A wee tooth sprouted in the front bottom of Bella's mouth a few days ago and today a second one showed up right next to it. So that takes care of Christmas presents for her. (Ha ha - get it? All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth? Yes? No?)
Teething has not been as bad as I feared it would be, but she is suddenly having an incredibly difficult time going down for the night after two months of easy-peasy put-y down-y.
This is not to say that sleep has been easy-peasy for the last two months. No, indeed. Bella is still waking up 2-3 times each night. I keep putting off sleep training because...I don't know. It seems like more work than just waking up, sticking the baby to the boob for five minutes and then everyone going back to bed. Sigh. I'll deal with it in 2010.
Yesterday I read a tame little book, the sort of novel you'd recommend to your grandmother, when they threw in a sex scene and the phrase "long penis" right at the very end. Yes. Long penis. I...I...I have no words.
Husband's humiliation dance will likely be filmed this weekend. Oh, it's going to be good. Good and maybe educational! Certainly humiliating, anyway.
I begged and begged and begged Husband to let us get a real Christmas tree this year and he finally agreed, so we got ourselves a tree a week ago. And now I spend all my time sweeping pine needles off the floor and picking them out of the cats' fur, like some sort of sad cat-owning Cinderella. Stupid dud tree. [Husband's comment: Karma is as beautiful as our tree. I'm really looking forward to a nice fake tree with a fixed expense instead of this year after year business of going and buying a nice bundled tree, getting it home only to realize it's actually a gigantic bushy thing once unbundled that sheds pine needles that get in my socks and underwear, then, after Christmas, having to heave it off our back deck and watch it roll down the hill and collect with the other cash burners.]
Are you still all reeling from "long penis"? I know! Why long? Why not just penis? Why? Why? Why?
As it turns out, I will NOT be recommending that book to my grandmother.
We took some holiday pictures last evening as I had brushed my hair, which made it a very special occasion. (Google reader friends - click over to the site to see the new festive background.)
Here's the official picture that will go on our holiday cards. And here are a few outtakes. Happy Chrismukkah, friends!
I was honored to be nominated by Carolyn from The Kipper Family Blog as a TAM - truly authentic mama. So, to do my part, here are the ways in which I am an authentic mama.
1. I will do anything to make my baby laugh. This includes, but it not limited to, "pant-hooting" like a monkey (yes, apparently pant-hoot is the technical Jane Goodall term), belting out songs, dancing like a fool, growling like a deranged animal, and making especially hideous faces and noises. Motherhood is pretty like that.
2. Whenever I can access a booger in Bella's nose, I go for it. The child cannot blow her nose and I've yet to order the horrifyingly delightful NoseFrida, so I feel it is my duty to be the picker.
3. I often simultaneously want more and less time with my baby.
4. I'm in love with the my baby's especially chubby shape. Those thighs! That butt! Such cheeks! She even has a chubby forehead.
5. I've quit brushing my (long, easily-tangled) hair now that I'm a mom. Instead, I prefer to let my perma-ponytail become a nice dreadlock in between showers. It's certainly preferable to mom hair, right? Actually, who am I kidding? I've never really brushed my hair.
Now to tag five other truly authentic mamas, who might want to play along:
We started Bella on solids about a week before her 6-month birthday. Why did we wait so long? Well, it's the current recommendation to wait until 6 months to start solids and if I'm anything, it's a rule follower (more on this recommendation). And you better believe I was still a little twitchy about starting a week early, but I figure Bella came a week late so she COULD have been 6 months had she arrived on her due date.
Since I had some time before getting her started, I began looking for information a couple months ago on exactly HOW to go about introducing solids. Like all things baby, I found much of the information to be confusing and contradicting. I kid you not when I tell you that I read or heard the following recommendations, all from reputable sources:
Start with rice cereal as it's easiest on the baby's digestion.
Start with oatmeal as it is a whole grain and less constipating than rice cereal.
Start with green vegetables, then move on to orange, and then do fruit in order to optimize acceptability of vegetables.
Sweet Potatoes and Avocados are great first foods.
It's fine to start with fruit as it's just as sweet as breastmilk.
In a weird way, the huge variation in recommendations for a first food meant that I felt more comfortable just doing my own thing. And in my research, I did find one very helpful website that has information on introducing solids, in addition to how to make your own baby food. (Yes, I'm making my own baby food - I'll do a post on this in the future.)
We decided to go with oatmeal mixed with breast milk first (which was the pediatrician's recommendation) and have since moved on to apples, bananas, sweet potatoes, and green beans. Everything has been a hit, except for green beans. You just know the person who recommended starting with green vegetables feels vindicated by that last sentence. Even though Bella's not crazy about the green beans now, I'll keep offering them again and again, up to ten times, just like a good dietitian is taught to do when it comes to introducing new foods to a baby. Being a rule follower is so exhausting sometimes.
Now for your viewing pleasure: Green Beans are Stinky McStinkertons, featuring Bella.
Laura is a 29-year-old stay at home mom living in Minneapolis with her Husband, baby girl Arabella, and 3 cats (yes, 3). Email her at gill0215 AT gmail DOT com.
