A Little Behind

No, this isn't a post about Sylvia's posterior, which is really cute, by the way...have I told you about Sylvia's behind??

It's about the reality of my falling behind in the activities that used to take up my time: housework (I can't believe the amount of dirt and grassy bits that get tracked into the house and stay there for days), gardening (I'm just now getting out to the vegetable garden to weed, and it's practically July), house maintenance (we just cleaned the gutters of the spring leaf and seed drop this week), creative projects (I haven't sewn since February, and haven't done any artwork since...when? Who remembers?).

I know that raising a baby takes precedence over all of these lesser tasks. I know I shouldn't feel bad about having a messier house than usual right now. I know it's temporary. I know I'm doing the most important work of my life by caring for Sylvia.

But still...day to day I live in the mess in the house/garden, and am frustrated by not having time to create in other ways.

But anyhow...what an adventure I'm having in the meantime!

The Tooth Is...

Here's baby and Grandpa, no doubt discussing world politics.
Sylvia's first tooth is emerging! And without much fuss.
I found the little nubbin with the tip of my finger; I was investigating her mouth yesterday just to see if anything was happening and, lo and behold, there's a little strip of toothy bone cutting right through the lower gumline.
Sylvia has not been drooling, and has only been a wee bit cranky. In retrospect she did feel warm to me Monday night, and it was probably teething fever.
It will be strange to see her without her toothless grin, to which we've become attached.

Enough About Me...

Today is Sylvia's first half-birthday, six months after she joined us and changed so much about our lives. Seems like a good enough time as any to play along with the me.me.me meme so generously not-tagged by Zoe:

What were you doing ten years ago?
I was on the road across the northern tier of states in a rickety Isuzu P'up truck (5-speed) with a manifold pipe held together by a strip of Coke can and ring clips, chugging my way toward Oregon to join two friends and get into organic farming. I had just separated from my husband of 6 years and was headed west to start a fresh life away from the unhealthy environment of New Orleans, where I had lived for ten years. I was looking for the new, the clean and the positive, and was also, in my heart, looking for true love.
While traveling through South Dakota I saw a huge line of thunderheads in the distance before me. "How nice," I thought, "that I can watch this amazing storm from a distance."
I forgot about the whole winds-come-sweeping-down-the-plain thing. Within 30 minutes the storm was on top of me. I had to pull over the truck because visibility was nil; winds were screaming and there was torrential rain and hail. Tornadoes were touching down within three miles of where I was parked. My small truck was rocking in the winds. I thought, "well, maybe I won't see Oregon after all."
The storm passed after about 20 minutes, and every car on the freeway was pulling into the same small town, no doubt with the same destination: the nearest motel. I have never enjoyed a delivered pizza, cable TV and a soft pillow with so much relish.

To Do List for today:
I just got back from NYC and Rose's funeral, so I will pick up the dog from the kennel, visit with Dan's family, do some gardening, wash some laundry, grocery shop and finish the book I'm reading. Oh yeah - and care for my daughter.

What would you do if you were a billionaire?
I would set up my family comfortably so they could live without worry. I would create a trust fund for Sylvia. I would donate generously to cancer research and to organizations supporting local food and farming. I would have an amazing flower garden. I would travel by train to visit family frequently. I would have a massage once a week.

What are 3 of your bad habits?
I'm a terrible correspondent; once I write I write well, but oh, getting it together to write!
Too quickly do I find fault in others; at least I keep these thoughts to myself, mostly.
My posture is terrible since I gave birth to Sylvia.

What are some snacks you enjoy?
Anything with chocolate & mint in it.
Sliiced baguette, sliced mozarella, sliced tomato and basil leaves.
I don't get them often, but I love love love my great-aunt Betty's cheese straws.

What were the last 5 books you read?
White Teeth by Zadie Smith
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close also by JSF
Brooklyn Dreams by JM deMatteis, illustrated by Glenn Barr (amazing graphic novel)

What are 5 jobs you've had?
Dental assistant
Organic farm laborer
Children's museum educator
Children's outdoor science educator
Barista

What are 5 places where you have lived?
Salem, Oregon
New Orleans, Louisiana
Plantation, Florida
Franklin, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
(bonus: Marietta, Georgia and before that, Tucker, Georgia)

Goodbye, Rose

We are sad to mourn the passing of Sylvia's great-grandmother Rose, at 99 years old.

She was a remarkable lady, nothing but classy and graceful. And oh, how she loved Sylvia!

Dan's father says she was at peace and had said everything she wanted to say to everyone, except maybe Sylvia...and we'll have to fill in for Rose on that count.

There will be many stories told to Sylvia about this lovely lady who touched us all.

Hello, Avocado!

Don't be fooled by the photo; it was with less than enthusiasm that Sylvia greeted her first taste of solid food, in the form of mashed up avocado.

She took it willingly enough off my finger, seemed curious about its taste, and even swallowed it. But when I offered her another dab she refused, pursing her lips. We'll try again soon.

Perhaps bananas will be more tempting to her palate?

Lovin' Spoonful

Sylvia loves to play with her own spoons while we "big people" sit at the table and eat our solids; she's expressing interest in food, and we'll give avocado and banana a try soon.

Also high on the list these days is circling the hands and wrists, independently of each other. Not sure if she's practicing to be an orchestra conductor or hula dancer.

Lots of fun noises coming along too, like "bah," "dah," "szah," "mah." Mostly repeated for minutes at a time.

Great Gram-Minga

We were just graced with a visit from my father's mother Mildred, from Georgia. Another mutual love-fest! Sylvia liked her right away. And Grandma threatened to take Sylvia home in her bag on the plane...needless to say, we conducted a thorough search before we dropped her off.

They both have lovely blue eyes, though it's hard to tell in this pic.

The nickname comes from her nephew Tony who couldn't pronounce "Mildred" as a child; she's known as Aunt Minga in the family, so it was only fitting that Sylvia call her Great Gram-Minga.

Flip Side

We awoke this morning to a lovely surprise...Sylvia had rolled over in her sleep to rest on her tummy!

I thought for sure she'd wake up upset, not sure how to roll back, but when I checked her half an hour later she had done it all on her own and was waking up happy and cooing.

I'm sure no other baby has done this before...Sylvia's a genius!!!

Together

Although not every minute is a joyfest (diaper time, 10:30pm when I haven't had my nap and Sylvia wants to watch the late show, the middle of a crying jag) I must say that most of the time I really enjoy Syl's company.

She's such a self-contained little person, amusing herself most of the time. Lately it's been by swirling her wrists around, working her fingers, and grabbing at her feet. She's also doing some voice experimentation, trying out different tongue, lip and breath combinations, and experimenting with volume.

She's still smiling a lot too, and it's easier to get her to belly laugh; Grandpa has the magic touch, always eliciting a smile.