Christmas wrap-up

Since I mentioned tree trimming in the last post, here is a short video of her playing with the bells we put on the tree

On Christmas Eve we decided to record a Singing With Family video. Several people on Facebook had complained to me that Spouse was no longer doing his Singing with Daddy videos so this was to make up for it.

And then we did another

And finally, on Christmas day we had a TON of gifts from family for Violet to open. So many that we spaced opening out over a couple of days. She's still at an age where clothes are not a disappointment for her so she got several nice outfits. Here she is trying top open a gift of bath toys from us that I clearly wrapped too well.

Sleep, perchance to AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

We got lucky with an infant. I'm well aware of this. I have a friend whose daughter spent three days crying and nothing they did would console her. We, on the other hand, had a little angel who's tears from teething were easily soothed with some Oragel or Tylenol (which she loved to take.) Everything was great! Until now.

Child has been getting a molar in, one of the more painful teeth to be sure. She also appears to have inherited my restless leg syndrome. On top of that, she no longer likes her cherry-flavoured acetaminophen. Oh, and she discovered high-pitched shrieking a while back. All of this has combined to form a perfect storm of bad sleep for all of us.

On Friday night she was so cranky that Spouse ran off to the guest room to sleep. I stayed with her, trying to comfort with nursing, massage and "please, please, please take the nice medicine!" She got to sleep at 4:30 in the morning. And as if that wasn't bad enough, she then woke up every hour with and ear-piercing scream, and then would instantly fall back asleep. We eventually got up around 9:30 but she was in great need of a nap later, and managed a couple of hours of slumber. I, on the other hand, didn't get down for a nap until the evening when the two of us went down for almost three hours of on/off sleep.

The general screaming, which I know is just a phase they all go through, is hell on Spouse. He's taken to having big earmumffy hearing protectors around and putting them on. My tactic is more along the lines of trying to find out why she is screaming, not that it helps much*. She screams when you don't pay attention to her, but mostly screams when she doesn't get her way. She is toddler: she is ID! If they didn't then do cute things, like cuddle up, thumb in mouth, or try to decorate the Christmas tree on her own, I don't think the human race would survive.

Here's a cute picture of her with chocolate on her face, helping me cut out gingerbread men. How could I deny that face anything!

*Really it's just that we have different ways of dealing with it. I'm not saying I'm somehow better for being able to ignore screaming.

First Birthday

Our Violet had her first birthday yesterday.  The image on the left is the inside of the card Spouse made for her. The outside was her on the day she was born. I sobbed when I read it.

All in all I'd say she had a good day. There were some tears on her part, but also many smiles and fun. She also got to have cake! And I even let her have a lollypop! Here's a rundown of the things she consumed yesterday:
Breastmilk (at several times during the day)
Maple teething biscuit
Potting soil
Apple
Roast potatoes
Fries
Toast
Tea
Nose blood
Lollypop
Apple cake

Yeah, the nose blood part was no fun. She was knocked over by a slightly older child in the library and did a faceplant on the floor. Much screaming was involved. But there were two good naps during the day as well to counter any non-injury crankies.

Here's some gift opening. The outfit was a gift from Nana (my mom)

Father's Day

So it was the first Fathers' Day here, and also the first week in our new home.  There's a lot of work to do to get us comfortable (like add light fixtures to some rooms!) but we're prioritising and right now just working on unpacking.

Sprog has been enjoying the garden, now that Spouse has gotten her over her fear of grass. She's even had occation to stuff her namesake flower in her mouth. The space has been great for Spouse too. Even something as simple as sitting on the front porch makes him so much less stressed. And I have been attempting to grow things.

So here's so less stress, more happiness and beverages on the front porch for Fathers' Day, and every day.

Mother's Day

A nice cup of tea

[Edit: next week is Mother's Day. I have time to get something for my own mom. Whew!] Today is Mother's Day in the US. I nearly missed it and was only reminded when I received a card from a friend wishing me a happy first Mother's Day (Mothers' Day?) When Sprog was still gestating, Spouse and I decided (well, more him than me) that we would celebrate UK Mother's Day, Mothering Sunday, instead of the US one. Well that was a bust. We only found out when that was when seeing it on a friend's calendar on the actual day. So today, for me, is the holiday, Hallmark though it may be.

They say, those mythical "they," that when you have a child every day is Mother's Day. Well I can't even get the kid to make me tea on the actual day so I call bs on that. But I am, of course, a mother every day to this beautiful new person in my life.

Playing

I had my first real dose of comparative, somewhat competitive parenting yesterday at a party. Sprog was the youngest there, being one month younger than the host's child. There was several other children there of varying ages as well. No one asked if she slept through the night, but sitting up (occasionally), crawling (more dragging than crawling but frequent and fast) and solid food (vague interest has been taken) were all queried and compared. I have no idea if she came up short, mainly since I don't care about such comparisons. She does, however need serious lessons in sharing and not using other children as a teething ring. Or maybe the other girl needs assertiveness training.

I feel bad that I haven't been posting here as planned. I have been spending more in the moment of parenting than reflecting on it. She already has two teeth now (first tooth on April 4th), chases the cat and can't wait to walk. It is amazing how fast she is growing and changing.

With the growth of our family comes a much needed change in our living situation. We are in the process of buying a house, leaving behind the apartment where we married, the building I've lived in for 14 years. The house is a lovely two story late Victorian affair with period details and a big back garden. I'm sure I shall post more about the house itself over in urban earth mother after it is ours.

And when I'm less distracted by a cranky, squirming child, one now dozing in my lap on my dominant arm (I've learned a lot of one-handed typing) I shall post more here.

Chatty baby

Sorry about the poor focus. Auto focus grabbed the background

Week 18

So here we are at week 18. I may end up changing the numbering again as I have another hospital ultrasound on Tuesday. The last one put the due date at October 25, which would technically make this Week 18, Day 4. If that date is again confirmed, I'll still do Saturday pictures just with updated titling.

I'm not the only thing growing in our home. Last Saturday I bought and planted basil seeds in our seed sprouter apparatus. The packets said 7-14 days to sprout but they started peaking up a couple of days ago. We get direct sunlight only in the living room and all other attempts at non-houseplants have failed (and the houseplants are clinging on for dear life), still, I thought I'd be optimistic and try some herbs again this year. It would be nice to have some fresh things that I've grown. I may try sneaking them out onto the little ledge thing outside our bedroom window where the buildings connect (hard to describe but I'll take a picture if I do it.) They could then be outside, even though there's not a ton of direct light, yet still easily accessible for eating.

And speaking of eating!

My darling Spouse dashed out this morning while I was making breakfast and came home with this lovely thing from our local bakery, Sweet Tooth. On Thursday he'd asked me not to buy cheesecake if I was going shopping on Friday, a rather random request, but one I took to mean he would be coming home with a nice big slice from Sweet Tooth for me on Friday. Well Friday comes and I decide not to go grocery shopping but to just come home and relax. He follows close behind with a pink bag from next door what does not have any cheese cake in it! Horrors! Yet little did I know...

And custom made too!

He had ordered this I think two weeks ago. Having never special ordered anything form them before, he thought it would be nice to try it out and get something for me. That is one HUGE cheesecake! The thing must weigh over five pounds! Fortunately I'm saved from eating the whole thing myself, not that I wouldn't make a valiant effort and try, but hosting our co-op dinner group tomorrow. I think even that ravenous bunch won't make too much of a dent in it though. But we'll have fun trying!

Thank you, my lovely husband.

Week 17

Someday I'll learn how to take a mirror shot that isn't blurry. This is not that day.

I've been enjoying how round my belly has been getting lately. My weight hasn't gone up much (nine pounds since conception) but I'm really starting to fill out. I've been warned that in five months I'll just be sick of it, but for now I'm going to enjoy every curve.

The Quickening (not the 'Highlander' sequel) has not occurred yet. I am starting to get some indigestion (not full-on "heartburn" which I've only had once in my life) so I may end up mistaking first movement with gas, which I hear is common. I can actually feel my uterus now when I press down on my belly. So while much of this roundness is all me (thanks to my new found obsession with cheesecake) I do have evidence of something else in there!

Spouse's Centidiemversary post the other day was very sweet. We have found new ways to be in love with each other since this pregnancy. It has brought us closer together and has somehow made our relationship feel more "real." I don't mean that it takes children to complete a marriage as I simply don't believe that's true. A childless (or child-free if you prefer) life can be wonderful. It's one I envisioned for myself :) But this has, for us, been a very good thing. Spouse was meant to be a father. While people tell me I'll be a great mother, I feel a bit like I'm going along for the ride. I'd like to be a great pregnant lady for now and hopefully that will translate into fair to middling motherhood down the line. But with parents as full of love as we are, I think the kid has a good chance.

Week 16

Pin curls today. Keeping them in while I tidy. Spouse should be back from the Great White North today too! Hooray! (and yes, that's why I set my hair)

Hard to top that last post

Spouse's post made me weep. Right now I feel more pregnant when he is around rubbing my belly. I'm in that lull stage of the second trimester. Morning sickness has gone, I'm feeling much less tired (not actually falling asleep at my desk!), but the second trimester ardor increase hasn't quite gotten there yet and I can't yet feel the sprog moving. The only way I know I'm pregnant is to see my increasing size and through others' reactions.

Seeing my love's reaction every time he sees my growing belly, by breasts, my tears at nothing brings an unfathomable amount of joy to my heart. Every smile from him convinces me I made the right decision — in becoming pregnant, in marrying him, in taking the chance to start our relationship at all. And I know he'll be a wonderful father. He has too much love in him not to be.

That Warm Feeling

Do other fathers-to-be get that feeling when looking at the mother-to-be which makes you just want to put your arms around them? It's like some involuntary action that whilst I'm gawping at the absolutely amazing idea of your child growing inside someone, I'm also feeling many new ways to be in love with the mother.

My wife.

It's not a bad feeling either, I don't resist it or care to. I just feel really good when I'm near and being attentive. I'm also getting larger pleasure rewards from doing things, almost everything I do just feels better. It's probably all biological, but it's interesting experiencing it instead of trying to understand the rather simplistic typical advice:

"Everything changes when you have a child"

Yes, I'm sure it does. Now how about some actual explaining words? Hopefully my above explanation is enough to document my own experiences thus far.