Thursday, February 26, 2009
counting the minutes......
so while i'm not quite positive yet if i want to be pregnant or not right now, i'm anxiously awaiting next week when i can take a test and find out if this month was "the" month.......i mean i do want to be pregnant......i guess.......there's this nagging part of me that keeps saying that casey's my world and that this will negatively impact her.......in the long run i'm relatively sure she'll be glad she has a sibling - like when she's 30 or something, but until then, it's just going to be another person that wants her toys, her mom & dad's attention, and overall just someone that gets in her way and cramps her style.......i live each day not wanting anything to upset or hurt her, and i'm just so afraid that this will do both......i don't want to not be able to crawl chase after her because my belly's huge or i'm exhausted or because i'm holding a newborn (yes i'm aware she won't be crawling still by that point, but still you get my point).......and because our days revolve so much around casey's nap schedule, will she be bored that we have to stay in the house until kid #2 wakes up from a nap or angry that we have to leave the playgroup because kid #2 needs a nap?.......so all that's only a small piece of what's going on with me.......most of me wants to be pregnant and to have another kid.......really.......
growing up......
i was watching my little girl tonight in awe.......she was sitting on the floor by herself with one of those board books in her lap......she flipped open the cover, inspected everything on the page, pointed at some of the pictures, giggled at others, and then flipped to the next page and did the same routine......when did she learn to "read"?......how did she figure out how to turn pages and laugh at the silly animals and stuff on the pages??......she's really becoming a big kid.......
on that same theme......i just realized today that in 2 weeks, she can ride facing forward in the car.......for some reason i'm more excited about that than the fact that she's turning one.......something about picturing her riding facing front like a normal human just makes me all proud and sad (that she's growing up!) all at once......
on that same theme......i just realized today that in 2 weeks, she can ride facing forward in the car.......for some reason i'm more excited about that than the fact that she's turning one.......something about picturing her riding facing front like a normal human just makes me all proud and sad (that she's growing up!) all at once......
Saturday, February 21, 2009
it's been a while......
so it's only been 2 weeks since my last post, but already i've got so many things to report!.....
casey took her first steps back on feb 12th.....she's still getting the hang of this whole walking thing but she's definitely improved in the balance category......she can easily stand on her own now basically until she's bored......she's cruising all over the place and she's got this super speed crawl.....it's hsyterical.......it's like a run but on all 4s.......really funny to watch......
she breaks out the super speed crawl when she's playing her new favorite game - chase.....i get in a crawling position and start to crawl fast away from her, she'll chase me, then i'll turn around and she'll stop, then i start chasing her around the room.......she giggles up a storm the whole time.....she's got such a great laugh.....
what else......oh yes, she's now got a 3rd tooth - it's the first one on the top.......i think it was pretty tough on her coming in because she did have a bout of the crankies for a couple days......as with the last 2 teeth, this tooth's arrival was accompanied by a cold.......i definitely don't think her colds have been "side effects" of the teeth coming in (like they say earaches/fevers can be), but i think her immune system is so focused on the tooth coming in that it forgets to fight germs and thus she gets a cold......that's my wildly scientific guess anyway......
some other more "minor" things to report - casey's learned how to "read" books......i think the days of her shoving her books into her mouth and not paying attention to what's on the pages might be over - which would be nice.......she likes to turn the pages and point to things on them......mostly the babies......
which brings me to pointing - another of her new favorite activities.......she points at everything!......if she points with her right hand, it's using the correct pointer finger, if it's with the left hand, it's using her middle finger which has elicited more than a few giggles from people.....
i'm sure there are a couple other new things she's doing, but i'm a little too tired right now to think of them.......more to come!
casey took her first steps back on feb 12th.....she's still getting the hang of this whole walking thing but she's definitely improved in the balance category......she can easily stand on her own now basically until she's bored......she's cruising all over the place and she's got this super speed crawl.....it's hsyterical.......it's like a run but on all 4s.......really funny to watch......
she breaks out the super speed crawl when she's playing her new favorite game - chase.....i get in a crawling position and start to crawl fast away from her, she'll chase me, then i'll turn around and she'll stop, then i start chasing her around the room.......she giggles up a storm the whole time.....she's got such a great laugh.....
what else......oh yes, she's now got a 3rd tooth - it's the first one on the top.......i think it was pretty tough on her coming in because she did have a bout of the crankies for a couple days......as with the last 2 teeth, this tooth's arrival was accompanied by a cold.......i definitely don't think her colds have been "side effects" of the teeth coming in (like they say earaches/fevers can be), but i think her immune system is so focused on the tooth coming in that it forgets to fight germs and thus she gets a cold......that's my wildly scientific guess anyway......
some other more "minor" things to report - casey's learned how to "read" books......i think the days of her shoving her books into her mouth and not paying attention to what's on the pages might be over - which would be nice.......she likes to turn the pages and point to things on them......mostly the babies......
which brings me to pointing - another of her new favorite activities.......she points at everything!......if she points with her right hand, it's using the correct pointer finger, if it's with the left hand, it's using her middle finger which has elicited more than a few giggles from people.....
i'm sure there are a couple other new things she's doing, but i'm a little too tired right now to think of them.......more to come!
Friday, February 6, 2009
when i'm a grandma......
i need to start a list of things to remember to do and not to do when i'm a grandma.......
1. never push my kids to out out and leave their newborn with me......of course i want to spend all the time i can with my grandkids, but i know how hard it is to leave a new baby for even a minute and being pushed into it is really, really wrong......
2. remember to make sure my kids know i still love them like crazy.......i don't feel like they love me less, but i definitely feel like my parents would much rather be with casey than me......which i guess is fine, but it'd be nice to know they still enjoy seeing me......my grandmother does a phenomenal job of making me feel loved and special AND it's obvious how much she adores casey......
3. be there when my kids want me to be........again of course i'm going to want to spend every second with my new grandbabies, but i need to remember i'm the grandparent, not the parent......my kids need time and space to get used to being parents and don't need people breathing down their neck.......
4. try to keep the criticism to a bare minimum.........and don't mask the criticisms in seeming off-hand comments......everyone needs to learn things in their own time and their own way.......unless the kid is in danger of being hurt by something they're doing, i want to make sure to keep as quiet as i can manage.......
5. tell my kids how good of a job they're doing.......new parents need support and constant reminders they're doing good.......there's a huge learning curve and it feels good to know you're doing well keeping up.......
6. don't expect to spend every second of a visit holding/feeding/otherwise monopolizing the baby.......share.......it's hard to watch someone else handling your baby for a long period of time.......show my kids that i'm comfortable just watching them hold their babies........
7. offer to take a family trip.......nowhere too far or exotic, but a trip when a baby's about a year old is a good idea i think.......we'll be there to help out, but the baby won't be so small to be scared to travel with them........
8. especially in the early days be helpful!.......be prepared to vacuum, do laundry, go grocery shopping, cook, clean the toilet, whatever needs to be done.......my kids need to focus on their babies and me coming to visit shouldn't be another effort.......i don't need to be entertained......i don't want to be a guest........i want me being there to be a relief not a pain......
9. don't go overboard on buying things.......ask what they need and get those things.......when in doubt get gift cards or give money to their 529 college fund or savings account........don't just get crap they don't want or need.......go shopping with my kids and their babies, let my kids pick some things out then pay for those things........
10. ask for advice......ask my kids if i'm feeding the baby the right way........holding the baby the right way.......everyone does things differently.......although by then i'll know how to hold a baby or feed a baby, that doesn't mean i know how to hold their baby or feed their baby the way they're comfortable with.......
ok, that's it for now!.......
1. never push my kids to out out and leave their newborn with me......of course i want to spend all the time i can with my grandkids, but i know how hard it is to leave a new baby for even a minute and being pushed into it is really, really wrong......
2. remember to make sure my kids know i still love them like crazy.......i don't feel like they love me less, but i definitely feel like my parents would much rather be with casey than me......which i guess is fine, but it'd be nice to know they still enjoy seeing me......my grandmother does a phenomenal job of making me feel loved and special AND it's obvious how much she adores casey......
3. be there when my kids want me to be........again of course i'm going to want to spend every second with my new grandbabies, but i need to remember i'm the grandparent, not the parent......my kids need time and space to get used to being parents and don't need people breathing down their neck.......
4. try to keep the criticism to a bare minimum.........and don't mask the criticisms in seeming off-hand comments......everyone needs to learn things in their own time and their own way.......unless the kid is in danger of being hurt by something they're doing, i want to make sure to keep as quiet as i can manage.......
5. tell my kids how good of a job they're doing.......new parents need support and constant reminders they're doing good.......there's a huge learning curve and it feels good to know you're doing well keeping up.......
6. don't expect to spend every second of a visit holding/feeding/otherwise monopolizing the baby.......share.......it's hard to watch someone else handling your baby for a long period of time.......show my kids that i'm comfortable just watching them hold their babies........
7. offer to take a family trip.......nowhere too far or exotic, but a trip when a baby's about a year old is a good idea i think.......we'll be there to help out, but the baby won't be so small to be scared to travel with them........
8. especially in the early days be helpful!.......be prepared to vacuum, do laundry, go grocery shopping, cook, clean the toilet, whatever needs to be done.......my kids need to focus on their babies and me coming to visit shouldn't be another effort.......i don't need to be entertained......i don't want to be a guest........i want me being there to be a relief not a pain......
9. don't go overboard on buying things.......ask what they need and get those things.......when in doubt get gift cards or give money to their 529 college fund or savings account........don't just get crap they don't want or need.......go shopping with my kids and their babies, let my kids pick some things out then pay for those things........
10. ask for advice......ask my kids if i'm feeding the baby the right way........holding the baby the right way.......everyone does things differently.......although by then i'll know how to hold a baby or feed a baby, that doesn't mean i know how to hold their baby or feed their baby the way they're comfortable with.......
ok, that's it for now!.......
good kids......
the kids in the st. joes youth group are really good kids......it's hard for me to relate to the senior high kids, but i can tell underneath their basketball-obsessed, ignore all adults exterior that they are good kids.......with the junior high kids, it's even more obvious to me.......they're bubbly and happy and are genuinely nice to each other......there are a couple kids in the program that are slightly different from the norm - heavier, quirkier, goth-ier, whatever, but they're still included in the fun, no one teases them or treats them any differently than anyone else......it's really inspiring......i love having casey around them.......they're really good with her and i'm glad casey sees them having fun and being good kids to each other........i'm really proud to be part of such a great program.......
fishy fishy......
last week we realized that casey was quickly outgrowing the little play area we had jerry-rigged in our living room with a body pillow and our dining room table chairs.......so we took down the makeshift pen walls and the first thing she did was crawl over to our entertainment cabinet, whip the door open and start pulling out our videos.......so we knew the time had at last arrived for us to do some serious babyproofing.......last weekend was full of all kinds of babyproofing stuff and mostly the first floor is ready for casey to explore on her own......
she's loving her new freedom......her favorite place to hang out now is in front of the fish tank......i'm not quite sure how the fish feel about having a little monster literally banging on their home, but she sure seems to like it.......here's a picture of her and our fishy friends, finn and junior......
also it seems we've entered a new toy phase.......she LOVES balls now.......our friends jen and phil got casey this basketball game, and while she doesn't quite love the net portion of it, she LOVES the tiny basketballs......she'll whack them around and chase after them with this crazy giggle......it's really cute.......here's a picture of her with her new favorite toy......
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