Maya has become one of the cloth-diapered set. We’ll see how long this works for us; I’m keeping my options open…but for now, They’re just so darned CUTE.

…the mighty jungle, the baby looks hacked off.

(Maya puts up with my helping her aunt Lani move plants.)

Maya’s new favorite party trick (guaranteed to get “awwws” as we shop)…as viewed from the other side of the coffee table:

Kate tagged me to continue this meme:

Ten Years Ago:

Actually 9-1/2 years ago…birthday party for Joel (top center) and Aaron (under Joel) in May 1996). See two of my sets of french doors in the background, LOL.

Ten years ago, I’d just found the coolest apartment and was loving my new digs…it was a 1000sf one-bedroom in the museum district, and the first apartment building in Houston. Of course, with Houston being a newer city, that means 1928. Anyway, it looked like a four-1/2-story stucco Mediterranean, and my living room was big enough for a game of touch football. Also, it had four, count ‘em FOUR sets of French doors. Talk about a crossbreeze!

I was dating Joel, one of the former boyfriends that I still contact from time to time (even flew to his wedding in 2002!), but was starting to feel pretty sure things weren’t going too well. I was right, but it took me until the summer of 1996 to actually realize that. I was pretty dense that way…

Work: American Productivity & Quality Center as its “Centerwide” Marketing Manager — we were in the middle of the messy job of redesigning all of the company’s identity/overview brochures. What a mess, but a fun mess.

Five Years Ago:

On the way down from the pass, hiking between Silverthorne and Vail — July 2000

I lived in Breckenridge, Colorado (ski town!) with my then-boyfriend, Scott, and things were VERY rocky (gee, wonder if it’s a Fall thing?). We nearly broke up, but instead moved to Colorado Springs (return for me). I was working in Breckenridge for a 1031 Exchange company (tax stuff for rental investors), and had just gotten my introduction to the wonderful world of Real Estate.

One Year Ago:

362 days ago…Maya’s first trip out of the house at one week old.

I was the mom of a four-day-old baby, and still hadn’t even left the house! (That was on day five.) The day before, I’d just finally named her, and my family was SO relieved to have an answer for when people asked them, LOL. Scott was staying with me (friends, not dating; we’d broken up in 2001) and helping out with the dogs while I recovered. OMG, did it ever hurt to sit down! Oh, and my boobs hurt!

Yesterday:

Work. *yawn*

I sold my Fisher-Price cradle swing on Craigslist and used the money to buy Maya an OshKosh denim dress jumper and long-sleeved shirt, plus a pair of Levis 515s for me. We ate some seriously nasty Chinese food in the food court (well, I ate it. Maya decided from the beginning of the meal that it belonged on the floor).

Worked some more, played with Maya, took video of a present we received, and watched Medium on the DVR after Maya went to sleep.

5 Songs I Know All the Words To:
1. Anything from “My Fair Lady”
2. Everything off the blasted baby CD Alison gave me a couple weeks ago…those freakin’ songs are eternally stuck in my head now!
3. Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For (U2, of course)
4. Lullabye for a Stormy Night (Vienna Teng)
5. So many more, my head is spinning…so I’ll just say MANY others.

5 Snacks
Cheese Sticks
Applesauce (for Maya, anyway)
Luna Bars
Cashews
Frozen Fruit Bars

5 Things I’d Do With 100 Million Dollars
(singing…I would buy you a fur coat, but not a real fur coat, that’s cruel…
Buy a house, not too big, but not teeny…but exquistitely furnished.
Pay off my parents’ mortgage
Find a really good, trustworthy financial advisor, and set up a fund for Maya’s education (maybe mine too! PhD!)
Ditto, set up investments such that we can live off the interest
Give lots of it away! How much fun would that be?

5 Favorite Toys
Digital Camera
Computer
Baby Backpack
Maya
My brain (grin)

Current Reads
I’m in between books right now, but I just ordred three books by Anne Lamott:

• Bird by Bird — I have to admit that I harbor the fantasy of writing a book (NOT a novel) and becoming published someday. Next week, I actually will start a short writing workshop that one of the moms in my local group is creating — focusing on the memoir, right up my alley.
• Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith — This one will likely be one that will push my buttons just as well as Blue Like Jazz did back in May. Wow, has it really only been a few short months since I discovered this wonderful world of “progressive” Christianity? It’s amazing how much one simple book recommendation could enrich my life.
• Operating Instructions: A Journal of My Son’s First Year — I had no idea that like me, she was/is also a single mom. Considering that Maya turned one Friday, this should hit home.

Until those arrive, I’m browsing through whatever happens to be on the nightstand/desk/beside the bath.

5 People I’ll Tag to Do this Meme (if and only if you’re in the mood…really)
Alison
Rachelle
Aleigha
AmyK
Margi

Maya’s gift from her “secret buddy” on the September Mommies Group arrived today, and it was a hit. But instead of taking my word for it, see for yourself!

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She really, REALLY wants to do it herself, but that’s not a surprise. “I’ll do it!” is an ongoing theme with little Miss M. (Gee, wonder where she gets that?)

We had a small family birthday party for Maya on the day of…burgers, presents, then cake and ice cream.

Maya’s grandparents bought her a ride-on toy that she likes, but will love once she gets taller so that *ahem* both feet can touch the ground at once.

She’s not much help with opening packages yet, but really enjoyed her birthday cards.

Here, she’s rough-housing with grandpa while mama opens the presents…I think I have an acrobat or gymnast in the making.

Maya turns the packages into an obstacle course while I play show-n-tell with her new stuff.

She LOVES the activity cube. Yay!

Modeling her birthday girl shirt (read: wearable bib) before cake time.

Hmmmm…what IS this?

Oh, YEAH. Now we’re talkin’.

I almost forgot the hat! That worked out well, though…by the time I put it on her, she was so involved in her cake, she didn’t rip it off, LOL.

It’s official folks. I have a *girl* — she ate most of her cake and ice cream, and THIS is all of the destruction. She was SO intent on the cake, all of what she dropped was by accident (as opposed to a normal mealtime when it’s commentary, ie, “peas do not belong on my plate!”).

The full set of birthday photos are here.

Maya’s pedi visit was pretty much a nonevent today…she was weighed and measured (still itty, duh), then evaluated for development (right on track, not ahead or behind - duh again), then two shots. This time we did DTaP and Comvax (I think?), which brings us about to where most 6-month-olds are with their vaxes. While I am vaccinating, I’m doing so slowly, and usually allowing no more than two shots at a time. As she’s getting older, I may pick up the pace a bit, simply because we’ve had exactly ZERO reaction to shots so far.

Maya is still tiny. Seriously tiny. She has, though, moved upward in height.

Height: 28.5″ / 30th percentile
Head: 16.75″ / below the 5th
Weight: 15 pounds, 6.4 ounces / WAY below the 5th

She’s still healthy, so the doc isn’t concerned too much about her weight. Even with the two shots, she fussed for like 10 seconds, then was fine as soon as she was no longer restrained! Tonight (for her bday party with family), she was her normal, perky, into-everything self, except maybe a little heavy eyed at times.

more posted below as the day goes on

*sigh*

Maya’s wearing her 12mo clothing. Of course, the overalls are a bit big…but still, they do sorta-kinda fit.

Maya’s showin’ some ink. We visited the local Home Builders’ Association chili cookoff, and Stewart Title’s Harley-Davidson themed booth was doing temp tattoos. Oh, and the most yummy homemade cheesecake I’ve had in a long time. Maya agreed with me on that part!

I love the one on the little boy in the second photo…it’s the Chinese character for “happy.”

Considering this earlier post, the tattoo I selected seemed entirely too appropriate for Miss M.

Overtired “but I don’t want to go to bed” girl gives a demonstration of the left drama mask.

Oh, what was that? Not bedtime just yet? Photos first? Well, let me pull myself together for a minute, please.