G'n'R Out West

It is sad to be back at work, but it went as well as I could have hoped.  Thanks to everybody for their kind words. 

Adelle kicked butt all day with Heidi.  Heidi tells me she didn’t even cry once.  She was happy to see me, but she was sad to leave Heidi’s house of fun.  Apparently she only slept for 15 minutes all day.  She was obviously tired when we left Heidi’s but she got her second wind when we arrived home and spent the better part of the first 1/2 hour standing and dancing to a silly song one of her toys makes.  Oh, to be so young and have so much energy.

She wouldn’t really eat dinner and it was hard to get her to go to sleep, but I think she is good.  She ate well during the day, so I am not too worried that she skipped dinner.  I am sure she will make up for it tonight or in the morning!

The good news is that she was extra cute tonight, so that made up for not getting to see her all day.  I still dread waking up tomorrow and realizing that I have to drop her back off with Heidi all day. 

Today is my very last day as a stay at home mom.  I am pretty unhappy about it, although I know it is good for Adelle and Greg to get some time together.  She is still sleeping, I am really looking forward to spending some fun giggly time together today….I love that girl.

This week Greg and I have to work 3 days together for overlap before Greg goes off for his 3 months of leave.  Our friend Heidi offered to take Adelle for those 3 days.  I am so grateful to her for that help (she has no idea how grateful).  We had two practice days last week.  I left Adelle with her for 1 hour the first time.  When I returned she looked up at me for a second but was a bit too busy to acknowledge my presence.  The second time I left her was for 2 hours.  I got a big smile but once again she was a bit too busy so was unable to come over and see me.

Heidi has 3 wonderful kids, Adelle adores them and vice versa.  So that really helps I think. Plus Heidi is a very experienced mom so she knows just what to do to keep Adelle happy. 

Tomorrow I’ll be leaving her for most of the day so I am curious to see how that goes.  I can only assume it will be harder on me then her!  I think it is hard on Halia (Heidi’s youngest) she is a little too young to really be ok with sharing her mom….so thanks Halia.

Yesterday we finally bit the bullet and got Adelle’s hair cut.  It was just getting a bit out of control.  The longest pieces fell right down to her mouth when they were straight and not full of gook.  Long hair + teething snot = really really gross…it was time.  She did ok.  She wasn’t overly impressed with the process but we survived, and there were no tears just substantial wiggling.

All ready to go

The new Doo – I have to admit, it is hard to notice the hair with a personality like hers…she’s the best (oh yeah, and the latest thing…learning stairs…good times). 

Today Adelle and I walked around the neighborhood checking out garage sales.  We got a few good items, including a little tent for Adelle.  We are hoping she’ll like it and we can keep her in the shade a bit this summer using it.

I think it went over pretty well

On another note, the little bird started clapping today.  It was pretty fun.  I also think that she may have made the sign for ‘all done’ and then ‘milk’ in her highchair at the end of lunch today.  Or maybe she just flapped her arms and then clenched her fist…hard to tell really.  She sure did do it at the exact right time…but you know, kids flap their arms and clench their fists all the time so I could be reading into this a bit too much. 

Two more firsts I forgot to mention:

- Adelle can actually roll over.  She doesn’t appear to really be aware of the fact, and occasionally a limb gets in the way, but when she is motivated she can do it really easily

- She has also learned the word ‘no’.  I had been saying it for a while but always when I was able to move her away from the problem myself.  A few weeks ago I was in the shower and she was hanging out in the bathroom.  She got into the toilette paper and I caught her about to put it in her mouth.  I said ‘no’ in my ’serious mom’ voice.  She gave me a HUGE proud smile and proceeded to shove it into her mouth.  sigh.

Nine months and so marks the end to my parental leave.  How sad.  I am not happy at all about this.  However, my time had to end eventually.  We’ve had so much fun together at home.  I am pretty sure my first day back at work is going to be devastating.  So if anybody from work reads this…let it be known I will be sad.  So don’t go asking how my day is.  If I am not crying when you see me, I am probably on the verge.  Lets just all pretend I am happy and maybe I will be.

Ok, enough with the pity party.   On with the update about our beautiful daughter.

We have just returned home from a weekend in the mountains with our friends Janelle, and Erik and their kids Annelise and Chloe.  It was a really fun weekend.  The weather wasn’t the greatest, but we were staying in a beautiful condo with a pool.  There was more than enough time for swimming, hiking and plenty of time for relaxing.  So we are all well rested, and grateful to our friends for taking us to their condo.

Sleep:
Sleep is still great.  She wakes usually twice, although lately it seems like she might be thinking about only getting up once at night.  Unless last night is a trend, and if that is the case we are back to one month old and preferring that we stood and juggled her all night (yep, today we are tired!). 

I must say, with the exception of last night, I do love getting up with her these days, it is such a special cuddly time.  Who would have thought I would grow to love the night wakings.  Napping is still going really well.  We don’t always get it perfect, but she is pretty good at being flexible around her naps.  Some days she misses them, but mostly she naps at some point for around an hour.  She almost never naps on me anymore…sigh. 

Again, with the exception of last night, our only bad nights have quite clearly been teething related.  Oh, the screaming.  Poor bean.  She has also been wicked congested for about a month.  It is sad.  I think it is teething, but maybe it is allergies.   She has had so many coughing fits lately that I actually took her to the doctor on Friday.  The doctor told us the cough was just teething related.  It doesn’t seem to bother her, although she does whimper a fair bit at night, but she usually doesn’t wake.  So sad.

Eating:
Food is a mixed bag.  Some days delicious and amazing.  Other days she just will hardly eat a thing.  I am guessing it is all teething related.   I think parents blame everything on teething.  Seems like as good an excuse as any.

Getting Around:
Oh man, she is the boss of moving now.  She is currently using a modified crawl, two hands, one knee and one foot.  It isn’t the fastest crawl but it is becoming much more reliable these last few days.  I don’t feel like she ever got too frustrated about crawling.  And because she learned to crawl from the sitting position with scooting vs. the tummy time position she never really did that really frustrating backwards crawl that it seems most kids are plagued with for a few weeks!

 For some crawling action, click the link below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrImtZxuwrg

Hair:
Long enough for a front ponytail.  I know, I should cut it, but too bad…I love it long.

Eyes:
Still a greyish-blue.

Language:
She recognizes the milk sign, the water sign and ‘all done’.  She hasn’t done any of them herself yet, or if she has, we certainly haven’t recognized them.  We do a number of other signs, but all the other signs she doesn’t see as often, so I suspect they will take much longer to recognize.   I find the major problem with signing is that I have to get her to look at me.  Usually, after I made eye contact she makes her way over to me, and then she is so close I can’t actually sign.  It is a little frustrating…but I suppose I am pretty awesome, so I get why she wants to be so close! 

Personality:
LOVES kids, LOVES dogs – both seem to continue to be a constant source of excitement…where did she get that?  Must be from her Auntie Amy. 

Stuff that happened this month:
- at long last she cut her first tooth
- blew bubbles in the pool
- started to crawl…or a modified crawl anyway
- she started to share her food and toys (well, sort of share – as long as it is totally on her terms)
- she learned how to be ticklish after months of not reacting to our best efforts

Our beautiful 9 month old in a sea of wildflowers

 

I have been showing blowing bubbles to Adelle since the start of swimming lessons 3 months ago.  Every time I show her she thinks it is hilarious.  Once, quite some time ago, she tried to make them herself and she ended up sucking in a bunch of water.  She looked at me quite sternly and very confused.  Clearly she was laying some of the blame on me.

Well, the second we got into the water yesterday she started to blow them.  I didn’t even prompt her.  It was like she had been thinking about the technique for a while and was just waiting for an opportunity to try it out!   It was very cute and so fun. 

I can hardly wait for next weeks class.  She just had such a great time and it was so fun.

This afternoon Adelle tried the swings at the park for the first time.  She seemed very content in them.  Although, I think she found them more curious then intensely exciting.  We also went down the slide together a bunch.  There were no squeals, but she had a huge smile on her face.   I can’t wait to take her back.  We were there with our friends Shan and Paityn.  And of course, everything is more fun when Paityn is around so Adelle had a fabulous time despite the fact that she hadn’t napped that morning!!

Tonight we start swimming lessons again.  She hasn’t been in them for a few weeks, but we’ve still been swimming lots so I think she’ll have a great time.  I can’t wait.

Well, we think.  It is hard to get visual confirmation, but there is definitely something sharp sticking out of Adelle’s lower gum!  Finally.  Last night was great at first but she woke up screaming at about 4.  She would nurse but was obviously in pain.  She was screaming with her eyes closed because she was so tired and just wanted to sleep.  So cute…so sad.

When she wouldn’t settle we decided to give her another dose of Tylenol…and then 15 minutes later, she threw up.  So, not sure if there was any point to that!  Luckily she was leaning over my shoulder and managed to only hit me, so we didn’t have to put her through the ordeal of changing her sleeper while she was so upset. 

Anyway, a little snooze, another puke and voila – a tooth!  Poor little bean.  She isn’t too keen on us looking at it but she will let us feel it with our fingers.  I think there is just one tooth, but I can’t tell for sure.

We’ve had a great weekend.  My sister is in town on a last minute trip and we got to spend all day Thursday with her, which was a real treat.  Friday she took off to the mountains, but we are expecting her back any minute.

This morning I finally got off my lazy butt and tried on my Rollerblades for the first time in 2 years.  My friend Lisa and I had a great 2 hour Rollerblade around the bike paths in our neighborhood.  It was so fun.  

Later in the afternoon Greg loaded Adelle up in the bike stroller and took her to the park.  I tagged along behind them on my Rollerblades.  We were planning on taking her on about a 30 min bike ride to a park a little ways away.  Unfortunately, Adelle wasn’t too keen on the idea.  Her bike helmet slipped down and covered up her face, apparently she prefers to be able to see…so she was MAD.  We hung out at the park for an hour and Greg was able to adjust the helmet for the ride home and she was pretty content.  So the chariot we bought it still looking like it will come in handy.  Actually, I have already become a stroller snob.  Greg uses it to run, but I even like it for walking, it is so much nicer than our other stroller.  Plus, I have taken to walking to the grocery store these last few weeks.  You can fit a TON of groceries in a double stroller, it is so great.  The chariot is an expensive stroller, but I’d say it is worth every penny.

The old girl goofing around in her high chair after dinner

I know everybody has been sitting on the edge of their seats just waiting to hear about Adelle mucus situation.  So I thought I’d oblige. 

I think all teething signs seem to have disappeared with the exception of the runny nose. I am pretty sure she doesn’t have a cold but she is just so congested.  I am really starting to wonder if she has allergies.

Yesterday she sneezed and I turned to look at her to notice she had double snot bubbles….and they were sizable.  Where is your camera when you need it?  I think it takes talent to maintain simultaneous snot bubbles of that magnitude.  I am sure my child is gifted.

We have had a busy little weekend.  Some friends from Cold Lake came up to visit us.  Theo, Sarah and their little 9 month old baby Alex came to see us.  It was great fun to spend time with them.  Sarah and I were due within a week of each other and spent a great deal of our pregnancy comparing notes and procrastinating at work together.  As always, I am amazed at the differences between kids of the same age.  I always thought Adelle was a physical kid.  I was wrong.  Alex is a physical kid.  Adelle seems dainty in comparison.  They were both fairly aggressive with each other and for the first time I wasn’t feeling guilty about how rough Adelle was with another kid. 

We bought a bike helmet for Adelle this week – Greg is very excited to get his little girl biking.  I hope she enjoys biking, otherwise I envision a lot of fights between the two of them!

This weekend we also babysat for our friends Roy and Shan.  Adelle is fascinated by Paityn who is a year older.  Paityn is great with Adelle and we are lucky for that.

We took a fun trip out to the mountains with our visitors.  Adelle rode in the backpack for 2 hours with no complaints.  We did, however, get a running commentary from her about the hike.  I don’t think she was quiet for more than a few mintues the whole trip.  Man, do I ever wish I knew what she was saying.

Snacking in the mountains

Old red cheeks still has no teeth

Adelle finally got a good nights sleep.  It started off a bit poorly but she pulled through in the end. 

Poor little girl, she’s had some hard nights.  I have no clue what is going on with her.  I don’t think she has a cold since she has no cough, but she has the runniest nose.  She is a mess when I get her in the morning.  This morning I could hardly recognize her for all the snot!

She is eating poorly still.  Today she seemed to be interested in pears and rice cereal, but nothing else.  I am not sure if her stuffed up nose makes everything else taste bad – or if she suddenly just started realizing she doens’t like everything.  As usual I am full of theories I can not prove.

Yesterday Adelle did a little experiment of her own.  She hit her head on the wall.  Then she thought about it, cried, thought some more, and hit her head again.  She repeated this process 2 times, after which I decided that I wasn’t totally comfortable with the experiment and I distracted her into doing something else.  It was very interesting watching her.  I am not sure what exactly she was testing, pain tolerance, skull thickness, wall resonance…whatever it was, it was funny to watch.

This morning Greg called to see how things were going.  Although, Adelle had had a bit of a bad morning she randomly cheered up.  She started dancing and singing in this totally adorable voice.  Luckily Greg was on the phone and so was treated to the song as well. I wish I had been able to get a little video of it.  But unfortunately, she was a little on the clingy side this morning and I wasn’t able to put her down until nap time….but then she napped for 2 hours.  So you win some, you loose some, all in all I think I’m coming out on top!