Tooth number four (top center left) has FINALLY made its breakthrough today. As a result (no teething pain), Maya is bouncing off the walls today.
At the moment, she’s playing tug with a bleached prefold diaper (I don’t mind that — they’re not as soft as unbleached, so I doubt I’ll use them anyway) with Clay, and LAUGHING her head off. The dogs keep going back and forth between playing with her and each other. Either way, Maya is delighted.
(I’ve got to amuse someone, right?)
Said as I was about to start wash…”Okay, M…your diapers are done, now it’s time to do my laundry. That would be the MOTHER LOAD of laundry.”
Chortle.
Hey, other babies/toddlers out there! Thought I’d give you some pointers for getting a sleepyhead mama out of bed so she can do your bidding all day:
1. When she’s sound asleep in the morning, sit on her chest. Then bounce up and down repeatedly. This part is most effective when done about 30-45 minutes before the alarm clock is scheduled to go off.
2. If she tries to let you nurse (yum! breakfast, part 1!) as a snooze alarm, kick her in the bladder while you get your morning snack. You don’t want to risk her falling asleep again, do you?
3. If she wakes up grumpy, be sure to fall backward on the bed, giggling hysterically. She can’t resist your laughs, you know, so she’s start the day in a good mood anyway, despite the bruised ribs and tender bladder.
Maya
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:
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 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.
Baby G had a nifty activity cube that Maya loved to both play with and push around. This time, though…it didn’t work out so well. Of course, instead of getting her down, I ran for the camera. THEN, I got her down. Oh, she was *so* mad…
Shhhh…don’t tell Maya, but she’s getting something similar for her birthday.
I had no idea how often I say that magic word…until just recently when I realized that Maya now shakes her head anytime I say it — whether to her or to the dogs.
Katie, NO!
(Maya shakes her head at the dog.)Maya, no — hands off mama’s keyboard.
(Maya grins and shakes her head at me, then continues to reach for the keyboard.)
Usually, the “no” is delivered in a fairly matter-of-fact manner — along with my removing whatever she’s getting into from her reach. The “stern no” is reserved for anything that could be dangerous to her. Then, she bursts into tears. How *dare* I say no and sound like I really mean it?
Whether she understands or not, I usually tell her WHY the answer is no.
On the topic of Maya’s getting into things…I’m eagerly (okay, anxiously at this point) awaiting the arrival of a used cell phone from eBay. Why? Last weekend, my stomach got wonky, and since it allowed me a few moments of peace on the sofa, I didn’t take my cell away from Maya when she started exploring it…with her mouth.
At this point, my current phone works, but only when plugged in. So, if I’m home, I can get a call. If I’m in the car, ditto. (Of course, that assumes I remember to plug it in and turn it back on.) If I’m anywhere else, I’m simply not reachable, and you know what? It’s not killing me.
Just the same, Maya will *not* get to play with the new cell phone when it arrives.
From Motherhood is Not for Wimps:
“Jaelyn,” I said. “Did you hit Mary?”
She kept singing. I tapped my foot and looked at her.
“Noooo …” she finally sang. I raised an eyebrow.
“She hit me first!”
“Jaelyn.”
“WELL SHE WAS THINKING ABOUT IT!!” I would have laughed, but the notion of myself giggling naked in hotpants was enough to sober me right up.
“Congratulations,” I said instead, “you’ve mastered US foreign policy.”
