Today was our first visit to the midwife that we'll be using here in the new place. In what I hope was an anomaly, we finally saw her over an hour past our appointment time. This meant that there was a lot of waiting. I suspected this, and when we left the house, I was careful to pack lots of food and entertainment for Kiddo.
As we sat in the waiting room, and she started straining, I realized I had forgotten one key piece of toddler paraphernalia: diapers and wipes. My good husband had to bring her to the restroom where he attempted to clean up a diaper mess with toilet paper. And the only thing I could think was how could I forget that, of all things?
Apparently after two years of mothering, I'm still lacking in the basic skills.
ps- although the wait was horrendous, the midwife seems to be great, and I am at peace with my second baby's impending arrival (or at peace with the person who will be helping with it at any rate...)
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
our new home
Our old home, where we lived six months ago, was a duplex. It had two bedrooms, a living room/dining room, a kitchen, washer/dryer hook-ups, dishwasher, and extensive amounts of storage space. We really loved it there, although I'll admit, by the end we were running out of space given the ever increasing belongings of a two-year old.
Then we moved into someone's basement for six weeks, then our house for three months. Our house had everything our duplex had, except double, because it was two floors. We really didn't use the bottom floor though. But all the rooms were a little to a lot bigger than at our duplex, and we had much less stuff, as it was mostly in our storage unit. Plus, we had a carport, so we didn't have to scrape our windshield. That was the good life.
Now we live in the first floor of a converted house. It has three bedrooms, one of which we use as a computer/storage room, a living room, a eat-in kitchen (thank goodness only three of us eat there on a regular basis), and no storage space. There is a washer/dryer, but it's shared with the other two floors, and coin-operated. The bedrooms are very small. We park on the street, wherever we can find a spot. There is no dishwasher. There was no fridge, so we bought one. Turns out we still need a storage unit, albeit a smaller one, for more money. In many ways this is a step-down from what we had (which we were not anticipating in the years we dreamed of graduating and getting a job).
But this place has some beautiful positive aspects too. We are together. We are close to a temple. It is our home, and we don't have to leave, or find a new place to live anytime soon. We still fit. And it feels like home. What more does your dwelling place really need?
Then we moved into someone's basement for six weeks, then our house for three months. Our house had everything our duplex had, except double, because it was two floors. We really didn't use the bottom floor though. But all the rooms were a little to a lot bigger than at our duplex, and we had much less stuff, as it was mostly in our storage unit. Plus, we had a carport, so we didn't have to scrape our windshield. That was the good life.
Now we live in the first floor of a converted house. It has three bedrooms, one of which we use as a computer/storage room, a living room, a eat-in kitchen (thank goodness only three of us eat there on a regular basis), and no storage space. There is a washer/dryer, but it's shared with the other two floors, and coin-operated. The bedrooms are very small. We park on the street, wherever we can find a spot. There is no dishwasher. There was no fridge, so we bought one. Turns out we still need a storage unit, albeit a smaller one, for more money. In many ways this is a step-down from what we had (which we were not anticipating in the years we dreamed of graduating and getting a job).
But this place has some beautiful positive aspects too. We are together. We are close to a temple. It is our home, and we don't have to leave, or find a new place to live anytime soon. We still fit. And it feels like home. What more does your dwelling place really need?
singing time
In our church, children from 18 months to 3 years old go to nursery. It is a time to sing songs, play games, and learn short Gospel lessons. Kiddo loved nursery from her first day. Because of nursery she loved church. She is still fine with church, but I am sad that she misses this experience (although I know in my heart, she'll be fine).
And then we moved to a branch, which is a smaller congregation than our old ward. And Kiddo is the only child between the age of 12 months and 4. There will be nursery for her soon, but there is not one yet. So she sits in the adult meetings with my husband and I, were she draws, has lunch, and sometimes goes on little walks. (And we try to keep her out of the curtains.)
Last week I asked the woman in charge of the children's classes (kids 4 to 11) if I could bring Kiddo by when they did singing time. Kiddo was very excited. They were learning a new song. She sat in her chair, and after hearing the song a few times, joyfully participated in singing. She was only a little more off key, and missed a few more words than the older kids. But I wish you could see the picture in my head, of her sitting there, amidst the eight or so older kids, but paying very close attention to the whole process, and loving it. We'll be doing singing time again.
And then we moved to a branch, which is a smaller congregation than our old ward. And Kiddo is the only child between the age of 12 months and 4. There will be nursery for her soon, but there is not one yet. So she sits in the adult meetings with my husband and I, were she draws, has lunch, and sometimes goes on little walks. (And we try to keep her out of the curtains.)
Last week I asked the woman in charge of the children's classes (kids 4 to 11) if I could bring Kiddo by when they did singing time. Kiddo was very excited. They were learning a new song. She sat in her chair, and after hearing the song a few times, joyfully participated in singing. She was only a little more off key, and missed a few more words than the older kids. But I wish you could see the picture in my head, of her sitting there, amidst the eight or so older kids, but paying very close attention to the whole process, and loving it. We'll be doing singing time again.
babbling
Kiddo learned to talk about three months ago now, and went from 10 words to hundreds, used in sentences, in literally a few weeks. And ever since then, the baby babbling that had been such a part of her life basically disappeared. Except this last Sunday. She kept turning to me, and stringing together nonsense syllables. After church was over, I babbled some back to her. After I had said a few "things" to her, she turned to me and said "You sink so?"
I completely cracked up. That was one of my responses to her for months as she babbled. "You think so?" was something I said to her all the time, but haven't for months. But she still remembers that it is the response to babbling. I wonder what else her little brain holds (other than all the words to all the Little Bear videos).
I completely cracked up. That was one of my responses to her for months as she babbled. "You think so?" was something I said to her all the time, but haven't for months. But she still remembers that it is the response to babbling. I wonder what else her little brain holds (other than all the words to all the Little Bear videos).
making cake
We had the missionaries over for dinner on Sunday. We made brownies, so Kiddo helped me "make a cake." As she actively helped stir, getting a fair amount of brownie mix on her, the table, and every where else, I sighed her name and tried to show her the right way to stir. As I got upset again about how she was doing it, I was reminded that she will only learn the right way with practice, and that's what we're doing, so accept the mess, and the resulting joy, and believe that the brownies will be fine. They were.
Monday, January 4, 2010
what we're up to
Kiddo got sick over the holidays, and continues to slowly recover. So anything "productive" (read: that helps bring my home into slightly more order) isn't really happening (hopefully I'll get dinner made, I think Little Bear will help). All day today (and yesterday, and the day before) within 10 minutes of putting Kiddo down, she melts down, so I hold her again, and still get nothing done.
Right now we're listening to music on iTunes, with Kiddo cuddling with her dad's replacement toothbrush heads. The things that bring comfort to her...
Right now we're listening to music on iTunes, with Kiddo cuddling with her dad's replacement toothbrush heads. The things that bring comfort to her...
Friday, January 1, 2010
Christmas
Disclaimer: For most of my married life, I spent a minimum of five hours a (working) day on a computer. That was my work, my school, my life. It was easy to blog. After finishing my degree, I determined to use the computer less. I have been more than moderately successful. Which means, some things get reported late, or never...
Christmas was spent at my parents house. As well as my parents, my little sister, her husband and two kids were there, plus my little brother and his girlfriend, and also my sister-in-law and her two kids (my brother is in Honduras right now). So there was much excitement in the land.
As we do on Christmas Eve, we danced to the Revels music. Kiddo was excited to lead the dance for while, as the song continued though, she dropped out for a while, then was finally carried by my brother's girlfriend. If you saw all the pictures, you would realize that by the end (all of five minutes) I think four of the five kids were being carried.
Then we had the children (all 4 and under) change into their matching Christmas pajamas. We've tried to take pictures of the five of these kids before. This continues to be one of our best shots. Then we put Kiddo to bed without enjoying the rest of the Christmas Eve fun, because when your 2, and exhausted, it's time to go to bed.
Christmas morning was exciting. Here is Kiddo with two of her favorite gifts: a pretty dress with flowers on it, and a sketch book and pen so she can draw. She has recently learned that she loves to draw, and we are very grateful that she almost always confines her abilities to paper that we've provided her.
Another well loved gift is her bear that recites "The night before Christmas." It's not clear that any one else likes this present. But she really does. And I almost know the whole poem now.
It was really nice to be around so much family for Christmas time. It was nice to know that when it was over, we had a home to go to. It was nice to get away. It was nice.
(You may note there are no nativity reinactment photos, or for that matter Santa photos. Both of these activities were no-go's for my child. She refused to participate in them both. At least she didn't cry because of the nativity (reinacted with my nephew playing all the key roles). She can, and does, sing "the baby Jesus song" forever (Away in the Manger) so for all she doesn't understand about Christmas yet, she understands that she likes to sing about baby Jesus. We're making progress.)
Christmas was spent at my parents house. As well as my parents, my little sister, her husband and two kids were there, plus my little brother and his girlfriend, and also my sister-in-law and her two kids (my brother is in Honduras right now). So there was much excitement in the land.
As we do on Christmas Eve, we danced to the Revels music. Kiddo was excited to lead the dance for while, as the song continued though, she dropped out for a while, then was finally carried by my brother's girlfriend. If you saw all the pictures, you would realize that by the end (all of five minutes) I think four of the five kids were being carried.
Then we had the children (all 4 and under) change into their matching Christmas pajamas. We've tried to take pictures of the five of these kids before. This continues to be one of our best shots. Then we put Kiddo to bed without enjoying the rest of the Christmas Eve fun, because when your 2, and exhausted, it's time to go to bed.
Christmas morning was exciting. Here is Kiddo with two of her favorite gifts: a pretty dress with flowers on it, and a sketch book and pen so she can draw. She has recently learned that she loves to draw, and we are very grateful that she almost always confines her abilities to paper that we've provided her.
Another well loved gift is her bear that recites "The night before Christmas." It's not clear that any one else likes this present. But she really does. And I almost know the whole poem now.
It was really nice to be around so much family for Christmas time. It was nice to know that when it was over, we had a home to go to. It was nice to get away. It was nice.(You may note there are no nativity reinactment photos, or for that matter Santa photos. Both of these activities were no-go's for my child. She refused to participate in them both. At least she didn't cry because of the nativity (reinacted with my nephew playing all the key roles). She can, and does, sing "the baby Jesus song" forever (Away in the Manger) so for all she doesn't understand about Christmas yet, she understands that she likes to sing about baby Jesus. We're making progress.)
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