Saturday Randomness
Originally published at Welcome To The Dollhouse. You can comment here or there.
eah, I know you’ve thought I dropped off the face of the earth, but no, I’m still here. I’ve had several blog posts swirling around in my brain but my energy level was so low, I just couldn’t get into them.
In fact, I started this post on Saturday, thus the title. Please note that today is Tuesday. WTF! I’m so out of the groove.
Well let me continue what I started on Saturday. Instead of several coherent blog posts, you will get one swirling, random blog post containing all my thoughts from the 10 or so days. Hang on tight…it’s gonna be a bumpy ride!
For a person who generally has no social life, last weekend was a whirlwind for me as I had 3 events! Yes 3! Miraculous.
First on Saturday early afternoon I had a visit from Josie and her new boyfriend Glen. The funny thing about this visit is how it almost didn’t happen. Someone asked me recently whether Josie had visited Little Girl lately. And I was like no, I’m waiting for her to let me know when she wants to see her. I remembered that on our first meeting Josie said that she wasn’t sure she would be able to see the baby during the first year. Clearly that changed after she got to know us and Zara was born, but I still didn’t want to push. I figured that she would tell me when she wanted to visit.
Yet after that person asked me, I realized that Josie, my twin born 20 years later, would probably be waiting for ME to suggest a visit, so as not to be pushy. After all, were I in her situation, that is how I would play it. So it dawned upon me to call her and see what she was up to. And what did she say when I asked her about whether she was interested in a visit? “I’ve been thinking about you all and wanted to come see you but didn’t want to be pushy.” Are we twins or what?
So we planned for her to come up on the 18th. This was her first visit to our house. And yes, I admit that part of me tripped about that a teensy bit, but then I was like, I know Josie, and I stopped trippin’.
We had a great visit. Glen is a love and really seems to care about Josie. I’m glad that they found each other again after having dated in middle school. We all went out to lunch and did a lot of cooing over Miss Zizi. I worried that it might be awkward or that there might be role confusion, but we had none of that. At the end of the visit, Josie told me that she had been concerned about how she’d feel seeing Little Girl and us, but she was OK. The whole visit left her feeling positive.
This visit allowed me the chance to give her the tangled heart necklace that I had bought for her a while ago.
The tangled hearts signify the entwining of the firstmother, adoptive mother and baby’s hearts that happens with adoption. She liked it and put it on right away. I also gave her a framed handprint and picture from Little Girl.
As she left, I made her promise to let me know if she is craving another visit. We’re family now and neither of us should be worried about being pushy. Except I am allowed to be pushy when it concerns her and her college plans!
Later that afternoon, I took Zizi to a barbecue at one of my old colleagues house. This was great because it allowed me to see some of my old co-workers who I hadn’t seen in almost 2 years. They all tried to steal Miss Zizi from me, though that wasn’t happening. Yet the really funny part was their all being shocked at how happy I was to be a mom. They thought I didn’t like kids, since that was my hardcore persona back in the day. What I didn’t want to tell them was that I didn’t like their kids! I’m kidding, of course. At least I think I am.
The next day was the day of Millie. I must truly love this woman because I packed up Little Girl and drove 80 miles out to a rainy…very rainy…renaissance festival in the middle of Bumfuck, Pennsylvania. Millie’s DH’s family reunion was taking place in that godforsaken location. But the chance to see Miss Northern California Millie was too much for me to resist.
Little Girl, happily tucked in her Orbit, missed the brunt of the rain. But Liana who thought she had an umbrella but didn’t, got wet. Nasty wet. You know the kind of wet that seeps into your bones? Because Renaissance Fairs do not believe in covered shelters. The enjoyment is best spent outdoors. Even the wine tasting was outdoors!
But Miss Millie and her dear hubby were divine (except for the attempted acquisition of both baby and Orbit in one fell swoop). They fussed over Miss Zizi and listened to her singing and conversation. When we all had finally had enough of ye old lads and lasses of the faire, we managed to find one of the two sit down restaurants in a 10 mile radius for a dinner. While Zara slept, we spent a bit of time discussing how infertility has shaped us. I admitted that while I would love to say that I’m over my resentment of pregnant women now that I have the extraordinary Zizi, the truth is that I’m not. Much of me has healed since becoming a mother, but there remains a part that still feels less than for not being able to achieve a successful pregnancy. I wish that this brokenness had left me when Zara was placed in my arms, but no dice. I still suffer the wounds sustained along the journey to parenthood. Ah well.
But in more upbeat baby news, Miss Zizi has managed to fully roll over while swaddled. She can’t seem to get past the tipping point when not swaddled…yet. But she is truly working on it. However, since I have run into her room to find her face down and crying all wrapped in her Miracle Blanket, I decided to check the website to see when we were supposed to discontinue use of said device. Well it said 3 1/2 to 4 months. Guess we are right on schedule.
She’s also doing cool things like reaching for objects and staring at herself in the mirror (harbingers of things to come during adolescence). And I got an entire serenade this morning on her way to daycare.
I’ve got to thank wedreamofbaby for having suggested the Podee Baby Bottle - Handsfree Feeding System
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Though we didn’t get one in time for our trip to Hawaii (since dear BabiesRUs decided to put them in a different section than the regular bottles, for some reason), we started using them while out with her in the stroller and at daycare. Now Miss Zizi has developed a preference for Podee over Avent! Go figure.
(And just an aside about the stroller. I get so many questions about that Orbit that I finally wrote to the company and asked if they had some cards that I could hand out to interested people. Even Josie saw the stares when we were in the restaurant. It’s like Bugaboo, who? Personally I think the Orbit people should give me a commission!)
Since this tome is long enough, let me end with the best part. Our Celebrating Adoption pictures are back! They are gorgeous. See for yourself. Visit the slideshow section of Belle Vie Photography and enter “Clark” at the prompt. Now I just have to figure out which ones to order. I love them all.
That’s enough for tonight! More to come.