(no subject)
Dammit.
Just having one of those bummed days. Not for any special reason, just a little bummed. So I thought I'd sit here and drink my NORA tea and write about stuff that is making me happy. Maybe that will help.
Happy thing one: After an hour-long tantrum in which Silas and I fought about nap time (Him: But I don't want to nap! I want to read! Me: I need you to take a nap because I stayed up too late last night reading!), he finally is asleep, and I'm hoping it will last a while.
Happy thing two: I had my first midwife appointment in a LOOONG time (because of traveling and then forgetting when my first one back was, and then my second one getting rescheduled because my midwife delivered seven babies in seven days!) on Monday. Misty (midwife) said that my uterus felt a little small, so maybe my dates are off--that wouldn't be a surprise, as I would have thought Silas was a week late if I hadn't had an early dating ultrasound. But I'm kind of hoping this baby will come in October anyway, so that they'll have different birth months--and I'll have a month between planning birthday parties! Then she said that she would try to listen for heart tones with the fetoscope, but she never has heard them with it this early (18 weeks) and might have to use the doppler. The second she put the fetoscope on my stomach, she said, "Oh my gosh, I hear it!" Heartbeat is 148, which is the in the high end of the normal range. As she was poking around trying to get to a place where she could hear it more clearly, I felt the baby JUMP and then she couldn't hear it any more. This was the first time I felt it move, really definitely, and since then, I've felt it pretty regularly. Happy! I like to imagine that when she first heard the heart tones, it was pressed up against the walls of its watery cage, searching for an escape, and that's why she heard it. :) We scheduled our first ultrasound for mid-May, and I can hardly wait!
Happy thing three: Silas and this Montessori stuff. OMG. And other things. He's just GETTING things so much now. He's learning people's names and loves to say them (he doesn't always get them right--like, his friend Lillian, he calls "Yi yan."). He is getting through his NO phase by informing the dog that he shouldn't be doing whatever he is doing, which is usually true. He loves to help me call for Ender when he's out across the field. The other day, he picked up his letter C magnet and said, "kuh!" I about fell over. I've been trying to introduce him to some self-care Montessori stuff, and I was a despairing a bit that I was asking too much too soon. He's only 19 months, and I was reviewing one of the Montessori books I have...and it says not to bother until they're 2.5! But then I turn around, and he's doing it by himself.
Examples:
I set up this little self-care station in the bathroom, with a bowl for handwashing, his toothbrush, hairbrush, a mirror, and a hand towel.
He immediately did this:
Well, at least he's washing his hands!
I also put up a low hook for him to hang his jacket on. For a few days, I reminded him to hang up his jacket when we came in from our walks...and then today, he asked for help getting it off, and then ran to the hook saying, "Hook! Hook! Hook!"
He's really, by any measure, too young for water pouring activities (you're supposed to start them with stuff like rice, which moves slower). But like an idiot, I tried it a few days ago. He just ended up frustrated, so I put the pitcher and cup away in his cupboard. The other day, he got the pitcher and cup out, handed me the pitcher, saying, "Juice peeeees!" (he calls all liquids "juice"). I put a tablespoon of water in it, and he carried the cup and pitcher to his table, climbed up in his chair, and poured himself a drink...and then cleaned up the little bit he spilled!
Similarly, he got really frustrated with this spoon transferring activity I demonstrated the other day...but then a little later went and got it out himself and did it!
He's even helping put out the clover seed on the lawn (instead of trying to eat it).
Happy thing four: This is both a happy thing and an annoying thing. We're buying a new (new-to-us, that is) car. It's a Passat station wagon. I'm annoyed about spending the money and the general hassle about buying a new car...but it is super nice and not dented. :) We're picking it up on Saturday if everything goes well. We're financing through Everence (the Mennonite credit union) and they have been wonderful to work with. I highly recommend them.
Oh, and we're hoping to sell the Subaru for around $3000. If anyone wants one. We just need to get rid of it because 2 car seats + 50 lb dog = not working in the sedan.
Happy thing five: JC and I had a date last night. We went to a Ruby meet up (be jealous) and then Indian American Cafe. It was nice to just get to go out together and have fun.
Happy thing six (and this really might be the happiest thing): I have the greatest friends ever. Really. Lovely Pam remembered to write me from her writing colony vacation the other day. Laura and Bethany brought their children over for our Monday play date and we talked and laughed and tried to ignore the whining. Inkslingers had a great meeting on Sunday night (though we were minus Kirsten and Pam). It's just good to be home and seeing my favorite people again.
Silas is glad to be back with his friends, too!
Just having one of those bummed days. Not for any special reason, just a little bummed. So I thought I'd sit here and drink my NORA tea and write about stuff that is making me happy. Maybe that will help.
Happy thing one: After an hour-long tantrum in which Silas and I fought about nap time (Him: But I don't want to nap! I want to read! Me: I need you to take a nap because I stayed up too late last night reading!), he finally is asleep, and I'm hoping it will last a while.
Happy thing two: I had my first midwife appointment in a LOOONG time (because of traveling and then forgetting when my first one back was, and then my second one getting rescheduled because my midwife delivered seven babies in seven days!) on Monday. Misty (midwife) said that my uterus felt a little small, so maybe my dates are off--that wouldn't be a surprise, as I would have thought Silas was a week late if I hadn't had an early dating ultrasound. But I'm kind of hoping this baby will come in October anyway, so that they'll have different birth months--and I'll have a month between planning birthday parties! Then she said that she would try to listen for heart tones with the fetoscope, but she never has heard them with it this early (18 weeks) and might have to use the doppler. The second she put the fetoscope on my stomach, she said, "Oh my gosh, I hear it!" Heartbeat is 148, which is the in the high end of the normal range. As she was poking around trying to get to a place where she could hear it more clearly, I felt the baby JUMP and then she couldn't hear it any more. This was the first time I felt it move, really definitely, and since then, I've felt it pretty regularly. Happy! I like to imagine that when she first heard the heart tones, it was pressed up against the walls of its watery cage, searching for an escape, and that's why she heard it. :) We scheduled our first ultrasound for mid-May, and I can hardly wait!
Happy thing three: Silas and this Montessori stuff. OMG. And other things. He's just GETTING things so much now. He's learning people's names and loves to say them (he doesn't always get them right--like, his friend Lillian, he calls "Yi yan."). He is getting through his NO phase by informing the dog that he shouldn't be doing whatever he is doing, which is usually true. He loves to help me call for Ender when he's out across the field. The other day, he picked up his letter C magnet and said, "kuh!" I about fell over. I've been trying to introduce him to some self-care Montessori stuff, and I was a despairing a bit that I was asking too much too soon. He's only 19 months, and I was reviewing one of the Montessori books I have...and it says not to bother until they're 2.5! But then I turn around, and he's doing it by himself.
Examples:
I set up this little self-care station in the bathroom, with a bowl for handwashing, his toothbrush, hairbrush, a mirror, and a hand towel.
He immediately did this:
Well, at least he's washing his hands!
I also put up a low hook for him to hang his jacket on. For a few days, I reminded him to hang up his jacket when we came in from our walks...and then today, he asked for help getting it off, and then ran to the hook saying, "Hook! Hook! Hook!"
He's really, by any measure, too young for water pouring activities (you're supposed to start them with stuff like rice, which moves slower). But like an idiot, I tried it a few days ago. He just ended up frustrated, so I put the pitcher and cup away in his cupboard. The other day, he got the pitcher and cup out, handed me the pitcher, saying, "Juice peeeees!" (he calls all liquids "juice"). I put a tablespoon of water in it, and he carried the cup and pitcher to his table, climbed up in his chair, and poured himself a drink...and then cleaned up the little bit he spilled!
Similarly, he got really frustrated with this spoon transferring activity I demonstrated the other day...but then a little later went and got it out himself and did it!
He's even helping put out the clover seed on the lawn (instead of trying to eat it).
Happy thing four: This is both a happy thing and an annoying thing. We're buying a new (new-to-us, that is) car. It's a Passat station wagon. I'm annoyed about spending the money and the general hassle about buying a new car...but it is super nice and not dented. :) We're picking it up on Saturday if everything goes well. We're financing through Everence (the Mennonite credit union) and they have been wonderful to work with. I highly recommend them.
Oh, and we're hoping to sell the Subaru for around $3000. If anyone wants one. We just need to get rid of it because 2 car seats + 50 lb dog = not working in the sedan.
Happy thing five: JC and I had a date last night. We went to a Ruby meet up (be jealous) and then Indian American Cafe. It was nice to just get to go out together and have fun.
Happy thing six (and this really might be the happiest thing): I have the greatest friends ever. Really. Lovely Pam remembered to write me from her writing colony vacation the other day. Laura and Bethany brought their children over for our Monday play date and we talked and laughed and tried to ignore the whining. Inkslingers had a great meeting on Sunday night (though we were minus Kirsten and Pam). It's just good to be home and seeing my favorite people again.
Silas is glad to be back with his friends, too!