... and we're back.

Along with lots of other things/people/sleep/food I've neglected this month, I must now add the blog to the list. Here's what's been going on the past month:

* I got a job. It's a work-from-home editing job that I thought would be easy. I really like it, but it's been INTENSE. There's a major training period and I've been working every day. For a month. Long hours. Some near all-nighters. It's getting better though. No more crying breakdowns, so that's a start.

* We've been house-hunting. Which I thought involved looking at houses and choosing one. But no, it's a major emotional and mental journey. It's made us question all our priorities, make plans (a major weakness of ours), evaluate finances, etc. It's been tough. We have one offer out and of course we're all sorts of confused about it now.

* My cat Daphne died. Poor Daphne. It's just a horrible, awful story that I don't feel like writing at the moment.

* Annabel has been passing out. It's happened three times. She screams and then turns blue and then grey. Her eyes flutter, she 'sleeps' and then is lethargic. One time she had this horrible 20-second in-breath that sounded like death and made me bawl. I'm told this all is nothing to worry about.

* Nanny crises. It's hard to find someone to trust. It's hard to find child care when we may be moving. It's hard to explain she might pass out if she gets upset but just lay her down and wait for her to return to consciousness. It's hard to leave her all day when she won't take a bottle but needs milk. It's extra hard when you have a babysitter come to the house and your daughter just cries and tries to crawl to where you are working the entire time.

So that's what I've been up to. I need to upload a bunch of videos I've taken. I also need to take pictures!! I haven't taken any this whole month. (I've skipped showers for a few days and missed meals, so seriously I would have if I could have.) Annabel has, of course, changed so much. Last week she started standing, and today she reached some mastery. All day she's lifted her hands up, squealed and sometimes even clapped her hands. She's trying to stand from sitting, though she only usually gets to kneeling. She also a couple times threw herself forward from standing, which makes me think that little munchkin isn't going to waste time trying to walk.

She talks/yells/screams/squeals a lot. She is very loud and communicative. When we say 'clap' without moving she claps. I don't know why but the moment she first did that was so surreal. She understands things! She is like a real little person :)

She loves Gabe's keyboard. We lay it on the floor and she happily plays and plays. She dances too. (Cutest thing ever? Perhaps.)  Tooth 5 & 6 are through and she has the cutest toothy grin. She bites her little poofies in half before she eats them. And of course little miss independent will no longer eat any food we feed her. She must feed herself.

Tomorrow I'm home with her (while working) but I will make time for a little 8 1/2 month photo shoot!

pop for tots

Sheesh, nobody ever told me that giving Annabel soda mixed with her milk would be wholesome and make her popular. Thanks, world, for holding out on me.

a natural...

She is getting to be more comfortable moving around while standing. Maybe a little too comfortable. But her dismounts are starting to become more reliably non-concussion producing so it's all good. Here's the little munchkin at some random play today:

a house in the country

When my friend Sabrina visited a couple months ago we visited a winery and then toured the scenic countryside. We happened upon this house, with the best views in all the land, and large trees begging for tire swings. We were smitten. We looked it up and could not spend 300,000 on a house, even if it was gorgeous and had 10 acres.

But it went 'on sale' for 200k a couple days ago so we ventured out there today to stalk it again. Here are some views from out of the passenger window during the drive there.

And here is the house:

Gabe contemplating where a tire swing would go for Annabel:

The view:

 We have visions of fruit trees, solar panels and goats... But it probably needs crap tons of work.  At the very least it was a nice afternoon out!

seven months old

Why does seven months old seem so much older than six months old? So many changes this month: sitting well, pulling up to standing, standing on her own (a couple times today, a couple seconds each), cruising, two little teeth popping through, lots of babbling, more laughing, more personality...

I LOVE THIS GIRL SOOOO MUCH!



She is waking up really early now and I've been feeling zombie-ish. But I've discovered if I kiss her belly in the morning she erupts in giggles, and that gets rid of my initial reaction of wanting to cry from lack of sleep. She is teething like a champ. Sometimes she has bouts of fussiness, and she puts her fingers in her mouth more, but overall things are going smoothly. Check out her two pearly whites.



This is where she is usually perched these days-



She stands all. the. time. She just hangs out there, building up those little leg muscles. She will spend a whole day climbing up on the couch then getting back down. Sometimes she has trouble getting back down and she'll stare at the floor and scream in frustration. But more and more she'll bend her knees, place one hand down and land gracefully on her tush.

Her cute face that reminds me of an old man:



This is her saying I can't believe you got a bow in this peach fuzz of my head. Furthermore, I can't believe I have sweet potatoes in my ear and you've left it there this whole time.



I haven't gotten tons of pics and videos of her newfound mobility skills because usually I'm spotting her. But now that we have a rug and she's getting more stable I'll post some more.

Here's one of her today cruising on the couch, with a little poop detour.

You are so fun and smart and beautiful little munchkin!

i know someone who is rolling over in their grave right now...

care of www.regretsy.com 

a year ago...

I have been thinking about a year ago. I was lying in a dark room with a picture of our unborn baby projected on the wall. Since my sister had a boy already, there was a definite hope for a girl from my family. Gabe only has nephews so his family was probably on Team Pink as well. And though I was obviously wanting a healthy baby of either sex, part of me had visions of raising a strong daughter, fastening pigtails, and buying the ridiculously cute dresses I had seen in stores.

The tech told us undoubtedly GIRL and the crowd went wild :)  Gabe said 'We just gotta keep her off the pole.' I went home and was totally exhausted. I felt like I had run a marathon. So much wondering and dreaming, and now we knew. 

Looking back, it makes me smile at how we had no idea what was in store. People tell you that your life will change. And I always thought 'well, obviously'. But I couldn't have imagined her, for all that time I spent imagining. She is such a little person, so separate from anyone else's ideas of who she would be. I also couldn't have known how I would change as a mother. I didn't know about all the anxiety, joy, the challenges, the love and sleeplessness. Just no idea. And if I could go back and tell myself something, I wouldn't say a word. It was all the most wonderful surprise.