Catching Up, Falling Behind
Wow, so it's been over two months since I've written. Not for lack of material, that's for sure! It just all seems to fly by so quickly. One minute she's this tiny little bundle who needs to be carried so carefully, the next she's two feet of energy and on the verge of crawling! Or maybe walking!
Lots of big holidays coming and going too. My parents came to visit just before Halloween, and we had fun taking her to a pumpkin farm and watching her stare so very intently at the pumpkins and squashes (see below Pumpkinland blog). Halloween itself was a bit of a let-down though. It turns out that our neighborhood doesn't trick-or-treat at home. Not enough houses/kids. Maybe in a few years there will be enough kids, but this year the older ones all went to some other neighborhood where apparently it's like Christmas with decorations on every house and the streets lined with the imported cars of parents bringing their kids... I tried to get off work early anyway so we could walk around the neighborhood. It was a beautiful sunny day... Unfortunately the train did not cooperate, and I ended up rushing in the
door with maybe half an hour of daylight left. I grabbed Emma and got some pictures of her in her Halloween clothes, then the au pair and I changed her into her pumpkin costume and took more pictures till dark... Oh well. Next year!
Thanksgiving came in a rush - her first airplane ride and trip to visit Glen's parents in Florida. Despite the mountain of baby luggage (car seat, base, stroller, pack-n-play, blah blah blah), we got through the flights pretty well, and she turned out to be a good traveller. In fact, a couple across the aisle commented that they didn't even realize she was there! We had a nice visit and Emma got to sit in the sand and squish it in her toes and fingers for the first time. She also got to visit cousin Sydney and evil Aunt Kelly. (Evil because for the first several days whenever Kelly picked her up she cried, and Kelly said she wouldn't put her down till she stopped crying! Well, eventually she did stop... Always a test of wills in our family!) Anyway, Emma is Sydney's only FIRST cousin. This is a very important distinction because on Mike's side of the family Syd has like 6 or 7 little girl cousins, but they're second cousins or third or removed or whatever. Syd actually understands this (she's 6 and a half) and she takes it very responsibly that she has to watch over Emma - as long as she never has to change a diaper! Anyway, it was love at first sight on both sides, with Sydney going to great lengths to make Emma smile and Emma happily responding. Joy all around!
Now, finally, Christmas is coming. My parents arrive in three days. I can't wait for them to see her! It's only been two months, but it's like she's a new person every time they come. Every day she's more alert, more talkative, more everything. She's sitting up by herself now (mostly), she laughs like a little lunatic at the dogs and reaches for them, and she smiles so very much. She's starting to eat solids now (peaches great, oatmeal good, rice cereal? YUCK! And the turkey with broth Mom accidentally opened this morning? Well, let's just say even dad felt bad watching her gag... How can it possibly taste good when I swear it smelled like cat food? Anyway...) I know my parents are going to have so much fun with her. Kelly says every day was better than the last with Syd. I'm not sure I fully agree - I love every day, even the hard ones - but I'm sure every visit is better than the last for my parents. They miss her like crazy and my dad has become a proud Grandpa putting up pictures of her everywhere.
I think still the most suprising thing to me is how much I am enjoying her. And I can't wait to have another! Somehow I, the least child oriented person I knew, have become a good mom. Is it just so much love? Is it this patience that sprang up from nowhere in me? I don't know where it came from, but I know she makes me glow. No matter how little sleep I've had or how stressed I am or angry or rushed or whatever (and believe me, there have been some rough times! sleep, what sleep???), the moment she smiles at me and gives me that little "ahhh" coo I am just in love all over again. Simply amazing. And every night, no matter what other rotten thoughts from the day creep into my head, I thank God for another day with her and for every smile she gave me. My wonderful gift. Emma.
Lots of big holidays coming and going too. My parents came to visit just before Halloween, and we had fun taking her to a pumpkin farm and watching her stare so very intently at the pumpkins and squashes (see below Pumpkinland blog). Halloween itself was a bit of a let-down though. It turns out that our neighborhood doesn't trick-or-treat at home. Not enough houses/kids. Maybe in a few years there will be enough kids, but this year the older ones all went to some other neighborhood where apparently it's like Christmas with decorations on every house and the streets lined with the imported cars of parents bringing their kids... I tried to get off work early anyway so we could walk around the neighborhood. It was a beautiful sunny day... Unfortunately the train did not cooperate, and I ended up rushing in the
door with maybe half an hour of daylight left. I grabbed Emma and got some pictures of her in her Halloween clothes, then the au pair and I changed her into her pumpkin costume and took more pictures till dark... Oh well. Next year!Thanksgiving came in a rush - her first airplane ride and trip to visit Glen's parents in Florida. Despite the mountain of baby luggage (car seat, base, stroller, pack-n-play, blah blah blah), we got through the flights pretty well, and she turned out to be a good traveller. In fact, a couple across the aisle commented that they didn't even realize she was there! We had a nice visit and Emma got to sit in the sand and squish it in her toes and fingers for the first time. She also got to visit cousin Sydney and evil Aunt Kelly. (Evil because for the first several days whenever Kelly picked her up she cried, and Kelly said she wouldn't put her down till she stopped crying! Well, eventually she did stop... Always a test of wills in our family!) Anyway, Emma is Sydney's only FIRST cousin. This is a very important distinction because on Mike's side of the family Syd has like 6 or 7 little girl cousins, but they're second cousins or third or removed or whatever. Syd actually understands this (she's 6 and a half) and she takes it very responsibly that she has to watch over Emma - as long as she never has to change a diaper! Anyway, it was love at first sight on both sides, with Sydney going to great lengths to make Emma smile and Emma happily responding. Joy all around!
Now, finally, Christmas is coming. My parents arrive in three days. I can't wait for them to see her! It's only been two months, but it's like she's a new person every time they come. Every day she's more alert, more talkative, more everything. She's sitting up by herself now (mostly), she laughs like a little lunatic at the dogs and reaches for them, and she smiles so very much. She's starting to eat solids now (peaches great, oatmeal good, rice cereal? YUCK! And the turkey with broth Mom accidentally opened this morning? Well, let's just say even dad felt bad watching her gag... How can it possibly taste good when I swear it smelled like cat food? Anyway...) I know my parents are going to have so much fun with her. Kelly says every day was better than the last with Syd. I'm not sure I fully agree - I love every day, even the hard ones - but I'm sure every visit is better than the last for my parents. They miss her like crazy and my dad has become a proud Grandpa putting up pictures of her everywhere.
I think still the most suprising thing to me is how much I am enjoying her. And I can't wait to have another! Somehow I, the least child oriented person I knew, have become a good mom. Is it just so much love? Is it this patience that sprang up from nowhere in me? I don't know where it came from, but I know she makes me glow. No matter how little sleep I've had or how stressed I am or angry or rushed or whatever (and believe me, there have been some rough times! sleep, what sleep???), the moment she smiles at me and gives me that little "ahhh" coo I am just in love all over again. Simply amazing. And every night, no matter what other rotten thoughts from the day creep into my head, I thank God for another day with her and for every smile she gave me. My wonderful gift. Emma.
posted by me at 8:30 AM
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