2 months in

Tomorrow will mark 2 months since we arrived home from Ethiopia. 2 months. It feels like Isa's been here forever- how can it only be 2 months? And at the same time is there a way to get the time to pass slower???? I can't believe how much she's grown both physically and in personality. She's not the little, bitty baby content to just hang out in your arms anymore (although she is still fairly snuggly). Does every parent have the same terrified feeling that it's all flying by too quickly? Anyone figured out how to keep them small for longer?

Things I've learned about Isa B:

- she loves texture: satin, fleece, anything interesting for her fingers
- her favorite song is Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star (followed closely by The Wheels on the Bus)
- she adores animals and squeals in delight whenever she sees one
- she loves to bounce: in the exersaucer, on my lap, she even bounces her legs in bed
- she has an amazing belly laugh when she really gets going
- she loves shiny and sparkly things (a girl after my own heart)
- one of her favorite places to nap is lying on my chest (learned that one in Ethiopia!)
- she doesn't like the sound of either the hair dryer or the Dust Buster
- her favorite food is sweet potatoes

And the list could go on and on. Her little personality just gets bigger each day!

Happy Birthday Baby...

Yesterday was Isa B's 8 month birthday. And how did we celebrate, you might ask???? I locked the keys and Isa in the car when we got home from our Mommy and Me group. Yep.

Extreme panic and hyperventilation ensued (on my part- Isa was still asleep at that point). I didn't even have a phone since that was in the diaper bag, in the car. The other key to my car is with my parents, who are visiting my brother in Kansas City right now. Luckily, a few houses down is another mom who had just gotten home with her little one from grocery shopping. She was levelheaded enough to call a locksmith and attempt to keep me as calm as possible. The locksmith was out to pop open the door PDQ. Of course, by this time Isa is crying because she doesn't understand why I'm staring at her through the car window and not getting her out. I'm crying because I feel so completely inept as a mom.

Apparently this is not all that uncommon. The locksmith told me so and another mom I spoke with last night said she'd done it. Isa B is completely over it and had no issues getting strapped into the carseat this morning when we went swimming. I, however, am still fairly traumatized...

So, if you want to feel like an incompetent mom, then by all means lock your baby and the keys in the car. Otherwise, I really don't recommend it!

I scream, you scream

And, no, I wasn't actually feeding her ice cream!

Although if I thought it would help with the teething, I might be tempted to try it.... I can tell that at times is just HURTS. It breaks my heart to hear her crying and see her grimacing in pain. At least with hunger, I can fix it. I can only do so much about the teething. It seems to be worse at night, so I give her a dose of ibuprofen before bedtime. You can almost see the moment when it kicks in. Her gums are very, very bumpy at this point and I'm hoping those little teeth make an appearance soon. (In my fondest dreams, I'm hoping all 4 of the fronts come in at once so we can be done with this ickiness for a while.)

While we wait on the teeth, she tried Cheerios for the first time today. It was really adorable watching her figure out how to gum them up. I wish I'd taken pictures of the face she made when I put the first one in her mouth. After a few, though, she was a pro! Still not so great at picking them up and getting them into her mouth, but she made a great effort. Only half a dozen or so ended up on the floor. :)

Mommy moments

Ever-so-often, usually out of the blue, I have "Mommy moment." The kind where it suddenly washes over you just how amazing it is to be entrusted with this fabulous little being.

I have a Mommy moment almost every time she lays her head down on my chest when she's tired. Does anything feel better than a baby melting into you? I get them on the mornings when she starts crying to get up, then just lights up when my face finally appears over the crib. I still can't sing her "You Are My Sunshine" without bursting into tears because of just how full my heart swells.

I have been trying to get back into the swing of my contract jobs for the last couple weeks with little success. After putting Isa to bed it's very tough to make myself sit down at the computer and work for 3 hours. All I want to do is go curl up in bed or read a book or simply veg in front of the TV. On Monday I was especially exhausted from the complete sleep meltdown of the previous night. Then, at our Mommy & Me group, she rolled over to her tummy for the first time. And I had yet another Mommy moment.

And I realized THAT is how I will find the energy to get the work done- so I can be there to see all those amazing firsts. I never thought as a single mom that I'd be able to essentially be a stay at home mom. I need to take advantage of that opportunity. Because everything else just kind of pales in comparison with the joy of a Mommy moment.

To sleep or not to sleep

Currently the answer is "not" in our house.....

The night before her baptism Isa slept from 7-12 and then from 12 all the way to 5 a.m.!!! Never before had 5 a.m. seemed so wonderful. I was hopeful that starting solids would mean that she finally started sleeping in blocks longer than 3 hours. I was thrilled.

Alas, it wasn't to be. For the last several nights, she's been waking up every few hours and isn't able to soothe herself back to sleep. She'll wake up and cry. I'll go in and put her pacifier back in. That used to work but ooh, boy, last night....... From around 1 to 3 a.m., I think she woke up every 1/2 hour if not more often. Nothing could keep her asleep. She slept peacefully when I was holding her in my arms but that wasn't really a viable position for the entire night. Suddenly those 3 uninterrupted hours are starting to look pretty good!

I'm hoping the sleeping problems are the result of either (or both) of these things: teething and new developmental milestones. Her crying definitely sounds like "I'm in pain" more than just "Mom, I'm lonely" or "I'm hungry" the way it used to. She doesn't have a fever or any other symptoms, so I don't think she's sick- teething seems the logical explanation. I'm trying a variety of things for the teething and just praying that they hurry up and get through her gums!

As for the milestones, today Isa figured out how to roll from her back to her front! She was SOOOO proud of herself. Later in the afternoon, I had her on a blanket in the kitchen while I unpacked the groceries and when I looked back she'd rolled all the way down the length of the blanket. I guess I can't put her down on the floor and expect her to stay put anymore while I do little errands around the house! Darn... An immobile baby is much, much easier to deal with. And now I suppose I have to start Swiffering my floors on a more regular basis. :)

Isa showing off her new skill:

Further proof of her talent: here's my girl already practicing to be a prima ballerina. Mommy's so proud!