8.28.2009

Well, I'm most likely bring Josephine to the wedding with me, mostly because everyone here refuses to change a diaper properly...it's ridiculous.



A great thing about being a parent: your kid is "the best" at something at some point. Maybe she was late to walk, or he was slow to roll over and maybe your child is behind in a million things that all the books say she should be doing, but there is at least one thing at one time that makes all the other mothers look on with envy.

Josephine is currently gifted in song. She is taking her sweet ass time talking, but sing a song once and she will remember the tune a week later and hum it to you on request. I've mentioned before how she will find a beat anywhere and move to it (the beeping of the security alarm at the store), but I'm really impressed with her singing.

Before she ever even made a noise other than a burp out of that pretty mouth I had decided that I was going to decorate her room in a musical theme...I'm prophetic, duh.



I can't go anywhere without someone commenting on Josephine's hair- It's so beautiful! I've even been asked a few times if her hair is naturally curly...really? You think I curl a baby's hair?

Her father is black, that's where the curl comes from. Funny thing, the top and sides of her hair is soft and smooth, while the back of her head is coarse and usually snarly...like the top is from me and the back is from him.

I've tried everything to get the back of her head a little less snarly and frizzy. Mostly I've been successful at making it look greasy. The winner is the conditioner I bought for myself because it matches my shampoo: Samy Pure. She has soft curls for most of the day when I use it, it's magical.
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I have classes on two different campuses this semester. One is five minutes down the street, the other is 20min into the next town. Through road construction. It's a little bit of a hassel, but my classes are going to be really great I can tell.

8.21.2009

late night ramble

Sometimes Josephine puts something over her face, a hat that is too big or a sweater I've left out, and then she spins and walks around the living room until she crashes into the coffee table. I have no idea how she figured out to do this, but she thinks it is HILARIOUS. Sometimes I do too.

We've been extra whiny over here lately, extra cry-e and scream-y too. One particularly bad day had me putting Josephine on my bed a few times so she could have some time alone to calm down and selfish mama could watch Revolutionary Road in peace since Netflix sent it over a week ago(did not like it, but kinda liked, but not really, would not watch again). Anywho, Josephine finally figured out that she doesn't have to stay on the bed. She knows how to get down, but she never does...until now. Now she gets out immediately if she is awake. I'm not sure how I feel about this. Plus side: she doesn't cry for me to come get her anymore after a nap or in the morning, she just gets up and walks out to the living room. Negative side: no more quiet time on the bed when she is awake, and this hasn't happened yet, but what if I'm down stairs when she wakes up from a nap and she panics?

School starts Monday. I have a pretty full schedule, mostly night classes and one 7:30am class. I've conned my sister into watching Josephine those mornings...sucker.
I'm flying to Minnesota again in October to be in my best friend's wedding. I don't know if I'm going to take Josephine though...I'm very conflicted and if you want to chime in with some advice I'd love to hear it.

So, if I take the baby then I'd probably rent a car and car seat which would be a little more money than taking a shuttle from the airport but not much. I would have to pawn her off on someone while I stand up in the wedding (she HATES strangers) and I couldn't stay out too late at the reception because I'd have to go back to the hotel with a tired baby...also I'd have to stay pretty sober in that case.

If I don't bring her along my milk will likely (possibly?) dry up and she will have a few days (3-4) with no mama and no nursing for the first time in her short little life. The thought of climbing into bed without her makes me tear up a bit, but maybe it would be good for her to have to fall asleep without me there? I don't like the idea of forcing her to wean, but then again I *might* be able to pick up where I left off when I get home.

**she just woke up and walked out here...I think I like that she doesn't just sit in bed and cry for me.**

Does it sound like I'm deciding between being buzzed in a taxi vs. taking care of my daughter? Gah! It's just that the logistics of traveling with a baby are more complicated than without one...and how I enjoy the wedding reception will be different depending on whether or not I have a baby on my hip...and papa thinks everyone will be just fine if I leave Josephine with him and grandma...and I'll shut up now.

Change the subject already-

We've been swimming at a fantastic aquatic center in town lately. Josephine loves it and I do too. It is built with toddlers in mind, lots of shallow water and a few sprinklers and slides. There are things for bigger kids to play on too, but the best part is how much space is designed for babies. The aquatic center closes around labor day and thinking about how soon that is makes me a little sad.
I am going to try very hard to make sure that we get at least one more swim in this season and I'll hopefully remember my camera.

8.11.2009

maybe she thought i needed a shower?

I slept on a towel again last night. Or, I suppose, really it was this morning that I had to lay a towel down in my bed. Hadn't had to do that since the great poop shoot party of 2008.
Thank the baby-poop gods that this time was much more sanitary than sleeping on poop.
Around 5 this morning Josephine got up and found the cup of water I have on the desk at the end of my bed. She wanted to give my a drink. She's really sweet, always always finding something to give to whomever else is in the room.
So, I had a cold glass of water poured down my front and all over my mattress at 5am. Then Josephine rolled around for about an hour asking for more water and a maybe a piece of candy from grandma's candy bowl...

8.05.2009

1.5 I love you

Josephine is a year and a half old. She's been a year and a half for two months now and she will be a year and a half until about October when she will be almost two.
Things I love about a year and a half:
  • She sings along at church and to her favorite commercial. No matter what is going on she will stop dead in her tracks to sing along to this song. (that isn't the commercial but it is the song that has hypnotized her)
  • 99.9% of fussy moods can be stopped with either a book or a walk outside.
  • She shifts her weight and lifts a cheek to fart and then laughs.
  • At any time of the day she'll be humming the tune of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.
  • For a brief moment I got her to call grandma "caca".
  • Except for the Move episode of Yo Gabba Gabba (and the commercial I mentioned earlier), she couldn't care less about the TV.
  • If I ask her to get a diaper she will bring me out one, take off her wet one, lay out the dry one and lay down with her butt in the right place so all I have to do is fasten it.
  • If we watch anything on TV with a studio audience that laughs she will laugh along with them (Daily Show, America's Funniest Videos). If we watch something a second time and we laughed at a particular scene the first time, she will laugh at that scene the next time. (OK she likes TV a little if we are all watching and laughing)
  • She loves the pool. She walks around in the 1.5 ft deep water and squats so that it comes up to her chin and then jumps as high as she can. When she get splashed in the face or trips and goes under she turns her face to me and I wipe her eyes and give them each a kiss and she is back to playing.
  • When I ask her to "stand over there so I can take your picture" sometimes she does.