Wednesday, December 31, 2008

The camera cord isn't here. And yet, it's the last day of the year.

Maybe it's because Annaliese has learned to wave and say hi.
Maybe it's because three weeks ago she had just begun to walk, and yesterday she was practically running around Home Depot in her new gray sneakers with yellow laces.
Maybe it's the aftertaste from a great visit with my best friend and a fab week with my mother and sister. 
Maybe it's the second-trimester glow, or the fact that K. is off from work all week and spends his day two blocks away on Main Street, redoing the facade of our building, meaning he's available for walk-by kisses and come-home lunches.
Maybe it's that it's stopped raining, and the roof is half-on across the street, and it looks fantastic.
Maybe it's that today is my weekly lie-in, which means that I wake up at my usual time (6:45-ish), try to go back to sleep, give up, read a book, and eat a glorious breakfast in bed that K. brings in.
Maybe it's the bag of local fresh-picked pecans one of my farmers dropped by yesterday, because he'd heard I liked pecan pie.
Maybe it's the fancy new organic moisturizer my sister gave me for Xmas.

I don't know. But I am riding high on gratitude and awe for all the blessings in my life, and it sure feels good to be here.

Monday, December 29, 2008

Xmas is still a coming...or at least the recounting

We have something like 200 pictures on our camera. But Annaliese and I broke the uploader cord. Another one is on its way...

So, check back in a week. In eight days, January 6th, we'll have photos and stories galore, plus the gender of baby #2!

In other news, it has FINALLY stopped raining, and the crew is at work at the house. Here's hoping they get the roof on this week. Our time in this house is up in a short three months....

Friday, December 19, 2008

Christmas is coming, Mama's Gadding About

I am going to see Stinkerina for a flying visit. Got to get to Bham once every calendar year...

So K. is on solo-Annaliese duty until I come home Sat. night, roughly the same time as my mother and sister are due to arrive... something he hasn't compained about AT ALL.

Nonetheless. The house is clean, the guestroom boasts plumped pillows and clean towels, the laundry is done, and the child is napping for her 4:30 drop-off date with Dada. Because that's the kind of wife I am-- I may ditch you, but things will be set up to run smoothly.

My mom and sister are going to watch Annaliese for  day and a night next week while K. and I take our first-ever together-time away from Annaliese. We are staying here in a SUITE. In a place where people bring food to my door and don't thump a sippy cup at me while I attempt to eat. Or poo in the tub.

it's all very exciting.




Thursday, December 18, 2008

Check out my baby walkin'

We're in high gear for Christmas here. Mom and my sister come into town this weekend; Eliza and I have been having earnest conversations about what to serve for dinner (K's input consists of one word "ham. ham. ham.")

And in the meantime, Annaliese has gotten pretty good at walking. Check it out. And ignore the lopsided diaper; I've only had 11 months of practice...

Friday, December 12, 2008

baby happiness


It has been raining for three days, and finally the sun is back out. This was taken Monday, the last sunny day; though it's chilly, we gotta get out of the house, and so I bundle Annaliese up and stroll around town, much to the locals' disapproval.

Apparently she's not supposed to go outside if it's cold enough to require a jacket as she'll catch cold. To which I say, pah. 

So I sat on a bench in the little park downtown and Annaliese amused herself by rolling around in mulch, tearing bark off crepe myrtles, and crawling underneath the bench from front to back.

It was a nice morning. We've been having more and more of those here lately. 

And as I type this-- Annaliese is toddling across the room on her own two feet in a PJ top and baggy jeans, ritz cracker in hand, talking to the dog. She just made it the whole way. Yesterday she walked out of the living room holding my checkbook; things to come?

In the mean time, she's still chubby-cheeked and delicious:



Tuesday, December 09, 2008

To anyone sending gifts...

We have a new PO address. Email me and I'll let you know it!

Monday, December 08, 2008

Apropos of Nothing, except I Want to Take a Nap and Annaliese, being K's daughter, won't Let Me

So, I'm pregnant. And in my second trimester. Woo!

Several of my internet friends (staying-at-home, with no friends having babies, go ahead and JUDGE ME), are also preggers with their second child.

One says that every food she eats tastes like manna from heaven but she has to lie down for two hours after every meal.

Another is crying at Pampers commercials and cheesy teenage gymnast movies.

Me? I feel... the same. Except a wee bit thicker, occasionally in the early afternoon overwhelmingly tired (which is the same as my first pregnancy), and now given to staring at my first child and saying things like, get used to not being the center of attention, kid.

I'm actually less moody than ever before. Because I don't have time to get worked up about things. 

But I would like to officially State On The Record that K. is the LEAST SYMPATHETIC PERSON towards pregnant women ever. He doesn't think it's cause for legitimate ANYTHING-- be it a nap, a food craving, or balking at carrying refrigerators.

(Oh that's right, my friends. Six months pregnant with Annaliese, our new refrigerator arrived, and when I expressed hesitation at the idea of carrying our old one out of our house, down steps, and to the curb, and replacing it with a new one, K. looked at me and said-- I don't see anyone else who's going to help.)

And yeah, I carried the refrigerator and it was fine, and yeah, I've always been fond of a good nap and Snickers bars and potstickers, but man. It would serve him right if I was the neediest of all needy pregnant women, who wanted pistachio ice cream at four am, refused to have sex, and spent the day fanning themselves on chaise longues.

So there.

Sunday, December 07, 2008

Christmas in the Valley

The Christmas Parade has come and gone. The Grinch is a friend of ours, and was busy promoting the event we held in our under-renovation building after the Parade-- a showing of How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

About 50+ kids and parents came. Free popcorn and candy and soda for sale.

We were a bit disappointed with the response; considering the time and money that went into holding a free movie (sponors to buy the copyright, clean up, etc etc etc), and also considering there were thousands of people lining Main Street who got candy, fliers, and several announcements about the free movie from the emcee, 50 seemed kind of lame.

(we have some friends! here they are!)



But I'm hoping that these three right there had a good time. They sure seemed to. And at the very least, it was a good karma thing for everyone involved to do.
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Annaliese in a Raspberry Hat



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Thursday, December 04, 2008

It's been a week, and I haven't posted because I want to show you pictures! Of my darling baby girl who has been super-great lately! Not to mention huge and grown-up and practically not even a baby! But there are technical difficulties, involving a misplaced camera cord and picasa and a dying laptop.

So here's an old one, two weeks or so ago:


The biggest news is that she's walking. Not really well yet; she rarely makes it across half a room before thumping to her butt and scooting, since it gets her where she wants to go faster. But she works on walking independently every day; she's been doing the walking while holding onto things gig for awhile now. Really, her balance is very good. She bends over at the waist to pick things up and then straightens, object held tight in chubby fingers.

And she hugs now. I'll squat a few steps in front of her, open my arms, and she toddles into them, wraps her little arms around me and pushes her face against my shoulder. Cutest thing EVER.

Not to mention that she also-- ALSO- FINALLY-- likes cuddling, and happily lolls around on K. and me during family morning cuddle time as we kiss her neck and tickle her stomach and she just loves it. Giggles away, then tries to steal someone's glasses, then flops down for more cuddles.

We are more than a little in love with our daughter these days.

This morning, after a mishap that K. will gleefully tell anyone all about, we finally made it to the OB. I have no intention of delivering the new bebe with this doctor, but as we haven't made up our minds yet about the birthing location/style/etc. of New One, we decided to go local for prenatal care.

And man, I hate OBs. Nothing against the man personally (and yes, it's a man. Because there are no women OBs in Oxford. And they strap you to the bed in the hospital; charming, eh?). But really, they are so CONTROLLING about a process that they didn't initiate, can't "cure", and ultimately, don't solve. I've yet to see a doctor who takes on labor pain; if I did, maybe I'd let them make the decisions. Example from this morning: "and now we'll get your blood drawn and then you'll be done!"

Me: why does my blood have to be drawn?

Him: It's standard. Check your blood type, screen for syphilis, HIV, hepatitis, and your hemocrit status.

The only reason I consented is because I would like to know my hemocrit status; after losing so much blood with Annaliese, it's possible my iron levels are still very low and I would like to know.

Otherwise I would have said fuggedaboutit, because I could just TELL YOU that I'm B+ and disease-free. 

Ob care in this country really caters to the bottom level; I mean, the reason newborns get drops in their eyes (ALL newborns, unless you ask for an exception) is because if the mother has syphilis (or maybe gonorrhea?) the child can end up blind.

Catering to the bottom level, my friends.

Anyhow, rant aside, everything's fine. I've gained 3 pounds, I'm officially 14 weeks pregnant which means I'm most likely out of the miscarriage woods, and we heard the baby's heartbeat.

They say we'll find out the gender of New Bebe at visit #2, January 6th, aka Annaliese's first birthday. A present for her! That she will not be all that excited about for quite a while! Her first lesson in delayed gratification: from us to her.

Hope everyone's well. We finally are.