this blog is your baby book.

sorry sweetie, but this is it.
so i wanted to record that you took your first steps today.  one two three, from holding onto me you let go and walked right over to your little train table.
3 days shy of your first birthday.  so when later, i can't remember when, i will have this record of it.  providing the internet still exists.
congrats peanut.

communication!

Althea can sign the following things:
more
milk
all done
water

but the one she loves the most is 'milk'.  and she does NOT mean in a sippy cup, just so we are clear.  she means 'get your boobies out mama, get them out'.  And she does it in the most sincere way, looking into my eyes, squeezing her little fist oh-so-deliberately, like 'look at me, i can tell you what i want.  i want your boobies.'.
and i want to teach her that communicating is good, and that signing (and talking) are a way to tell others what you want, without shrieking.
however.
by my estimate, Althea signed 'milk' to me AT LEAST 50 times today.  she is drunk with the power of the milk sign.  "you mean, anytime i squeeze my little fist, mama will let me nurse?!?!?!  FAN.TAS.TIC!"

help me.  help my poor, sad, nipples.  why did I think this was a good idea?  we probably should not have taught her to communicate.    

Dear boobs,

Dear boobs,

I know you put up with a lot.  You are the answer to every. single. problem. that our darling baby has.  fall and bump her head?  boobs!  a little sleepy? boobs!  not feeling so good? boobs!  peckish?  boobs!  teething?  boobs, boobs, boobs. you're constantly being manhandled, exposed, groped, mauled, pinched, and occasionally bit.  You deserve a fucking break.  Unfortunately, there is not one in sight.  However, please know that you are loved, so very very much, by the baby.  also by my husband, who loves me with 'after children boobs' (thank you lindsay for that little gem).  and I appreciate the hard hard work you do, and all the bottles I don't have to make and wash because of you.  You rock, boobs.  

<3,  Mama

title?

i'm anxious.  and nervous.  and its making me crabby.

i'm going back to work tomorrow.  TOMORROW.  this has suddenly ceased being hypothetical.  its f#$%ing TOMORROW.  I have to set an alarm.  Get up.  Get dressed in some kind of respectable, professional outfit, and get me ass out the door at 7:00 in the morning.  Oh yeah, and leave my adorable, precious, amazing baby with someone else.  Every day.  for the next 7 weeks.  And then for the school year (4 days only).

Someone remind me why this seemed like a good idea?

Well, I'm somewhat bored (note:  i am probably a bad mother for saying this out loud.  aren't good mothers supposed to be endlessly enthralled and entertained by their babies?)  I spend too much time surfing the internet.  The baby's sometimes incessant screechy pteradactyl noises get old fast.  They wear on my nerves like...well, like screechy pteradactyl noises.
I spent 2 years and many thousands of dollars getting qualified to teach.  If I go back to work I will have an excuse to slack off on laundry.  and sweeping.  Although actually then I will just live in filth, since probably Mr. 3rd Year Clinical Rotations isn't going to have any extra time to pick up the slack.  So maybe that isn't a good thing.

I feel like I'm losing my membership card to the stay at home mommy club.  which I liked.  unlike change.  I dislike change.  it makes me uncomfortable.  i probably should have just had another baby.  that would have cut down on the boredom and excessive internet surfing.  although not the dinosaur noises.

phew.

what a crazy month of visiting and family and travel.

A few gems of the airplane world:
on the way there, Airtran left our carseat. in the jetway.  in milwaukee.    they had to 'loan' us one in SF to get to Jan's house, and delivered ours the next day.
on the way back, this super bitchy stewardess made me take a SLEEPING baby out of the Ergo for take-off.

but the stay in CA was great.  Althea became this tiny socialite; charming people left, right and center with her fart noises, grins,  and general sunny disposition.  she learned to wave.  and cluck her tongue.  and she got FAST.  so watch out world.

then we were home for literally 1 day before I took off sans husband for a 3 day weekend camping trip.  Althea took it like a champ.  she was called 'party baby'.  and once again charmed everyone.

just some adorable pictures of my adorable baby.

Althea's current favorite book: the Itsy Bitsy Spider.

bucket baby bath

let me out!

eating:  action shot

Had my first mothers day.  it was awfully sweet.  Life is more or less perfect.

9 months

29" long.  18 lbs, 9 oz.  (we had Dr. appt today).
Also:  a partial list of things althea can do, or particularly likes.

sit up by herself (from laying down)
pull up to standing on the furniture.  she doesn't know how to put one foot down, so she just pulls up from her knees to her feet.  it looks really hard.  she can also sit back down.
crawl:  just barely starting to move on all fours.  otherwise can pull/drag herself around pretty far and fast.  travels from one room to another
loves strawberries, barley biscuits, mango, avocado, kiwis, stewed tomatoes.  eats yogurt, corn cereal,  oatmeal, and tofu.
does NOT love goat cheese or peas.
baths.  water.  swimming.
just started handing toys to you, and passing them back and forth for several minutes.
says mamamamam and dadadadadada.
makes fart noises.
looking in mirrors.