The Past Two Weeks

So much has happened since I last posted.  Davie is crawling like the wind.  My favorite is when she gets one foot on the ground and the other knee, and kind of caveman's her way around.  She is officially into everything.  So today I went and bought a couple of new outlet covers - the ones where when you take the cord out, a little thing slides over the opening.  Oh yeah, she can totally pull things out of the outlet now.  Yikes.  I also got a couple of cabinet locks.  She is getting more and more personality everyday, and along with it, she's getting more vocal.  The good news is she is rarely bored.  The bad news is she's starting to get picky.  

We took her to her 9 month check up yesterday.  She's doing great, although the only thing that seems to be growing very quickly is her little noggin.  I have no idea how to get her to drink (instead of the current chewing) from a sippy cup.  We have every brand of sippy cup known to man!  Any tips?

Anyways, she's pulling up on everything.  She loves it.  She also likes to crawl into tiny, thin spaces and then freak out when she gets stuck.  But she ALWAYS takes the narrow road!  A sign of things to come perhaps?!  Who knows.  

We went to Babies'R'Us today to get some baby safe things.  I have a habit (that will soon need breaking) of picking up toys and giving them to Davie to see what she does.  If she goes for the packaging instead of the toy (which she always does) then I know it's not necessary.  Well today I saw this adorable Lamaze brand toy (I LOVE LAMAZE TOYS!).  A big octopus with legs that you can squeeze and they have some kind of little inflatable wind instrumenty noise, all making a different tone.  She BEAMED!  She just stared at it and then at me and then at it and then at me, smiling all the while.  She grabbed it up tight, and so I had to get it.  It is her new bud.  

Here's some pics.

Pictures of Dizzy Lu

This is my favorite picture of Davie.  I'm going to put this one in my Mother's Day locket.

Bathtime.  Makeshift baby holder out of our hamper . . . still slippery though.

She loves to swim!  She discovered the faucet though, and it scares the bejeebies out of me that she might cut her head on it.  Do they make faucet covers?

Daily Dose of Baby Love

Davie and I have a little ritual.  When she is calming down for a nap or especially for bedtime, I hold her standing right by her crib.  We don't rock or bounce.  We just stand there, fairly still, maybe swaying a little bit.  She smashes the side of her head up against my face, and I smooch-smooch-smooch her temple.  (I think her Nanna started this one weekend and it caught on.)  At first I thought it was something that I made happen . . . but now I believe she wants/needs it.  It is soothing for both of us.  Then I lay her down and usually that is that.  

I love her.  

The Mother of Mothers

For my sisters and I, Mother's Day is everyday in our hearts.  We treasure her and what she has done for her daughters.  We talk about her often and think about her constantly.  I'm sure it wasn't always this way.  Kids can be pretty egocentric.  

We continue not to deny her being a mother, and give her many chances to do our bidding selflessly.  She watches our children whenever possible.  She rearranges her schedule to be our companion/date when husband's are unavailable.  She cooks and cleans up when we frequent her table for dinner.  

My mother always listened to me with great interest.  She never made me feel like I was talking too much or about silly things that didn't matter (this meant a lot to a long-winded story-telling little girl).  She made me feel like I mattered, not just as her own child, but as a person in this world.  I remember knowing even as a young girl that my mom trusted me.  She was a guide, not my decision-maker.  

When I was 9 years old, I decided I wanted to be in a pageant.  Looking back on this pageant is what really shows me how unique my mom was in her parenting style.  All the little girls were like trained ponies, blowing kisses to the audience robotically, spitting out rehearsed answers to interview questions involving "world peace" or " becoming a doctor", etc.  I, however, got to be a 9 year old.  I walked like a 9 year old.  I smiled like a 9 year old.  I dressed like a 9 year old, and most importantly I talked like a 9 year old.  Among all the future doctors and lawyers, I was the only one that admitted that I would like to be an auto mechanic or (in a related field) a hairstylist.  I guess this was refreshing to the judges because I won that pageant.  I know being Miss Pre-Teen Oklahoma is not a big deal any more when you are 26, but the fact that my mom trusted me enough to follow my 9 year old instincts, and then I won . . . that event has done wonders for my self-confidence.  

My mom is my biggest fan.  I think more than anyone in this world, she enjoys my voice and my music.  She is always trying to get me to do more with it.  In a way, she has some ownership in my music.  Hereditarily, my dad gave me some talent . . . my mom did too, but she put in the long hours.  One of the only places in my childhood where I saw my mom demand something of us was in our musical ventures.  She MADE all of us sit down at the piano and learn three-part harmony even as little bitty girls and sing in front of the church in our matching dresses my grandmother made us.  (This also leads to the other demand - sponge-rolling our hair the night before a performance!!)  I am SOOO thankful that she did this for us (not the sponge-rolling).  

The best testament to my mother is the mothers she has raised in me and my sisters.  We will forever try to be the kind of mother to our children that she was to us - giving our children freedom to grow and trust themselves, giving our children the tools they will need or want (by force if necessary), listening to them no matter what.  I see my older sisters already doing these things so naturally with their children already, and it makes me love my mother even more.

Momma, I am so proud to see you finally carving out some time and space just for you recently.  More than the little and big favors we may need from you, we need you to take care of YOU.  We are going to need you around for a long time.  I love you so much.  You are the easiest person to be around, and I will forever sing your praises to my children, among others. 

summa-time and the livin' is easy!

"your daddy's rich and your momma's good-lookin!"

we need to make this lullaby (a regular in davie's repertoire) come true for this summer.  someway.  somehow.

summer is coming!  i am getting so antsy, just waiting for my freedom!  i want to be at the lake as much as humanly possible, which means bathing suit, which means, "we's got woik to do!"  i might like to be a shade or two bronzer than my current milky hue.  i might like to have a few things toned up.  i might like to have a flattering new bathing suit.  

i feel like these things require a little bit of extra money though.  extra money that steven and i are trying to find in our regular monthly budget (to put in savings).  however, i do have a birthday coming up this saturday.  

now for the conundrum - should i be a good girl and put my birthday money into savings?  (it sounds un-fun, but is actually QUITE fulfilling) OR do i indulge (understanding that birthday's only come once a year) and get myself ready for the best summer yet?

it sounds like i've already decided . . .

Been Awhile

Some updates:

- I took the position at Putnam City West.  Phew.  I'm relieved and excited.

- Davie has her second tooth . . . well kind of, we're still in the process.

- A couple of days ago, I glanced over and Davie was standing up at her little piano.  Luckily, just hours before Steven and I lowered her crib frame because I said, "Any day now, she is going to pull herself up and out of this crib."

- Davie's increasing mobility seems to be causing some issues in the evening (not to mention diaper-changes!) She doesn't seem to want to stop moving, especially when she desperately wants and needs to wind down, but can't seem to make the connection that it means ceasing movement.

Must go!  The baby cries yet again!