Things I Love

Note to left-brained people: The text and photos are just thrown in, they don’t necessarily relate.

These are things I’m loving right now and don’t want to forget about…

I love when I take her hand as she’s about to start down the front steps and she says, “Tankoo”.

I love when she puts things together for the first time. Right now, she is naming things according to who they belong to: Momma shoe. Daddy shoe. Baby diaper.

I love when she wants you to hold something so she says, “Tankoo sippy”, as she hands you her sippy cup.

I love the way she says APP-A-JUICE.

I love when she pretends to go to sleep. She thinks it’s so funny when she “tricks” me.

I love when I ask her if she’s poo-poo and she stops to think about it. She will say no even if she is, but a nod ‘yes’ is always a sure thing.

I love how she puts her hands over her eyes to hide. And the squeal of joy when I “find” her.

I love when she lays down on the floor and rolls over onto her back and lays there with a smile, waiting to be tickled.

I love how she lunges out for night night kisses while I’m holding her and how she’ll kiss anyone nearby.

I love how she has to arrange things, and when they get just right (which is rare and requires a lot of effort), she gets very still.

I love her growl-voice when she says “bear”.

I love how she loves to make people laugh.

I love that she loves books and has individual names for them all, even if they aren’t the actual titles.

I love when we are naming things in picture books and she tells me when I’m right with an exaggerated nod and a “Uh-huh, Uh-huh”.

I love how she has started trying different tactics to get picked up: “Mmm, baby? Momma? Hold me?”

I love how she loves her daddy and when we hear him coming she says “DADDY HOME”!

And when he leaves in the mornings they chorus back and forth “BYE BYE DAY”, “BYE BYE DADDY” at least 10 times. Same thing at night: “NIGHT NIGHT DAY”, “NIGHT NIGHT DADDY”.

I love when we are in the backyard and she names all the dogs and bends over with delight when she gets to McWally the cat.

I love how if one of the dogs gets too close she swats backwards and says “GO!”

Life Events

(I wrote this almost a month ago, but wasn’t able to post it until now.)

March? Seriously? That's how long it's been since I wrote a blog? Shame on me!

Well, we have been busy. We bought the house I mentioned in an earlier blog. With this move will be some pretty significant changes... most obvious is a bigger and much older house. One of my very best friends reminded me the other day that older houses require a different kind of love and family to inhabit them. Mere mortals could never be satisfied with an old house. I've put that idea on repeat in my brain since it was built in 1898. I am in love with this house…

Another big change is the move from Columbus to West Point. I’ve told myself all along that it’s really not that big of a deal and it’s only 20 minutes away, but it’s the psychological impact that I’m starting to feel. My child will go to school there. She’ll make friends and be raised there. This will be her hometown. And it’s different than mine. I have learned to appreciate West Point for all of its strangeness. After all, I married one of its strange products and some of my best friends are of that same species. But I have always assumed that Day would have the same experiences as me growing up… going to the same parks, schools, churches, library, etc. I’m just rearranging all that I thought it would be like. I guess that happens with every life event. And the unknown can be exciting and scary at the same time.

One of the greatest changes that is happening very soon is that I’ll be starting part time work! I have never in my life even considered it or played around with the idea. Not even since I’ve had Day. But I’ve worked with grants for 5 years now, and the nature of the game is that things can change. And quickly. I was forced to decide that we could make it on my part time salary because that became my only definite option. Once I decided we COULD do it, I wondered why I didn’t WANT to do it. Suddenly, my perspective shifted and the thought of spending more time at home became worth much more than having internet access and eating out at restaurants along with all of the other excesses in our lives. I’ll keep you posted on that shifting perspective.

So, now to the important stuff… Day Francis Magillicutty. (That’s what I call her when she is challenging me and I need to make sure she knows I am still the boss.)

Miss Day LOVES her new house. We “camped” there for a weekend before they started work on the floors and she played in the backyard, fell asleep on the front porch swing, and ran through the hall like it was an open meadow.

She has quite a flair for the dramatic. When she is upset (read: devastated) she grasps her mouth as if she’d just heard the most horrible news and throws herself down. Sometimes forward, but when things are really terrible (for example, when she’s been told “no”) she flings herself backwards. Hand over mouth, head flung back, back dive. This usually results in a bumped head which only adds to the drama. Then she looks at me as if I’d knocked her on the head just to be a mean momma.

Miraculously though, most of the time the only sure fix is to be held by that same mean momma. When she wants to be picked up (oh, say… 96% of her life) she reaches up to me and says, “Mmm, Baby?” I think this roughly translates into “Would you like to hold your precious baby?” I have tried a few diversion tactics, but mostly I just say, “Yes, I would love to hold Mmm Baby.”

Day and I went to the beach last month (pre-oil) with my bestest friends and their kids. It just magnified to me how much help Ken is and how child raising is more than a one-person job.

Babycenter.com tells me that tantrums and separation anxiety are par for the course right now. That really does make me feel better. I have to give myself pep talks along these lines… “You are not failing miserably at this parenting thing.” And even if I am, Ken is taking up the slack. Here’s proof: (early morning father/daughter outing while I slept = HEAVEN)

Getting "Into" Everything

I’m not sure what I thought this meant before I had Day. I guess I assumed it was a general description of a stage where kids are just interested in everything, just busy exploring. Maybe they are opening drawers and pulling out contents and investigating things. I’m learning that it does mean all of that but that it also means exactly what it says… getting INTO everything. It’s Day’s new obsession. She wants to fit into, climb into, sit in or on everything. She is still not walking but she can accomplish some pretty impressive gymnastic feats in order to get on top of or inside of something that poses a challenge to her. She got herself into all of the following:

Cabinets:


Baby Doll Stroller:

Walker:

Diaper Box:

Side note about this toy box. This was Ken’s dad’s military issue army trunk back in “the day”. I actually have no idea how old it is, but Ken’s mom painted it and added this kitty/duck sticker at least 20 years ago for her first set of grandkids. And now, it’s Day’s! Isn’t it so cool? Ken sanded the corners and added a hinge so she wouldn’t get splinters or her hand smooshed. Thanks Maw-Maw and Paw-Paw!

Pile O'Books on Step Stool:


Swing:


That last one was actually at a house we were (are) looking at to buy. I think if the homeowners agree to leave this swing, we’ll have Day’s approval. And yes, a new house is the next big thing we’ll be “getting into” as a family. Fingers crossed. We are OUT OF SPACE. There is so much to consider now in finding the right house. More space is top of the list of course, but schools are part of the equation now. And something I have undervalued during this process until more recently, a neighborhood with other kids Day’s age to play with.

Day is officially BORED WITH ME. We spent some QT together this week (Spring Break) and by Friday, she was all but begging me to take her to school. When we walked down the halls that morning, she was waving and smiling and saying, “HEY!” to everybody she passed, like she was in a parade. Then when I took her to her classroom, she saw her friends and that was the last she thought of me. We did get one good weather day to spend strolling and swinging in the park, where she also said HEY to everyone who would listen. Her vocabulary is growing so fast! Ken and I made a list of all the words she could say just last week, and already we’ve added 5 new ones: Nose, Ears, Eyes, Belly Button, and Cacky. I think she’s probably up around 25-30 words. And she can show you where all the above mentioned body parts are as well as her booty (couldn’t help myself, it’s cute).

Just a couple of more photos of my sweet princess…

FAV FOOD:


And Snugglin’ with Arnold:

Birthday Week

The birthday has come and gone. Last week was a blur. First there was "Labor Day", then the actual birthday and attempted birthday lunch, then the successful birthday lunch, then the cat cake that was never meant to be, then the beautiful, glorious Saturday birthday weather. This week has included pink eye and vaccinations so far. But it has felt much easier than last week.

I’ll work backwards…

Day weighs 17 lbs 13 oz. For those rude people who want to know where that puts her on the growth chart, your answer is “right where she should be.” The truthful answer is I really don’t know. I don’t grade her on her growth performance and neither does her pediatrician. She is 28 inches long. She is very close to walking, but doesn’t know she can yet. She’ll stand unassisted sometimes, then realize it and sit down super fast. And she’ll RUN with her water legs as long as you are holding onto her. She pushes her stroller across the house like the professional Nanny that she is.

Speaking of, the girl could run her own daycare. She lines up her babies, feeds them all a bottle or her sippy, gives them snacks, and her new favorite… wipes their faces with a baby wipe. She hates to have her face wiped but she loves to wipe her babies’ faces. When she finishes wiping their faces, she wipes the floor, the walls, my face, etc. I’m glad she is so concerned with cleanliness. That’s a good sign. Considering her parents, this could have gone either way.

The party was perfect. I put my order in for good weather, and it must have been processed just in time. A couple of days before, I was telling Suzy (my cousin) that the forecast on our wedding day was scattered storms but that I was never worried and did not have a backup plan. The weather was perfect that day, too. This time, I had a backup plan, but not a very good one. My house would have been a little cramped. Thank GOD for the sunshine on Saturday!



For the first half hour of the party, Day wanted me to hold her, wouldn’t go to anybody else, laid her head on my shoulder, etc. Then her other mommas showed up (Rachel and Miss Jackie) and she did what she does at school… practically jumped out of my arms to get to them. She devoured her cake like all good one year olds do, rubbing it in her hair and kicking her legs in pure ecstasy. I’ll say this about the cake experience: It is apparent that she has the “stage” gene. The one that gives you the desire, no… the NEED to perform for other people. Even if you are the only performer. ESPECIALLY if you are the only performer. This gene skipped me. I can handle attention if it is diffused. Not spotlight attention. It’s a toss up as to who passed along this gene to Day… her father or her grandmother. Both will want credit.



I was slightly overambitious in my cake planning for the party. Since Day is obsessed with all things “kitty-cat”, I ordered a cat shaped cake pan for her birthday cake. How hard could it be? Mix up a boxed batter, pour it in, bake, decorate. I guess because the pan is not uniform and therefore is thicker in some places (or maybe because I only know how to steam vegetables) the cake would NOT set up all the way through! It was deceiving, though. I was unaware that the cat belly was still batter until the day of the party when I tried to start icing it. I didn’t freak out. I just tried again. With the same result. Maybe next year.



On the actual birthday, the plan was for my mom and I to take Day for a big girl birthday lunch. She has a pretty regular routine at school, so I was going to pick her up around lunch after her morning nap. When I got there, she was sound asleep and had had not been that way for very long. Since I live by the motto, "Never wake a sleeping baby," we decided to try again the next day.

The plan on day 2 was to go to Zachary’s instead of Peppers to save time on our lunch breaks. Long story short, we ended up at Huck’s after Zachary’s refused to serve us because of a new smoking ordinance. The “barmaid” (I’m being nice) yelled in her smoker’s voice that, “Ya’ll can’t come in here, honey. No one under 21 allowed!” She wouldn’t let us past the door frame. I thought she was kidding – you know, making an unfunny joke. I mean, it’s not like I was going to try to buy Day a beer. After all, it was only LUNCH time! (joking) But, she was not. With her arms extended the whole time, careening around the edge of the counter, she insisted that we turn around and go somewhere else. FINE! So, Day got kicked out of her first bar at one year old at her birthday lunch! Ken says it’s probably a good thing we went ahead and got that one out of the way.

So, semi-normal life resumes. She is in the Toddler room, sleeping on her big girl nap mat. Yesterday she painted a zebra AND her forehead. It’s zoo week at school. I wish someone had snapped a picture of that!

One last thing... as soon as I get the “professional” photos from Day’s birthday party, I’ll post them. Suzy promises to have gotten some great shots. I’m sure she did. It was a BEAUTIFUL DAY!

Labor Day

Last year I spent all 24 hours of February 15 in labor. This year, I took the day off work. Emotionally, I feel a little like I did in the weeks before Day was born. Raw. Not really wanting to talk to people. At least not wanting to pretend anything. In all honesty, I never gave a lot of thought to the one year mark. All I ever wanted was to be pregnant and have a healthy baby. Check. Everything else is (as they say) gravy.

I haven’t taken a moment for granted. I have heeded every word of advice that told me to savor my time. I’ve gazed into her angel face and soaked up the love. And still. I’m having to say goodbye to a stage that was so precious. I know, I know. It only gets better. But that’s hard to believe. It’s been REALLY good already.

We bought the “big-girl” nap mat for the toddler room at daycare. TODDLER! Did you hear me? Toddler. And I think she’s ready. It’s me that is having a hard time. She’s full steam ahead with a smile on her face. I love watching her learn, and try things, and make connections. And I’m looking forward to her birthday party. I think tomorrow will be the hard part. Or maybe I’m getting it all out today.

This weekend, I read a letter that I wrote to Day last year before she was born.

Here’s part of it:

“You are my everything. I promise to teach you about the good in this world. And I want to teach you how to be honest, even when it hurts. I know you’ll have a strong mind and will and a tender heart since your daddy and I are both that way. You could not have chosen better parents to raise you. We will NEVER take you for granted. You will always be the gift from God that we prayed for for so long. Still, we feel humbled by the gift of you. It has been such a miracle to feel you growing in my belly. At times when I thought adoption might be our path to parenthood, I never really let go of the desire to feel you grow inside of me. It has been like nothing I can describe. To share my body with you has been an honor. Honestly, I think I’ll miss you in there where you are safe and close to my heart at all times. I know raising you will be a challenge. Your daddy and I were both highly spirited children. I can’t wait to see what you’ll teach us. Know that you are loved and cherished.”

And it helped to remember that I felt this same way before she got here. And it really did just keep getting better. A wise friend told me, “the love for a child is the only love that grows toward separation”. I think I’m only beginning to understand the truth in those words.

Who knew she would LOVE a baby doll?

Christmas was fun this year. I had that feeling you get when you're a child and you wake up and realize Santa came and you can't stop smiling and you want to go run out and see what you got. A whole lot of Christmases have passed without that kind of excitement. It was even better to feel that way FOR a child rather than AS a child. Santa did not go nuts with gifts since we weren't sure what Day might or might not love. Her favorite gifts were from Maw-Maw and Paw-Paw: baby doll with bottle and stroller. She laughed when she opened the baby doll and has been feeding him a bottle every chance she gets. She even makes the sucking sound while she feeds him. It is so sweet! The stroller plays music, so she stands up, does a little dance and pushes her stroller. She has no idea she is walking. As soon as she figures out it is much faster than crawling and easier on the knees, we’re in trouble.









Day and I took a road trip for New Years, just us girls. It was a challenge to travel without any help, but we managed. And the trip was of course well worth it. Madge was trying to get Day to say GG (Great Grandmother) which is what her other “grands” call her. Well, we also have a dog named GG. This was not intentional. It just happened. Our dog GG started out as Girlfriend, but all of our animal names end up mutating into other names. So Madge would point to herself and say “GG”. Day would not respond the first few times, but I could tell she was processing. Finally, she looks at Madge and declares, “DOG!” Madge has another name. At least for now, she is Dog.



While we were there, Day had Chick-Fil-A, Krispy Kreme, and probably a sip of somebody’s Coke while I wasn’t looking. She was totally corrupted and did the food dance every time Cindy walked near her (Cindy was doing the corrupting).



A few minutes after we got to Cindy’s, Suzy blew in with her camera and a big flower headband for Day. Suzy is like Betty in that they have to literally contain/restrain themselves around Day so they don’t smother her with their love. We had to remind Suzy not to bite the baby out of sheer excitement. She took a few breaths before she approached, then took these photos.

I entered the last one in Regis and Kelly’s Beautiful Baby contest. I know. And Ken made me promise not to turn into a pageant mom like on Toddlers and Tiaras. Far from it. I just have a beautiful baby. What can I say?

The next picture means the world to me. Three beautiful daughters. Betty informed me on this trip that although Day looks a lot like me, that she is prettier than I was. And I agree. Apparently, that's how it works in our family. We just keep improving on ourselves. When we were posing these 3 together, David yelled out, "JUST WHAT WE NEED! MORE ESTROGEN UP IN THIS BUNCH!"

All of us were bathed in the kitchen sink as babies. I'm assuming other folks do this, too. It just makes sense for so many reasons. What I appreciate about this photo is the genuine happiness among the baby, the mess, and the liquor bottles. Says a lot about my family and I love it.

And this cracks me up because of the subject matter: baby doll, head down in some brown liquid in a pretend teapot amongst the dirty dishes while being shot at by Layton. But it also cracks me up because it really didn't get that much attention. It's just how we roll. We have passed these pictures around and nobody has said a word about this! And believe me, we say WORDS about EVERYTHING!

As if I have to remind you, Alabama won the National Championship. Here is Day in her houndstooth. She was fussing, about to melt down when she got interrupted by her routine (bouncy, bouncy, shaky, shaky, sideways). She is programmed to go through the steps regardless of what else is happening around her. This is her "sideways".

And one last tidbit...

We had our first visit to the ER this weekend. No, I’m not referring to the Elbow Room. That was another lifetime ago. If you know me well enough, you probably already know this story. If not, you may be better off not knowing. I’m pretty sure DHS is going to give us a call. All that matters is that Day is fine. Only Ken and I are traumatized. Also, first busted bloody lip this weekend (day after ER). I know it will happen again, but there is something very disturbing about the first time you see a bloody face on your baby. Not pleasant. Seriously, the events this weekend had me thinking about all the mothers who really have had to walk through such fear and anguish with their babies in the hospital. I only caught a fleeting glimpse, but it was powerful enough to give me a little perspective on your strength and bravery. You know who you are!

NEXT UP… Day’s First Birthday (February 16)

Could that much time really have gone by already?