Emerging

Someone asked me what the best part of having a baby is; I said that it sounds silly, but just having a baby is the best part: watching her thrive and develop brings me such joy.

we are all emerging
from the moment we begin
spiralling forward and opening
gaining complexity and beauty
throwing out our arms ever wider
to take in all we can
'til at last we burn out
a shimmery streak searing the sky's blackness

Quirky Tag

Six things Dan finds quirky about me:

1 - I am always looking for the punchline of the "that's what she said" joke, which won't die. Or become unfunny. Ever.

2 - I'll eat, but won't touch raw, chicken.

3 - See the post titled "Your Mama is Crazy" regarding making up nicknames and songs for Sylvia.

4 - I can remember the lyrics to many songs.

5 - I like some fast food occasionally (Taco Bell...yuck).

6 - I'm only quirky in five ways.


Six things I find quirky about me:

1 - Despite having done quite a bit of air travel in my life, I hate traveling by plane and spend days and days psyching myself up for a plane trip. My body doesn't like being way way way up off the ground.

2 - I count things, like steps I take to a door, the number of syllables in a spoken sentence - not always, not all things, but just enough to place me on this side of obsessive-compulsive.

3 - Except when I'm talking or listening to someone (or the TV, music, or a movie) I almost always hear music in my head. Mostly other people's recordings, sometimes my own compositions.

4 - Even though I will wear the same shirt more than once, enjoy eating tempeh, prefer to buy used clothes and furniture, own a drum, and "dig cool vibes, man," I most definitely do NOT identify as a hippie.

5 - I live to be sarcastic, biting and appropriately catty, but my own skin is thin, and I take jabs at me to heart.

Big Girl

In the past few days Sylvia has really started paying attention to people and objects more intently. Her good mood continues, and she's often excited (as evidenced by flapping arms and kicking legs) by things she sees and noises she hears.

She seems less and less like a helpless baby and more and more like a little girl as each day passes.

It's hard to believe she's already five months old!

See?

Sylvia's main goal in life seems to be to see as much as she can. She's a real shoulder baby - doesn't like being carried in a cradle position, needs to be up high. She cranes her head around to investigate noises, and is fascinated by shifting colors and visual textures, such as when the sun shines through a leafy tree on a sunny day.

Good Mood

Sylvia has been such a happy baby over the past few days. Not that she's usually in a sour mood, but her typically chipper mood has been heightened, as evidenced by her spells of smiling and laughing.

Is it because she's more mobile and in control of her body? Is it the weather? Is it what I've been eating or not eating? Is it simply just because?

If only I had a clue so I could encourage this phase to last!

Back to Work

Today I went back to work for the first time since mid-November.

I was prepared to miss Sylvia terribly, to call Grandpa (babysitter) every half hour, for pumping at work to not go well, for Sylvia to refuse to take a bottle from Grandpa and to fuss the whole time...but instead all went well, I enjoyed being out and about and reconnecting with my place of work and coworkers, I was able to pump quite a lot, and Sylvia behaved very well. She ate only a little, just enough to stave off hunger until we reconnected.

Now we're back at home and I need a nap!

It will do us both good for me to have a life outside baby care and home. I'll only be working two short days per week to start, slowly pacing my way up as Sylvia grows more independent, and I hope this good trend continues.

Nice Visit

I just dropped off Grammy & Granddaddy at the airport, after a lovely week's visit. Come June, we'll be wondering where they are!

Sylvia really connected with them this time, and seemed to remember them from their May visit, greeting them with easy smiles.

They noticed a big difference in her since their last trip...it's hard for me to see because I'm with her every day.

Grans Redux

Grammy and Granddaddy are back for a visit, and we've been pretty busy...hence the lack of posts!

We had a nice mother's day breakfast out in Manchester with friends Kevin & Rusty, where we ate very large pancakes. Plus we've been all over Ann Arbor, and to my garden plot, where Sylvia witnessed hoeing for the first time.

More pics to follow when things calm down a bit!

Daddy Does Double Dandle Duty

Okay, he's not technically dandling the lovely babies, but he is getting a double dose of delight from Sylvia and our friend Soleil. Too much cute in one chair!

One Little Bear

Someone's been sleeping in my bed!

Thankies for Blankies

My cousin Diane made this cute toy-themed quilt for Sylvia. Cute!




Our friend Zoe (who has already given us gifts, thanks for your generosity, Zoe!) made this great chenille-backed flannel blankie. Check out the groovy atomic-age meets nature styled flannel! Too cool!

Must Be Genetical

Rosy cheeks...Sylvia couldn't have escaped having them, seeing as both parents do.

Sylvia gets the most compliments on her cheeks, and secondly her eyes. Her grandma alters the classic tune and sings to her, "Beautiful, beautiful blue eyes...I'll never love brown eyes again."

Rollin' Rollin' Rollin'

After spending some time on her left side, then her right, Sylvia finally figured out how to roll over onto her belly last week. She then repeated the feat this past Monday, and again today.

She's also figured out how to push with her legs and scooch along on her back, so we can't leave her unattended on any high surface or in any chair any longer.

My father says we encourage babies to crawl and to walk, then wonder what we've done as we chase around after them, preventing them from getting into things.

Those days are coming, and as much work as it will be, I think it will bring along a lot of fun too.