Monday, March 30, 2009

Hiatus

Sorry for my recent hiatus from the blogging world.....my To-Do list the last two weeks including planning and participating in twenty parent teacher conferences (spread over three days), completing twenty report cards (because someone more important than me thought it would be a grand idea to have conferences and report cards happen at the exact same time), writing two big papers for class (both of which were simulations for the CT Administrator Test, one of which counted for 40% of my grade), attending two and a half days worth of workshops/professional development (if you saw how long my sub plans are you would understand why I am mentioning that here) and, you know, being a mom, wife and teacher. Needless to say, something had to give and blogging (and sleeping) were it.

Now, as I glance at the clock, I realize it is 6:25, which means I am late, which means I don't have time to write more.....however, I will leave you with a video of my Snuggles, discovering grass for the first time. She is not quite sure what to make of it, nor is she sure what she should do with it....

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Dropping like flies

A couple of days ago I heard quick running followed by the most awful of noises coming from upstairs. "What in the world is that?" I wondered.....I thought perhaps it was something Russ was listening to on the T.V. and returned to the work I was trying to complete. The noise stopped for a bit and then resumed, louder and worse than before. This time I decided to head upstairs to tell Russ to quiet down or he'd wake Aliza up.
I found him crouched on the floor, hunched over the toilet....doing the only thing you do when you are in that position. I don't think I've ever seen (or heard) Russ throwing up in all the years we've been together....hence my confusion over the noise. He has spent the last few days barely eating and sleeping a ton. I've tried to keep him far away from Aliza, fearing for her health as well.

This morning my mom arrived to pick up Aliza and told me she was also not feeling so great. I decided to take a half day so I could spend the afternoon with my daughter....trying to keep her healthy. If there's something better than only working a half day and then spending an afternoon with a smiley, chatty ten month old, then I don't know what it might be. She is in good spirits and seems to be enjoying her time with momma. I am hoping that she stays healthy, and that I don't catch whatever this nasty stomach bug is.

I figure even if she does get sick, at least she has a friend to comfort her:


Monday, March 09, 2009

Wasn't it just yesterday?

This past weekend I went to a baby shower for a good friend of mine who is expecting her first child, a boy, in about a month and a half. She walked--no, waddled in--a huge smile on her face and almost instantly made a beeline for me, one of her few friends who has recently had a child. I gave her a hug, told her she looked beautiful (pregnant women should hear that at least five times a day I feel) and reassured her that she could, in fact, take off her sweater. She was wearing a pretty green silk shirt that, within five minutes of eating, had small stains on the tummy. You just reach a point where you can't avoid it and as I glanced at her belly and saw the stains, I smiled to myself and thought, "god, I remember that....." As she was opening her gifts I saw the toys and clothes and car seats and diapers and all the things you need for a baby and I was feeling like it wasn't so long ago that I was doing exactly what she was doing. But it wasn't until she opened her bigger car seat-which happened to be the exact same one that we recently installed for Aliza-that it hit me. Really? It was almost a full year ago that I had my baby showers. Everyone says it goes fast and, almost ten months later I agree with them fervently. A week ago we were bringing Aliza home for the first time and trying to figure out where we should put her....six days ago I was wondering if she would ever wake up so I could see her eyes....five days ago we were feeding her rice cereal for the first time and wondering if she would like it.....three days ago she said mom-mom for the first time and I swear it was just yesterday that she had her first "real" food.

And now? Now, she sits up, she crawls (mostly backwards), she pulls herself up to stand, she calls mom-mom and da-da, she smiles and giggles, she talks, she eats chicken and carrots and pears and all sorts of other yummy food, she sleeps through the night, she turns pages in a book, she lets us know where she wants to go and she does a slew of other things that astonish me every day.....including laughing at her Daddy when he is being silly. I want to tell her to slow down! And at the same time? I can't wait for what's to come....for walks and talks...for morning snuggles and bedtime book negotiations.....for first days of school and ballet class....and for all of the amazing things I know she will do and be.
But maybe not quite yet.

Friday, March 06, 2009

Who thought this was a good idea anyways?

After Aliza's last doctor's appointment, where the pediatrician assured us Aliza should be sleeping through the night having had all of her nutritional needs met during the day we made the decision not to wake up with her anymore. Actually, we made the decision that if she did wake up in the middle of the night to nurse (as she has been doing for the last several months) I would not be the one to go into her room....Russ would. And he would comfort her and encourage her to go back to sleep.

We geared up for this, assuming that, as the doctor said, it would take a few nights of listening to her cry before she got the picture and slept through the night. We worked out a plan, I promised to stay away, we committed to staying the course no matter how difficult.....Wouldn't you know? The same day we decided not to feed her, she started sleeping through the night. I'm convinced it is because I told her I wasn't going to feed her. I sat her down, made her look at me and in a very firm voice let her know that it was time to sleep through the night and Mommy wasn't going to feed her anymore. She listened.

Jokes were made--wouldn't you know once we decide Daddy has to get up she decides to sleep!- hugs were given--great job Aliza, let's do it again!-and we were happy that what we anticipated being a rough transition was anything but.


Until two nights ago. I stayed up way too late working on a paper (thanks to a professor who decided that even though our class was cancelled due to snow we should have not one, not two, but three make up written assignments) and crawled into bed around midnight. Four hours later Aliza was awake and crying. No, not crying, WAILING. Russ was a trooper- he got out of bed and went to comfort her.
It didn't make a difference. She kept wailing, now with little hiccoughs because the poor thing was crying so hard. Russ waited about seven minutes and went back in.
No dice. Now she was calling for me "Mmmooom, mom mom" in her sweet little voice. I'll admit, by now I'm crying too. It was breaking my heart hearing her cry and I knew she'd stop as soon as I went in there. Russ kept reassuring me she was fine, we had to stick to our plan, she'd be OK.....at one point he even had to restrain--I mean, hug me so I wouldn't go in there. I contemplated going downstairs so at least I'd hear the cries but they'd be a bit muted but I didn't....I started telling myself that as hard as this is, it is not even the hardest thing we will have to do together, the three of us. That didn't work so well either because hearing her wailing and not helping her was contrary to everything in me.
Forty-five minutes later, right as I really was about to give up and just go to her, she finally fell asleep.
Fifteen minutes later, the alarm went off.

So, at the end of the story, we made it through the night.....with the hope that we don't have to do that again.

Wednesday, March 04, 2009

Important question

If you give up chocolate for lent, are you allowed to eat Tagalong cookies?

Sunday, March 01, 2009

Face it

A face only a mother (and father) could love!
(And maybe a Nonna....or Grosspapa....or Grams....or Gramps....probably an Auntie Tina and Auntie Beth.....also an Uncle Mike and Uncle Scott and Uncle Greg....and while we are at it, a Cousin Cosette and Cousin Juliette too!)