Thursday, April 26, 2012

6 Months Later

Exactly 6 months, 2 hours, and 7 minutes ago I was driving myself to the hospital to deliver my girl.  Seventeen hours later I met her.

The delivery was a difficult one, and though in many ways she was beautiful... the stress of what she had just been through kind of did a number on her.  It was rough on all of us involved.

I realize that her 6 month birthday is tomorrow, but I honestly thought that she was going to be born on the 26th.

This girl has been through a lot. 2 weeks in the NICU, another 2 weeks on at home oxygen.  3 weeks after that we moved.  And on Saturday we are moving again.  Her Dad spent a week in the hospital, our family has changed for the better, and she has one of the sweetest spirits.  Strangers are always telling me how cute, alert, and aware she is.  I agree.

*Why, Yes, I did eat some good food.  Shall I pose with it all over my face?*

(I'm SO glad the swelling from the birthing process was temporary.)  She loves life, loves her food, and loves her family.  What a blessing this girl is!

On an unrelated note, have you seen this blog?  It makes me cry a little.  Daughters are pretty amazing, and Dads of daughters are just cute.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Welcome. Now Learn The Language

I personally feel that if you move to a new place, it is a courtesy to learn the language of the natives so you can properly communicate.

In my naive state I thought that meant that #1 would be learning my language.  I thought she was the new resident, so she would be learning my language.  She has informed me that I am mistaken.

This is how it usually goes at my house.

#1: "aaaahhhuuuuggggeeeeeooooooaaaaa"

Me:  "Well, Hello!  Are you telling me a story?"

*Crickets Chirping*

Another example:

#1: "eeeeaaaahhhhhooooooiiiiii!"

Me: "ooooeeeeaaaaggggghhhheeeee!"

Smiles, and a continuation of the conversation.

Apparently I am the one who needs to learn the language.

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Let's Make This A Habit

#1 has never been a great sleeper.  I often hear friends with younger babies talking about how their kid sleeps through the night.  The past 3 nights, #1 has slept for a 4 hr chunk, then a 3, then a 2, then a 1.  I haven't gotten this much sleep since she was born.

She is also a lousy napper.  (She doesn't put herself to sleep, cause I haven't taught her that yet... I'm not quite ready.)  I get her to sleep, and if I move more than about 1 inch, she wakes up.  Always.  This means that I can never move back to her crib to put her down.  I can sometimes put her on the couch, but then she wakes up within 20 min.  I try so hard to not hold her while she sleeps, but it happens more often then I would care to admit.  Sure, it means I don't get anything done, but it means I don't have an ornery, overly tired baby either.

About 90 min ago, #1 fell asleep in my arms as I sat on the couch.  I needed to be able to be noisy, so I knew she needed to be in her crib.  I stood up... and she stirred but didn't wake.  I walked back to her room... and she didn't wake.  I put her down... and she stayed asleep!

This has never happened before.

(Of course, I just heard her make a sound on the baby monitor... but I'll still take it!)

Monday, April 16, 2012

Can You Feel It?

That is a phrase I grew up hearing.  I wish I could explain how it was usually said.  It was something like CANyou fEEEEEL IT?  I have no idea where it came from, or why it was said like that.

#1 feels a lot.  When another baby cries, it's like she has sympathy for them.  She will normally get really quiet for a minute, and look around with concern.  Then if the crying continues, she will start to join in.  Not because she is scared, but because she is concerned.  If we are in a place with a lot of energy she is always very alert, and (for quite a while) seems to lose the need to sleep.  It's like she can feed off of the energy.  When we're having fun with friends or family, she kicks, smiles, and squeals.  If Hod and I watch a tense movie together she whimpers like she is concerned.

This has changed me a lot.  I have always been a person who feels emotions quickly, and strongly.  That doesn't work with #1.  I've had to find ways to quickly expel all negative emotions so to not stress out the kid.  It's pretty useful.

Friday, April 13, 2012

Truth

I love my kid.

However, soft spots kind of freak me out.  I know why they are important, but I wish they weren't.

Heads shouldn't have patches that squish.

Good thing she's cute.  See?


That makes up for it.

Mostly.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

It's Working!

#1 is pretty awesome.  In SO many ways, she is above average for development.  (I'm not just a bragging mom, the Social Worker who saw her, and her Dr's tell me so.)  But in one way, she has been falling behind.

She won't reach for things.  It doesn't matter what I temp her with.  I've tried bright things, loud things, shiny things, soft things, flashing things, fuzzy things.  Unless it is literally 1/8th of an inch from her hands, she is not going to touch it.  Her arms seem a little bit useless.  She is like the T-Rex from... well lots of things.  Meet the Robinsons, and lots of current comics.  Great legs, big head, and little useless arms.  I've been very concerned.  When we do tummy time, her legs are so strong, and her arms are so weak, that she can push herself with her legs, but her head and arms just drag along behind her.  So not cool.

A few weeks ago, I was talking to my sister who has a daughter in speech therapy about my concerns.  She gave me some tips to help her, and it's starting to work!  After hours and hours of forcing her to reach for things, and almost driving both of us crazy (cause sometimes she REALLY didn't want to cooperate) she has started to reach.  At first it was for long hair (which I don't have...) and then necklaces (I've been wearing a lot of jewelry lately, hoping to tempt her) and now toys.  Not always.  Most times, she'd rather just ignore it, but it is starting.  I'm so glad!

(In other news, we are moving... again!  This makes 5 different houses since Hod and I got married 20 months ago.  But we are planning on this one lasting longer than our 4 month average.)

Saturday, April 7, 2012

I Have Skills!

Being a Mom is pretty great.  But there is one skill that until today, I had been unable to master.

You see, because of a medicine I was on when #1 was born, she had to be a bottle baby.  That's just the way it is.  Oh well.  I have gotten SO fast at making bottles.  This is out of necessity.  Hod is most often gone working so we can have a roof over our heads.  (Thanks, Hod!)  This means when a bottle is running out, and #1 is still hungry, I can't send someone to hurry and make a bottle before she finishes the one she is eating.  This results in an ornery #1 who is extra upset because not only is she unable to eat right at that moment, but I actually had the nerve to put her down in order to make her a new bottle.  My speed has increased as I worked to improve efficiency in order to minimize the crying time.

Today, our lives were changed.  I don't know if I have just become more coordinated, or if suddenly #1 has overcome the natural floppy-ness that comes with being a newborn, but I can now make a bottle while holding my baby!  This does slow me down greatly, but #1 cries much less because she is able to be held instead of ignored in her time of hunger.

And slowly, the Bucket Family is becoming more like a real family with gown up parents who know how to do simple things.  I feel pretty good about it.

Not What You'd Expect

When I was about 9, I was pretty obsessed with things that morph.  Particularly this example:

 found here
I was pretty obsessed with it.  (but only the original.  That is very important.)

I'll admit that it has left an impression on me, even to this day.  I'm drawn to anything that has morphing traits. Enter:

 Saw it at the store.  Decided to splurge.  And I should have kept my bright ideas to myself.  I would have to say that they bring shame to that which has been made great by morphing.  It's sad, really.  Starbursts, I love. Morphing, I love.  Together.... Not so much.  I think I died a little inside.  Great in idea... not so much in execution.  Oh well.  At least I still have the option of Strawberry Quick!