawl yet, but why would she need to? We put everything she wants within her reach. And we also pick her up every single time she fusses. And she still mostly sleeps in our bed. And she still thinks she has to nurse all night. If it is even possible to spoil a 7 month old, she is officially spoiled. But we all like it that way. She rules.

We bought her a sippy cup this past weekend, and she is very proud to sip her water out of it. Ken has been concerned that she has something to drink while she's eating dinner, so now we have the sippy. And she loves it. And Daddy is happy. He is also happy because Day's babble is Da-Da this and Da-Da that. We have been talking about whether it counts as her first word or if she is supposed to know what she is saying before we can officially call it her first word. Really, I'm just giving Ken a hard time because the only time she says anything remotely like Mama is when she is crying. It's all Da-Da when she is happy and playing.

We are entering the stage of separation anxiety. Big time. And I mean break down crying and screaming when I walk out of the room like she may never see me again. "THEY" say not to sneak out of the room, but to say "bye" and tell them where you are going. That when you sneak out, you are just feeding their fear that you will disappear into thin air. But, sometimes I just have to sneak out. And she'll get distracted and not miss me until I reappear. Then she gets mad that I ever left and pitches a big fit. And so I pick her up and reassure her that I did not vanish into thin air. And of course that reinforces the "pitch a fit equals being picked up" equation that she is so fond of. Miss Jackie does this for her at school, too. So she's learning fast that fussing gets her what she wants. How else will she get what she wants? She's a baby!

She has 4 teeth now - 2 top and 2 bottom. Yeah, sometimes she tries them out on me while she's eating, but mostly when she's finished and just bored. It doesn't hurt long. And it doesn't happen that often. I think more teeth must be trying to break through because she grinds. It is an awful sound! I've felt in the back for molars, but none have appeared. I'm really not sure which ones are supposed to come in next anyway.

These pictures are from the last few weeks. Just random stuff:

Sometimes she goes to sleep while I'm feeding her at lunch. It melts me.



Here's a shot of the chompers.



This was her first ride in the grocery store buggy. Ken is still doing the produce comparison thing from when I was pregnant. Looks like Day might be as big as that watermelon!



Just about the only place in the house that she is happy when NOT being held is in her Bumbo on the kitchen counter. I think it's just a good height and she doesn't feel like she's missing anything. Makes doing dishes and cooking more pleasant with such happy company.



This is a STAGED shot. I did not, repeat DID NOT, feed my baby ribs on Labor Day. But I did pose her chewing on one for Miss Jackie (from the chicken bone incident).



Look at this sprig of hair! This is the last of the mohawk she was born with. The rest is new hair. It's like a baby comb over most of the time, but then sometimes it sticks straight up. I love it!



This was her 1/2 birthday party. It was only me, Day, and Ken. And there wasn't a cake - just green beans. But she did get a card. And what did she do with it? Straight to the mouth.



We are in between stages with bath time. She sits up, so she could take a bath in the big tub. But that would require bending over her and well, that's just not comfortable. She doesn't like to lean back. She never has, really. So this plastic tub is not her favorite. We tried just sitting in the sink and that worked ok, but I have sanitation issues with it. Guess we'll work through that soon enough.



We have been working on good sleep habits since the beginning, with MUCH struggle. Most days when we get home from work/school she takes a 30 minute nap. Sometimes in the swing, sometimes in my bed with my help. This particular afternoon she was exhausted so I just put her in her crib and walked away. I do this periodically and the result is always the same. FREAK OUT. This time she just wiggled around, chewed on Arnold's tail (the pig), and went to sleep. I was so proud! She almost lost her sock in the process.



No story here. Just unbelievable cuteness.



And for the record, she will also pant for a glass, regardless of what's in it. So, my theory is that it is the material she is so crazy about. Not the alcohol. But, it is still a little bit unnerving to see her pant like a dog while reaching for a bottle of beer. And just like most things at our house, she gets what she wants. At least it's good beer.



I love this crazed look. This is how she gets when she's sleepy and can't really stay with any one thing very long.



Another picture from lunch at First Methodist. Would you call this look mischievous?



This was a strange happening. She was home with a fever, so that might have contributed, because like I said earlier, she has very specific sleep patterns, but she bounced herself right to sleep. It was so cute. She would nod off, then kinda wake up and automatically her legs would start bouncing again and that would lull her back to sleep. Hasn't happened since. I've tried.

And this is her favorite thing in the world (and mine). A clean fresh sweet smelling baby in her footy pajamas ready to go to bed. In her left hand is Milky Love, a cow thing Susan bought her in the hospital. She holds onto him when she's nursing. When she finishes (if she is still awake) she chews on his ears and horns while I read until she's asleep. Heaven.

No Longer Starving

I'm not quite ready to accept defeat, although it's looking like I'll be getting a whole lot of "I Told-Ya-So's" over this one. If I wasn't so refreshingly well rested I might be grumpy that everybody has been right about this. Let me state for the record that even had I known this was going to be the outcome, I still would have waited to start solids. I feel good about my decision, and I would NOT have done it differently. And, really, it COULD be a coincidence...

Ok, enough already, here's the deal: Day ate solid food last night and slept like a champ. Like never before. Woke up ONE TIME between 9:00 PM and 6:00 AM, and I think that was because Ken slammed his wedding ring on the headboard. (He also talked non-stop in his sleep last night, so I'm surprised all of us weren't awake more often.) Then, she went back to sleep so I could get ready for work, the little sweetie.

Aside from the very random nights that only seem to happen every 3 weeks or so, Day has been getting up every 2 to 3 hours every night for 6 months. Everyone and their mother (including my mother) have been nagging me about starting this kid on solid foods. Among other reasons, "because she'll sleep better". Now, I am not of the opinion that it is wise to stuff your infant full of food before she is developmentally ready just to get a full night's sleep. Otherwise, I would have gone that route before now. But, Day has been showing some definite signs of readiness lately, and so we did it. And she slept. The verdict is still out though. I'll talk to you again in a week or so when I know this was not one of those random nights that only get my hopes up that we might be turning a corner on the sleep routine.

On the menu was avocado and milk (from me, not from a cow). She was more interested in playing with it than she was eating it, and honestly the experience was a little anticlimactic, but it is done. And so now to all the people who have been ashamed of me for STARVING my child, I am no longer starving her. She is on the road to eating like a regular little person. This does not mean that now she can have cookies, pork chops, etc. It only means I am gradually introducing her to the world of solid food, and hopefully teaching her healthy habits along the way.







Side story to all of this: Last week at daycare, I walked into her room to get her for lunch and my child was gnawing on a chicken bone. She was sitting in the lap of her favorite teacher (who shall remain nameless to save her job) and yes, she had a leg bone IN HER MOUTH. Now, it all happened very fast, and the teacher has denied any wrongdoing or mischief, but I saw what I saw. I didn't freak out. After all, what was I gonna do? So, now I'm undecided on what to record in her baby book for first food: Avocado or Chicken Bone?

Home Alone

A few weeks ago I came up with a brilliant idea. It stemmed from exhaustion, as most of my brilliant ideas do these days. I would get up one morning, get Day ready for school, drop her off, and come back home to SLEEP! It was such a great plan that I wondered why it had taken me 2 1/2 months to think of. But then the momma guilt set in and I started thinking what kind of mother am I that I have to take my baby somewhere else just to get a nap? So, for the last few weeks exhaustion and guilt have been battling it out. Exhaustion won! And I mean in a big way... guilt has retreated never to be heard from again on this issue. I am home alone!

I guess this is really the first time since I had Day that I have been in this house without her. It's strange and of course I don't know what to do with myself, BUT it is almost 10:00 AM and I haven't even been up a whole hour. Still on my first cup of coffee. And even better than the original plan, Ken got her ready for me this morning and took her to school. (I wonder what she has on... I'll report later on that I'm sure.)

Another first this weekend, Ken and I went on a date! At night! Without Day! Yes, for the first time in almost 6 months. Mom and Jimmy came over to keep her, and we weren't even gone 3 hours, but still. I was nervous. Not because of whose care she was in (ok, a little because of that), but just because I hate to think about her crying over something that I can fix yet being unable to fix it because I'm not there. Probably another one of those themes of motherhood that I will experience for the rest of my life now. Here's the report I got: (I think they softened it a little for us.) She did good for about 30 minutes, then she was pretty much pissed the rest of the time. Mom said she didn't really get a "bath" per se... more like a wet down. She wasn't quite able to get her socks on her after the bath - almost didn't get the snap secured on the back of her pajamas. Then, she tried to recreate her fall asleep routine, exchanging my boob for a bottle of course, but Day was not fooled. And was not happy about it. She finally wore herself out about 8:45. She is rarely up past 8:00.

So, my mom will instantly feel guilt and/or inadequacy when she reads this, so let me say that this scenario could have happened to anyone. Although I would not have trusted the job to anyone else. My mother loves Day just like she birthed her herself. Just ask her. Well, you don't even have to ask her. If you know my mother, you already know this. And here's the truth of it - I was sad for Day that she cried, but a little happy that she missed me. Sick, right? I know. Another double edged sword.

Thanks, Cacky and Bebo for taking care of me! Sorry I screamed at you! Love, Day

I'm sure these little steps involving separation in any form will get a little easier. Just like it got easier to leave her at daycare. And I've had enough therapy and child development courses to know it is what healthy parents do (although I've never been completely healthy). I want to raise an independent child. But I want to be a constant source of comfort for her. And I don't want to miss a single moment! So, there. My thoughts in a rare moment of solitude.

Favorite pics from the last few weeks...

Lost and Found

Last weekend, I was making some space on my phone by transferring pictures to my computer. I have software that came with my phone and it syncs everything with the press of a button. This syncing business is sort of unclear to me. I'm more comfortable with words like save, move, cut/paste, etc. Anyway, I synced my phone, cleared off a bunch of photos, synced again, and POOF! Every. Single. One. Of. My. Photos. Was. Lost.

As you might imagine, after the initial gasp for air, I immediately broke down in a fit of sobs. Ken was sitting next to me and Day was on the floor. I made such a racket they both just got very still and stared at me. Sort of like how you might react if you saw a dying animal. Before you make a move to help, you must first determine if you will get hurt in the process. They did not interfere.

I couldn't breathe. The thought of losing all of those pictures... from pregnancy, hospital, first pediatrician visit, first grocery store trip, lunch time visits at daycare, just everyday life with my baby goddess. Lost. Forever. All I could manage to say was "Nooooo". Ok, so it was a little overdramatic. I admit that only because the end of the story is good. This syncing business apparently has an automatic backup that saves everything - even if you delete it off your phone and the software program. When I realized this, I cried again (maybe harder) at the relief of what had just been salvaged. And I laughed. With joy because I still had my precious photos and then at myself and the extreme emotions I had just experienced. Still no reaction from the family - they were still stunned at what they were witnessing. All of this happened in a matter of about 5 minutes.

After the shock wore off, Ken told me that I definitely deserved a dramatic actress award. Here are some of the photos from that batch that I was SICK about "losing"...

The Last 2 Months

Every time I think about posting a new blog I get overwhelmed with how much has happened since my last post and just can't muster up the energy to catch you all up on everything. So, I just decided to share some of my favorite pictures from the last 2 months ....

Day and Caston were in the same class at daycare for about a month until he moved up to the one year old class. I love this picture because Caston is WAY too big for that swing and because the look on Day's face is great. It's like she's saying, "Come on, Cuz. Get it together."



This is one of my treasures... 4 generations of moms and daughters. It's not the "best" shot of the 4 of us, but I think it is the most natural. The others seemed too posed. I love these women with all of my heart.

My cousin Suzy is an amazing photographer. She took these photos at David's wedding.

See more of her work: http://familyisfoureverlove.blogspot.com/

The night that we got back from the wedding weekend in Georgia, Day slept all night. And I mean ALL night. Went to bed at 8:00 PM. Woke up at 6:00 AM. Nothing like this had ever happened. The most she had ever slept in one stretch before this was 4 hours. I was so excited! I actually felt dizzy and disoriented I had gotten so much sleep. Of course, I did check on her to make sure she was breathing a couple of times, but she never woke up. Well, the celebration was short lived. She was so fussy when she finally woke up that I ended up taking her to the doctor... earache in both ears and 2 teeth coming through. (Yes, her first teeth broke through at 3 1/2 months). This is a picture from later that morning napping with her daddy.



Our first family beach trip was in June. She liked the beach just fine, but seemed to like the pool a little better. Her daddy accidentally dunked her under the water in the pool. Day recovered quickly. I did not.



More of my favorites from the beach:

For years now, Ken and I have gotten loads of Christmas cards of kids on the beach. Although we love seeing everybody's children growing up, it has also always been kind of bittersweet. We have joked before that we would pose with all of our animals in matching sweaters for our Christmas cards. So, this year we did the family photo shoot. Not sure if these will end up on cards or not, but it was nice to just have the opportunity.