Category Archives: Family

I do have birthy things to say.  But this post is again gonna be about a darling child of mine.  So to satisfy the birthy folks:

I’m in the middle of a Hypnobabies class and thoroughly enjoying the couples attending.  We keep running out of time which I hope means we’re having mindful dialogue and not that I’m rambling on.  I’m also excited that 3 of my next 4 births are repeat clients.  It is such a compliment to be contacted as soon as a former client finds out she’s expecting.

Ok, now to the real purpose of my post. 

Doesn’t she look like she wants a glass of wine and dim lights?  We don’t have a baby tub.  Cedar and I started out bathing together and then when she could sit, we moved her to the kitchen sink where she splashed with abandon.  Now, she has decided that when placed in bubbly warm water, she must lean back and stretch out–her feet usually propped against one end, her head against the other.  She doesn’t splash.  She relaxes.  Sometimes she has the water up to her chin as she wiggles down to submerge.  A girl after my own heart.   

And since I gave her a banana to mutilate while I blogged, we’re off for bathtime now.

[interrupting my discourse on Jesus and breastfeeding]

Scott: I know what I’m gonna build you!

Me: Ooo, what?

Scott: A soapbox.

Bird-watching in the snow

I kept a notepad near me so I could catch some of her words today. 

• “I’m the mommy.”
• “You can never eat again.  NEVER.”
• “Feed Cedar to the lions.”
• “I broke mine ankle.  All the bones came out.  But I put them back in.”
• “You’re kidding me?  Blackbird has the letter ‘C’ in it?  Are you sure?”
• “I need one of those things what make little things bigger.”  (a microscope)
• “You forgot to sweep under the rug yesterday.  Look at that dirt!  Do it now.”
• “You’re never gonna pet Jude again.  NEVER.”
• “I’m going to Heaven first.  You don’t get to go to Heaven first.  I do.  Hmph.”
• “Put Cedar out in the grass.”
• “You stink.  Cedar put her stinky on you.”
• “You go in the kitchen.  I’ll watch over Cedar.”  (yeah right!)

Are you seeing any trends? 

But my favorite:

“Mom, you’re the bestest mommy in the whole wide world.”  (Ok, that was after I made hot chocolate and popcorn).

Just a little update:

Cedar:  She is 5 months now.  She continues to cry if anyone other than Scott holds her.  I’m told she settles eventually if I’m not around but that doesn’t make it easy for me, the caregiver, or Cedar.  I wonder what it is about her temperament that causes this reaction.  She is a smiley little thing with a snakey long tongue but sometimes if family/friends look at her, she will fall apart into tears.  She doesn’t do this with strangers.  So odd.  Cedar is an easy baby if we stay home.  So we stay home.  Alot.  I was gone for 17 hours for a birth (hoorah wonderful VBAC homebirth!) and thanks to Carey, mom, and Scott, Cedar was well-cared for while I was away.  No permanent damage!     

Norah:  She is 4.  And lately, the whining and tantruming have re-surfaced.  I thought we left those way behind.  There are also many dramatic “I hates” and “I will nevers” and stomping of feet.  I feel some urgency to intervene before she is ruined forever.  But I know the urgency is only in my head.  She is fine and finding her independence which I’m sure is scary.  And finding her place in the family now that she is not an only child.  Today, I experimented with feeding her protein snacks much more frequently and the whining has dramatically decreased.  

Me:  I long for a few hours without Cedar.  I leave her with Scott when I teach classes or go to prenatals but I would like to go out for coffee with my husband.  We went to a concert in Asheville Sunday night at The Grey Eagle and yes, I wore my baby.  Thankfully she slept through most of it but I covered her ears because the band was loud.  I admit I felt a little out of place. 

Scott:  keeps on turning out the gorgeous wood.  Check out this cedar baby spoon. 

See those two snazzy kids in the background?  That is my brother-in-law, Zach, and my sister, Noelle.

Doesn’t Cedar fit nicely between them?  I think so.  Next Christmas, they will have a babe that size!

In fact, their wee one shares the same due date as Cedar.  What are the chances?  I think they are so frugal they matched the dates to get all the right hand-me-downs. 

Norah has already begun advising the happy parents-to-be on how to give birth.  Complete with demonstrations.  “It’s easy.  You just squat in the water and Uncle Zach helps the baby swim to the top.” 

I think I’m more excited about my one and only sister giving birth than I was about doing it myself!  Noelle attended both of my births.  I’m thrilled to be able to watch her begin her own journey to motherhood. 

Stay tuned.  More to come on the Noelle/Zach pregnancy!  Well, unless they tell me not to blog about them…

ETA:  One of the first things Noelle has learned is that US employers are not required to provide paid maternity leave.  Employees are required to use sick/vacation days or go on short-term disability.  The US is one of four countries that doesn’t provide paid leave to new mamas.  The others are Swaziland, Lesotho, and Papua New Guinea.  Want to do something about that?  Check out momsrising.