Good sweet mother of Christ -- I cannot think anything I'd rather do less than take my two kids to be photographed at the mall. And yet I do, every 6 months. Chim was a toddler in spades today and there were hardly any good shots of her at all. Badger gets the title of "the one we like" today and his photos turned out super cute. And of course you have to wait an hour, so we got lunch (and what's the deal with the Chinese Cajun places in mall food courts? General Tso's Bourbon Chicken?) and let Chim go on some of the coin-eaters in the center of the mall.
I try to make myself and my children look presentable in behavior and appearance when we go out anymore because eventually I will get doula clients, and I don't want to show up for an interview and have someone say, "Oh, I've seen you at the Ross Park Mall with a toddler over your shoulder, screaming, and an infant under your other arm, screaming. You were covered in barf, if I recall!"
Badger at 6 months
Six months ago at this time, I was in labor at home, after a check at the midwife's office. I had such a great time that day... I really didn't expect it to be so wonderful. Chim's labor was SO long and SO painful, and her delivery so clinical, disappointing, and traumatic, that I really had low expectations, in retrospect. But it turned out to be an empowering, victorious, and joyful experience -- and any disappointment about Chim's birth evaporated with the satisfaction of Badger's birth.
And here we are six months later -- Badger is sitting up, eating some solids, and being a cute little chubby baby. Of course he's still breastfeeding every 2 hours and waking up several times a night... so he's still quite a little baby indeed! He loves to play in his exersaucer and with his toys, and he loves to go out and about. His favorite thing is his sister Chim -- he just cracks up when she plays with him and he lunges for her when she passes by. I hope they'll be great friends as they grow.
And here we are six months later -- Badger is sitting up, eating some solids, and being a cute little chubby baby. Of course he's still breastfeeding every 2 hours and waking up several times a night... so he's still quite a little baby indeed! He loves to play in his exersaucer and with his toys, and he loves to go out and about. His favorite thing is his sister Chim -- he just cracks up when she plays with him and he lunges for her when she passes by. I hope they'll be great friends as they grow.
Chim at two and a half
This properly should've been done on April 18 -- but I've never claimed to be proper. I am so impressed that the dooce writer does this every month!
My daughter is 2 1/2. Every day she just amazes us with how much fun she is. Even when she's being a total pill, she's fun. At least, funny. Her memory is astonishing. My mom visited last week, and got Im the "pretty flower dress" that started this whole boycott of all that is not a dress. Yesterday she said that she wanted to wear the pretty flower dress that Grandma made (made, bought, whatever.). She further told me that Grandma went home. To Granddad. On the bus. Not just any bus, mind you. The big bus. I love that she processes information and retains it, and makes it her own.
Her sleeping is now fine -- whatever nightmare she had last week is worked through, I guess. She does such a wonderful job of playing with Badger (usually) and she loves to sing him songs -- and he is her biggest fan. She is great at taking turns AND making sure Badger gets a turn too. Chim loves to talk on the phone to my parents and on the webcam to my inlaws.
I feel so honored to get to be able to know her better than anyone else. I know that before too long she's going to be caught up in her world of friends, and then activities, and then -- oh shit -- boys, and then go to college, and then who knows what. But for the past 30 months and for as long as I can, I am so lucky to be her person. She likes her dad, too, of course. But let's call a spade a spade, here, folks. Chim loves her mama and her mama loves her.
My daughter is 2 1/2. Every day she just amazes us with how much fun she is. Even when she's being a total pill, she's fun. At least, funny. Her memory is astonishing. My mom visited last week, and got Im the "pretty flower dress" that started this whole boycott of all that is not a dress. Yesterday she said that she wanted to wear the pretty flower dress that Grandma made (made, bought, whatever.). She further told me that Grandma went home. To Granddad. On the bus. Not just any bus, mind you. The big bus. I love that she processes information and retains it, and makes it her own.
Her sleeping is now fine -- whatever nightmare she had last week is worked through, I guess. She does such a wonderful job of playing with Badger (usually) and she loves to sing him songs -- and he is her biggest fan. She is great at taking turns AND making sure Badger gets a turn too. Chim loves to talk on the phone to my parents and on the webcam to my inlaws.
I feel so honored to get to be able to know her better than anyone else. I know that before too long she's going to be caught up in her world of friends, and then activities, and then -- oh shit -- boys, and then go to college, and then who knows what. But for the past 30 months and for as long as I can, I am so lucky to be her person. She likes her dad, too, of course. But let's call a spade a spade, here, folks. Chim loves her mama and her mama loves her.
Cable!!! CABLE!!!
I don't know how we got decent cable, and I'm sure it's because something is all screwed up with Comcast and I'll end up ranting about it in the end, but we suddenly have channels! A few weeks ago TBS and the Style Network mysteriously disappeared, and now all of a sudden they're back and they've brought their friends with them -- the news networks, ESPN, Comedy Central, TLC, Food Network (!), all that stuff. I'm so excited. I'm watching a show about a man who weighs 1225 pounds. I love cable.
Terrifying yellow orb in the sky
The weather has FINALLY turned pleasant! I'm so excited, and no, I just can't hide it. The weather had been crappy since the husband went to Boston on a business trip 2 weeks ago, so I'm psyched. I was starting to be a little pessimistic if you can believe that.
Badger's first Easter was fine -- really though, since we're heathens it didn't amount to much of a holiday. Friends (and my first doula clients!) over for dinner on Saturday, and Chim hunted for many many candy-filled eggs the next day. The candy is almost gone, thanks to Mom and Dad sneaking chocolate out of her "pick-it" bowl.
We decided to throw every sleep strategy in the book at the Badger Boy last week during my mom's visit. We call it the House method of parenting. So it's either the Ferber-for-wimps that we used with Chim, the teething tablets, starting solids (rice was a no-go but he likey sweet potatoes), going to 2 naps from 3, or a later bedtime. But he's taken at least one, more often two, hour-plus naps a day for the past 4 days. And he has only needed to eat once a night for a week. I'm sure any progress with sleep will fall apart for no evident reason any moment now.
Chim, our formerly great sleeper, has been having a really terrible stretch of bad sleeping the past few days -- no naps, up at night. We all have a cold so that might be a factor but SWEET mother of pearl. We are finally getting to sleep for 4 hours at a time with Badger, and Chim starts up! Other than that she's adorable, she likes dresses now, and she knows that a triceretops has three horns. So, yes, she's brilliant.
So that's about all the excitement here. Notice how all my thoughts revolve around sleep. How sad.
Badger's first Easter was fine -- really though, since we're heathens it didn't amount to much of a holiday. Friends (and my first doula clients!) over for dinner on Saturday, and Chim hunted for many many candy-filled eggs the next day. The candy is almost gone, thanks to Mom and Dad sneaking chocolate out of her "pick-it" bowl.
We decided to throw every sleep strategy in the book at the Badger Boy last week during my mom's visit. We call it the House method of parenting. So it's either the Ferber-for-wimps that we used with Chim, the teething tablets, starting solids (rice was a no-go but he likey sweet potatoes), going to 2 naps from 3, or a later bedtime. But he's taken at least one, more often two, hour-plus naps a day for the past 4 days. And he has only needed to eat once a night for a week. I'm sure any progress with sleep will fall apart for no evident reason any moment now.
Chim, our formerly great sleeper, has been having a really terrible stretch of bad sleeping the past few days -- no naps, up at night. We all have a cold so that might be a factor but SWEET mother of pearl. We are finally getting to sleep for 4 hours at a time with Badger, and Chim starts up! Other than that she's adorable, she likes dresses now, and she knows that a triceretops has three horns. So, yes, she's brilliant.
So that's about all the excitement here. Notice how all my thoughts revolve around sleep. How sad.
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