Finally, Eva’s birth montage

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You’ll forgive if this post is disjointed, won’t you?

I’m not yet fully awake. I seriously need to consider starting a coffee habit, it seems. A shame, too, having made it 26 years without one. I’m currently eating a piece of quiche. (A friend brought us some after Eva’s birth, and I haven’t been able to kick the habit since. That, and homemade tomato soup.) Maybe I’ll start a morning cup of quiche tradition, seeing that I detest coffee and all.

Eva had her first ped appointment this week- my attempt to sort of get her on the grid, for “just in case” reasons. ;OP

She’s 24.4 inches long and 14lbs 2oz! Gooooooooo breastmilk. ;OP Comically enough, I’m down 14lbs since my initial baby/fluid/extra blood volume loss at her birth. We’d better not keep up this pound for pound thing long, though, or I’ll be lugging around a 50 lb 1yo in 10 months, lol.

This morning, Eva and Noni were snuggling together on Noni’s mattress beside our bed, and naturally, I had to snap a few pics. ::mush:: Noni has decided not to “give Evie to pirates who will chew off her arms” or “put her on a floating iceberg”…now she’s simply toned the maledictory statements down to adding the following verse to The Wheels on the Bus: “the Evie on the bus goes far away, far away, far away…” I’ll take the improvement. I’m also impressed by the clever play on words. (She might gotten have my dark sense of humor…poor kiddo.) She now loves her baby sister, and all accounts of pirates stealing her are ended with Super-Nomi saving Eva and bringing her back.

We are a family of dreamers…apparently, my girls inherited my ability to remember a great deal of what they dream. Recently, Essie dreamed about our friend Brian standing at our front door, eating a hotdog. It’s become quite popular; now every morning, both girls have to repeat the hotdog dream during the morning dream-report session. So, our morning so far has gone something like: wake up with five people piled into my bed, our youngest giggling, our eldest air-trumpeting revelry in our ears, and our 2yo cheerfully recounting the hotdog dream. My husband groaning, pillow over head. Good times.

I suspect I’ve become a lawn widow. Nate now must spend considerable time mowing. I hear bigger yards do that. If you see my husband, tell him I have quiche for him. The in-a-cup part is optional.

Esther’s starting to become concerned with honesty and being trustworthy, and, of course, this makes me smile. This morning, I stumbled into the living room (in search of aforementioned camera), and noticed her playing CandyLand with herself. “Mom, look! I got all the way to Candy Castle! I won!!” (wait for it……) “**sly grin** I may have cheated a little.” (snicker)

Now. If you’ll forgive me, I’m fairly certain I’ve just been pooped on.

We Love to Talk…

with each other. I have to say, with this being baby #3, I’ve been amazed at how much I understand what she’s “saying” to me. After the crazy struggles we went through with our first HN babe, I totally credit AP (and it’s older child counterpart, gentle discipline) with my growth as a parent. I easily can tell what she needs 98% of the time…which I find very cool. (Not just “chocolate covered peanuts” cool, but happy-tears cool.)

Connection certainly wasn’t a perfect science when we first started out, but you know what they say about practice. Babies take effort and getting to know, just like every other person in the world. I’m not the perfect mother by any stretch…I think I’m just a normal mama who was lucky enough to have been made aware that babies really are miniature little people with capabilities and very real emotional needs.

It astounds me how many of her cues I’d likely not even be aware of if she’d been left to cry until she falls asleep repeatedly, or if I let her reach fever pitch before responding to her every time (the way I used to think babies should be raised). She *tells* me things with her face…nuances and body language and tone of voice. She mimics my faces, and I mirror hers. She gets excited and pumps her legs and grins when I ask her, “Hungry?” I’m so thrilled to not have missed it.

anyway…I found this photo sequence of a conversation of ours hilarious, and thought I’d share the giggles. Excuse the just rolled out of bed look. ;P

I lub ‘er. That’s all for today.

Our cilantro, basil, spinach, chamomile and dill are up! Whoot!

Leaping onto the square foot bandwagon

We lucked into a bunch of recycled 2x4s after a friend tore down his deck this year, so we used the opportunity to build some containers for our square foot garden endeavor! We’re late getting seeds planted, but luckily our region has a long growing season. I am *so* happy I opted for Gardening 101 for my science credit in college, because I’m putting that bad boy’s knowledge to good use (finally). After successfully not killing a decent sized herb garden last year, I’m graduating to vegetables. I’m oh so giddy.

We’re doing carrots, lettuce, kale, spinach, zukes, cukes, canteloupes, watermellon, tomatoes and swiss chard. And the usual plethora of herbs.

Here’s some pics of the progress so far:

Nate ripped apart the deck pieces, sawed them down, and drilled them together, the last few with a little helping hand from my dad who was in town. (Hi, dad!)

We ended up with five altogether. :O) Filled ‘em up with dirt, manure, sand and potting soil mix. Mmmm, yummy. ;P And I’m starting to get the urge to hug trees and dread my hair and raise free range chickens and…must resist…must..not..scare..neighbors… ;P

Lookin’ pret-ty darn good. But that could be the hubris talking. (As if I did much more than tell Nate where to hammer them in..*shifty grin*)
The girls and I planted the herb box with dill, echinacea, chamomile, coriander/cilantro, and kale, so far.

The Other Side of the Glass

A new documtary, The Other Side of the Glass. A birth film for fathers, discussing (from daddy’s perspective) the effect of modern birth on the family. I’m so excited someone finally picked up that ball and ran with it! There appear to be some great interviews, including Micheal Odent. I can’t wait to see the whole thing.

So excited to see this!

A new documtary, The Other Side of the Glass. A birth film for fathers, discussing (from daddy’s perspective) the effect of modern birth on the family. I’m so excited someone finally picked up that ball and ran with it! There appear to be some great interviews, including Micheal Odent. I can’t wait to see the whole thing.

Fly on the wall perspective.

Because I heard you cry when you realized that the stretchmarks would never go away, and watched you as you learned to embrace your new body with confidence and zest…

Because I heard you crying night after night after you laid your sweet little one in the arms of Jesus, and watched in awe as you chose to honor and remember…

Because I was on the phone with you during the long, exhausting weeks of prodromal labor, and heard you find the strength to go on morning after discouraging morning…

Because I held your hand (or held your heart long distance) and saw how beautiful, strong and brave you can be as you did the super human work of bringing a new life into the world…

Because I was amazed when you pumped and pumped breastmilk for your tiny little one, as you prayed and loved and cheered him/her on during the long stay in NICU…

Because I’ve seen you grit your teeth and push through mastitis, thrush, OAL, supply issues and all those other fun breast-related ickies while you somehow managed to parent…

Because you’re put on your reading glasses and researched the hell out of food reactions and allergies until you pinpointed what was hurting your little one, and learned to use things like soynut butter, epi pens and xanthan gum, when the rest of us where happily crunching almonds and cheerios…

Because I’ve watched you skip things like seasonal shoes, pretty shirts and manicures so everybody in your family had plenty to eat and wear…

Because I’ve watched you stretch a dollar so freaking far, over and over and over again, and somehow manage to look like a million bucks while doing it…

Because I’ve shaken my head in amazement as you picked up where a birth mother left off and faught through attachment issues and advocated for your child who never had a voice…

Because you ARE, the birth mother, and you did what I’m not sure I’d be selfless enough to do…

Because I’ve listened to you worry late at night over fevers and flushed little cheeks, losing sleep so your bub’s ears could be more comfortable…

Because I’m amazed at your strength and humor as a single mother, and know you spend hours on your knees…

Because I giggled with you as you were up at 2am trying to get the last strips on the jellyfish pinata or the perfect shade of icing on the birthday cake they just HAD to have…

Because I’m seeing the world change, one lesson taught and one kissed booboo at a time…

Because I know how capable and gifted you are, and all the things you’ve put on hold…

Because this world could never do your love justice or esteem your work enough…

I wish you a wonderful, blessing filled, knock-your-socks-off Happy Mother’s Day!!

The widflowers are out!

And the cardinals, and the bees, and the honeysuckles, and pigtailed little flower pickers.