Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Adessa - Oct 31st, 2012

Hi gorgeous!

Man, you are teething up a little storm.  You've got two very tiny, needle sharp teeth on the bottom now and MAN, do they hurt when you bite while you nurse.

Yeah.

And then you smile up at me and I have no ability to be mad or annoyed or anything at you.  Seriously, child, you are just toooooo cute for your own good.

So, update, update.

You've been rolling around a bunch now, back to front and front to back and have taken to sleeping on your tummy now.  I'm kind of relieved because you're less likely to rip out your own pacifier, cry, repeat now.  I used to have to swaddle you, with these fantastic muslin blankets, all airy and soft...but you hated being swaddled after a certain point and would worm out of them, popping your arms out like a little daisy...so finally I only swaddled one arm and you managed it, then both arms were undone and that lasted for about a week before you decided that tummy sleeping was the way to go.

Sounds good to me.

I feel like everything is going by so fast.  You're already nearly seven months!  You're getting close to sitting up, you would bounce in your bouncer all day (Ha!  The day you figured out you could bounce, you had this look of pure GLEE and shook those springs for all they were worth).  You've nearly outgrown your swing, and you've discovered that I leave you in your crib.  How dare I?

You go to sleep pretty darn well, I have to plug you with your pacifier once or twice, but for the most part, you settle right down and go to sleep.  But I can't stay in there at.all. while you're getting yourself to sleep, because you'll twist your little blondred head up to look at me, and then look at me accusingly like, hey, you're up there and...I'm DOWN HERE!!!  What the heck, woman?  It's best just to cork and run and then you just play with your scorpion and your chicken until you fall asleep.

You've been off your schedule for the past week or so.  The teething plus a combo of mastitis where I wasn't making enough milk for you, so I just pretty much let you nurse whenever you wanted.  We're paying for it now, you're waking up earlier and earlier and you're struggling to stay asleep for your whole nap.  Unfortunately, I have to let you work some of it out while I rub your back (usually while you're twisting up to look at me) until you start to calm back down and then I run away.  Then you'll fall asleep, go figure.

Sometimes, I really like feeding you in the middle of the night because you'll MAYBE fall asleep on me.  Ena was the same way.  Cranmer girls sleep in their beds, thank you very much.  Which is good.  But I miss sleepy cuddles.  Those are some of the best.

I hear you rustling in your crib a bit now, and I love going to get you because you beam that huge smile of yours.  I love your joy, baby girl.  You light up every room and can get a smile out of anyone.  You're a gift.

Love,
Momma

Ena - Sept 9th, 2012

Hi Ena-girl!

You started preschool!

You also got us all sick with a germ you picked up from preschool, but that's okay.  Kinda normal from what I hear.  You've been running around, yelling at your body that "I'm gonna beat you germs!  I'm gonna beat you with this soup!  Go away!"

You're a positive thinker.

Also, you have watched more TV than...man, enough to make me feel like a bad mom.  I mean, we've done other stuff.  Painted, made snake families on the floor with painters tape (i.e. lines of tape that we draw faces on...you LOVE this.), we made soup together today.  But, still, you've watched a crap ton of TV while being sick.  I'm okay with this.

Preschool is so weird for me.  I mean, it's GREAT for you.  You get to make friends, and see them consistently, you have sweet teachers, you're very stimulated...it's awesome!  But it's weird for me!  Because I don't get to see you for a large chunk of the day.

And you know what?  You can't even tell me about what happened?  I ask, and you're like...I don't...Mom, I don't know what I did today.  Like this great period of time elapsed and you are literally at a loss to explain what might have filled it.

I can see where moms get super "interrogate-y."  Well, did you have a snack?  What kind of snack?  Were your friends nice?  Did anyone hit you?  Do you like your teachers? What did you play with?  and on and on and on.

I try really hard not to do this, because it feels weird and pressured, and you tell me things that you remember or if something's bothering you you've generally started telling me if I just let you be.  But dear God woman, you need to learn to volunteer some information.

Love you so much, peanut.

Momma

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Ena - Oct 18th, 2012

Hi Honey!

I wanted to write you a quick note.  Life keeps getting away from me, and I wind up wanting to record so much and getting so little down.  It happens fast!

We had a great day today, you and me.

We went to Hobby Lobby (you in a hilariously fluffy white tutu) together and they had put all the Christmas decorations out.  You were in heaven.  You wanted EVERYTHING, you touched everything (so glad we're to a stage where I trust you with things that are fairly fragile), you made families out of the big and small nutcrackers.  You told strangers about your sister.

We bought TONS OF PAINT!

I wonder if when you read this you'll still be as into art as you are right now.  I wouldn't be the least bit surprised...it's been fairly stable, art has always been your happy place.

We painted apples today (You traced cardboard shapes of apples and painted them in.)  Tomorrow we'll cut them out and glue them to a colored sheet for a background and we'll send them to Alyssa and Heather.

What else was silly about today?

We've been listening to Seeds of Worship: Courage this week--I bought it a few days ago and you listened to nearly the whole thing while I held you and looked out the back door.  You've been very sick with the flu and needed some extra cuddle love.

Today, even though you were mid-painting, when I put on the music you came straight over and asked to be held again.  We danced together and went bananas crazy bouncing around to "Don't be Anxious!!!" It's cute to watch you try to sing the songs.  You'll really know them soon.  I wish I had a camera in my brain.  I don't want to forget you, open mouthed and smiling and laughing, throwing yourself from side to side, ponytail flying and you bounced up and down in my arms.  We were both cracking up so hard.

Well, you're coughing still and I should check on you and then go to bed.

I love you honey.  More later.

Love,
Momma