Sunday, November 21, 2010

Why is making a baby laugh so hard? Ok, for you, it might be really easy. But Baby D doesn't really laugh. She does an excited coo and smiles really big (which melts my freaking heart every single time), but no laugh-out-louds. If she could text or chat online, she would never be able to say "LOL," but might be able to say "COL (coo out loud, for those not in the know)," and still only sometimes. Don't get me wrong, she talks ALL of the time, but laughing? Nope. We've tried everything. Things that, if they were caught on camera, could be used to blackmail me because I look like such a moron.

Still, no laughs. And that's ok, I can be patient. I'm not one of those moms that has to compete with other moms (so what Baby D isn't rolling over? I'm not concerned at all about that), but COME ON, LAUGH ALREADY! I just want it for my own selfish reasons, because I know it's going to kill me with joy every time she does it.

Today is a beautiful Fall day - probably the last nice day of the year. We're hanging out in the living room with the shades open & even a window is open as well. The sun is shining in, the wind is blowing through, and Baby D is shaking the rattle on her play gym and talking to the whale hanging above her. It's such a perfect day that I suppose I can do without a laugh and just appreciate that beautiful voice! And so I will.

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Mr. D and I are going on our first date since baby was born today!

We were going to make it dinner, but decided we'd rather just go do lunch and a movie or something. Although there really aren't any movies out that we'd like to see, so who knows what we'll do. I do know there will be a steak involved. A bloody steak, since I couldn't have that when Baby D was still incubating.

I am very excited for date night. I explained to Baby D that moms and dads sometimes need to leave babies with a sitter (in this case, Grandma) so they can go have time alone and stay in love. I realize she probably has no idea what I'm saying, but it makes me feel less guilty for going out and having a good time without her, haha.

Baby D is getting smarter and bigger and more beautiful every day. She is able to reach for things and grab them. She smiles. She's ALMOST laughing. She tries to stick everything in her mouth. I love the face she makes when she sticks something in her mouth that apparently tastes bad. I can't wait until it's time to introduce solids and we get to give her new foods and see the faces she makes when she likes them and hates them! Right now, it's just momma's milk, though, and she still always looks like she's an addict who finally got their fix every time she eats it. And I love that :)

I thought I'd be able to type out a long post, since she was working away in her play gym, but she had different plans and is "yelling" at me, so nevermind!

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Three of my students are pregnant.

I teach 8th grade.

I just wish more school districts would stop teaching abstinence only education and admit that, regardless if you approve or not, teens are going to have sex. Teach them how to protect themselves if they make that choice! I would love for them to let me teach sex ed. I wish 14 year olds weren't choosing to be sexually active, but if they're going to be, give them the knowledge they need and show them that, yes, even 14 year olds can get pregnant.

Anyway, it makes me super sad to think about how their lives are forever changed at such a young age. I LOVE Baby D more than everything, but having a baby is HARD. It's so many other positive things, but being easy isn't something parenthood is. And to have to have a baby and still have over 4 years of school left to complete before you graduate high school? I can't even imagine.

Anyway, off of that tangent.

Baby D is doing great. She has hit a majorly cranky stage, though. We think maybe she's already teething, even though she's only a little over 3 months old. She's irritable, drools a lot, and chews on her hands (which used to mean she was hungry, but refuses to eat when she's chewing on her hands). She was screaming in such a painful manor the other night that we finally broke down a gave her a little baby tylenol, which stopped the crying almost right away, so we think she was definitely in pain. I'm going to miss my girl's gummy smile!!

Having a growing baby is definitely bittersweet. I look forward to all of the things she'll be able to do within the next year - rolling over, crawling, walking, talking - but I will desperately miss the infant stage. Even with the unstoppable crying at times. She is just so perfect and beautiful. I will miss her rubberband wrists and her giant elbow dimple, her 14 chins, her perfectly soft baby skin. But at the same time I am looking forward to when she asks me if she can help me cook, or even when she comes padding into our room in the morning to wake us up! (Remind me of that when it annoys me)

Right now she's snoozing away on her newborn lounger (which she has almost outgrown), the morning light coming in and lighting up her little porcelain face. I love her!!