Fumbling

Up until recently motherhood has come pretty naturally for me. I know I drive John nuts with the day to day questions...should I put her pajamas on now or later?...what should we feed her for dinner?... but overall I most-of-the-time-kind-of know what I'm doing... until recently that is. Want to help me solve some of these child rearing questions?

1. She's getting her first tooth, and she has a runny nose. Is this one in the same, or does she have a cold?

2. She cries and fusses a lot more lately... I guess this has to do with that tooth also... how do I know when she's in pain? Do I give her children's tylenol at my discretion?

3. What about oragel? Are there side effects of oral teething treatments?

4. What about zwiebach? Do they help with teething?

5. Her very rough schedule has disappeared also. Am I to blame that one tooth for all this? She sleeps for like 20 minutes at a time, instead of the usual 40-1 hour. And then she is perpetually tired.

6. How long does it take one tooth to come in? Somebody told me it takes a couple weeks. Will she be like this the entire time?

7. On to food... I usually give her a vegetable and cereal at lunch, and a fruit and cereal with dinner. Do I have to give her cereal at every feeding?

8. Do I really have to wait 3 days before introducing a new food?

9. If I just give her a fruit or vegetable and no cereal, should I give her milk too? (milk = breastmilk or formula)

10. How much should she be awake everyday? I feel like she's awake more than most babies her age, but knowing that doesn't help much. Monday night I thought she was asleep at 7:30 p.m. (which is early for her), but then she woke up again at 8:15 p.m. like it was just a late nap. (?) How do I know one from the other?

11. Then there's the separation anxiety... She cries everytime I walk in the opposite direction. It drives me crazy. It makes me feel smothered. I don't like it. Half of Java and I's relationship is me pushing him off my lap. I don't like to be clung to; I need space. I read something that said I should give her as much attention as possible, and then she will have more confidence and move through this quicker. Then there's the older ladies who say I should not bend to her every whim. My first idea is to run as fast as I can away from her...will holding her more and holding her everytime she cries for me really help things?

12. The book says separation anxiety happens anytime between 6 months and 2 years. Will this go on until she's 2? If so, feel free to have me committed at any time.

13. She pinches me. She usually does it when I'm feeding her. She pinches my arm, or sometimes my neck. Is she old enough to teach her not to pinch?

14. If so, how do I teach her not to pinch?

15. How do I know when to bother the pediatrician with all these questions, and when just to bother you?

My Mom Used to Say,

"When you got it, flaunt it."

Cousins

It just doesn't get much cuter than this for me.

My Favorite New Picture

Me: Cecilia is not going to go out with the football star.

John: You're going to judge someone just because they play football?

Me: Yes, besides, she's not going to have time for all that nonsense. She's going to an Ivy League school.

John: Let's not forget that she is half you.

P-O-P, L-A-R, B-L-U-F-F!

Poplar Bluff, Poplar Bluff, is the best!

John always chants this cheer when we go to P.B. We were there last weekend visiting Grandma and Grandpa. And we can't forget the two dogs. Cecilia loves animals, and would much rather pay attention to animals than anything else. She especially loved pulling the little dog, Franchesca's, ears, and skin.

Opinion Polls & Market Research

We have had a heck of a time feeding her solid food. At the beginning we started her on all the homemade food, then bought some store bought food when we went on vacation and when we came home, she wouldn't have anything to do with the homemade food anymore. Very frustrating. We've spent the last two weeks trying to get her to eat real food again. She will eat cauliflower and pears that I froze, but she still whines about it, for me anyway. I think John has a better time feeding her than I do. Tonight when I fed her oatmeal and pears she cried in between bites, but kept opening her mouth. I don't think she really liked it, but I guess she was hungry. Last week when she wouldn't eat anything she perfected a cry with her mouth closed because everytime she opened her mouth to cry, I'd put more food in. It was a cute little muffled cry- so pathetic. Ruthie came over Saturday and got her to eat more than 2 bites, and it has gotten better ever since. I am determined to not raise a picky eater. You can quote me on that in a few years when all she will eat is chicken nuggets.

Solve Another Household Debate

Opinion Polls & Market Research

Creative Thinking

John and Cecilia at the Laumeier Sculpture Park.

Look Who's Talking

Cecilia and Alaric telepathically plotting against us.

Scapegoat

When I took this picture Amanda requested that I not get her face in it, and I thought, "oh, no, we have to have someone to blame all her future problems on." =)

My Kind of Town

Backtracking to our trip to Chicago... actually these pictures could have been taken anywhere, it's not really the town, it's who we were with.

The first picture is Heather and Cecilia and I at Aunt Linda's dining room table for brunch. Heather and I have so much fun together. In my emotional state, I cried when it was time for her to go to the airport. The second picture is Aunt Linda, my mom's sister, holding Cecilia. This is the first time the two of them met, and they were so cute together. Aunt Linda and Uncle Ken are coming to visit at the end of this month, and we can't wait. =) The last picture is one of my favorite pictures ever. Abbey, a.k.a the texting queen, was holding Cecilia and let her gum (she doesn't have any teeth yet) on her phone. I thought it was so sweet. When Abbey was a baby I couldn't wait to be with her, and hold her and gush over her, and now it's so nice to see Abbey holding Cecilia. The circle of life gets me everytime.

p.s. have you seen anyone with better eyelashes than Abbey?

Did I Show You These?

This is the end of the vacation pictures, I promise. I just had to throw a few more in there. The first two were taken early one morning and I think we were the only three people on the beach. In the background is the beloved pier, where you can find ice cream, kereoke, fishing, and live music. The second picture is Christy and Cecilia, and the last picture exemplifies the comment about Norah eating sand even more than the other picture.

Great Minds Think Alike

On the way home from the beach we stopped in Gatlinburg to get the baby out of the car seat for an hour or two, stretch our legs and have dinner. I really like Gatlinburg, it's cozy, down by this little stream that runs through town in the middle of the Smokey Mountains. While we were there, we went in a photo gallery by photographer Ken Jenkins. I had never heard of him before, but his pictures were stunning, and there were so many of them. He is native to Gatlinburg, and most of his pictures are either of wildlife or landscapes. I was surprised to see this picture of his because it looks so similar to this picture of mine.

It inspired me to get more pictures developed and try to sell a few more at the winery. Wish me luck.