Blogging Slacker

I've been slacking in a lot of areas lately, and blogging is one I can quickly make up... So here goes:

I am beyond incensed about this new proclamation that women need not get mammograms or do self-exams till after they turn 50. Excuse me? I'm supposed to believe that after years of being taught to watch and feel for lumps that we're all now, on the eve of government trying to run healthcare, supposed to just sit by and let cancer grow in our bodies? You've gotta be kidding me. And, what's more ironic is that the folks advocating this bill are the same ones who get behind women who tell the legislature to keep their laws off their bodies when they want to get abortions... Moreover, pap smears ever 2-3 years? Cervical cancer has very few symptoms and very devastating results when it gets out of hand... like, death, for instance. My turn to say it: Keep your laws off MY body!!

And, as many others I'm sure, I've gotten the forward about proposing an Amendment 28- that whatever laws Congress passes must apply to Congress as well as the American people. All I have to say is that if the newest healthcare reform is so spectacular and going to save so much money and make everything better, why is Congress exempt from taking part in it? Hmmm...

In lighter news, Lydia continues to do so many new things! Not all of them are ideal, for instance, learning how to take the lid off her cup of water, but they do keep us laughing and guessing what she'll do next. She was doing a crazy walk one day, and Mitch turned and asked what she was doing, and it hit me: she was trying to jump. Cracked us up. What a character. She's never content with staying anyplace for any length of time whether that means physically running around the house or resting on her milestone laurels. Not our girl. She's a go-getter. What a riot.

We had the annual Christmas cookie bake up in Lex this past weekend. It was a little more subdued this year, but that was probably owing to the fact that it was early enough that everyone was able to have their cookies done in advance, and no one was quite ready for Christmas stuff yet. We did do something we've never done before, though: we watched the Ohio State-Michigan football game. Lucky for us, OSU was victorious. I also finally got my mom and my aunt singing the song "The Littlest Elf" on camera. They sing it every year, and it's always hysterical because it was from a record they had years ago. I promised not to post it anywhere where it could be seen though... but they better be good or all bets are off! We also had our ritual time of making fun of my cousin's cookies from 10 years ago that turned out a little... well, let's just say that they could have made it into a porn video due to the unfortunate way they came out...

Good times!

Big Sleep

I've really been wrestling with Lydia's sleep the past couple of weeks, and I've gotten great advice from folks about possibly transitioning her to only one nap during the day. I'm still thinking through that one because that little child always takes her morning nap... it's the afternoon nap she doesn't seem to want!

I put her down this morning because she was up at 5:00 a.m., and she's been sleeping for 2 hours and 15 minutes! So I'm starting to rethink the one nap and go back to my original theory of her teeth really bothering her. I haven't checked in a couple days to see if they've broken through on the bottom (it's dangerous and the divits in my fingers from checking have only recently filled in), but I'm wondering if they did in the night last night because she cried out at 1:30, but went right back to sleep, and she's been resting more peacefully this morning. Maybe at least one of the bottom teeth broke through.

I'm really ok with the thought of her moving to one nap because that means we can do a lot more, but I don't want to do it if she still needs the sleep... it's a quandry...

I Hate Teeth

Teeth have become my enemy.

Lydia is still working on her molars, and I know now why we don't remember getting our teeth. They're evil, and their arrival in such an awful manner is proof of the fall.

In addition to Lydia's velcro-baby status, she has also been waking up at 4 in the morning all week, and not wanting to go back to sleep till after 5. This morning she refused to go back to sleep at all and instead started screaming hysterically.

To try to get her back on schedule I put her down for a nap at 9:00. She slept for about an hour, then woke up screaming again, which usually means she needed to sleep longer.

We then proceeded to have the most frustrating afternoon I've spent in the company of my child: she would actually run from "no-no" to "no-no" and ignore all of her toys. Then she decided to throw her food on the floor instead of eating it. Then she decided to go back to the "no-nos" with the result that she bumped her head on the table.

After all that I put her down for a nap, praying that she'd take a good one.

Alas, an hour and fifteen minutes later she woke up screaming again, obviously needing more sleep.

Argh.

It seems like we have a few good weeks, then all hell breaks loose in the form of not sleeping. And I can't seem to find any sort of pattern! I looked back through my journals to see what the times had in common, but I'm coming up short.

My little enigma wrapped in a conundrum is wearing me out.

Pictures of the Pumpkin

I'm hoping this dumb thing will upload the pictures...

Lydia's New Behavior

Hey Blogosphere- Lydia has started throwing what can only be described as tantrums when I have to leave her alone for a minute (like, when my pregnant self can't hold it anymore and the bathroom becomes a necessary visit). She escalates to the point of nearly making herself throw up with her sputtering/growling/yelling. This is new this week, and she's also cutting some big teeth, so I'm guessing that the two might be related, but I'll take any advice I can get!

Also, I've been trying to post birthday pictures for days now, but our internet keeps playing games with me. Soon to come!

Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth

I'll have to get all the pictures together of Lydia's first birthday. It was so much fun!

But now there is great sadness. Lydia is weeping and wailing in her crib. She's tired, and was willing to go to naptime, but once she got there she started absolutely sobbing. I'm not sure what's up. I gave her some Tylenol in case there was another tooth breaking through because she's had several ready to pop any day now. She's ok when I hold her, but she doesn't want to lay in her crib, which she was fine with this morning and last night. I feel sorry for her, but I'm not sure what to do since I can't figure out what's wrong.

Sadness. It's hard to be one year old.

Just Last Year...

Just last year at this time, 4:30 am, we were at the hospital in the maternity triage unit waiting to go to our room to start working through labor. We were excited, and it was painful, and we didn't know what would happen...

Ten hours and one surgery later, there she was! Our perfect little girl. She was so precious to us right from the start. Here cheeks were big and soft and made for kissing. She was sturdy and strong, and cried with all her might until she heard her daddy's voice. She snuggled in and nursed immediately and perfectly, like she'd been doing it for years.

And I don't remember being tired for the longest time because it was just so amazing to have her here where we could see her.

This year I am again up at 4:30, though not filled with as much excitement. Lydia and her daddy have taken the "Mommy Doesn't Need Sleep" show on the road.

But I am filled with sentimentality and a sense of bittersweet happiness that I have the two of them just as they are. My punkin is getting big and running and chatting and her personality is not hiding out, but right out there to be seen. My Mitchell is a wonderful daddy and still the best husband...

... even if his snoring is the reason I'm blogging at a quarter to five in the morning...